Under 18.5's : Camperdown provided ideal weather conditions-zero wind, sunshine-plus a ground in seemingly immaculate order. It was the Tigers who made early use of the conditions as they used slick ball skills to slot a couple of early goals. A couple of other shots went slightly astray but Portland looked the goods. However, Camperdown were not to be denied as they dominated possession late in the opening term to be only 7 points in arrears at the 1st break. The 2nd quarter went into stalemate in the initial stages but eventually, the Tigers found a way to unlock the opposition defence. A brace of goals in quick succession saw them edge out to a 20 point lead and, importantly, they were playing a better brand of football. It was a replica in the 3rd term with a bit of a stalemate and then the Tigers launched into action. With their defensive skills-tackling, chasing-enabling them to win more than their share of the ball, Portland were then able to capitalise on this by using the ball with precision and finishing their work off with multiple majors. A lead of 39 points was a fair reflection of Portland's superiority to this point in the game and the Tigers confirmed this as they raced in the final quarter for an impressive victory. In an even team effort, Portland's better players were the ultra consistent Toby Cocks, first-gamer Cooper Anson( showed a lot of footy smarts ), Connor Peters, Jake Jones, Jesse Stone and Luke Hodge.
Final scores: Portland 14-9=93
Camperdown 3-4=22
Reserves : A brisk southerly had sprung up by the time the Reserves took to the playing field. Also, the rich red volcanic oil was now more exposed due to the chopping up from the previous game. It caused fitness to become an even more significant factor than normal. The Tigers faced the breeze in the 1st term but through sheer persistence and an ounce of skill, they were able to forge to a 13 point lead at quarter time. Honours were even as far as possession went in the 2nd term but the Tigers were able to make better use of their chances. Dylan Murray was a regular provider of scoring shances to his forwards who gratefully accepted whatever came their way. Portland had it by 4 goals at half time but the real test on the legs was yet to come. Portland stood firm in the 3rd term as they withstood every challenge that the Magpies threw at them. The last changeover saw Portland in charge by 20 points and everything pointed to as to which side had the fitness edge would ultimately prevail. The wind had now abated, setting the scene for an even tussle but Portland had other ideas and a couple of quickly taken goals had them firmly in control. The midfield had a tight grip on the game and fitness concerns evaporated as the they continually bombarded the big sticks. The final score saw Portland being 42 points to the good with the best players being Dylan Murray, ,Kye Taylor, Luke Solly, Jordan Cables, Nathan Jennings and Tynan Drought.
Final scores: Portland 10-9=69
Camperdown 3-9=27
Seniors : The breeze came again but this time it was blowing from the north and it was the hosts who had first use of it. Goals proved hard to come by for both combatants with the first goal going Camperdown's way deep into the quarter. The game tended to be of a scrappy standard at this stage with neither side able to achieve total dominance on the scoreboard. The Magpies, through weight of possession and hunting in numbers were able to conjure up more scoring chances and held sway by 17 points at the 1st change. The Tigers made the running in the 2nd quarter but, in a manner similar to Camperdown in the previous quarter, they had trouble registering major scores. Midway through the term, the Tigers exploded with a splendid piece of link up play from Aaron Caldow and Brett Uebergang saw them edge close to Camperdown. This was followed by a classy Mitch Bunworth snap and the Tigers were in front for the first time. This seemed to inspire the Tigers and they ran with more zest and pinpointed their disposal. Further goals resulted and suddenly, Portland had the upper hand by 16 points. But unfortunatley a couple of defensive lapses from the visitors late in the quarter saw Camperdown extract full toll to close the deficit to 3 points at the major interval. It was a mediocre performance from the Tigers in the 3rd term. They had difficulty getting the ball out of the centre square and this enabled the Camperdown engine room to take control and generate plenty of drive into their forward line. The young Tiger defence which had been admirable in the 1st half couldn't withstand the pressure and buckled slightly to enable the home side to get out to a 15 point lead at the last crossover. Try as they might-and they did get to within 1 goal-the Tigers couldn't sustain their momentum for the full quarter and the Magpies got the job done by 19 points. Portland's good performers were Jake Edwards, Josh Andrews, Jesse Murray( 5 goals ), Matt Kelly, Ben Malcolm and Nathan Haylock.
Final scores: Portland 12-14=86
Camperdown 15-15=105
Last Modified on 19/07/2015 06:59