Men’s Division 3 Bendigo vs Caulfield at Maiden Gully 25/8/18
The last game for the season. We arrived at the ground in perfect Spring-like conditions and warmed up on a ground that is remarkably firm for this time of year. You might even consider a bounce pass on it, though experience says you probably shouldn’t. Bright sunshine forced a collective team squint in the traditional end-of-year photo, before we kitted up and took to the field for one more time. It’s been a battle for numbers in the second half of the season, and this day we had Alex with a suspect hamstring, Tim with half his jaw surgically removed earlier in the week and looking pretty groggy, Wookie coming back from nursing crook knees for a few weeks, Gino back in goal, but largely immobile with a crook knee, Dylan also nursing a crook knee from the week before, Jarrod out, and also sundry other colds, niggles and old age in the ranks. By the middle of the game, we also had Jordan laid up with a rolled ankle. So we started with 13, but ended with 12. Caulfield fielded 11, but with a bye for their State League team, there was a sprinkling of players from higher divisions.
The game got underway with possession fairly evenly shared. The Warhawk centre-men won the face-off reliably (as always) and middies were given ample opportunity to take the ball forward. However skill errors let Bendigo down and possession was squandered often and a quick, young Caulfield midfield tended to come up with the loose ball. Caulfield settled into attack and were able to score four times in the first term, while Bendigo were kept scoreless, despite a few rushed attempts, that did no more than demonstrate that the Caulfield goalie deserved respect.
The second quarter saw some improvement in the Warhawk forward play, with some promising ball movement and more shots from forwards, though the first score came from Wookie, with a characteristic long run to goal from the backline. Caulfield were held out much better by the Warhawk defence and were limited to two goals, giving us a half time deficit of 6 -1, and Jordan O’Meara with his ankle copping some RICE.
In the third, the battle for possession was very even, though an observer will have noticed that the midfielders nursing injuries were becoming progressively slower in transition and the lag between the ball arriving in the forward line and our middies turning up grew ever longer. The Caulfield defence realized this and could often pressure the Bendigo ball-holder either to drop the ball or force them into rushed play undermanned. However, with the full midfield line in place, the Warhawks showed a few great passages of play. Brett Ruiz finally scored, after good play led to 2 shots that missed, but were well-backed-up, and the third shot went in. Ian Lock assisted on that goal. Caulfield were again held to two goals for the quarter and we changed ends for the last term with the score on 8 – 2, but there was a sense in the Warhawk huddle that they weren’t quite completely out of the game yet.
Fatigue told on spent Warhawk middies in the last quarter, and the attack often found themselves with a ball, but only three or four players to work with. But again, when there were numbers in attack, they looked better organized and dangerous and there were plenty of shots and good player movement. Much of the drive on goal came from Mason Matheson, Alex Orr and Wookie, and a Warhawk score came late in the quarter after the latter spilled the ball in a solo attempt to force a late goal, and John Webb picked it cleanly off the deck and shot it between the goalie’s ankles (with most other placements having already proved invulnerable in the course of the game).
With about a minute to go, Wookie called a time out. Six of us discussed what we were going to do with the time left and the ball in our possession. Wookie said, “Listen, we need a goal out of this. I’m going to cut through the defense, screaming for the ball, and try to clear a path. Someone needs to follow me in and someone else needs to get the ball to them. Everyone clear?” Heads were nodded, a few said “yep”.
John Webb takes up the story: “So the whistle went to start the play again, and Ian Lock passed from behind to me, out wide on the right of goal and I waited. Over on the left, Wookie started in from the top, bellowing for the ball, and following him in quietly was Brett Ruiz. Caulfield defenders all swarmed to Wookie and I thought ‘now or never’. It was going to have to be a long, hard pinpoint pass or the Caulfield defence would have a chance to react, but because it was Brett, and we practice this stuff all the time and I figured I’d give it everything. So I let it rip at his stick and I saw the ball disappear into shadow and sticks and it was lost to view, but then the goal net billowed and Brett had our last goal. It was the best feeling, and the joy of having a plan come off is as good as it gets in this sport. Brett reckoned he lost the ball in the sun as it was on its way to him, and pretty much did the whole thing by feel. We celebrated like we’d won the game, and Wookie said the greatest thing for him was that we actually did exactly as we were told for once”.
The whistle went for the next face-off, but then the bell went for full time, with Caulfield victors: 9 – 4. However, Bendigo salvaged a quarter win, 2-1 in the last. Well done lads!
Votes went to Mason Matheson (3 club and 2 Association) for a huge game and lots of endeavour and aggression in attack. Wookie was given 2 club votes for this usual clout in defence and presence in attack, and Brett Ruiz was awarded a club vote for his sparkling multiple goal effort and reliability in the centre.
Thanks go to Jarrod Topp-Lowe for scoring for us, Lester Young for reffing (no more torment in the goal for Lester) and thanks to Vince Fitzpatrick for running the bench for the day.
Spring and summer now open before us. A chance to heal broken and weary bodies and minds in the sun, before the call-to-arms comes late next summer in the form of a short Gino text:
‘Guys training starts this Thursday. Shadfroth park at 6.30. Tell me if you need gear.’
Around the grounds:
On Sunday, the Women’s Division 1, a full-strength MCC/Bendigo team played a short-handed Footscray outfit in an elimination final at Footscray. From Gino’s text it was exciting see-sawing affair, with MCC/Bendigo winning by a single goal, after losing a 3-1 lead at quarter time, and then coming back from being four down at three quarter time. Next game for them is a preliminary final next week and the first finals campaign for Bendigo players. We’ll post details as they become available. Congratulations girls!
Presentation night:
The Bendigo Lacrosse Club presentation night will be heldon Thursday (Friday’s a public holiday) the 27th of September at 6.15pm at the Borough Club, 2 High Street Eaglehawk. Be there, and please let Gino know if you’re coming along or not.
John Webb, Senior Player.
Last Modified on 27/08/2018 10:49