FJFC U-13 Blue 2 4.2 (26) lt Richmond 6. 7 (43), Citizens Park, August 2, 2009
So what can you say? It was all there to play for - a spot in the finals beckoned. The Roys' had hit a rich seam of form: two impressive wins against good sides. Sure, they were playing a top team but the Tigers had been down in recent weeks and could be vulnerable. And Citizens Park wasn't exactly hostile territory: in the far-off days of the under-10s, Josh, Sam Mack, Kieran and Patrick all counted the Park as the Roys' home ground.
Sure enough, the boys burst out of the blocks like Usain Bolt. There tackles, scrimmages and scrums, and then the ball was shaken free for Ahmed at centre half-forward to kick the first goal of the game. There were plenty of one percenters going on around the ground, especially in close where Hugh laid a couple of shepherds, Atticus was rebounding off half-back and Jaqan was in-and-under. Richmond looked stunned, and the ball was, for a while, trapped in the windy limbo of the half- forward line on the outer side of the ground. Soon enough though the Roys worked the ball back in to the corridor and Digby unloaded with a long kick that Mu was on the end of to finish with a lovely goal.
Moments later, in a goal square scrimmage Andre latched on to a loose ball to add the Roys' third for the quarter. It had been a lopsided first quarter and it didn't take long for Richmond to hit their straps after the break. Two quick goals gave the Tigers a sniff, but the problem was that the Roys seemed to be suddenly a step behind a lot of
contests: the Tigers were running, and in numbers. And the Roys'
intensity started to fall away. Ned managed to seize a ball on the forward line and drove the ball to the goal square where it tumbled through the unguarded posts for the Roys' fourth, but it was the boys'
only score for the term.
They could feel the Tigers were hunting them now, and after the long break, the game became clogged up with some desperate footy from two teams locked in to a tough struggle: the Tigers sensed they could pinch it, the Roys were trying to find ways to hang on. Richmond kept pressing and Max H had to do some desperate spoiling. Josh was a tower of strength but the Tigers were relentless and snagged a goal to level the scores at three quarter time.
Richard handed it over to Terry for a final moment of inspiration in the huddle. The boys were quiet. There was not the buzz of anticipation of last week's three-quarter time huddle. Terry was direct. "Play this quarter like it's your last for the season,'' he said. It was a tough and unforgiving start to the final quarter.
Richmond had found its form: they were running in numbers and their talls seemed to have grown since the first quarter. But the Roys made life hard for themselves with a couple of free kicks and 50m penalties that helped the Tigers add a couple of goals to wrest any last hope away from the Roys. A final goal sealed the Roys' fate and ensured their would be no finals dreams this season.
ENDS
Report by Nick Richardson
Under 13 Blue 2