Easter Blues 16 14 110 def Christchurch Bulldogs 3 0 18
A full strength Blues, bouyed by the return of several of their internationals, provided a reality check for the Bulldogs. Cool heads like Davies, Lanyon, Bowden, Browne and Thomas read the play beautifully, repelling any Doggies' forays inside 50 and clearing the centre bounces with ease. The Dogs' haphazard delivery did not help either, with high and indiscriminant bombs into the forward line. It was not unusual in the first half to see three and four Blues' players lined up across the mid-field without an opponent. They used the open spaces more effectively, kicking the ball wide and switching play, to leave the Dogs chasing their own tails. This enabled the Blues to go into the half time break with a 63-point lead. The game evened up considerably after half time, when the Dogs played man on man football, keeping the Blues to a solitary goal in the third quarter and a total of five for the second half. The Bulldogs were without several of their regular stars, but welcomed a few dazzlers from Otago, led by Aussie ex-pat Nathan Rose. His dashing runs down the middle of the park were a highlight of the game. The Blues, however, had too much fire power up forward, with bustling Richie Marsden and the elusive Ballsie snagging10-goals between them.
University Cougars 23 13 151 def Mid-Canterbury Eagles 6 4 30
The Cougars continued on their winning way with a comfortable win over the Eagles. Their direct football enabled them to kick goals in quick succession, amassing 7, 8 and 8 goals in the first, third and fourth quarters rspectively. Jamie Day marked everything that came his way and his accurate kicking helped him to a total of 6-goals. The Eagles never gave up trying and won a lot of contested footy, enabling them to kick 3-goals in an even third quarter. Like the Bulldogs, a lot of their players overuse the ball and turn the ball over to the opposition with poor disposal. Batty, Young and Chung were as good as any on the park, but the Eagles will need to re-group under their new leadership (in the wake of the departure of Sam Whitehead) and change their game plan if they are to notch up victories this year. The Cougars have unearthed new talent in Irani, Barrington and Williams and Aaron Harris has become a superstar.
Umpire's Corner
Congratulations to Alex Devereux on umpiring his first game of AFL. Mal provided great mentoring in the first half. The Jaffa boys did reasonably well over the weekend and will be keeping a closer look on holding and prohibited contact incidents up the field in coming weeks.
Last Modified on 23/09/2008 17:47