MATCH REPORT  ROUND 7

Rd 7 Match Report

Warrandyte 9.9.63 – Fitzroy 5.2.32

 

While we may not have swine flu in the team, there was barely a player this week who wasn't coughing, sneezing, feeling sick or hurt!

 

And while the Warrandyte team played harder and faster and deserved its good win, our players certainly didn't have too much in reserve when called on for an effort.

 

The game started, as it continued, with Warrandyte winning the ball from the centre bounce and moving it quickly to their forward 50. Luckily, their kicking was inaccurate early and their other forward efforts were consistently thwarted by James, who was there to mark the ball on his own time and again.

 

Frazer continued his good form early with some strong moves, while Sam, David, Aiden, Rory and Lachie all played well in the first quarter and contributed at different times to the team's progress forward, which saw 3 straight goals result.

 

The first came from a long boot from Adam after a lovely mark in front of goal, with the following two scored by Ben Mac – the second the result of a great pass by Aiden to Ben C who passed to Ben Mac in the goal square. At quarter time, the scores were Fitzroy 3.0.18 to Warrandyte 1.4.10.

 

After a second quarter characterised by scrappy play by both teams and very little scoring, the tally had only moved to Fitzroy 3.1. 19 to Warrandyte 2.6.18. Fraser, Daniel, Lewis, Anthony and Floyd all played well during the term.

 

Unfortunately, by half time, our boys looked and sounded shattered during Rod and Dean's address. Charlie had his hand iced, Frazer his thigh and Oskar was asked if he could play on at all. Luckily, Floyd was letting his ill-health get in the way of a good game.

 

The third quarter found Warrandyte on fire, with 4 goals kicked with little resistance form our boys. Towards the end of the quarter, the team lifted and moved the ball forward. Ben C booted the ball to Floyd who turned and scored, only to find that the ball had to be taken back for Ben C to take a free kick. Ben wasn't going to let the umpire take the goal from the Roys, making sure he kicked truly.

 

At the beginning of the last term, there was a glimmer of hope when the boys started strongly. Aiden, Oskar and Floyd combined beautifully and Floyd finally had a goal to his name. Oskar rallied to take a series of good marks and Lachie, Daniel and Ben Mac moved the ball to Adam, who couldn't quite get it across the line.

 

 

  MATCH REPORT  ROUND 6

 

Rd 6 Match Report

 

It was a return to the winning circle for the Roys this week, with a solid win against a lower-ranked but competitive Surrey Park team.

 

And the win was especially satisfying given the depletion of the side due to injury and illness. While sharing his 50 game banner with fellow 50 gamers Oskar, Harry and Floyd, Lewis then had to be content to watch the game from the sidelines due to illness.

 

Harrison also began the first of his 6 week absence due to a broken hand (an unfortunate postscript to the close loss to St Marys), while Tom was another scratching due to illness. And Harry P and Ben Mac only stopped coughing long enough to convince their mothers they were okay to play!

 

The boys got off to a strong start, with goals by Aiden and Frazer K setting the standard for the rest of the game with good goals in the first few minutes, closely followed by David's first goal for the season.

 

Riley, Daniel and James all played well to support them and Ben Mac shrugged off his annoyingly close opponent to take some strong marks. Sam and Lachie all contributed and the backline were fierce in keeping the opposition away from its goals.

 

The second quarter saw Adam score early and then lots of great forward moves involving Daniel, Aiden, Ben C and Rory. Adam scored a second goal, as did Frazer K, with lots of support by Fraser W, Anthony and Riley.

 

The scores at half time were 6 3 39 to 1 8 14.

 

The third quarter saw the team consolidate its lead, with a third goal by Frazer off the ground in the goal square and a great goal by Daniel. Surrey Park kicked only its second goal for the game. Oskar again shone in the ruck and in the centre with strong marks and kicks, while James booted it forward several times and Kent was strong up forward.  

 

And while the last quarter showed a tiring team, the Roys showed plenty of heart and enough effort to notch up a strong win.

 

 

 

  MATCH REPORT  ROUND 5

 

St Marys 7.5. 47 def Fitzroy 6.6.42

 

Roys - so near and yet so far!

 

After St Marys kicked four unchallenged goals in the first quarter, it was looking like it might be better not to have a match report, but the boys in the end made a report compulsory!

 

With seconds to go, St Marys seemed like they were going to be walking off trying to work out how they could have started so well and lost. But, alas, it was not to be, despite James' massive last kick forward and Aiden's desperate attempt to barrel through to the goal.

 

After the team was caught napping in the first minutes of the game, Sam, Oskar, Ben C, Riley, Aiden all started playing a role and a great tackle by Daniel moved the ball to Ben C who was able to find Harrison in front of goals. Always reliable, Harrison got the team off the mark.

 

With a 3 goal deficit at the beginning of the second quarter, Ben Mac, Frazer K and Tom all contributed, while Adam showed strongly in the forward line, kicking 2.2 for the quarter. James was unlucky not to find the middle with a running kick.

 

Most importantly, our boys kept St Marys goalless for the quarter after a much better team effort. Only 3 points separated the two teams at half-time.

 

The third quarter saw the boys constantly moving the ball forward. In one passage, Tom found Lewis who moved the ball to Ben Mac who was able to get it quickly to James for a goal. Fraser W, Daniel, Ben C kept it moving in the right direction and James was able to goal. At the last break, the boys were only a goal behind.

 

Frazer again kept up good pressure winning a free early in the last quarter and Harry P took a strong mark to arrest a St Marys move forward. Oskar kept up his great ruck work and the boys were able to keep the goal in the Roys forward for most of the quarter. Ben C kicked a beautifully timed goal.

 

A couple of points moved the team to within a kick. With less than a minute to go, the backline was able to move it away from the St Marys forward fifty and to James who kicked it a mile! With seconds to go, it looked like everything was going to end our way, but the siren came too soon. Bad luck Roys, it was not meant to be.

CONGRATULATIONS TO 50 GAME PLAYERS SAM AND ANTHONY

 

 

  MATCH REPORT ROUND 4



Rd 4 Match Report
Kew 12. 12. 84 – Fitzroy 4. 5. 29

After a rousing pre-game address by Louise Dorrat and some of the U13 mothers, the boys came out firing in the first quarter! The whole team played hard and fast and showed how determined they were not be intimidated by Kew's previous wins and ?name? players. To be level with Kew at the first break was a great effort.

Players who shone in the first quarter, particularly, included Ben Mac as a loose player in defence, Harry P who proved over and again the worth of having a player who can take a strong mark on the goal line and running players Riley, Aidan, Charlie, Fraser and Harrison who grabbed every opportunity to move the ball to the Roys forward line.

A courageous mark by Harry D-T saw the post get in the way of the team's first goal and Harrison was then unlucky to follow up with a point shortly after. David kept up the pressure in defence in the last few minutes of the quarter before Daniel took a great mark and shot it forward to James in the goal square who got his boot to the ball for the Roy's first goal.

Unfortunately, Kew came out firing in the second quarter and started to show the benefits of having loose players across the ground. Many of the Roys' good efforts to mark, tap and move the ball forward were wasted when targets weren't found, but fantastic pressure was kept up by players such as Tom, Daniel, Charlie, Riley, Ben Cap, Sam, Rory and Finn. At half-time, scores were Kew 4.6.30 to Fitzroy 1.3.9.

The second half the Roy boys battled their hearts out, but were unable to match the Kew supremacy in marking, kicking strongly and making the most of every possession. When the Roys were able to move the ball forward confidently, three great goals resulted by Kent and Harrison and Floyd was unlucky not to add to the major scores when his strong mark and quick move forward just missed.

At the end of the game, Rod told the boys there were lots of lessons to be learnt but that he wasn't disappointed as their effort had been fantastic.

 

MATCH REPORT   ROUND 3

 

Rd 3 Match Report

Fitzroy 8. 4. 52 – Ashburton 7. 7. 48

 

After struggling in the abysmal conditions the week before (parents and players!), it was a return to balmy, sunny Ramsden St for this week's game. With only a small breeze blowing, it didn't look obvious when the game started which would be the scoring end. At the end of the first quarter, the Fitzroy supporters hoped it was the northern end!

 

Both the first two quarters started with a strong mark and goal by Adam within the first minute. And while Riley marked beautifully in the first quarter and Harry P defended strongly, Ashburton were able to go into the quarter break with a three goal lead.

 

In the second quarter, Fitzroy's smaller players started exerting strong tackling pressure, which remained a feature of the rest of the game. Tom, Harry D-T, Daniel, Aidan, Fraser W, Finn and Anthony all played effectively and with strong marking by Charlie, Ben Mac, Ben C, Charlie and Rory and better passing all round, Daniel and Lewis were able to score goals. At half-time, there was only 3 points in it.

 

Adam went close to a goal early in the third quarter and Ben Mac was unlucky not to score a running goal shortly after. For all but the last couple of minutes, the third quarter was dominated by Fitzroy's intense tackling, smothering and fast moves forward. Floyd, Frazer K, Sam all contributed. Unfortunately, Ashburton were again able to score late goals to lead by 8 points at the last break.

 

In the 3ž4 time huddle, Rod asked the boys if they believed they could win and was met with a rousing response. And the boys showed in the last quarter their determination to not let the game get away from them. Harry D-T got a great goal to start the quarter well and this was followed by a glorious snap by Harrison and a beautiful running goal by Ben C.

 

David stopped a move forward with a gutsy mark, Oskar moved the Roys forward and everyone threw themselves at the ball in defence when the ball moved down Ashburton's end with a couple of minutes to go. Despite an Ashburton goal on the siren, the Roys were able to hold on by 4 points.