The top team came to Ramsden Street with thoughts of an easy victory in mind. Look out Ivanhoe – you’re playing the Roy Boys and there are no easy games against the Roys. And that’s how they started, in what was probably their best first quarter of the season: fast, keen and hard at it, the Roys just wanted the ball more and it quickly showed on the scoreboard.
Now, there are any number of footy types who will tell you it’s important to generate a bit of scoreboard pressure, especially against opponents who may just be a little relaxed about the outcome.
And the Roys understood that perfectly: Lucy won a free for being first to the ball and kicked the first goal of the match. A couple of points soon followed, and then Martin snapped their second. It was intense footy from Fitzroy and it clearly caught Ivanhoe off guard.
Sebastian soared for a couple of big marks, Nick N was at his bustling best, while Elia and Charlie dominated the air. Ivanhoe was scoreless – not a bean, zippo - when the first-quarter siren sounded.
What a performance!
Terry was enthusiastic and proud at the quarter-time huddle. “It was beautiful to watch,’’ he told the team. And he was right. Then he asked them to do it all over again.
But the ‘Hoes were starting to find their feet and their pace and strength began to emerge. They slammed on six goals for the quarter, while the Roys snaffled a point and Sam provided the run from the midfield. Still there was only 19 points in it at the main break.
Lewis managed the Roys third in the third quarter, but Ivanhoe was exerting a strong grip on the game that looked ominous for the home team. Martin was full of dash, marking under pressure, taking on his opponents and dodging past them. Nick B was at the fall of the ball and always alert to feed it out, and Kieran did some splendid tackling.
Yet the margin in the final quarter looked to be too much for the Roys – but they kept trying. Sebastian roved a pack and snapped a goal and then Patrick got a free to add another. James T was fast and furious, grabbing the ball from the centre, running straight at it and booting it long. It was the kind of display that helped Ivanhoe decide that James T should be the winner of the Ivanhoe medal as the best opposition player.
And although Ivanhoe ran out winners by 30 points, both teams had the same number of shots at goal. The Roys had been brave and committed.
It was a strong result against a big, fast team destined for finals’
action.
More photos taken from Round 14
