A beautiful clear Autumn day and a few close sets at the kids’ tennis had me running a bit late coming into Bendigo. Nearly there......until I remembered that Maiden Gully is still about ten minutes away. I needn’t have worried, Eltham were still waiting on a car load to turn up to get a bare ten. Bendigo had 12 to start.
The game began with both sides getting a share of the ball, but the experienced Eltham players were able to move the ball quickly in the forward line, with few mistakes and therefore plenty of opportunities to score. At the other end, Bendigo players were inexact with stick work and the practiced forward play broke down, with players out of position, leading to a frustrated rush to shoot from low angles and too far out. Often our best efforts to build up to score would be thwarted by just one inaccurate pass to the shooter. The Warhawk centres did well, especially against some solid experience, and while our midfield line fought hard, our middies had trouble consistently getting possession. We went to the first break with Eltham 4-0.
In the second quarter, Eltham continued with a steady stream of goals, adding six to their total, the Bendigo backline keenly feeling the absence the one of their key regular players. This also meant that the clearing from defence was panicked and led to turnovers on long passes from the goalie into the forward line. Alex Orr scored a goal from a gutsy individual effort, giving the Warhawks their ice-breaker, but a 10-1 deficit at half time.
Eltham spent their second half building their total in a workmanlike manner by 9 more. While the Bendigo side were held scoreless in the third, in the final term, the Warhawks managed to score three; one through Nick Goddard (a trademark long underarm shot out of the setting sun), another great goal from Mason Matheson and another from Ian lock who cleanly took a great pass as he drove around from behind goal and beat the goalie with a close-in shot.
The final score was 19-4. Votes for our club went to centre-man Brett Ruiz (3), (who was also awarded an Association vote). Two went to Alex Orr and one to Mason Matherson. Well done to our middie group for never giving in.
I played most of the day on Lance Kaufman, an Eltham stalwart who was an under-sixteen with my brother many years ago. He’s a great player who hits hard, but clean. He was shaking his head, saying that our club reminds him of his early days of the Eltham club in the seventies, trying to field a C-grade side: a few old, experienced guys who don’t run much, some new boys and a core of really promising players, but always the struggle to field a competitive side and get it all to work against the big clubs.
“I love what’s happening with this Bendigo club,” he said “you look better every year and you guys aren’t too far off getting some scores. Lacrosse is a hard sport, mate”.
John Webb
Last Modified on 22/04/2015 10:54