During an 18 game home-and-away season there are many challenges that confront the team. Injuries, form, tactics, weather and countless other smaller issues arise to hinder the players, the coaches and the club's management as a whole. Any one, or an unwarranted combination of these factors can conspire to derail your season at any stage, often when you least expect it. To counter this, a committment to meeting the challenge, whatever it may be, is required to rise above any of the many misfortunes that can strike a footy club. This is the one non-negotiable of playing in such a tough competition. You have to be ready, every week, to meet the challenges, because if you are not, disaster surely looms.
To their eternal credit, Kevin Tibaldi and his team have managed, without fail, to present our boys in just such a mindset in every game so far this season. So it was when we faced in form E.Burwood at Mullum Reserve. Remembering that E.Burwood had knocked of flag-fancy Balwyn last week, beating them was going to be no easy task.
Our boys began as they have every week, tough and uncompromising with their attack on the ball. Conditions were very heavy, but slightly better than last week, with the ball remaining generally drier than previously, allowing for some reasonable ball movement. We were quickly into stride, our half-back line again forming an impenetrable wall across half-back as E.Burwood failed to score in the first qtr. Despite our domination, we could post only 1.2 ourselves, the only goal coming from an excellent conversion from skipper Clayts.
After quarter time E.Burwood started brighly scoring an early goal as they controlled play. Just as it looked like this might be a real battle, our boys leapt into action. 2 goals in a minute to Hayden Jurey were backed up by a lovely mark and goal from 40 by Skayve and then another from Matt McCormack, showing his real value as a leading target up forward. This period of play was decisive in the result of the game as we repelled E.Burwood's challenge, slamming through those four majors 'uphill' to the Mullum Rd end, to lead by a comfortable 18pts at half time 5.3.34 - 2.3.15.
Any thoughts of a comeback that E.Burwood might have had were quickly dispelled in the 3rd stanza. Dominating out of the centre through the skipper, Brenter and Dave Blackie, we quickly piled on more goals, leaving E.Burwood in our wake. We nailed 5 for the quarter, Clayts adding two for a toal of three, Paul Maaskant also scoring twice and Matt MCormack his 2nd as the lead grew out to 58 points at 3/4 time. Incredibly, E.Burwood were scoreless again, unable to find a way past the defence, led brilliantly by Matt Aver, having one of his best games for the year and ably supported by the usual suspects, Stuey Hill, Matt Decler, Jesse Newman and Ev Johnson.
Statistically, this team's ability to hold opposition sides goalless and often scoreless in a quarter is unparalleled. In the last 6 weeks alone, this team has held a team goalless in at least one quarter every week. In two of the matches we have held sides goalless in THREE of the four quarters (Balwyn and Scoresby) and have recorded FOUR scoreless quarters against us and a further SEVEN goalless quarters against us in this time. This is some sort of defensive record. That is ELEVEN goalless quarters against us in just TWENTY-FOUR quarters played.
Amazing stuff.
After that little statistical aside, back to the game, where we scored the first goal of the last quarter to take the lead out beyond 60 points and an absolute rout threatened, but did not eventuate. Whether our boys relaxed, or whether E.Burwood found some last quarter run and dash which had been missing, maybe we won't know. But E.Burwood did score the last 5 'consolation' goals, to take some small gloss - but not much - off what was a very complete victory - Final scores were 12.10.82 - 7.5.47.
Our best players on the day were many. Matt Aver excelled in defence, Brenter continued his great form, Clayts and Matt McCormack made key contributions with 3 goals each, while Ev Johnson, Jessie Newman, Matt Decler and Stuey Hill once again formed that virtually impenetrable defensive wall.
This result, and somewhat of an upset at Vermont Park where Scoresby defeated the fancied Eagles leaves our boys once again at the top of the table, the only side with 48pts and a 12-3 record, while the other 4, Balwyn, Vermont, Scoresby and Noble are all on 44 points, separated only by percentage. The contestants in the final 5 are now set, but positions within the '5' and the double chances on offer remain up for grabs. With 3 games to go, we have our fate in our own hands, and can realistically look at finishing the home and away season on top. But lets not get ahead of ourselves, we must again 'meet the challenge' next week, a game at Hughes Park against a relocated Croydon. Despite sitting bottom, they will be desperate, as this is almost their last chance to avoid relegation. Hughes Park is a small ground, and can be high scoring, so our boys had better come to play. They have done all season, there's no reason to think they won't again next week.
In other games the Reserves and U19s also saluted comfortably, yet another very valuable home 'trifecta' at "The Fortress"
Go Wooders
Last Modified on 13/09/2012 11:08