Under 15 Section 3

[Team Info] [Match Reports] [Photos]

ROUND 13 (17th July 2005)

FITZROY VS GREYTHORN

Round 13 got under way against Greythorn and for the first time in many weeks we had a bench! The team, wanting to make up for the 106-point loss last time round, ran onto the ground ready to play but started in similar fashion to last time. We were being dominated though the midfield by their bigger bodies as they piled on 8 goals to our 1 behind in the first quarter.

We picked up the pace a lot in the second quarter. As in the previous game against Heidelberg one player was destroying us - this time in the form of their no.28 - and in similar fashion we managed to close him down. Rory moved onto him and his effect on the game was greatly diminished. All over the ground the team was putting in. We were running well out of defence, the midfield was working well in numbers, and the forwards started kicking goals. Blake picked up his first goal and was creative up forward setting up others.

As the third quarter got underway we had closed the gap but we weren't looking good, due to their 8 goal first quarter but were still fighting hard. Another goal to Blake helped our cause as we closed in on a Greythorn team looking very different to the powerhouse of the first quarter.

Our defence, which had held strong throughout the past 2 quarters continued to hold under immense pressure in the last, letting through only 1 more goal. Blake kicked his 3rd goal for the match but it was a case of too little too late for us.

After their 8 straight goals in the first quarter Greythorn registered 3 goals 11 to our 6 goals 6 which is testimony to the effort contributed by the entire team. Other than our first quarter, it was an excellent effort against the top team and flag favourites, with the final score standing at 43-77.

With Macleod knocking off St. Mary's we're still 2 games clear in the 4 and one win for us or one loss for St. Mary's in the next 3 matches will all but guarantee us a spot in the 4.

ROUND 12 (10th July 2005)

FITZROY VS HEIDELBERG

After the great win last round against St Mary's the question was how would the team go in another crunch game for two teams with finals on their minds. I'm pleased to say that the team came through again with a win that contained some breathtaking play-on football.

A combination of school holidays, late nights and a late Will Oldfield saw us commence the game in less than inspiring fashion, with Heidelberg's work rate and hardness at the ball proving a problem for us. However, creative forward play through Sam West and Tyler Andrews as well as sound defensive work from Ross Borland and Gary McCarthy saw us keep pace with Heidelberg to go into half-time trailing by 4 points.

It was a different team that came out in the third quarter to produce perhaps our best quarter of football for the year. With captain for the day, Alex Vella-Horne, leading the way in the ruck contests, Jesse Dimond, Nick Brown & Blake Chilcott continually cleared the ball from the middle to a forward line that displayed the value of playing in front. A monster goal by Thomas Dudgeon inspired other forwards Sam, Tyler, Lachlan Guthrie & Robbie Kerr to generate a six goal quarter.

Whilst we went in the last quarter with a 4 goal lead, we knew that Heidelberg, with the wind behind them, would challenge our hold on the game and this proved to be the case as they closed to within 10 points. Our backline, starting with Ross Borland, who curbed the influence of Heidelberg's key player, along with Rory Angiolella, Lachlan Indian-Manning and Peter Foot shut the Heidelberg forward line down. Crucial goals by Jesse Dimond and Tyler Andrews ensured the game was ours with the final margin being 22 points.

This was a wonderful team effort in which every player made a vital contribution with Sam West playing his best game for the season after potentially not playing due to a sore back.

We now have a 2 game & sizeable percentage break over the fourth team and look forward to the challenge of playing the three teams above us in the next few weeks in the run-up to what we hopefully will be the teams' first final appearance in two years.

Well done guys!

Michael Pickering

ROUND 11 (26th June 2005)

FITZROY VS ST MARY'S 

One of the great victories for the Fitzroy Junior Football Club. We played one of our long standing rivals, St Mary's, at their ground with only 16 players in a game that would heavily influence our finals prospects and came through victorious by 1 point.

We started the game in brilliant fashion with our midfield division led by Will Oldfield and Alex Vella-Horne continually pumping the ball up to our key forwards in Ross Borland and Will Pickering who were dominating against their opponents. The defence was playing excellent rebound football with Thomas Dudgeon, Lachlan Indian-Manning & Gary McCarthy continually switching the play to allow us quick movement of the ball up forward.

We head into half-time with a 25 point lead but we knew that with no rest and St Mary's having a full bench it would be a tough second half.

St Mary's started to win more of the ball and were applying plenty of scoreboard pressure although vital goals by Sam West and Robbie Kerr helped to steady the team. Ross Borland and Blake Chilcott continued to win some tough contests for us whilst Will Johnson and skipper for the day, Konrad Bien-Stephen were unstoppable in the back-line.

We entered the final quarter leading by 17 points but knew that St Mary's would come hard at us and they did as our team started to tire. Despite some hard running by Nick Brown and clever work on the forward line through Tyler Andrews, St Mary's drew to within one point with only just over a minute left. St Mary's pushed forward again and just as one of their forwards seemed certain to centre the ball to a waiting player in the goal square, Lachlan Guthrie produced a fantastic smother after which we cleared the ball forward and the siren sounded.

A real team effort in which every player made contributed something to the victory means we give ourselves a great chance of grabbing a finals spot. Well done on a win that will be remembered for a very long time.

Michael Pickering

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