Under 11-1 - Match Report

Round 8 - Fitzroy Vs Preston

Preston           1.1       1.2       1.3       1.4       10
Fitzroy 1.3       2.7       2.10    3.11    29

The first day of winter and on a gloomy morning the U11 Browns travelled to Preston City Oval to play Preston. This was the first time that the boys have played on a VFL ground, and the biggest ground they had played on this season. Dan and Louis were appointed joint captains for the day.

For the first quarter Ben, George and Aiden were the followers. Despite their lowly position on the ladder Preston showed that they had come to play, and jumped Fitzroy by scoring a goal in the first minute of the game! After that sustained movement up and down the field became difficult, establishing a pattern for the day. Eventually from a forward movement Isaac scored a goal.
In a lighter moment late in the quarter the match ball “popped”, and the umpire was forced to ask the timekeepers to stop the clock whilst a replacement was (quickly) found.

In the second quarter the ruck division were Eddie, Charles and Dan who helped move the ball frequently into the scoring zone. However all this initially produced was 4 behinds, due to Preston’s desperation in defence. Charles was getting lots of touches, one of which was a kick in, which came off hands to Lucien who scored an opportunist goal. Later Isaac went for a great run along the grandstand wing accompanied by a shepherding Lucien. Fitzroy had clearly had the upper hand this quarter but it was not reflected on the scoreboard.

Declan, Robbie, and Harry H. were on the ball in the third quarter. Preston had evidently been fired up at half time and in this quarter placed the Fitzroy defence under sustained pressure. One dangerous move was marked by Declan right on the goal line. Robbie was building a wall at centre stopping Preston sweeping the ball out of defence. The boys had responded to the coach’s request to improve their marking and tackling but they were getting “Lost in Space” on the remote, wide flanks. Three behinds were all they had to show for a quarter’s endeavour, 2 of them rushed.

At three quarter time the coach warned that Preston were still in touch and asked the boys to go out and score two unanswered goals.

Chas, Isaac, Harry J., and Charles were in the square. The size of the ground showed when, coming out of defence, a series of 4 perfectly executed passes to unmarked Fitzroy players only just penetrated beyond centre. Nevertheless the ball was constantly in our half in this quarter. Eventually a free kick to Eddie was marked by Noah in the goal square, who duly converted. Late in the quarter the defence did a great job to lock the ball up in Preston’s forward pocket, and concede only a rushed behind. The final siren, when it came, signalled relief rather than overwhelming triumph.

Whilst the boys won every quarter, and enhanced their percentage it was not a great spectacle, more a case of “winning ugly”. Preston will likely trouble more credentialed sides particularly on the vast, empty, unexplored expanses of home, and Fitzroy have survived to fight another day.

“Chicken Smallhorn”