Round 9 Match Report

Ivanhoe 24 . 12 - 156

Fitzroy 4 . 2 - 26

We already knew we would be without Caelum Armstrong, Jay Haupstein and Andrew Indian-Manning  this week but then to wake up on Sunday morning to the news that we would also be without William Gough, Jacob McCormack and Sean O'Neill was devastating - particularly for a game against one of the ladder leaders - Ivanhoe.  We learnt in the pre-season practice match just how big, strong and hard the Hoes are in 2009 and it was no surprise that the start to the match was intense.  What could not have been expected though was the loss of our Vice-Captain (in the absence of Jacob Mc) for the day - Mark Singleton - who fell heavily in the opening 90 seconds of the game and shattered both the bones in his left arm.  He left the field immediately to go to the Austin Hospital and will now, unfortunately, almost certainly miss the rest of the season.  We wish Mark all the best for a full recovery - his footy has improved so much this year and his loss leaves us with a gaping hole. 

Ivanhoe smashed our depleted team and we struggled to get any fluency into our game.  To the credit of the Roys, we fought out the game and managed to double our score in the final quarter with greater desperation for the ball.  Our character will be tested as we respond to this game but if we reproduce the spirit we showed in the last quarter the Roys will bounce back.



 
                             Go the ROYS!!!