FJFC U11 Blue 1.10 (16) lt Ivanhoe 3.1 (19) at Ford Park, July 29, 2007.

How that ground stretched out in front of us - wide as the eye could see, like old Waverley without the concrete, or the rain.

Still, there is always enough going on to keep us interested, even if the parents had to squint and tilt their head in a certain way to make sure they could make out what was happening on the other side of the ground.

The boys seemed a bit flat, a little aware of some of the bigger Ivanhoe boys who were, well a bit bigger, and wanted to run with the ball. Even so, the Roy Boys worked hard at keeping themselves in it. Sebastian was in season-best form, turning, dodging and weaving and capping it off with an outstanding overhead mark.

Kent and Atticus too were strong overhead, while around the packs, Nick N and Martin relished the tackling. But Ivanhoe was still threatening and, with the wind at their back, kicked their first goal. It was tough footy, and no one seemed to have much of a handle on the ball. Nick B was courageous and slipped through a few tackles, but the Roys' only managed a point for the first quarter.

The wings at Ford Park would have been more at home on a 747 at Tullamarine and when the game resumed, it seemed some of the boys had taken an orange and a water bottle and got lost on the far side of the ground. The wind was to the Roys' advantage, but their kicking was put under pressure from some smart Ivanhoe defenders and the behinds, rather than goals, started to accumulate. Digby persisted and kept banging the ball forward and Fraser tackled the Ivanhoe tall timber, perhaps because they had further to fall. Despite all that - and because of some of it - the scores were locked together at half- time.

Ivanhoe, like Greek singers of the 1970s, realised that the wind was indeed their friend, and within a minute of the resumption, had scored their second goal. Terry had told the Roys to watch out for the way Ivanhoe just kept running, and running in numbers. And when you've got a big ground, why stop running? David tried to make sure they didn't get too far by his tackling and run out of defence and Elia did some of his best work in close, but the boys couldn't find space and many of their kicks fell short or sailed in to open space because of the wind. When Ivanhoe kicked another goal before three-quarter time, it looked like curtains for the Roys. But the boys are made of tough stuff and good memories - this was the team from whom they had pinched a famous win at Alfred Cres early in the season. Terry told the boys to "grit their teeth'', to keep tackling and not rely on the wind to win it for them.

He could also have added "watch out for Ivanhoe pushing boys back in to their defence'' and running the ball towards the boundary. It was shrewd footy from the home team and Fitzroy struggled to make headway. A series of behinds brought the Roys to 0.10, and then Noah, seized on a ball in the goalsquare to kick the boys' first.

A few nervous parents checked with the timekeeper - 40 seconds left. Only three points the difference. Could the Roys do it again?

The ball came out of the centre, Atticus sent it forward, Aleks was charging for the mark. He had it! Yes! No! Almost. It spilled free, and in that moment the siren sounded. Yet before the final strains of the hooter had died, Aleks grabbed the ball and snapped the goal that would, only seconds earlier, have given the Roys the match.

And that would have been a real steal.

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