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On an overcast but mild morning with the wind blowing from the south the U13 Browns hosted Surrey Park at Ramsden St. Fitzroy were down 2 players with Max B being added to the injury list. Robbie was captain for the day, and the 'Roy boys were kicking with the 3 goal breeze in the first.
Chas was handling the centre bounces first up. From the initial bounce Gus gathered and Aidan scored a behind from passes through Mike and Jim. From the kick in Aidan gathered the ball at half back, handballed to Max M, whose kick was marked by Noah, then in turn by Gus. His kick to the hot spot off hands was roved by Max M, who had followed the ball down the ground, and kicked straight. Mike put in 3 touches on the wing to get the ball to Aiden, Gus, and Noah, but the ball was repelled in mad scramble. Noah registered a major from a 40 metre kick on the end of a chain of supply that started with a mark to Ben, through Gus and Aidan. Immediately following Max M took a mark and kicked to Jim, who handballed to Dan, whose kick found George unattended in the goal square. There was unrelenting forward pressure at the end of the quarter, but all that resulted were behinds to Noah, Mike, and two to Aidan.
Come the second quarter the Surrey Park brains trust seemed to have given up on winning and implemented the ultra-flood. Often the only players in the Surrey Park half were the full forward and accompanying defender, with the remaining forwards dragging their opponents into their defensive zone. Declan was given a run in the ruck, and was dominating. From the onset Robbie kicked to Charles, whose kick to the goal square was crumbed by Otis for a major. Aidan put his body on the line for a great smother, and Eddie and Andrej combined to push the ball forward for a rushed behind. Another behind followed to George, from a supply by Gabe and Ben. Mike kicked long to the pocket from the wing, where George won the ball from the throw in and goaled. As often is the case a rushed behind was followed by a mark and goal to Robbie. As a consequence of the flood Surrey Park scored two goals, one of them soccered, from quick breaks against the run of play. It could well have been another, but for a strong mark on the last line by Max M. Declan laid a great tackle and followed up with a long kick, and Lucien first ran off his man for a mark, and then ran 50 metres back to man up when Surrey Park gained possession.
A succession of marks by Gus, Noah and Mike at the start of the third came to nowt, before Surrey Park scored with a long bouncing kick. Mike pulled off a great mark running with the flight from an Aidan pass. Noah was demonstrating aerial superiority with 2 marks, for 1 behind. Yet again the kick in from a rushed behind was won by Gus, who kicked to George in the goal square, who marked and converted. Harry J did his job as crumbing forward when he slotted a goal, that came off George's hands, from a chain of passes that started with a mark by Ben on the wing, through Charles and Dan. Eddie won the ball at centre half back and through a wonderful chain of passes: a mark and play on by Mike, a mark and play on by Gus, and a spiraling mark by Declan, delivered to George who marked and goaled. Harry H was met heavily in a contest, and had to leave the field severely winded. Another Fitzroy score was denied by the siren as Gus picked up, ran, and kicked to the goal square.
Declan had another run in the ruck in the last. Harry H had recovered Lazarus like to lay 2 consecutive tackles and win a free kick. Noah was channeling SOS by taking 2 great marks in the unfamiliar territory of full back, and Eddie put in a great second effort. Eventually Robbie, Dan, Declan and Mike delivered to the pocket. From the throw in Robbie again gained possession, passed to George, then to Mike who kicked long and true. Declan won the tap, then followed up with a second, and then a third effort. Mike kicked to the hot spot, then when the ball was rebounded intercepted it and drilled a goal. Late in the quarter Declan roved his own tap, Robbie made a hard ball get and was awarded a free, and Ben twice won the ball on the wing.
It was a workman like effort, with occasional touches of brilliance, against an opposition intent on damage limitation.
Next we face St Marys at their fortress. Let's hope the pea soup doesn't descend. Go 'Roys!
"Chicken Smallhorn" (the ghost of Fitzroy past)
Game 8