The Peel Cavaliers’ colts side battled heavy fog and tough opposition to come away with a 1-2 record at the Great Southern Colts Carnival held in Kulin over the weekend.
The team, made up of colts players from across the Peel Football and Netball League, picked up a hard fought win in their first game over the Goldfields 15.19 (109) to 11.7 (73) before going down to Lower South West and Upper Great Southern in the ensuing games.
Coach Craig Rakich was full of praise for the youthful squad, saying they showed plenty of promise across the three games.
“I thought the boys were fantastic,” he said.
“They had to work their way into the first game and got better with each quarter. By the last quarter they were on fire and showed some really good touch.
“Obviously we didn’t get the result we wanted in the next two, but I thought the boys gave us plenty to like.”
Joshua Hill and Matthew Bennell were standouts for the Cavaliers, earning themselves a spot in the carnival’s top 20 players.
“Josh was great in the middle for us and ran all day, while Matty up forward did a tower of work and was really strong in the air,” he said.
“We had a lot of boys put in standout performances. You couldn’t knock the playing group’s effort for the whole carnival.”
Ryan Patterson, Dylan Cooper, Liam Lockley and Reegan Davis were among Peel’s best at the carnival.
Teams were forced to battle a thick fog in Kulin. Photo: Facebook/Peel Football Umpires Association.
Outside of the football, Rakich said the carnival provided a great opportunity for players from rival local clubs to build a bond.
“It was a really good way for the boys to build some mutual respect even though they play against each other back home,” he said.
“It’s an opportunity for them to get to know more people in their league and it was great to see that come together over the span of the carnival.”
Along with tackling some of country WA’s best under 20s, the side also battled through a thick fog that blanketed grounds on Saturday.
At one point, players were forced to relay scores from end to end.
The players will now take a short rest from their Cavaliers duties and return to their local clubs before kicking off training for the Landmark Country Football Championships.
Last Modified on 02/03/2020 22:57