What a fantastic match! The inaugural U16 East v West match was a heart stopper and ended in a draw after pacy Yarragon forward Liam Butterworth-Smith with a pressure kick put his East team level at 43 points apiece and with only 13 seconds remaining in the match.
The West team was represented by Ellinbank, Longwarry, Lang Lang & Poowong and the East by Buln Buln, Neerim South, Trafalgar and Yarragon.
In intermittent light drizzle the East team followed the advice of their coach Matt Devon and moved the ball quickly and more fluently in the first quarter and with the only goal of the term kicked by Yarragon’s Lachlan McWhinney it held a six point lead at the first break. During the term the defence of both teams was outstanding, kicks were hard earned and pressure on the ball carrier immense.
In the second quarter the West produced a constant stream of attacks but too often most kicks on goal were off target and with six behinds trailed by 19 points at the main break. The strong position of the East was due to some darting runs by Buln Buln’s Matthew Cahill, dash and skill by Yarragon’s Liam Smith Butterworth and timely marks in defence by Trafalgar’s Liam Coulthard.
In the third quarter the West gained traction in the contest when Longwarry playmaker Cooper Brown instigated many attacks and kicked an outstanding running goal. He had plenty of midfield support led by Ellinbank’s Blake Handley and Poowong’s Rory Nettle and reduced the deficit to 15 points at the main break.
At three quarter time West Coach Jake Serong told his team to take the game on, move the ball quickly and they delivered when Ellinbank’s Vincent Onslow slotted home his first major, soon followed by a classy goal by Nettle, who spun out of a pack to level the scores at 36 points all.
A second goal by Onslow and with a good snap looked to have sealed the result in favour of the West but the East withstood the challenge and mounted a spirited revival to score the last seven points of the match after Butterworth-Smith kicked the major to secure a draw in the dying seconds.
For the East, Matthew Cahill (the medal winner for their best player), Liam Smith Butterworth and Liam Coulthard were always prominent. Rucks Juddson Ryan from Trafalgar and Brodie Fleming from Yarragon made a regular impact, Panther midfield pair Andrew Daly and Darcy Paul were consistent. Neerim South’s Patrick Sheehan was good at both ends while his Cat team mates Max Williames and Nate Chandler made vital contributions. Trafalgar’s Isaac Caroleo and Yarragon’s Josh Mills both chipped in with important disposals and goals in a good team effort.
For the West, Cooper Brown (the medal winner for their best player), Rory Nettle and Blake Handley regularly made their presence felt. Vincent Onslow kicked two crucial majors as did Longwarry’s Seth Knights while Crow team mates Tyler Van Der Heyden, Clancy Pope and defenders Josh Downes and Cody McInnes regularly came under notice. Ellinbank’s Ripley Pyle offered good drive off half back, Lang Lang’s Jack Stocks executed plenty of good tap outs and Poowong’s Jett Blackwood, who replaced the unavailable Logan Joyce did some good team things.
All in all it was a terrific match.
The BOM would like to acknowledge the coaches, Jake Serong, Matt Devon, Darren Pope, Matt Irwin, Peter Joyce, and Paul Axford. Also thanks to Alan Massaro & Tony Stewart from the Trainers Association, the Yarragon Football Netball club for the use their ground and facilities and the Gippsland Umpires Association who officiated the match.
The leagues is also grateful to all the parents, guardians, families and a friends that provided the boys with transport and attended the night at Yarragon. The EDFNL BOM believe the future of our clubs and the league is built around the development of our juniors so the time and effort put in by all to make this match a success was a small part to play for the long term gain. The BOM was really pleased with the feedback from clubs, parents and guardians and players on the night on what was a pioneering concept but one that it believes was very successful and may well be a feature of our junior football calendar in the future.
SUMMARY
East: - 1.2.8, 4.3.27, 5.7.37, 6.7.43
West: - 0.2.2, 0.8.8, 2.11.23, 5.13.43
East
Goalkickers: Lachlan Whinney 2, Isaac Caroleo, Andrew Daly, Liam Butterworth-Smith.
Best: Matthew Cahill, Liam Butterworth-Smith, Liam Coulthard, Juddson Ryan, Darcy Paul, Brodie Fleming.
West
Goalkickers: Vincent Onslow 2, Seth Knights 2, Cooper Brown.
Best: Cooper Brown, Blake Handley, Rory Nettle, Vincent Onslow, Seth Knights, Ripley Pyle.
Last Modified on 28/07/2022 01:21
