Prelim Final – De La Salle vs Old Trinity

Match Report

Qtr 1: DLS, kicking with the aid of a strong breeze, mild by TBO standards, started brilliantly, when a long bomb, from backward of the centre square, by Christian Algeri, bounced through at the 1.13-minute mark! Fraser Cameron was dominating the pack situations, providing opportunities for the outside runners.

Likewise, Nathan Scollo was marking, overhead strongly, forcing OI defenders into “chopping arms” frees. OI managed to slow the game down with pressure on the receiver, causing DLS handling errors! Adrian Indovino, contesting strongly in the FP, was freed and subsequently scored DLS’s 2nd at the 13-minute mark. 6 minutes of intense footy ensued, during which OI missed 3 really gettable goals! They were in control of the pack clearances, forcing DLS players into rushed disposals!

A skilful possession and snap from a tight pack by Hugh Nicholson secured DLS’s 3rd goal at the 19 minute mark to establish a 20 point lead. Wounded warrior Will Mackie, thought we needed to kick 5 with this wind. DLS ended the quarter with only a 21-point lead. OI would be satisfied with their efforts!
DLS 3.6=24 Old Ivanhoe 0.3=3.

Qtr 2: Although the wind was certainly a factor, it was possible to score against it by advancing the ball along the beach side flanks. DLS started strongly when Scollo, again in command in marking contests, passed to Algeri who got his 2nd & DLS’s 4th from 40 meters out, at the 3-minute mark. Nowhere near as dramatic as his 1st!

Ryan O’Meara had been moved into defence as a +1 and had an immediate impact, taking strong, contested overhead marks. 6 minutes into the quarter, OI scored their 1st major and were in total control, particularly around clearance situations! A goal at the 16.30-minute mark reduced DLS’s margin to 12 points! If not for O’Meara’s marking, that margin would have been drastically reduced.

A ludicrous free kick against Jake Williams for running too far, resulted in an OI goal some 3 minutes later, when the ball from that free kick, bounced over DLS defenders, to reduce the margin 6 points at the 19-minute mark. OI were “all over” DLS. It seemed inevitable that OI would go into the break with a sizeable lead. However, another of Nicholson’s “from nowhere” snaps, from a front of goal scrum, restored some balance.

This had been a quarter of total OI dominance, but somehow DLS managed to score 2 goals into the wind to minimise the damage, although aided by OI’s inaccuracy, 6 behinds & at least 2 OOF. That the margin at half time was 10 points in DLS’s favour was due significantly to Ryan O’Meara’s 8 marks! An astonishing achievement!
DLS 5.7=37 Old Ivanhoe 3.9=27

Qtr 3: DLS would have intended to build on the ½ time margin with the aid of wind in this quarter. However, OI continued its domination, particularly around the stoppages. Goaling at the 5-minute mark & then again some 12 minutes later, saw OI take the lead for the 1st time in the game. Play was constantly in the DLS defensive zone, as OI used up valuable DLS “with the wind” time. DLS were trying to get some space to open up play, but again poor disposals caused by OI pressure, stifled these attempts.

On a rare move forward, Scollo marked deep on the HFF, but his shot went OOF! At the 24-minute mark, Pat Bohan marked & passed to Fraser Cameron for a much-needed goal, which made the scores level! DLS had regained a semblance of control, but could not get the ball into good scoring positions.

OI defence seemed impenetrable! Liam Wood, contesting forcibly, was freed deep in the FP, but his shot registered only a behind. Following an Indovino smother in the FP/HFF area, Williams gathered, but his snap under pressure, also registered a behind. OI had again been wasteful kicking 2.4 for the quarter, much to do with the stout DLS defence lead by Luke Healy. With DLS holding a slender 2-point margin, the 4th quarter, against the breeze, the challenge was palpable!
DLS 6.9=45 Old Ivanhoe 5.13=43

Qtr4: A stirring address by Nick at ¾ time, aroused amazing confidence & belief in the team! This was doused completely when OI goaled 1.16(smart snap from FP) & 2.45 (Ruck take from contest) minutes in, to establish an 11-point margin. Play swung from deep DLS attack to deep defence with alarming ease on OI’s part. A great, accurate snap by OI, which would have surely sealed the game, was touched on the line by a desperate lunge by Healy.

The 11-point margin seemed too much for the tired DLS team, which continued to fight every issue. It looked to DLS optimistic supporters, that OI was content to sit on this comfortable margin!
DLS was now in control! Nicholson, who was now rampant, passed superbly to O’Meara at CHF but he could only register a behind! Still the psychological 11-point barrier had been broken! OI’s pressure around the contest had diminished! Williams working tirelessly passed to Tom Lyngberg who in turn passed to Indovino whose kick again registered a behind.

It seemed that DLS could not register that elusive match winning goal as time became its enemy as much as OI. Cameron, asserting himself into the pack situation, knocked the ball out to where Williams swooped to kick that elusive goal & reduce the margin to 4 points at the 23-minute mark.

After a great defensive mark by Will McKinnon, Langberg marked & quickly passed to Williams, whose goal gave DLS the lead by 2 points at the 29-minute mark! OI took the ball straight out of the centre bounce & the DLS defence was again under sustained pressure as just about every player was now grouped in the DLS defence / OI attack zone. Seconds ticked by & a likely snap by OI registered a behind. Lead 1 point!
What pressure on the DLS kick in! Think this is what ensued: ball spills off pack from kick in on road side, near boundary line. Curtis Day gathers, runs & kicks to Bohan, who plays on much to the consternation of DLS supporters, who want him just to retain possession, while clock passes the 30 minute mark!

Bohan’s kick finds Indovino, who eldudes his close opponent, has 3 bounces and goals from the goal square! DLS by 7 points. Premier “A” & GF beckon!
Summary: A courageous win by a team which never gives up!

Best: .Jake Williams, Hugh Nicholson, Sean Fisher, Tom Filipovic, Ryan O’Meara, Christian Algeri.
Goals: Nicholson 2, Williams 2, Algeri 2, Adrian Indovino 2, Fraser Cameron.

Prev

1of228

Next