Semi Final – Old Haileybury vs De La Salle

Match Report

Qtr 1: In a very tight opening, in blustery conditions with a strong cross wind, at Box Hill City oval, DLS started positively. With play mainly in DLS forward zone, an OH clearing kick resulted in a 1:1 contest at their CHF position which OH duly won to record the 1st gaol at the 4-minute mark.
DLS had much of the play but clumsy ball handling & poor decisions with it, proved costly as both Adrian Indovino & Christian Algeri missed! Another ball handling error across HB resulted in OH’s 2nd goal at the 23-minute mark. Ryan O’Meara was freed in a contested marking contest at CHF & got DLS’s 1st at the 25-minute mark.
2 late OH goals at the 31(disputed mark in FP & 50-meter penalty) & 33 ( a smothered centre clearance handball), minute marks turned a previously even quarter, into a solid OH result & a 15 point lead at quarter time.
DLS 1.4= 10 Old Haileybury 4.1=25

Qtr 2: Started in similar vein, with DLS missing after fine play by Tom Filipovic to Tom Docherty to Lachie Gawel. Losing a strong ground contest by Jake Williams & Curtis Day on the wing, allowed OH to sweep the ball forward but fortunately their shot on goal missed everything.
Play was almost entirely in OH’s forward zone. Steve Karvellas won a heavy ground contest against 3 opponents, but time in the OH area was starting to tell. They goaled at the 14- & 16-minute marks to extend their lead to 29 points. Good play by Tom Docherty landed the ball with Trent Shannon who secured DLS’s 2nd at the 23-minute mark. OH, replied immediately when a long kick from defence enabled a snap from the FP to push the lead back to 30 points.

DLS were playing better now getting some run & evening the clearances from packs. Good possession win by Day delivered to O’Meara who got his 2nd & DLS’s 3rd at the 24 minute mark. A dubious free to OH at CHF, resulted in their 8th goal at the 26 minute mark and take a 30 point margin into the half time break. DLS had been outplayed in a 2.1 : 4.5 quarter.
DLS 3.5=23 Old Haileybury 8.5=53

Qtr 3: Williams was moved to an on ball role & was having an immediate, positive influence on clearances. Despite DLS controlling the game for the 1st 4 minutes, OH slipped the ball forward to an open forward line to put the margin out to 37 points. OH were moving the ball from deep defence with uncontested overhead marks along the road side flank.
Despite DLS’s lifted intensity & willingness for the contest, no impact was made on the scoreboard! However, at the 13 minute mark, Indovino somehow snapped truly from a tight pack of players, to provide some reward for their efforts for DLS’s 4th goal. A 5th followed some 3 minutes later when Tom Lyngberg won a contest near the centre & kicked to the HFF where Sean Fisher took a good low mark near the HFF.
Another blow to the already dire situation was when Will Mackie had to be assisted from the ground, with subsequently turned out to be broken ribs! Did not see the incident which happened deep in our back flank.
A poor disposal from a pack by DLS, & aided by 2 successive free kicks, allowed OH to regain momentum with their 10th goal at the 19 minute mark. OH looked to stabilise the play, but a free to Par Bohan in the centre square and 2 50 meter penalties gave DLS its 6th goal close to ¾ time to reduce the margin then to 25 points. This was the 1st time that DLS had won a quarter: 3.2 : 2.3
DLS 6.7=43 Old Haileybury 10.8=68

Qtr4: Opened brilliantly for DLS, when Algeri kicked long to FF where full back turned full forward, Luke Healy took a low lunging mark to kick DLS’s 7th 1.43 minutes into the final quarter! DLS players had been instructed to go all out attacking by kicking to the grandstand side as much as possible. Contrary to the instructions, a kick inside was intercepted, but fortunately the OH kick on goal went wide.
A rare glimpse of DLS’s running game via Bohan, Sab Filipovic landing the ball with Shannon, whose shot missed but was marked by Fraser Cameron, who got DLS’s 8th goal at the 8 minute mark. DLS was back in this game. Another kick to the roadside resulted in an OH goal near the 11 minute mark and stall the DLS momentum!

OH reestablished control and goaled at the 12 minute mark. Fierce contested footy ensued for the next 9 minutes, as DLS tried vainly to regain control. Algeri goaled at the 20-minute mark following Lyngberg’s strong contesting at CHF. OH goaled from a goal square uncontested mark, but worse was to follow some 7 minutes later!
Indovino who had had a good game, crashed into the OH player, who had marked at CHF, some seconds earlier. Indovino was reported & sent from the ground, to face a tribunal hearing next Tuesday.
DLS had struggled gamely against a strong OH team, which seemed to have played to its full potential.
DLS 9.8=62 Old Haileybury 15.13=103

Summary: Being 2nd on the ladder gives both the Seniors & Reserves the chance to regroup & win the Preliminary Finals next weekend

Best: Jake Williams, Steve Karvellas, Tom Filipovic, Seb Filipovic, Adrian Indovino, Tom Lyngberg.
Goals: Ryan O’Meara 2, Trent Shannon, Indovino, Sean Fisher, Tom Docherty, Fraser Cameron, Pat Bohan, Christian Algeri