No coaches report this week. However a few observations from this scribe.
An unusual day confronted the Friars, not just the ANZAC Day ceremony either. Although I am sure that was inspirational to both teams. It was not the pristine surface either; the players have been training on it and played on it last week. For some of you ex-players well worth the effort to come see it, youâÂÂll yearn for the days of knee deep mud! The odd part was the strong northerly buster blowing to the scoreboard pocket at the Yarra Valley end of the ground. Certainly different from the prevailing SouâÂÂwester we are used to.
The Friars began the game brilliantly putting a goal on the board quickly into the wind. However the rest of the quarter was dominated by NOBS who had a mortgage on possession of the ball, but could not really hurt us on the scoreboard. The Friar faithful were concerned, however on closer reflection it was a much better quarter from the Friars than the game had looked. The pressure from our midfield and defense continually forced the opposition to the dead pocket in front of scoreboard resulting very difficult shots at goal and hence the 10 behinds on the board at quarter time.
At quarter time the coaching clash really began with Coach Feutrill imploring our boys not to go to the âÂÂDarkâ side and attack through the left wing. His counterpart was onto it and had dropped the extra man back before the siren sounded. Then the fabulous Feutrill, made the move of the match and manned him up with Aaron Brosolo who had already started well on the Half Back Flank. Immediate dividends, with Aaron posting our first two goals for the quarter. However the stalemate developed with the Friars struggling to get the ball to the right part of the ground, whilst being determined not finish up in the âÂÂBlack Holeâ that was growing in the pocket in front of the scoreboard. 10 points down at half time! Not where we wanted to be but certainly well in the game.
Could our intensity lift? Some more move from the flair of Feutrill paid off! Michael Mirabella went into the ruck and dominated the skies. In fact, I suspect the great and wise Bluey McKeown would have paid this the move of the match. But he disqualified himself as a judge after the game when he said the scoreboard side was the scoring side! (On Bluey I must also make mention of the wonderful job he did the previous week umpiring the reserves. He has always been able to instructive and insightful advice to the adjudicators of our game. He put all that wisdom into his own performance and did what was accepted as fantastic job, at what I know is a very difficult one. Thanks Bluey) Back to the footy.
With Mirabella in charge in the ruck, our fleet footed players started to get more of the footy. Stafford, Marchesi were outstanding and the whole team lifted. Through our run and daring do we were able to kick a number of goals into the wind and really set up the game. 8 points up at last change, what was in the mind of Fiendish Feutrill to stamp out any chance of a NOBS come back.
Actually a very similar set up as the second quarter, but certainly a real desire from the opposition. They had seen that goals could be scored into the wind and it was game on! The early part of the quarter was a very tight contest with NOBS being able to kick the goals they thought they could. However the Friars spirit could not be broken and late in the quarter the flood gates opened and the Friars owned their Fortress once again.
Back in the rooms the players and supporters were greeted by a very friendly Feutrill before he started his cunning plans to outsmart South Melbourne Districts this week.
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total
WHITEFRIARS 1.0 4.2 9.5 14.7 91
NOBSP 2.10 3.12 6.15 8.16 64
Goal Kickers: A. Brosolo 4, M. Baker 2, B. Janson, J. O'Meara, D. Crea, N. Cunningham, E. Abdallah, J. Marchesi, J. Piltz, B. Stafford
Best Players: B. Stafford, B. Janson, A. Brosolo, J. Marchesi, J. Scannell, M. Mirabella
Click Here for the seniors ladder
Last Modified on 02/06/2009 21:02
