Caulfield Grammarians vs De La Salle

Match Report

Qtr 1:   

DLS, kicking with a 2-3 goal wind, dominated play early, but were unable to score due to the intense pressure of the CG team. Fraser Cameron got our 1st with a kick out of a pack at the 8 minute mark. Good running & accurate delivery by Josh Cumberlidge & Christian Algeri to Trent Shannon for DLS’s 2nd at the 14 minute mark. Pat Bohan, freed in a ruck contest 20 meters out but his kick went across goal. Adrian Indovino, contesting strongly was freed for a high tackle and converted from CHF 1t the 18 minute mark.

Indovino followed up from a mark at the same spot, following a good pass from Pat Bohan, at the 20 minute mark. CG had hardly been into their forward zone, but when they did, Ryan O’Meara turned defence into attack repeatedly.

In sharp contrast to last week, DLS’s accuracy resulted in a score line of: 4.0=24 Caulfield Grammarians 0

Qtr2:

Opened with CG displaying heightened pressure around the packs, with clear intent on preventing DLS getting the ball out to its running players. From a strong pack mark in the goal square, CG got their first goal at the 3 minute mark. The self assurance of the DLS team dipped & fumbling replaced the earlier clean ball handling & accurate passing.

It was not until the 16 minute mark that Matt Hill intercepted a CG handball at CG’s CHB, to run 30 meters into the open goal to record DLS’s 5th & the 1st score at that end of the ground.

From that point on however, CG dominated play. They had successfully stopped pack clearances with many outlet handballs smothered. The defence was under constant pressure from repeated entries, resulting in a CG goal at the 18 minute mark, occasioned by a poor kick backwards from CHB.

Frustrated DLS defence gave away another pack marking free and the resultant goal at the 23 minute mark reduced the lead to 9 points.

In the intervening period to half time, DLS regained some composure, but 1^st Trent Shannon’s shot, after a courageous mark on HFF, failed to make the distance & Indovino’s shot from HF went out on the full.

DLS went to the half time break with a lead of 10 points: 5.1=31 CG 3.3=21.

Qtr 3:

Began with CG, now kicking against the breeze, continuing to dominate play but missed several easy goals, before goaling at the 8 minute mark, to reduce the lead to 2 points. The momentum had certainly shifted to CG, who were playing with the composure that DLS had displayed in Qtr 1! A conversion from a strong pack mark, gave CG the lead by 4 points at the 10 minute mark!

DLS lifted but could not put scoreboard pressure on CG!  A good passage of running footy resulted in Bedford playing his 50th game, accurately delivered to Pat Russell, some 40 meters out on the HFF. He kicked perfectly to restore the DLS lead (2 pts) at the 17 minute mark. Russell, having a stint in the ruck, took a strongly contested pack mark and converted at the 20 minute mark to increase the margin to 8 points. DLS had restored control, but 2 costly misses late in the quarter, could prove decisive as it took a 9 point lead into the final quarter: 7.3=45 CG 5.6=36

Qtr 4:

Fine play out of the centre by Algeri shot the ball forward, where Nathan Scollo either marked or was freed in the goal square before a minute had elapsed in the quarter. The slender lead had increased to 15 points as both sides then missed easy goal chances. Play was a repeat of the 3rd stanza with both sides dominant at times! At the 12 minute mark, Indovino hurriedly snapped from the FP & Cameron managed to get a boot on the ball in the goal square to lift the lead to 21 points. DLS looked safe at this stage.

As if on que, CG dominated play and goaled at the 18 minute mark & the lead reduced to 14. Following a Tom Lyngberg OOF from the goal square, CG made the most of their let off by goaling at the 23 minute mark. DLS lead now was a meagre 8 points!

The final 6 minutes of play were fiercely contested, with the DLS back 6 standing up superbly, as they had done, specifically in the latter part of quarter 3 & all of the final quarter.

Sean Fisher, who had a big task on a very big & strong opponent, performed admirably!

It was just reward for full back line being adjudged 1,2 & 4 in the Best votes by the coaching panel!

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