U14 Div 1 v Lions: The Day of Days (D-Day) arrived with the Roos picking up a gear to deal with the added pressure. From early on in the game things were tight and the team with the will to be first at the ball had the advantage. Once again the backline was as solid as a rock. Jack Pople beat the best they threw at him choking the Lions forwards of opportunities. Danny Buckley's body strength stopped attacks and Tristan Challenger seemed to constantly find space to free the ball from the backline. Angus Johnson was crumbing the packs like a seasoned veteran. Out on the back flanks James Jackson showed how shepherding creates running rebound play out of the backline. Thomas Moore showed strength with telling marks and Yarran Hampton's chase put the opposition under pressure rendering many forward forays ineffective. Mark Noney took the opposition on head on and his victory in turning the play around was inspirational. In a tactical move Jack Moore and James Colless were rotated through centre halfback and the midfield. Both players excelled and the constant switches confused and frustrated the Lions structure. James Colless read the play beautifully. He marked the ball with strength and played on quickly. Jack Moore ran through the packs with ease and never gave up. His searching kicks from the centre put the Roos deep into attack consistently and kept the Lion defence on the back foot. In the centre, the Roos discipline for the ball was exciting to watch. Whether in the air or moving the ball forward, the Lions found it hard catching Tim Roe. Patrick Doyle just kept getting the ball out of tight places and moving it free of congested packs with classy disposals. Tom Morgan constantly cleared the ball from the centre like the professional he is. Even though the midfield were concentrating on long kicks forward some of the handballing under pressure was lightning quick and the handball became a magnificent offensive weapon. Seb Camilleri chased and won the ball to move it forward. The graceful run down the wing by Oscar Glass was exceptional. He created options and chased down Lions rebounds. Luke Hyland (2 goals) played hard all day selflessly running hard up and down the middle of the ground. He mixed up his long kicks and deft passes leaving the Lions defence out of position. His hard running created gaps and options for other forwards. Luke's efforts were acknowledged by the umpires who judged him Best On Ground for the Grand Final. Conor Nakkan (1 goal) left his opponent to be loose in the forward line and Jay Watson (1 goal) tackled hard in the forward line. Ben Egan fought the opposition with superior strength busting packs open as he flexed his muscle. Ben White (3 goals) was presenting up forward all day and his goals came from crumbing and gathering the loose ball. Jack Bragg (2 goals) bamboozled his opponents with his quick stepping.
Last Modified on 27/01/2012 21:18
