Week 1 of the finals saw the Goannas claim a hard fought win in the qualifying final against Sydney Uni last week. Having just been pipped at the post by the Students the previous week, the Goannas were keen to gain revenge and look first grade’s first finals win since 2008. The Goannas could not have had a better start to the game, with an excellent defensive effort keeping the students down to a solitary goal in the first half, while excellent work in the midfield saw the Goannas kick 5 of their own for a healthy lead. An extended injury break early in the third quarter slowed the momentum begin to shift away, and the Goannas soon found themselves in a serious arm wrestle when the Students got back to within 5 points midway through the last quarter. The Goannas were not be denied however, responding with 3 quick goals of their own, and dug deep to hold on for a 15 point win. Adam ‘Cheif’ Byrne stood up on the big stage and steered play all around the ground and was named best on ground. Shaun Costello, Jack Schwarze and Luke Walsh gave plenty of drive out of the middle, and Mark Hill continued his excellent form with another strong performance. Luke Mansbridge starred up forward with 6 goals.
The Under 18’s continued their march towards back to back grand final appearances with a thumping win over East Coast. Despite their loss in the last round to Campbelltown, the boys had been in good form and this continued with a ruthless first half display that resulted in 10 goals while only conceding a solitary behind to all but seal the result. There was no dropping of the intensity in the second half, with the Goannas sending out a warning to the other teams left in the finals by finishing off the Eagles with a 101 point thrashing. Sam Neill was named best on ground with a dominating performance. Jesse Clarke, Jordan Pidgeon and Marco Coledan led the way in the forward line, while Jake Mobbs and Jarryd Smith were also standouts in an excellent team effort. The boys now take on Macquarie Uni, and after their victory over the same opponent recently confidence is high.
Unfortunately the season came to an end for the Div 4 boys after they went down to UTS in their elimination final. After an even first quarter, a 15-20 minute period either side of half time decided the game with UTS showing a bit too much speed and skill for the boys. To their credit, they did not give it up at any point, and won the last quarter as a consolation, but in the end a 56 point loss saw the curtains drawn on their season. Andrew Compton had an outstanding game in defence, with plenty of tireless work and a mountain of possession. Daniel Galayini was also superb in defence, while Adam Townsend, Trent Whalan Matt Burn and Mark Bursa did their best to get the team going in the middle of the ground. A big thank you to goes out to all those involved with the Div 4 team, who have done an exceptional job to get our Ressies back into the finals frame after a couple of very tough years.
Last Modified on 15/03/2012 23:45