The Toronto Dingos dropped their second match in a row this past weekend, losing to the high-flying Broadview Hawks by a 10-goal margin. A strong start and a competitive first quarter was all the Red and Black could muster, who saw a 2-point deficit at the first siren balloon 5 goals down by half-time, and a rough scoring line by full-time - 12.12-84 to 3.5-23.
Full match report below - detailed stats for this match can be found here, but unfortunately there were no photos taken of the match.
The Division 2 squad suffered a similar fate at the hands of the Hawks D2 team, ending up on the wrong side of a 12.5-77 to 6.1-37 scoreline (detailed results here). The Women's Team did not have a match this week.
Next up for the Dingos is a trip to steeltown to face the Hamilton Wildcats, one of 5 teams (including the Dingos) vying for the bottom 3 Finals spots.
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DIVISION 1
With the annual OAFL mid-season lull in full swing, the Dingos were encouraged to have a strong turnout for their game against top-of-the-ladder Broadview Hawks this past week. The Hawks have surprised many prognosticators this season by storming out of the gates and even knocking off the defending champ 'Roos on their way to a 6-1 record. The Dingos, meanwhile, were sitting in the middle of the OAFL pack at 3-4,
looking for some separation from the bottom of the ladder as Finals inches ever closer.
Fortunately, Saturday saw the weeklong heatwave in Toronto finally break and the morning game meant that both clubs would be playing in near perfect conditions. For the Dingos, the pregame focus was on the first quarter - a number of opening quarters had been disappointments for the club this year and they were looking to start the game on the right foot. Missing their top goalkicker in Craig Stewart, the Dingos also knew that they would need to stop the high-powered Hawks attack to keep the game close. Returning players David Wells and Anthony O'Brien bolstered the lineup and new defensive stopper Tom Bell (along with the rest of the backline) was given the task of stopping the OAFL leading goalkicker Shuttsy from the Hawks.
From the opening bounce, it seemed that the Dingos had learned their lessons from the previous weeks and were determined to win the quarter. Strong tackling, smothering, and pursuit allowed the Dingos to carry the
ball forward and earn free kicks in the offensive zone, leading to two first quarter goals. On the other end, Tom Bell's harassment of Shuttsy started at the opening bounce and, if not for an unfortunate turnover by
onballer James Duggan, would have held the Hawk scoreless in the opening quarter. As it was, the Dingos finished the quarter trailing by only two behinds.
Unfortunately, the Dingos simply could not maintain their intensity through the middle of the match. The 2nd and 3rd quarters saw the Hawks midfileders begin to dominated the Dingos. Breaking tackles and running
loose in the middle, the Hawks were able to hit their forward targets consistently, despite the best efforts of defenders Patrick Bossey and Steve Lanning to repel them. Up front, Big Butch had a hard time finding open space, though he bagged 3 goals for the day. Near-misses from in close by OB and ruckman Strez kept the Dingos from generating any momentum and the Hawks kept up the pressure on the Dingos backline. Heading into the final quarter, the Dingos were trailing by 7 goals.
The final quarter was a better one for the Dingos, with great work on the wings by Ando and new Aussie Brandan Murphy who made the drive down from Sudbury for his first game as a Dingo. Plugged in all over the field wherever needed, Murph and fellow Aussie Azza gave the Dingos a welcome lift and hopefully the Red and Black will see these two on the field a great deal in the coming weeks. The final horn sounded with the Dingos on the short end of a 12.12.84 to 3.5.23 score. Dual BOG were awarded to Tom Bell and Murph for their great efforts on the day.
Next week's match sees the Dingos travel once again to Steeltown, this time to take on the Wildcats.
DIVISION 2
Following the disappointing loss of their Div 1 clubmates, the Div 2 boys attempted to exact a little revenge against the Division 2 Hawks, also known as the Buzzards. Led by Paul Tinkler and Gazza and supported by several Rebels players, the Dingos fell behind early but mounted a valiant comeback in the latter stages of the game. Sean Freedman and Liam Sorrell were strong targets all over the ground and pushed the ball forward to players like Monty and Patty Wright to kick goals.
In the backline, Steveo was left to try and stop the Buzzards' attacking Aussies, led by former Div 1 stalwarts Phylo, Hilly, and Forbesy, but on this day the Buzzards had a little bit too much run through the middle and were able to defeat the Div 2 lads by a score of 12.5.77 to 6.1.37. Well done to all the boys on a hard-fought match in the blazing sun!
The Division 2 boys earn a well-deserved week off before they are in action again.
Last Modified on 16/01/2013 15:24