THE UNOFFICIAL MATCH REPORT
What a miserable day for football - a bitterly cold, wet and windy Arno Bay reminded us all that it’s still officially winter. It was too cold even for Polar Bears. Were they hiding in cars? No…..nare a moist black nostril pressed up hard against a foggy windscreen to be seen.
I chose the company of seasoned campaigner Tania Mason, she was well prepared, a bottle of red and some Crystal sharing glasses, that, when you ran your index finger around the rim they played the 1964 hit song by Al Hirt and Ann-Margaret “Baby It’s Cold Outside”.
From my vantage point of 6 deep in under the Jim Wedding shelter I gave (BOG) to the twin Rinnai 16 Infinity gas heaters on the wall.
Boasting a 10-zip and 83% record Ranges understandably started short priced favourites to win the Junior Colts, which they did. But they had to stave off a gallant Kimba who, aided by the ABAB “Arno Bay Antarctic Blizzard”, attacked relentlessly throughout the final quarter to go down by just 2 points.
Final Scores Ranges 2.7 (19) d Kimba 2.5 (14). BOG Ryder Quinn
Ranges completed an early double winning a competitive Senior Colts encounter comfortably. But had Cowell made better use of the ABAB in the third quarter where they blasted 1.8 instead of perhaps finessing 6.3, it may have been different.
Spurred on by a brace of Samuel Dingwall goals, Ranges ability to run and carry the ball into the wind (Zane Crettenden, Harry Reynolds, Hamish Turner) set them up to take advantage of the ABAB in the following quarters.
Match Highlight: Bucky Siviours’ Tom Brady like boundary throw ins.
Final Scores Ranges 7.10 (52) d Cowell 2.10 (22)
In the B Grade, Ranges never recovered from conceding 2 goals into the wind in the 1st quarter.
For Ports, Seth Hutchins pace and 2 goals were on face value the difference but they had plenty of other fine contributors including Ben Weatherall, Brad Hitch, Levi Bell (2 goals) and Corey Ainsworth.
Final Scores Ports 6.8 (44) d Ranges 4.2 (26)
The A Grade was a hard fought encounter with the occasional glimpse of brilliance that was otherwise neutered by the conditions.
One of those rare highlights was Jimmy Cant’s spectacular last quarter one grab “clean-as-a-whistle-up-there-Cazaly” on the clubhouse wing - one for the pool room.
On a day made for defenders Joel Fitzgerald still managed to eke out 3 goals for the Tigers, whilst others to hit the scoreboard all with singles for the victors were Chunky & Panda Vandeleur, Bryce Cant, Seth Gregory and Kevin Dartboard.
I’m not sure how Dartboard found the bullseye…it was the worse struck “Bend it like Beckham” you have every seen or heard but it sent the Sherrin on a trajectory that somehow eluded a host of defenders stationed on the goal line for just such a miss-kick.
At the other end of the ground a minor controversy unfolded before Riley Evans second goal was confirmed. A dribbler from 35 metres out, bouncing around, through and under a gaggle of spellbound defenders it was straight from the playbook of Wot Tafook, the current Chinese Checkers world champion.
Best for Kimba were Jimmy Cant, he did a lot more than just take a great mark, Ryley Maitland, Max Ramsey whose low centre of gravity and great skills were well suited to the conditions and Matt Vandeleur.
For Ranges who will have to regroup for the Prelim against Ports at Cowell next week, their best were Dean Storic, Ree Martin - whose forays away from defence were well noted - his attack on the ball, and calmness with it are a great asset - perhaps till now a little under-utilised. Elliott Claxton and Sean Seeley were their ever-reliable selves whilst on a day not suited to the spectacular Reagan Taheny again showed he adds a fair bit of X-Factor to the Ranges side.
Final Scores Kimba 9.12 (66) d Ranges 7.6 (48)
Last Modified on 31/08/2021 12:45
