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Round 7 - Match report - Sydenham Hillside
30-May-2010
Sundays game was always going to be tough against a powerful undefeated Sydenham, we went into the game defensively but we focused on our team plays and set ups.
Always against stronger opposition it is hard to run these plays due to the relentless pressure these bigger teams apply however in the last half we did it very well. We had some great run from the backline being led by James M and best on ground Mason M, once we identified this run we used it and worked the ball up the ground very well.
Our defense was under the pump all day hence we moved players back to assist and gave each player their specific task which was executed very well for most of that last half. As we have a run of games against teams nearer to our standard it will be interesting to see how well we can work the ball around the ground and from end to end, we must stick to the process especially over the next couple weeks if we want to walk away with some wins. Mason was clearly best on ground starting in defense before a blasting run on the ball and back rock solid in defense. He attacked the ball hard all day, he attacked every marking contest hard all day and ran his backside off, boys there is no more we can ask than for everyone to give an effort like that. James M had a great game in defense with a stint on the ball, his work rate was fantastic and he was very innovative to try at every opportunity to run forward and get some run off half back which is something we have been lacking for most of this season thus far. Jason Denny battled hard all day to try and win the hard ball and tackle the bigger opponents. He was instrumental in what turned out to be our only goal for the games which was kicked by Adam in an effort that was exceptional.
The ball didn’t arrive to his advantage and he was never in a position to win the ball let alone kick the goal but persistence and desperation won the battle and he kicked a beauty on the siren which was a nice finish to a tough afternoon. Connor again played a solid game and rucked well, Josh M was his usual busy self working hard. Danny presented, chased and laid some great tackles, Benny battled all day with good head over the footy stuff and came off with a nice shiner, Jez gave us plenty of run off the wing and tried hard and Sam was as always hard at it. Khizar was bombarded down back but did his best as usual, Brandon was hard down back with some strong body work and Kristian finished the game off well.
We get our chance this week against Avondale Heights at home, the previous six games have been tough and I went into these games knowing we were going to struggle however this week there are no excuses and I am expecting to win. There will be no pats on the back this week for a good effort with no result, follow the instructions of team set ups/plays, do the team things (the talk, the shepherding and support, the tackling etc) and bring your best games this Sunday boys. If we want to experience the joy of a win you get the chance this week, don’t let it go.
Peter McIntyre - Coach
Round 6 - Match report - Maribyrnong Park
23-May-2010
Today we were up against another good team in Maribyrnong Park whom have proved to be a good side. We won the toss and rightfully elected to go with the wind,
It was again a tough battle early as we worked hard to win the footy but we just couldn’t get the ball going our way frequently enough. Brandon kicked a beauty from just inside the boundary for our only major on the board for the quarter but Maribyrnong made better use of the ball and went in 3 goals up.
The second we dropped players back to compensate for the wind and to try to avoid an avalanche of goals so we were still in the game at the half which we did to a degree but Maribyrnong still went in by 47 points at the main break.
We went out in the third with our main focus to keep the pressure on and get the ball forward quickly to win the quarter and try to be close enough at the last break to be a chance. We managed 2.2 (both majors to Benny, with some sharp shooting on the run) to Maribyrnong 1.3 which was a good effort but probably still kept the game out of our reach with them coming home with the breeze.
The last quarter we asked for some individual efforts as well as some team supporting efforts which the boys delivered, for example Brandon’s doubling across to cut in front of their number 11 which was exactly as asked and was delivered without hesitance with some gutsy efforts, we asked for more hardness and fight for the 50/50 ball which again was delivered.
The last half Maribyrnong outscored us by only 15 points which means we were good enough for at least half a game but this highlights again our mental preparation before a game isn’t right and we are taking far too long to switch on and get involved. Great efforts again from Josh M, Connor was his usual self battling his heart out, Sami Jae was awesome in the ruck and all over the ground. Josh K played his best game as we look forward to more from him, Chicanes efforts and tackles were great, Danny presented well and did a lot of hard stuff to win footy, Captain Briggsy never stopped trying and set up some good plays, Mason, James and Khizar held the backline firm for most of the day. Our smaller players were good all day lead by Sam, Adam, Ben and Lynchy.
We welcomed back Mika and look forward to him bringing back some speed and hardness, it was great he got through the game unscathed. As we move forward we need to show more composure, we still drop too many uncontested easy marks and somehow kick into men on the mark which is a lapse in concentration and our decision making when we have the ball can be questioned, composure and support from team mates will assist this immensely.
We must keep the talk up. We will continue to work on these issues at training as well as work on getting more run into our game through the middle. Keep your heads up boys and continue to do your best at training and on game day, winning is all good but at the end of the day where we are is where we are and you need to keep trying, committing and improving no matter what, win or lose.
Peter McIntyre - Coach
Round 2 - Match report - Roxburgh Park
26-April-2010
It was a challenge for us going into today’s game against Roxburgh Park to prove that we had the character and determination to be competitive after a pretty demoralizing game last week, by the end of the game I felt we had shown enough to walk away feeling positive and that as a team we are moving in the right direction.
Again against pretty good opposition the game was tough early, we stood up and met them for most of the first half but due to far too many undisciplined plays and failure to follow the simple man on man instruction Roxburgh Park scored to many easy goals and went in at the main break by 7 or so goals the better. After a bit of a pasting at half time and a few players having to be told a few truths the boys regrouped and looked a far better team in the second half, our hardness at the footy was fantastic. The amount of times we were prepared to throw our body on the ball and wear the hit was what impressed me the most, we were tackling, shepherding and running with the ball creating scoring opportunities.
At the start of the third quarter we kicked 2 goals in the first 2 minutes and looked like a new team whom was mentally switched on who were on a mission, this was a real positive as it shows the boys are mature enough to cop it on the chin and move on. In what was a great quarter we had the game back to 5 goals at ¾ time. We continued to work hard in the last but again seemed to lose focus and seemed to lose the understanding and importance of manning up which hurt us again on the scoreboard. Roxburgh Park went away with a 68 point win.
At the end of the game as a positive I am looking at our attitude and determination which couldn’t be questioned, from here we need to continue to polish our skills, get fitter, we need to work on our discipline in the man on man department, learn some smarts about where to be positioned and continue to work hard on game day. The draw has had us playing a couple of the top teams early which we were not quite ready for but there are no excuses now with a couple of games under our belt we need to be coming home with wins. Our captain Briggsy was fantastic in the second half leading by example, Connor was our best for four quarters (1 goal) busting his gut at every contest, Sam Davoli (1 goal) worked hard all day and was instrumental in tackling and hard ball gets. Nathan C had a great game at half forward and created many opportunities for our forwards, Kyall (1 goal) and Danny (2 goals) were both good. Down back James M, Mason and Brick were solid, Khizar and Aman also were pretty good. Adam was courageous all game and Jez and Josh M (1 goal) were probably best in the last half. Welcome to Josh K to join the team as we look forward to some good games from him. Continue to make sure you get down to training boys and focus as we work on areas that need improvement and as we get back on the track after the break we need to push to get some wins and work our way right into the thick of this competition,
I will again highlight that I have all the confidence in our team and we will be before long singing the song. It was also interesting to see some of the results from round 2’s games, keep your heads up boys were going ok.
Peter McIntyre - Coach
Round 1 - Match report - Hadfield
18th April 2010
It was a very tough day out at Hadfield today as we met face to face with a very strong, fast and disciplined unit that set a standard from the first bounce and were consistent to the end. In the first quarter we kicked with a slight breeze but Hadfield came out full steam with some strong tackling, hard running and some very good kicking and went in at the first break by 6 goals the better.
The second quarter we wanted to slow the game down and try to control the ball which we did and we managed to slow the scoreboard down but again Hadfield were relentless and again got on top of us and kicked away to a 10 goal lead at the main break. We fought out the last two quarters but the way it was set up in the first half it was always going to be a mission to try and get back into the game. I think by the end of it we were all glad to hear the siren and it’s fair to say we were pretty well beaten all day.
We had some very good contributors at times of the game which was positive but we all need to be on our game and play 4 quarters of good football if we want to be competitive in any game. Vice captain Connor Kilbane had a good game (kicking our only goal), James Mascia and Brick were solid, Josh M played a good game and did a good job on a tough task, Khizar worked well in the ruck and around the ground and Kristian and Jez were good especially in the last half. Kyall did well when he went on the ball and our four new players led by Sami Jae all put in a good game.
In summary it can only get easier from here, we all need to get to training on Tuesday and Thursday and work our hardest so we go into next weeks game against Roxburgh Park with the best possible preparation. Next weeks game will tell a lot about our character and how we back up after a pretty ordinary performance today. Keep the heads up boys and parents please remain positive and support the players and coaches, games like today’s are difficult and everyone has their own opinion but please hang tough and stick behind us because I have all the confidence in the team and I know we will bounce back.
Peter McIntyre - Coach |
