Seniors
There were a few Peter Costello smirks about the place after we knocked over the reigning premiers on Saturday. Broadie won 10 9 69 to Southport 9 10 64 in a pleasing first up inter club hit out. Our seniors were without Ablett, Harris, Dickson, Derrick, Round, Russel, McKay, Palmer, Fife, Lyon (who performed credibly as boundary umpire), Skrinis, Zorko, and Stewart while Southport watchers claimed they were 5 under strength.
Debutant coach Adrian Smith and his coaching and fitness staff were happy with quite a few aspects and could afford to be nonchalant about knocking off the enemy even in a practice match context yet expecting improvement in the coming weeks. Smithy was positive in the way we played the fat side and stopped Southport run-on, with our endeavor particularly over the ball, with the run in the legs, with a four quarter sustained effort and with the KPI stats count within the defence, middle and attack zones. Our first-second option decision making needs some work, foot disposal can lift a lot and the set ups at strategic moments will get better.
Led out by Ben Walters we bounced into season 2009. Michael Fisher #13 – keep your eye on that number – snaffled the season’s first kick from the centre bounce and proceeded to demonstrate his worth as a footballer. In a great team effort Smithy described his first game for the club as outstanding. Josh Searl opened up play with a handball to Scott Lindeblad who snaffled the first goal of the season. A Southport player delivered the first ‘cut lunch’ and Carl Dienjes subsequently delivered the first supporter spray of the season. Ryan Clough copped the first big wipe out and minutes later SOD (Son of Dozer) was cleaned up again only to show the Broadbeach 2009 spirit by slipping straight back into the game. At quarter time we were down 2 2 to 3 straight. No expletives by Smithy, but clear instructions, positive reinforcement to individuals, reminders of KPI focus, setting up and some structural readjustment including Korey Fulton lining up for the club for the first time since 2007.
Fults showed a lot of character to come back to Broadie and he did it with class. Starting on the half forward line with an apparent roving commission he broke up the opening centre bounce with a clearance that resulted in a Dick – Walters combination to bring up a goal. Next he was taking the full back kick out to effect as were all his possessions and in amongst feeding off to Sammy Edwards for a goal, snapped the first one step kick 50m goal (we will forgive the one step this occasion). He really was in everything and his physical prowess provided pressure around the ground. Fults has only to kick a dozen big ones this season to become just the third man in the 105 year history of elite football in Queensland to kick 600 goals. But it wasn’t all Fults. Hamish Dick must be a relative of Darryl Baldock. Fair dinkum he does things that defy the run of the game, and not just up front. Magic Dick is certainly benefitting from a solid pre season. Sammy Edwards and that penetrating left foot was his usual rugged and robust self whether up front or down back, Congo
was presenting up forward and providing presence in the ruck and Josh Searl was giving plenty off the half back line. At the long break it was Broadie 6 3 to Southport 7 2.
With Fults back in the goal square and the Spackers family dining in front of the change rooms, Jacob Spackman treated us all to dessert. He kicked two great goals wide off the flanks, one after a Sammy Edwards intercept mark and deadly left foot pass. Spackers continually found the sherrin across the middle and drove it deep to the square. A sour note for the day was when Tippo went down with first reports from Doc Cam being a lateral ligament in the right knee. Let's hope it not too bad. Harry Sleigh was prominent down back and up front in the contest and bringing the ball to ground; Fish was showing a liking for being third man up at appropriate times; Edwards was creating opportunities; and Fults was providing defensive pressure out of the forward line. There was a lot to like about Broadbeach 2009. We were at the contest, fit, competitive, and given first time out together in an inter club game and an as yet to be determined structure, remarkably coordinated and fluid. All those hard hours on the track are paying off. Three quarter time it was 8 4 together.
The practice match status was partially overtaken – here was a game against cross town rivals and they don’t like losing! A passionate address revealing local and tribal pride citizenship from Smithy even had GA looking for his boots. Keeping the game’s status in perspective the troops were urged to let the opposition know who owned the aussie rules turf in town.
Magic Dick goaled. At this point Southport
box was feeling the scoreboard pressure. Our back line was magnificent. Dienjes, Brown, Evans, Searl, Edwards and SOD – all of ‘em just kept piling on the pressure whenever Southport penetrated. Tackle after tackle that sent sharks’ players in rotations clearly had them in a place they are not used to being. Their decision making looked second rate, they were waiting for the tackles and our blokes obliged. SOD cleaned up on several occasions once to Fish then to Fults who doesn’t miss now any more than he has in seasons past. At the end of the day Broadie 10 9 69 defeated Southport 9 10 64. It was a practice match but we took the positives out of it – all of them.
Goalkickers: Spackman, Fulton and Walters 2 each, Lindeblad,
Dienjes, Dick and Edwards 1 each.
Magoos
The magoos lined up with only 6 players from season 2008. New coach Jason ‘Chance’ Chandler
was hit hard by absentees from the ones, and his assistant, Todd Hayes, had to sit on the pine. When he did get a run we thought Bulldog had arrived!
Under 18 player Matt Correa scored our first off a mark, Twinny Hensen was prominent, Cookey alternating between CHF and the ruck was in everything. Horne down the back stood up to the Scarlett fullback locks image and received the first 150m penalty for and couldn’t quite make the distance. Ted Sheehan’s lad, Nick, was doing well in the pivot and by game’s end had 2 goals to his name. Mitch Scales got a fair bit of the nut off the deck when prowling at the feet of Brown, Maguire, Webby and Glossop, while Fitzy was in it at ground level also, especially giving second effort shepherds and the like.
Highlights of the day included a Ryan Bower bonecrusher tackle in the last stanza, one of Matty Barret’s goals which may have embarrassed Peter Daicos, (Matty reckons he should line up alongside H from here on in), timekeeping and interchange management of the highest order, and a worrying confession from coach Chance that he had a man crush on the Southport under 18 coach.
We saw enough to suggest that while the major aim of the twos is player development, new coach Chance and his team will be a competitive outfit and the run ticked a few answer boxes for finalizing the player list.
Broadbeach 7 3 45 were defeated by Southport
14 6 90
Goalkickers: Barrett and Sheehan 2 each, Scales, Correa and
Goedheer 1 each.