Link to Sporting Pulse Report

 

Caulfield   12.7.79     Defeated     Mazenod   10.10.70

 

Round 12 completed! How quickly the season progresses; a season to date with lots of promise and generally the promise has been acclaimed and most challenges met. More players unavailable due to travel and hopefully most unavailability’s have not been without due respect for the obligation to commit to being part of a team. The travel to Glen Waverley was less onerous to me and would have been more convenient had I not made the mistake of heading to Glenhuntly to offer support for the Thirds thinking the start was 9.30. I should have checked the starting-time! Went to ‘Chaddy’ on the way back to Central Reserve. My annoyance was lessened when I ran into Michael Millard, a star of the 1998 Grand final win over Old Camberwell, who I hadn’t seen for some years. It was great to spend a few minutes chatting and especially to meet his young family. Michael is looking as fit and healthy as one would have expected and obviously enjoying life.

The accuracy of Aiden Clarke’s Friday ground reconnaissance was confirmed upon arrival. Although those turf wicket centres are a constant source of annoyance to many they are essential for my other sporting love and serve to often determine a footballers adaptability for the winter game. It was a cracking Reserves’ match, also a 1 V 2 scenario, with an added touch of nostalgia for some of us with Andy Strain, Andy Lawson and Tim Noblett taking their places in the line-up. Tim’s appearance was particularly welcomed as he lives and works with his young family in China! ‘Strainy’ was in form early with his sure hands overhead, ‘Laws’ as usual with his vigour and ‘Nobby’ just as competitive as ever and he looked as pleased as a kid locked overnight in a lolly shop! Three great servants of CGFC still playing with commitment and passion!

I knew how important this day was for our Club when senior coach, Simon Williams, was seen going through his stretches during the Reserves game! It was a good start by our boys with a 4.0 to 2.0 first quarter, TJ again putting his best foot forward with two early majors.  Mazenod still trailed by 8 points at half time and were quick all round the ground and we knew this was going to be a real contest. By three quarter time Mazenod had taken the lead 8.2 to 7.4 and Andy Spittal and Luke Price were far from happy and not prepared to hand over 4 points for the sake of it. In a much-improved last quarter the Fields re-ignited their passion with 5.3 to 1 behind to take the points. Tom Stewart was prominent again and is a far stronger player than in previous seasons, James Anderson is a young gun with impressive credentials, Lloyd Everett worked hard and overcame some early turnover tendencies, Rob Handel adds bite up forward and Sam McDonald is hardly ever beaten in the ruck, marks well around the ground and has proved to be reliable in front of goal. James Small’s work rate was rewarded and his defensive ratio valuable. Alex Young’s acceleration and penetrative kicking impressed me again and Al Burge’s strength was important in the heavy going. Jimmy Gray, Will Conly and Damien Hay were there when needed and cleaned up especially in the second half.

Selection will be very interesting after the break as I look through the list of injuries/unavailables -  Presnall, Reilly, Lister, Silvestro, Banfield, Sam Wood, Topp, Tom Smith, Belkin, Holmes, McEvoy, Bold and I have probably missed few! Of course they won’t all come back at the same time but again I stress – don’t have a downer at the wrong time guys, in the senior or reserves’ games!

The main game commenced in the glue pot and Tim Nixon earned a free shortly after the bounce but Mazenod attacked the ball hard at half back, sent it forward with a long kick for a mark and conversion within 2 minutes of the start. After two or three skirmishes it was already becoming difficult to distinguish some of our players in the heavy going and due to our ‘clash’ white, alternate jumper. Tim Nixon got it out of the centre again but his kick fell short and Mazenod went into attack. I got the feeling Dom O’Keefe and the defence were going to have their work cut out given the quick entry system that Mazenod can apply. Dom and Harrison Mills combined and after a turnover, Charlie Logan combined with Tom Green and we went deep into attack for the first time. Inside six minutes, I think it was Tim Nixon’s quick kick that found Will Barker for our first goal. It was certainly hard work in the sticky middle and Mazenod’s eventual clearance was rewarded with a free against Dom and for us a fortunate mis-kick by the Mazenod forward. First gamer Chris Diggle applied some good defence at ground level and is a typically, lightly framed Caulfield player. After Mazenod marked in their back half to stop another CGFC attack, they attacked impressively and kicked their second goal after 9 minutes play. Mazenod won it out of the middle again, were held up by Joe McLelland, but pressure forced Joe’s kick out on the full. Chris Diggle showed initiative and got an important touch on the ball on the goal line. We remained under pressure for some minutes during which Lachy Gallop took a good mark under pressure but a subsequent turnover was costly as Mazenod surged forward for their third goal. It was evident that their smaller players needed to be watched closely, especially in the prevailing conditions. Jackson Small’s judgment was good as he marked under pressure to relieve but the following passage of play contained too many poor kicks by CGFC. When Tim Nixon found Brett Sinclair on the lead we ‘stuffed’ it up deep in our forward zone but I couldn’t identify the perpetrator! Clearly the conditions were very slippery and it was not always easy but Tom Green was impressive across half back. We then broke down again at half forward. I have to say Mazenod were more precise in this quarter and seemed to have more purpose when going forward. We tended to scramble it forward and that’s ok in the heavier going but it was often without real purpose and too hurried. Louis was having a run on the ball and earned a free to send it forward but Mazenod were united for a time. Twenty minutes had just ticked over when Greeny kicked a good goal on the run after much surer handball by our blokes through the middle – a really good response. Tim Nixon was in overdrive in the middle and looked as though he was born in the mud. Ossie took a saving mark at half back but again we tended to kick to our outnumbered mates when going forward. I guess Mazenod’s ability to double back quickly should be conceded. 22 minutes of play gone and after Louis drove us forward, Brett Sinclair converted from, I think, a Toniolo handball with 22 minutes gone. We went forward again but only for a behind to level the scores. Maybe he stands out for being tall and blonde, but ‘Jacko’ Small took my eye again and his hands were great in the conditions. I was concerned with the slowness of our handball at times, more in contrast to Mazenod I suppose. I would estimate that the ball was in their half more than ours but our back six were good and a transition by Barker and Green was further evidence of their work rate. Brett marked under pressure but we were stopped on the last line and the final moments of the quarter again saw J Small excel. At the quarter time break I sought the wisdom of Neil Slonim and Mike O’Keefe for a comment – “well it was really a quarter of two halves” so said the Bank Doctor! Might be his last chance as a special comments man! 3.1 apiece was the score at the change.

The second quarter commenced impressively after an equally impressive address by Simon, especially his reminder to all players to be more aware of where their opponents were when making a move. We had a bit of good fortune after a ‘rough deal’ from the ump’s decision to award a ‘down the ground free’, the good fortune being a missed set shot from Mazenod. I was impressed with another pressure mark by ‘Trotter’ Gallop. It was heavy going and hard for either team to get a break. Eventually Joe McLelland initiated a move and via Jess Toniolo and Tim Nixon, Tom Small with a clever, quick kick found Louis who earned the free and converted – 7 minute mark. Within a minute Mazenod answered with a 6 pointer and it was all square again. Some clever stuff by Ossie followed on his wing but Mazenod were quickly into attack. Gates/Barker/Harris was a good combo but Mazenod defended cleverly. It was a real slog with neither team able to establish supremacy and difficult to identify players on the outer side. It was end to end for a while, both defences working well and some annoyance when Dan Meddings’ tackle was incorrectly adjudged by the umpire and Mazenod had taken the ball all the way with a further goal after 14 minutes on the clock. It did not look good when Mazenod kicked another with a kick off the ground after they surged forward. Mazenod were also standing up in defence whenever we got it forward and our forward half was not functioning as it should. At this stage Mazenod looked more accomplished in the heavy going and we needed a boost. After Brett sent us forward, Charlie Logan earned a free but only a behind resulted and we really needed to kick these! It was really annoying when another ‘downfield’ was awarded against us and then a further 25m and I have to say it was not good enough to give them the extra yardage as it gave them a certain goal. We got it out of the middle again but our kick fell short and Mazenod sent it forward. Dom marked in defence and Nick Tonkin drove us forward but their half backs were too disciplined and returned the ball to their forwards. From a stoppage, Mazenod kicked their 8^th goal to take a 4 goal lead. Although we were getting our hands on the ball Mazenod were in the ascendancy and we had a fight on out hands to hold them in check. Fortunately after a far better effort by our on-ball brigade and forwards, Charlie Logan was able to run in and goal and at half time we trailed 5.3 to 8.5 but we were rightly worried. We imagined there would be harsh words in the rooms!

It was a good start to the third term with both Tim Nixon and ‘Millsy’ earning frees and at the two minute mark, Louis O’Keefe marked a Tom Small entry and converted. There followed some really untidy play by both teams with lots of errors and for a time we were under siege, the annoying part being a free against us that provided Mazenod with the next goal inside of 8 minutes of play. The game had become untidy, we were under constant pressure and a further free to Mazenod due to our ill-discipline luckily only produced a behind to Mazenod. When Barks and Greeny got the ball forward it had been few and far between for us in the forward zone but when Will Barker subsequently ran on to a loose ball and converted we needed this to be a real spark, 12 minutes of play had passed. I noticed a difference was our hesitancy at taking the ball on the half volley whereas Mazenod seemed to excel in that area. Still, we were working hard and frustratingly missed an opportunity from not far out for another behind. Some good movement by Tonkin/ Gallop/ Sinclair provided some excitement but Mazenod cleared too easily and placed us under pressure again. A further problem was our forwards who were too often caught behind. Although Mazenod looked more accomplished at this stage, we were only 13 point down and fortunately a well earned free to Dom O’Keefe just before the siren prevented any further damage and we had won the quarter narrowly and trailed 7.6 to 9.7.

It was just under two minutes before the ball was cleared from the centre square in the final term with about three ball-ups and ‘stacks-on’ in the middle. When Mazenod did get it out a free to Domma allowed him to locate Brett Sinclair for a mark. Brett got it on quickly to Sean Stewart who was also impressing at ground level for a big man and Sean found Tim Nixon who spun in the pack and kicked a great ‘lifter’ for his team. We again won the tug of war in the middle and after some minutes had elapsed Sean Stewart to Brett enabled Tommy Small to send it deep and Louis’ strength prevailed. Unfortunately Louis couldn’t convert for major points but we were ‘up and about’. Mazenod transitioned right around the wing but another great saving mark by Jackson Small was very timely. Just short of 8 minutes of play ‘Nico’ again sent it forward and Will Barker snapped truly and the scores were level. With the impetus clearly with CGFC and with considerable momentum by our group, Jesse Toniolo showed his smarts and goal sense, the move started by ‘Millsy’ almost at half back. As one would expect from the top team, Mazenod responded and with successive free kicks, one in the mid-field the other up forward, they goaled and the scores were level again. Two successive behinds by Mazenod, despite some strong defence led by Jackson Small then we finally got a free at centre half back to deny another Mazenod assault but we couldn’t penetrate the centre line. When Brett earned a free our forwards were again behind. From another free kick Mazenod ran it down the ground for a behind, followed by a Nick Tonkin clearance and I was having trouble identifying players, many covered in mud. With the clock running down it was Tonkin driving forward again and with 23 minutes gone, Damo Simic, who hadn’t had a great day made it a great moment with a courageous mark running blind and an excellent, long kick. For 5 minutes or so it was chaos style footy but the Fields had momentum. Into time-on we played the possession game between half back and wing and used up valuable minutes but scoring was essential. Just after a shocking decision (and I don’t normally comment on the umpiring) for taking the ball over the boundary in the heat of play, the Gods prevailed and Mazenod’s clearing attempt finished with Damo Simic who paid his way with a great snap and goal and only a minute of play remained. Led by co-skipper Tim Nixon in the mud, our boys were never going to lose from here and the final siren showed 12.7 to 10.10 in our favour and one of the better wins.

Great excitement in the rooms and the song was exceedingly sung by all and sundry with the appropriate ‘blessing’ by Simon. A stirring win and four from four for the Club with wins also added by the Thirds and the Under 19’s. Currently sitting second on the Winning Edge Club Championship is a credit to all involved.

Goals – Barker 3, L O’Keefe 2, Simic 2, Green, Sinclair, Logan, Nixon, Toniolo

Better players (in no particular order) S Stewart, Toniolo, J Small, Nixon, Barker, Osborn, Green, Sinclair, D O’Keefe and a damn fine team effort!

Enjoy the break coaches, officials and players and one would expect it would be a big night at The Brighton! And you all deserve it after one of the most exciting days we have experienced in quite a while!

 

Go Fields!