Link to Sporting Pulse Report

Caulfield   11.11.77     Defeated by     Williamstown   15.13.103

Media Report Round 15

I’m not sure if there was one CGFC player, official or supporter who had ever been to Fearon Reserve to watch footy before, I certainly hadn’t although I did admit to watching my brother play a cricket final there in the early sixties. Even then, in March, it was cold and windy. Saturday was no exception! Maybe the comments relating to the ground, even before the Reserves’ game, could have provided some negatives – ‘the goals didn’t seem to line up from one end to the other’, ‘the pockets at one end were really tight whereas at the other end, favoured by the gusty wind, the pockets were wide open’. Admittedly the ground surface was not great but we are rather spoilt with the usual conditions at Glenhuntly. Nonetheless, the negatives were there and by the end of the reserve’s game, a few of us confided that we could be in for a tough day if the senior players shared the general views of the facilities.

At quarter time of the Reserves, with the score 5.2 to 2.2 in our favour, a couple of us felt that we had wasted the strong breeze with too much handball when we were clear to kick. I know we old-timers can be criticised for not embracing the modern game at times, but when you are running in a circle in the back half, trying to find someone to handball to when one decent boot from defence would have you well inside the forward 50, surely the odds favour long and direct. The responsibility is then on the forwards to be in front! Despite a lot of stuffing around by the boys in the back half, we held a narrow, 4 point lead at half time, failed to capitalise in the third term with three goals to each side and then were completely demolished in the final term to lose 8.11 to 14.7. It was a very untidy performance with a lot of organisation needed in terms of direction of play.

The senior game started with Williamstown kicking with the strong breeze and a very jumbled beginning, with constant movement of the ball at ground level and amazingly only 2 kicks of the ball in the first 2 minutes and both of those were frees to Williamstown with 1 behind scored, quite an unusual beginning. Nick Tonkin marked the kick-in but Willy marked his kick and a further couple of minutes passed before another free to the opposition in a ruck duel and the first goal of the match. About the only bright spot in the first 5 minutes was Brett Sinclair’s new boots, ‘iridescent lemon’ I would describe them as and most probably from Sydney Swans’ stock! Herein endeth my attempt at humour as there was not much to laugh about from hereon in! From a Caulfield fumble in the middle, Willy went forward, marked in the pocket and goaled with five and a half minutes gone. The home team cleared from the centre again but Will Osborn was in the way with a free kick. It didn’t take long for another turn-over and the home side were intent on switching the play to the City side, they scored a behind and continued to look dangerous, despite Jordan Stewart’s mark in defence. Jack Presnall tried to run the ball in, on the outer side, but was run down by the opposition. When Will Barker used his pace to intercept he only managed to deliver to a three on one in Williamstown’s favour. Both teams turned the ball over frequently by mis kicks and the ball was being rushed over the boundary line frequently. When Lloyd Everett, Hugo Gates, Charlie Logan and Will Barker combined nicely, another free to the home side stopped our attack. The play continued to be very scrappy with no goals for almost 15 minutes of play and it was another Caulfield turnover that provided Williamstown with the third goal for the quarter. We were far from clean with our hands, due in part to Williamstown’s pressure but also just unforced errors on our part. Williamstown’s tackling was good and maintained pressure on our ball carriers. Nick Silvestro earned a free but Willy cleaned up and locked it up in the middle. Almost against the flow and 25 minutes into the quarter, Dan Meddings made the most of an opposition turn over to take possession. Dan ran on with his opponent in hot pursuit but ‘Meddo’ is good on the run and kicked truly for a badly needed goal. A minute later the siren sounded and we trailed 1.0 to 3.3. Too many of our tackles were broken and we were basically not low enough to win sufficient contested ball but, we were now about to kick with the wind.

Nick Tonkin got an early clearance from the middle. When the ball rebounded he marked to send it forward again. Short of the two minute mark, Tom Small received a free in front and converted, a much needed conversion. Tom Green busted it out of the middle and saw the ball over the boundary line on the wing. Joe McClelland used his sound judgment to clear the ball to the wing and can now read my report without cringing due to my incorrect spelling of his name. This is not an attempt to ‘square up’ for my past spelling errors but ‘Joey’ has been very good since his senior debut, gives it everything, is a great acquisition and certainly one of our leading ‘young guns’. Greeny was vibrant as usual, his quick delivery was marked by Louis but his kick was a shocker! Within a few minutes, ‘Ossie’ sent us forward and when it came back out, Ossie’s quick decision making got the ball to Dec Reilly who slotted our second goal for the quarter. Ossie certainly has a smart footy brain and backs his instinct. Joey and Millsy combined to work the ball to the safety of the boundary line when under pressure. Moments later when the ball was cleared from the centre area play was brought to a halt with Jack Presnall lying prostrate in the middle of the ground. With no one seemingly aware of what had happened to Jack the medicos gathered and as the minutes ticked by, Jack had not moved. We later learned he had been conscious throughout but lacking some feeling in his limbs. It was some 30 minutes or more before play recommenced, an ambulance arriving and Jack transported to hospital. With a lot of concern regarding Jack’s condition, play resumed to complete the quarter and an agreement was reached to take a brief break for half time in an endeavour to finish the game before the light disappeared.  We had our chances to convert on a couple of occasions, Nick Silvestro finding Declan but his long kick was rushed through and ‘Silver’ snapped a behind minutes later. When Dec marked the kick-in he was a chance although a good distance out. His kick subsequently rolled out of bounds as he went for the 6 pointer and then Louis smothered Williamstown’s clearing attempt. Tom Stewart had a chance with a kick off the deck but another behind resulted. Williamstown were ensuring numbers at every contest and when they got the ball back to their forward area, a high tackle for their third successive free gave them a chance to goal and they took it. There was no free-flowing football in what was a very scrappy game to watch. We did have a few chances to score but Williamstown’s crowding tactics worked well as we attacked consistently. Eventually, after Nick Silvestro produced a saving mark at half back, Jess Toniolo got it off to Greeny, onto Dec who ran into goal for 6 points. Will Barker got the centre clearance but the opposition defence was strong and for a time the level of play rose. The next score came after Jackson Small provided a great contest and Declan was on the end of the forward thrust, marking on his chest and converting. The big fella was looking dangerous. After Ossie and Lloyd Everett combined to get it to half forward, Will Barker, at his scintillating best, roved superbly from a ruck contest to bang one through to continue the momentum. Willy upset the flow with a goal by winning out of the centre and earning a free. The remainder of the quarter was an even contest and when the delayed half time break was taken we led 6.4 to 5.5.

The short break was taken out on the ground and we attacked early against the wind and in the first 6 or 7 minutes of play the standard was pretty poor by both teams. We had our chances but only scored 1 behind, a set shot from Nick Tonkin and the play see-sawed for a time without any further scores. Harrison Mills snapped a behind, Joey held up an attack and forced a ball up and Jordy Stewart marked on the last line followed by a Williamstown behind with a kick along the ground. When our kick in went out of bounds on the full we needed to tighten up but after a boundary throw-in, Jacko, attempting a clearance, was run down and Williamstown kicked their 6^th goal 10 minutes into the quarter. It took another 7 minutes before the next goal, Joe McClelland getting the ball forward, Tom Small passing to Sean Stewart and onto Brett in the pocket; Brett’s experience enabling conversion from the sharp angle. Finn McEvoy had his hands full on the very active Williamstown forwards but worked with Nick ‘Silver’ to clear. Williamstown maintained the pressure and their next goal came too easily at ground level and we needed to hold them in check. Another forward move looked promising as Jacko and his fellow defenders combined well, found Brett on the lead, off to Sean Stewart but his kick was marked on the last line. When Williamstown went the length of the ground, Jackson Small was hard at it and Lloyd Everett and Dan Meddings worked together to relieve. Williamstown attacked again a number of times for a behind and Gater marked on the last line for a save. We were giving too many unnecessary frees away and Williamstown transported from their back pocket to their centre half forward spot for a goal just prior to three quarter time. We trailed 7.6 to 8.9 but had the wind behind us in the remaining quarter.    

The last quarter did not start as planned with Williamstown goaling two minutes after the start following really poor play on our last line of defence. Tom Green won the centre square contest ending with Louis’ snap for 1 behind. Dec Reilly again marked a Williamstown kick-in, passed to Louis but his kick fell short. We kicked another behind, gave a couple of frees away but with sheer determination in traffic, Louis O’Keefe kicked truly at the 8 minute mark. Williamstown then goaled via their roving to a boundary throw in with 10 minutes gone and their determination won them another at the 12 minute mark and things started to go their way consistently. It continued to be a tough contest but not smooth footy in the conditions and Williamstown constantly looked as though a win was a must for them whereas we had players second guessing and prone to turning the ball over, not necessarily due to Williamstown pressure. Williamstown kicked goals at the 17 and 25 minute mark to basically seal the game and 5 goals into the wind was a telling factor. We did save some face with consecutive goals to Greeny, Brett Sinclair and Louis but the bird had flown the coup! Well into time on, Williamstown kicked two more goals giving them 7 in the last quarter, an embarrassment to say the least given we had the advantage of the wind!

The match against Peninsula Old Boys next round becomes a vital contest and the result could well determine the ‘double chance’ with Peninsula (3^rd) only 4 points behind us and with a slight percentage advantage. The positives include a chance to really show how far we have come in 2016 when the pressure is applied at the business end of the season. This is where the value of an experienced coaching group comes to the fore but it needs to go hand in hand with a concentrated effort by the players plus their belief in their own ability. On what I’ve seen so far this season I’ll back both in!

Goals – Reilly 3, Sinclair 2, L O’Keefe 2, Meddings, T Small, Barker, Green

Better players – (in no particular order) Reilly, Everett, Gates, McClelland, J Small, Silvestro

Good to see the Under 19’s record another win and the Thirds also. Both are assured of finals participation.

Go Fields!