Gippsland Power Press Release
By Bryan Mitchell
Gippsland Powers' foray into the 2006 TAC Cup finals series resulted in a wonderful morale boosting victory over the top team, the North Ballarat Rebels at Princes Park. On paper it was potentially a lopsided affair with the Rebels having gone through the regular season undefeated and quite rightly considered as short priced favourites for the flag. In contrast the Power had shown some spasmodic flashes of top form but had generally struggled to play four quarters of consistent football all season.
Given this scenario few in the TAC Cup football community would have given the Power a chance of pulling off an upset of such proportions. However, the key people at the Power had greater faith in the boys' potential and knew that they were gradually getting closer to putting it all together under constant pressure. It was always going to take time to bring the "new boys" up to speed because they had had minimal opportunities to get "acclimatised" in 2005 due to the unique quality of the team and the small number of games lost due to injury.
The game opened with the Power kicking with the advantage of a swirling wind but it was the Rebels who hit first with an important goal. Some good work by Rob Eddy set up Ben Hughes from the 50m mark and it was game on. Neither side would concede an easy possession but the Power were wasting vital scoring opportunities despite being in control of a lot of play. They were using the ball with precision and vision to get the ball up forward but their finishing was not as clinical. After somewhat of an arm wrestle, the Power began to finish off their work and Beau Vernon and Brent Macaffer combined for Eddy to score. The backline was providing lots of run and Tristran Francis was pivotal in giving Macaffer two vital scoring opportunities which he duly converted. Suddenly, at the first change, they were 18 points ahead and the usually dominant Rebels were being pressured into some skill and decision making errors.
Things looked good for the Power early in the second term as they were applying irresistible pressure and had three great chances to boost their lead but could only manage behinds. As if on cue the Rebels hit back on the rebound and had soft goals against the run of play. The Power was under increasing pressure and instead of being composed and purposeful they began to panic and go away from their game plan. The Rebels were able to slam on five unanswered majors in the last 20 minutes of the quarter and the Power were looking decidedly fragile. They were 14 points down by the long break but were realistically still in the game despite having gone off the boil for so long in the term.
The "premiership" quarter started with the Power in their first quarter form and Francis and Hughes gave Macaffer another major with some heady play. A glaring defensive error allowed the Rebels to square the ledger and the pressure was back on the Power. Some vision by Hughes and Tom Johnson allowed Ben Ross to goal but once again the Rebels replied as a result of poor defence.
It looked as if the Power were going to crack but, with Hansen on the ball, they were resisting more of the Rebels attacking moves. Some precise ball use gave Hughes his second and the Power were right in the game. Some strength by Michael Todd and Johnson saw the ball find its way to Kane Martin for a magical long bomb and the Power had the Rebels under the pump. By the last change the Power led by a point but seemingly the momentum was going their way.
The game went up a cog as the Rebels scored the first and they appeared to be ready to take the game by the throat. In previous games this season the Power would have found it hard to stay focussed under such pressure but they were far from done with. They increased their pressure on the Rebels and suddenly the ball began to run their way. First Ross and then Hughes finished off some strong work and the Power was on a roll. A gutsy mark and then pinpoint pass by Joel Morgan gave Macaffer his fourth for the day and the Power were working hard all over the ground. The Rebels replied with a "gift" goal after some poor defensive decisions by the Power and once again they were back in the game. The Power upped the ante with some intense defensive pressure and it resulted in a great passage of play with Ricky Delphine, Hughes and Marc Truscio combining to allow Dan McKenna to run unopposed into open goal. It wasn't pretty football but it worked and the Power seemingly had the answers when it mattered most.
Once again the Rebels responded and the Power defence was under intense pressure. Despite conceding another goal, it was the Power who were the steadier when it really mattered and they hung on grimly to win a fantastic victory by 6 points. Final scores Gippsland Power 12 goals 10 behinds 82 points defeated North Ballarat Rebels 10 goals 16 behinds 72 points. Goal kickers Brent Macaffer 4, Ben Hughes 3, Ben Ross 2, Dan McKenna, Rob Eddy and Kane Martin 1.
Trafalgar youngster James Blaser was a crucial contributor to the win with his strength, willingness to run and determination. He took on a soundly defeated a key Rebel as well as being a key playmaker for his own side. Fellow "rookie" Michel Todd was equally as strong and disciplined in defence and, despite not being as conspicuous as James, was able to create running play when under pressure. Rounding off the trio of backline tyros was Ashley Payne who relished being given more freedom to run and back himself and did so perfectly all day. Old hand Jaymie Youle was playing in his third TAC Cup finals series and he showed throughout the game that he had what it took to cope with and thrive with such unique pressure. Up forward Ben Hughes was at his workman like best in the "hot seat" of centre half forward. If he didn't mark the ball, the opposition didn't get it and he worked tirelessly and effectively to keep the ball in the forward line.
Rob Eddy won a lot of possessions early but really made them count when the game was up for grabs. He tackled hard and did the one-percenters all day as well as having 30 plus disposals. Ben Ross was brilliant early and then drew some close checking. Instead of accepting this he upped his work rate and was in the thick of things when it really mattered. Mr Reliable Tom Johnson kept his cool when the Rebels were on the rampage and helped to minimise the panic that resulted. When the game was there to be won he lifted his game up a notch and stemmed many forward thrusts. After being very quiet in the first half Lachlan Hansen went on to the ball and helped to turn the game with his 7 marks, 13 kicks and countless hitouts in the second half.
Paul Hudson was justifiably delighted at the end of the game and was proud of the way that the boys responded when the pressure was greatest. After some poor play in recent games, the Power had placed themselves under the pump to respond to finals pressure. They needed to eliminate some dodgy decision making but still had to have the confidence to back themselves. They responded manfully to both challenges when facing the best team in the TAC Cup for 2006.
With this meritorious win they have earned a week off before playing a cut-throat Preliminary final the following weekend. What was most pleasing with the win was the fact that they decided to play their best football when it mattered most. They now have another opportunity to further refine their game and go one step further towards realising the enormous potential that has always been there.
Last Modified on 26/05/2008 12:22