Youth-1 Boys Division 1 2025

Grand Final - Surrey Sharks - Ford Park, 7 September, 2.30pm

Fitzroy             0.1       1.7       1.8       4.9 (33)

Balwyn            2.0       2.0       5.4       8.4 (52)

By Paul Daffey

It’s Grand Final Day for the Youth Boys 1 at Ford Park, Belfield, the home of the YJFL. Simon and Chad, the fathers of Evan and Ollie respectively, are fussing over the banner before the boys are due to run out for this deciding match against Surrey Sharks. Gaby and Keli have also played a hand in making the banner, which is the best I’ve seen in junior footy, a totem of craft and care with perfect edges and no loose bits. It’s a symbol of the efforts that the parents have contributed towards the club, the coaches and of course the boys themselves.

Around the ground I’m struck by the number of parents who do not have sons playing in this match, but who have turned up nonetheless to support the sons of their friends. They’ve turned up because they feel part of the club at large. And because a grand final at any level will stir the blood of anyone who has ever seen a Sherrin in flight.

It’s a great day for families. It’s a great day for the club. Let’s hope it’s a great day for the boys.

Go Fitzroy!

Unfortunately, it’s not a great day for footy. According to the Bureau, the wind is coming in from the north at 26 kilometres an hour. In Belfield, however, it feels like a tempest has blown in from somewhere sinister, like a hidden gully or Doncaster Shoppingtown. It’s howling towards the forward pocket at the Ivanhoe end. It adds another dimension to an unlikely match-up. The Roys finished second after the home and away rounds, while the Sharks finished fourth. The first and third teams both went out in straight sets.

The boys, led by Captain Finbar, break through the banner and do springy jumps and micro-sprints before bunching together for a final gee-up. The Sharks elect to kick with the wind, which might be described as a three-goal wind or a five-goal wind, depending on loose estimates. The umpire holds the ball aloft. It’s almost blown out of his hand. We’re off in the season’s decider.

Jules and Leo are manic at the opening bounce, throwing themselves at the bobbling ball, but there is no decisive breakaway. Jono, who starred after going into the midfield during the second semi, gets his boot to the ball most often during the early frenzies. Samuel Evans throws himself into thickets of bodies. In defence, Toby is among those who stand up against the onslaught. It is more than halfway through the opening quarter before the Sharks break through to kick a goal.

The Royboys respond with further desperation. James, who has an ardour for the defensive aspects of the game, pulls off a magnificent tackle. Finbar pulls off a smother with perfect timing. You can hear the thump of the ball crashing into his arms. It is a sound of finals drama. It is an act that saves a goal. The Sharks end up with two goals for the quarter while the Royboys finish with a behind.

The parents nod towards each other. Holding the oppo to two goals with a howling wind? The boys have done all right.

The Roys, now kicking with the wind, attack and attack for no reward. Enter Lachy Muraca, fresh off his best game for the season in the second semi. Lachy is dangerous. He offers a moving target. He effects a huge tackle, bringing his opponent to ground and earning a free kick. He deserves a goal. The malevolent wind, however, snatches the ball and drags it just left of the goalpost.

The Roys keep attacking, but to no avail. A sense of dread starts creeping in. We get a bit ragged. Our conviction wanes. We need to kick a goal.

Late in the quarter, Will Hindson drags down a Sharks defender at half-forward on the attacking side. It is a perfect tackle. The temptation would be to try to top it off with a perfect goal. Such a temptation does not always work out. Hindo, however, sends forth a graceful gem, a shot that curls through the goals with symmetry and style. It is the perfect shot for goal, after all. It suggests the Roys can climb past their capable opponents.

Further drama unfurls during the remainder of the quarter. Finbar effects another smother that brings a thump. Max Sekhon, whose career appeared over when he suffered another concussion midway through the season, jogs on to the field ­– for the first time since the incident – to take his place on a wing. Max barrels around while his teammates strain to land another goal. In our desperation, we struggle to take our chances.

The Sharks, meanwhile, are smart in defence. One or two have the skill to harness the wind while they drive the ball out of danger. The Hindo Special ends up as our only goal for the half. The players have given everything, but a sense of frustration trails them as they make their way from the ground for the main break.

Duke, our esteemed twos coach, has been totting up the stats. He says the Roys have won the clearances by a ratio of three to one. Our midfielders are bullocking their opponents aside.

In open play, we’ve employed greater ambition by trying to kick short to position. Duke says our ball movement is “more cultured”, a description that is a pleasing addition to footy parlance. But on such a windy day it’s difficult to maintain such precision. We’ve been slightly off in terms of composure, while the Sharks have taken their chances.

Scores are level, 1.6 (12) to 2.0 (12).

Now, in the third quarter, it is the boys from Surrey who face the responsibility of taking advantage of the wind. About four minutes in, they kick a goal. Soon afterwards, they kick another. Then another. The Roys refuse to give in. But the Sharks have the better of the quarter and shoulders start to slump among the Fitzroy fans. The Sharks lead by twenty points at the final break, 1.8 (14) to 5.4 (34).

Early in the last quarter, the Sharks midfielders emerge from their chrysalis and win a few clearances. Their big blokes in defence start taking marks. In the ultimate insult, the malevolent wind slides down to a pathetic breeze. The Sharks get on a roll. They kick two goals at the previously non-scoring end.

Darcy, now playing in the midfield, raises the tempo of the match. He snakes through packs to find space. He resists the temptation to bomb long. He tries to pick out leading teammates. His efforts fall just short or just wide. The wind most surely has it in for us.

Halfway through the last quarter, the Roys go on a burst. Finbar seizes on a loose ball with a mad urgency. He dodges and weaves before blasting through an inspiring goal.

Lachy, showing enterprise, lunges into a goalmouth scramble. He finds the ball and soccers it through.

Jules, a midfield beast, drags half the opposition team behind him like an ox dragging a plough. Joe White is busy. Will Cashen runs hard.

Darcy, a footballer with aesthetic gifts, wheels away from trouble forty metres out, steps in the direction of the boundary and, on his non-preferred left boot, kicks around his body. The ball hovers like a bee before arcing over the line, bringing a goal of rare quality. The players converge. Friends and family find some pep. We’ve kicked three quick goals. We’re in with a chance.

Unfortunately, our hope is pricked when the Sharks kick another goal to seal the result. A collective slump of shoulders befalls the Fitzroy crowd. The boys have been gallant, but it is not our day. We’ve had one more scoring shot, but the Sharks’ cooler heads have prevailed. They triumph by nineteen points, 4.9 (33) to 8.4 (52).

After the match, both coaches speak with humility, befitting a contest that has featured the best of junior football in the worst of conditions. The Fitzroy players are disappointed. But all are manful in their acceptance of the result. They have given their best. It is all they could do.

Friends and families and every member of the Fitzroy community shuffles away from the ground with a sense of pride. Next year is another year. We will be there. Our boys will do their best again.

Second qualifying final – Macleod Eagles – Zerbes Reserve, Sunday 24 August 3pm

Fitzroy: 11.7-73
Macleod: 5.6-36

Weather: Sunny and 16 degrees
Canteen: Closed!
Quote of the day: ‘Wait ’til I see you at school’

By Steve Marmo

IF YOU can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you …

So, it comes to this.

After all the years of playing junior footy, the Fitzroy YB1 Colts (some) have given themselves a chance to crown their glorious junior footy careers, in their very last game, not just with a premiership, but with a profound sense of what wonderful sportsmen they ALL are.

Sunday’s proud win over the previously undefeated Macleod was a win for the good guys!

In these days of the bad guys ascendent in so many spheres of life, our sons gave a lift to those who look to traits unfashionable – fairness, humility, sportsmanship and turning the other cheek. A total rejection of the so-called ‘manosphere’!

But enough with the inner-north cliches. On with the footy!

In our previous two matches, the minor premiers had got off to blistering starts. They appeared bigger, faster, more skilful and a carried a sense of constrained and fair mongrel. But an apparent over-confidence both times led to our Gorillas staging stirring comebacks that left the victors with a sense that these guys are never done.

A good quick start would be invaluable!

And we got it. Our version of a Zurhaar or a Stringer got the ball rolling when Alessio capitalised on a Jono intercept for our first within two minutes.

A neat pass from Finbar to Zac doubled the lead.

Both goals had come from a noticeable cleanliness from the middle. The mixture of big-bodied grunt in Jono, Jules and Leo in the guts seemed to have the Macleod mids on the back foot and a tad messy.

The frustration soon showed when Fred took a clean, uncontested mark but was then flattened by a Macleod opponent. Something was afoot.

Macleod got one back against the play, but when Alessio bobbed up for our third, the Roys were patently on and led 19-10 at the quarter-time break.

A calm air pervaded the Roys at the break. There was no whooping and a-hollering. They had done the job required.

But how would the minor premiers respond to what was probably the first time they had trailed at the first break all season?

Our boys didn’t seem to care. They decided to keep doing what they had done in the first and play their way. The pressure came, but they chewed it up, invited it back and spat it out again. They peppered away all the while but couldn’t find the goals until Will Hindson intercepted (again) at half back and began a fluent, crisp chain through Fred, Samuel and Lachlan, ultimately stopping when Oscar ran onto it and banged it through for a 16-point buffer.

The impertinence!

What the assembled wizened heads of the parents on the outer half-back flank had contemplated was about to come to fruition. When a team as dominant as Macleod has been is suddenly confronted by a real contest, a sense of entitlement can arise. And frantically looking for excuses leads the brain to forget the task at hand and lash out in an undisciplined way.

Every time a Fitzroy player was tackled or bumped, more than a little irate mayonnaise was smeared on top. As a result down-the-field frees or 25-metre penalties were given. Macleod, when confronted by good footy, decided to be rashly physical and when brought to heel by the umps decided they too were part of the impertinence!

IF YOU… on being hated, don’t give way to hating…

Fred’s aggressor tried it again, this time on a stouter opponent in Leo, smashing into him while he wasn’t looking, after taking a free kick for the previous cheap shot the aggressor had made.

He bounced off an unperturbed Leo and continued his rage… at everyone! It was the match encapsulated!

Leo’s kick ultimately resulted in a goal, but I’m sorry, kicked by who I do not know as the resultant tantrum before us occupied our sights. Your scribe hadn’t concentrated on the job at hand, unlike the Royboys. But a now weighty 23-point lead nonetheless.

(I have since learned that it was indeed Lachlan M who finished this dramatic turn of events. Not surprising since Lachy played what could be considered his best game of the season – and in a qualifying final no less!)

The 5.4 – 34 to 1.5 – 11 half-time scoreline illustrated the mighty response from the back six. Darcy continued to display the qualities that have seen him get a recent call back from the Northern Knights (along with Samuel, Jono and Alessio). Like a Frankenstein amalgam of a cleaning lady and mad staring half-back flanker, he mopped up, swept and intercept marked time and time again. With an added dash of dare and flair to boot. But no sinister sauce though. As usual the bustling pack-busting James was adding his weight to proceedings. Nobody had a go at him! A more than industrious Josef made his presence felt. But they had plenty of mates, like Zac zipping around taking hits and following up with his undoubted skill.

But overall it was the boys simply playing the game in a focused, knowing manner. They knew what to do and how to go about doing it. The parents were worried about what was to come. The players didn’t give a fig!

And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the will which says to them ‘Hold on’ …and kick straight.

A worrying start was two free kicks to them after the umpires had received an earful for their responsible decisions in the second. A goal to them.

But what was expected imminently arrived when the ever-brave Noah was crudely poleaxed in the next ruck contest. For the first time we looked vulnerable. A mighty expectant roar greeted their first consecutive goal. Back to less than two kicks. Game on!

IF YOU can trust yourself when all men doubt you…

Of course it was Leo who gobbled up a loose ball and calmy got it to Oscar and then on to Alessio for his third. We needed that! But they got the next. Had momentum turned? For the next five or so minutes, and for the only time in the match, we went a tad wobbly. Things that were a little cute for the moment were tried. Percentages were lowered. The flow was stunted. But – and this is a big but – they didn’t score. Every game breeds its butterflies at some point. But Macleod didn’t come with a net. Even while we were off, they couldn’t hurt us.

IF YOU can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run …

The oasis in the desert emerged with one of the goals of the year. A battling Jericho threw off his worthy opponent near the pocket boundary and while falling backwards conjured a left-foot banana that never looked like missing and put a full stop to the previous uncertainty. While we didn’t realise it at the time, we were home!

7.5 – 47 to 4.6 – 30

It had been the most intense quarter of the season. I think it was more the parents who were worried at what Macleod’s response might be. Because out on the field, despite some hiccups, the boys continued to just get on with it in their oh-so-controlled air and an innate sense of confidence.

But I don’t think even they knew what they were about to produce.

IF YOU can force your heart, and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone…

Macleod got the first of the last to bring it back to 11 points, but any hope of a comeback for them disappeared in a cloud of red mist and in the most apt of manners. Yet another needless attack against the ball-winning Samuel saw two (!) count ’em, two (!) 25-metre penalties to take him to the goal line and a certain goal. As the clock ticked on, he kicked the ball as far into the forest as he possibly could. Samuel is not just a brave and skilful footballer, he’s also a smart one. Back to 19 points.

And then – surprise surprise – another undisciplined downfield free went to Lachy, who to the unanimous agreement of all spectators within earshot was way too far out to score, sent a ball-bursting, post-high 50-metre-plus drop punt straight through the high diddle diddle and good had triumphed!

All that was left was for an Alessio special zigging this way, zagging that way around the boundary, bamboozling a now-succumbed Macleod defence and we were into ‘The Big Show’!

IF YOU can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch and toss
And lose, and start again at your beginnings

Hang on. That’s enough of that!

Because if the lads bring the Fitzroy way of playing again in two weeks’ time, we can’t lose. Because they showed not only what good footballers they are, but what great boys they are. Because they are the product of a club and coaches that don’t just talk about their aims and values but cherish and manifest them. In all my son’s (Fred) 103 matches, I have not once seen a Fitzroy player throw a punch, hit from behind, abuse an opponent or umpire or be rude to opposing parents or coaches. Not Once!

We as parents should all be so proud of the lads and so thankful to Matt and Daz and Paul and all who make the team and the club what it is. And of course Bridget, who just defines the place.

So whether we win or lose the GF…

YOURS is the Earth and everything that’s in it
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, My son!

With apologies to Kipling.

Qualifying final – Balwyn Tigers at Schramms Reserve, Sunday 17 August, 3pm

Fitzroy            4.1       5.4       5.7       6.8 (44)

Balwyn            0.3       2.4       4.4       6.4 (40)

By Paul Daffey

WHAT A match! What a final!

After the siren, several parents could be seen falling to the earth in exhaustion, whereupon they brought one hand to their brow to shield themselves from the madness of the afternoon.

Imagine if they had played!

The footballers – our boys – had to do even more work than Gaby Chapman in the timekeeper’s box.

And what a game she played!

No matter Gaby’s heroics, it was up to our boys to fight for the day and they did us all proud with their commitment and valour against Balwyn, the reigning premiers, against whom we had played two matches during the home and away rounds.

We won the first one; they won the other. This was the Qualifying Final.

The tension of the afternoon had been pickled and jarred by an incident just before half-time when Alessio took a beautifully judged mark just as the ball was about to cross the line for a behind.

Alessio played on, bustled into the goalsquare and kicked around his body to score a goal.

It was a big moment. The Roys had dominated the first quarter but Balwyn had won the second. Alessio’s goal was against the run of play. It preserved a healthier margin for the Roys than seemed likely just moments beforehand.

But hang on a second!

While Fitzroy players and parents let forth with happy hoots, the goal umpire shuffled in uncertainty. He composed himself on the goal-line and was about to bring up one hand to signal a behind when the field umpire held up his palm like a traffic cop and rushed into the goalmouth to consult.

The two of them – the field umpire and his friend with the flags – leant into an umpirey chat, crouched towards each other like umpires do, before the goal umpire stepped back to complete his original action.

He planted his feet. With a quick, modest action he signalled a behind.

And so it was done.

But really!

We the people from We Are Fitzroy let slip a muffled protest. We must respect our officials. But it did seem a terrible shame on this afternoon of dramatic shifts!

Soon afterwards, Gaby pushed the blaring button to signal half-time. The players jogged towards the coaches on the wing, away from the heightened states behind them. And so began a small, barely seen interaction that encapsulated all that is good about our game and the brave young men and tenacious timekeepers who play it.

Let me go back for a moment …

The day’s fun had begun in extraordinary fashion when Alessio kicked a goal from several suburbs away in the opening minutes. The authority, the audacity, of his kick sparked the Roys into a frenzy of excellence.

The boys found teammates on angles and in space. If they handballed in the general direction of a Fitzroy guernsey, it found its way into the hands of a player who was streaming forward. Every kick into attack was threatening.

Fitzroy’s pressure was full-on. Courage abounded. James Edgar, the violinist who plays with style and tempo, threw himself into contests like a charging bassoonist. As with Alessio’s goal, his mighty deeds set the tone.

In separate incidents, Hendo and Freddy Marmo stood beneath the ball while expecting an onset of bodies. In both cases, they marked, and so added to the sense of a gathering force.

The Roys kicked four unanswered goals. It was an astonishing performance. Probably should have kicked more.

The second quarter was a tribute to Balwyn. A combination of self-belief and tenacity enabled them to fight their way back into the game. Fitzroy did, however, continue to attack.

There is courage other than physical courage.

When you’ve got the ball in the backline it’s easy to kick the ball up the line and put the responsibility on those upfield to make something of it. In one instance in the second quarter, Darcy had the ball deep in defence. Instead of bombing long towards the safety of numbers, he drilled the ball across the goal and on to the chest of a teammate. The way was open to attack on the open side of the field.

Later, Finbar did the same, abjuring the safe option and kicking long across the goals. Both Darcy and Finbar are beautiful kicks. Even so, their decisions to switch the ball in daring fashion signalled a willingness to take risks; to seek victory rather than hope it falls in your lap.

Balwyn, however, would not be swayed. As the Tigers gained the ascendancy, Fitzroy began to doubt themselves

When a frenzy is superseded, it’s hard to know what to do. Daz, our esteemed assistant coach, who knows what to do, did a few palm-pushes towards the earth as a means of urging calm.

Jules, our bullocking midfielder, has a level head as well as a strong drive to win the ball. Late in the second quarter, Jules was on the bench as part of his rotation. Daz sent him back on to the field with instructions to slow down the pace of the match.

Daz did more palm-pushes. Jules jogged towards the action. The Roys did well to stymie Balwyn’s momentum and maintain our lead at three goals.

If Alessio’s mark and goal in the shadow of half-time had been allowed, the margin would have been four goals.

After Gaby had blown the siren for the main break, Alessio was alive with frustration at the decision to deny him the mark. By the time he had joined his coaches and teammates in front of the interchange area, he was brimming and bouncing and cursing the fates that had befallen him. When the players began to walk from the wing towards the rooms, Alessio was still brimming, still bouncing.

Finbar, our captain, plays with a wonderful, fluid grace. He also takes seriously his role as a leader. Finbar pulled at Alessio’s jumper. When Alessio continued to bounce and curse, Finbar pulled at Alessio’s jumper more forcibly, so as to earn his full attention.

Finbar put his face towards Alessio’s and urged him to accept the decision. He put his arm around our star forward and assured him of his care, of his faith. Alessio responded to the presence of Finbar’s arm around his shoulder. He stopped bouncing. He settled down. He walked toward the rooms with a new resolve.

Finbar’s action showed maturity and leadership. It was the sort of action that stands a team in good stead in moments of fire.

The frenzy resumed in the second half. Both teams attacked. Balwyn had a slight edge. Against any other team, they would have surged into the lead. But the Roys refused to concede. We would not be beaten!

Two highlights from the third quarter exemplify the range of this feverish match. Oscar, playing as a deep forward, led straight and jumped high to take a hanger on an opponent’s back. Fans around the ground did that simultaneous footy spectator thing: The Gasp and Roar!

At the other end, Darcy, the defender with the sweet right boot, called on another of his many strengths in his attempt to deny Balwyn a goal.

A Balwyn forward seized on the ball before it could bobble over for a behind. It was in exactly the spot where Alessio had claimed his mark before half-time.

The Balwyn player was about to wheel into the goalsquare – just like Alessio had done! – but Darcy was not about to let that happen.

In a moment of high drama, Darcy grabbed the player’s jumper and used strength and momentum to pull his opponent to ground. The player was left to swivel on the ground like a spinning top. Darcy was awarded the free kick. The Fitzroy crowd again roared. Our faith in officials had been rewarded!

In the last quarter, Samuel Evans’ attack on the ball was like an extreme sport in itself. Balwyn kept attacking. One more goal would break the game.

Amid this tension, Jericho took up position to do the ruckwork at a boundary throw-in in the Roys’ forward pocket. The throw-in would take place a few steps away from the spot where Alessio had claimed his mark and Darcy had completed his tackle for the ages.

Jericho took the ball from the ruck and took a step backwards to maintain balance. Alessio, ever alert, sprinted to his side. Jericho dinked off a handball. Alessio –reprising his previous sally! – took the ball and wheeled around the pack. He kicked around his body and sent the ball through the big sticks.

The goal umpire signalled a goal!

Balwyn came again and seemed every chance of pulling off a shocking heist. Samuel, however, completed a smother with such finality that, surely, the Tigers surely could not complete their comeback.

Or could they?!

In the timekeeper’s box, Gaby felt the burden of one with the hopes of many in her hands.

Gaby, ring the siren!

She sweated on the moment.

Gaby, just ring it!

Finally, she pushed the button. A sweet blast released the tension over Doncaster. The Royboys were four points ahead. We were through to the Second Semi-final against Macleod.

It was an epic victory. In the moment of fire, our boys had flown towards the flame. No wonder the ground was strewn with parents all wrung out with stress and elation.

Round 13 – Macleod Eagles at Ford Park, Sunday 3 August, 3pm

Macleod: 10.10-70
Fitzroy: 5.8-38

Weather: Sunny and 19 degrees

Canteen: Crispy potato cakes with vinegar and tomato sauce

Quote of the day: ‘Never thought I’d ever say I miss Vic Park’

By Steve Marmo

A glorious winter’s afternoon at Ford Park set the scene for many of our lads’ last ever junior home and away footy match in the colts’ maroon and blue guernseys against the league leaders Macleod.

While second pozzie was assured whatever the result, it would be nice to put in a decent performance against the undefeated minor premiers with finals beckoning in a fortnight. But it was a tad undermanned outfit that took the field, missing skipper Finbar along with a star from each line in Leo, Darcy and Aless.

And the pressure-munching Leo would have been handy in the guts when hostilities got under way, with a typical physical assault from Macleod’s mids blowing us away in the first quarter. It was just lucky they managed 2.6 for the quarter when it could well have been 6.2. Will Cashen’s late major was pretty much our only shot at the big sticks.

Macleod were fast, hard, skilful, hostile and … did I say fast? But apart from that they were pretty ordinary. And we well remembered they got off to a similar start in our last match-up so we weren’t done with yet.

The mood brightened early in the second when an inspirational spoil, tackle and resultant free kick to Declan saw the ball nestle in the bosom of Jericho who picked up from last week’s heroics and slotted our second. Our posse on the grassed western hill gingerly cheered, nigglingly aware of a quartet of gentlemen desperate to pass on the finer points of the game to both their offspring and ours. The skipper’s dad beat a retreat, and Freddy’s family sought an escape route to the grassed northern hill soon after.

Macleod’s footy on the field was almost as horrifying as their crowd on the hill during the second. Everything they touched turned to gold. They moved the ball oh so crisply, bashed in hard and finally found their kicking boots, booting five for the quarter to just the single from Jericho. Special mention to Zac and Jono who battled their guts out in the onslaught. But Macleod were just too good.

Half time saw them 7.8–50 to our 2.0–12.

Despite the deficit, our lads got off to a nice positive start in the third, squaring the contest and showing some good energy until halfway through the quarter Zac drew a free kick from a more than dangerous tackle to kick the first major of the half. Not sure what the coaches had to say at the break but the boys certainly didn’t go into their shells and memories of our round 6 encounter and brave comeback came flooding back.

Oscar got on the end of a bullet pass from (I think) a now rampaging Samuel for our second and things suddenly looked peachy. Samuel has played some wonderful footy this season. His silky movement so easy on the eye. But he hasn’t played better than he did in this quarter at a time when it was so badly needed. He brought others into the game and like last time, the hitherto rampant Macleod front runners looked beatable. Because they are! Samuel was again in the limelight having taken a diving mark while being belted around the scone and body and then landing on said scone to repel a late Macleod attack. It was the best quarter I’ve seen him play and that’s saying something. But I also just have to mention a screamer by our number 9, a player whose name escapes me at the minute.

So we held them to just the one goal for the quarter, and while it felt we kicked four or more, it was a humble two snags. But the momentum had flipped irrevocably in 20 minutes of our bravest, most determined footy of the season.

Fitzroy 4.3 – 27 McLeod 8.9 – 57

The gallantry continued into the last, personified by one of those great ground-long chases that probably wasn’t really going to end in a tackle, but that gut-busting chase by Daniel Hodgson was just damn well spectacular! Not sure how many noticed it Daniel but I sure did! Bravo! Again we squared the contest with the ball going end to end with little result, but that didn’t really matter. The effort was grand. But then a quick brace to our opponents brought forth images of them running over us and into the finals with one of those mental-edge thingamabobs we hear about so often in sport. But nup!

A well-earned second goal to Oscar again checked the momentum, and that was the last snag of the game. We went down 70 to 38. A 32-point loss ain’t terrific. But it’s honourable when you were down (and seemingly out) by 30 at half time.

Despite the final score, you can feel a touch of the soft underbelly about our opponents.

Yes, they’re damn good, but I reckon they’re a bit askew when it comes to playing the Roy Boys. That’s twice they’ve had us on the ropes, but we’ve stopped them in their tracks. And we have those four stars to return come finals time.

Next time, a good start would be nice.

Bring on the finals!

Round 12, Parkside at Pitcher Park, 27 July 3 pm

Round 11, Balwyn Tigers at Ford Park, 20 July, 1 pm

Fitzroy            3.2       3.4       4.6       4.8 (32)
Balwyn            1.2       3.3       4.3       9.4 (58)

By Paul Daffey

It’s a big day for the Mighty Youth Boys 1s. Three of our fine young men are playing their 100^th game: Tom Hindson, Freddy Marmo and Lachy Muraca.

It’s also a big day because we’re playing Balwyn, the reigning premiers, who have their eyes on our second spot on the ladder.

It’s less of a big day because we’re playing at our newly adopted home ground, Ford Park in West Ivanhoe, which is League Headquarters. The grass at Ford Park is coarse. It would be nice to play out the season at Vic Park, where the grass is green and even, but we’ve had to move to accommodate the AFLW fixture.

It’s quite a sight before the match to witness three milestone banners standing all in a row. I’ve been watching junior footy for 73 years (give or take) and I’ve never seen three adjacent banners before.

Then you consider that Taj Cairns ran through a 100-game banner before the YB2s match … it’s Banner City at League HQ.

Our YB1 heroes run through their banners to great applause and no calamities, with all three remaining upright while their teammates bounce along behind them. I note with no surprise at all that my young bloke, Leo, is last out of the gates. We all have our quirks.

While the atmosphere is one of celebration, footy’s flipside –the downer stuff – threatens to puncture the Royboys’ bubble when Captain Finbar, whose title suggests a role in The Avengers, runs on to the field with a ginger kink in his lovely stride.

After your intrepid correspondent asks The Mother of Captain Finbar, who should also be in The Avengers, just what is going on with her son’s lovely stride, she offers the newsy nugget that the captain had awoken under the influence of spasms, which, to your correspondent, is not altogether surprising.

The boy is growing. Stand beside him and you’ll find out!

On this occasion, his back has failed to keep pace with its changing circumstances. As the saying goes, he should be right next week.

Evan, our ruckman, is suitably mighty but also on the lean side. He has a big task against a former teammate, Riley, who has gained in strength since heading eastwards.

Never mind. Evan is a smart footballer. He stretches high with canny intent. His midfielders clamber for the ball.

It’s tough going on the coarse grass, but the Royboys are up to it. We kick two goals against the flow – well, not quite against the flow, but Balwyn do look to be controlling the play in patches. We remain steady. We’re doing well to lead by two goals at quarter-time.

Balwyn increase their effort in the second quarter. Once again we remain steady.

Captain Finbar is playing as a quickly growing small forward. Finbar is clearly hampered, and frustrated. He tries to create openings for his teammates near goal.

Zac Henderson plays on the wing with oversized heart. Freddy Marmo, 100-game hero, is resolute on the other wing. Lachy, another 100-gamer, reaches up to take a brilliant mark.

The third 100-gamer, Hindo, whose twin brother is also Hindo, plays with typical bravery in the backline. Hindo – both of them! – approach their task with ferocity. They know no other way. Balwyn forwards scatter in appropriate response.

But Ollie Phegan … my god!

Ollie might lend the appearance of skin and bones, but while you have not been looking, he’s assumed the role of a wrecking ball. In this instance, he attacks the ball in the forward pocket, right in front of The Gasping Parents, and times his arrival to the moment of greatest impact. Two opponents bounce off him like kids on a trampoline.

The Roys fail to capitalise on Ollie’s impact, but he’s set the tone for a willing battle.

Balwyn kick two goals for the quarter to our none. The Royboys lead by one point at half-time.

The third quarter is tight. Neither team gives a centimetre.

In the backline, Leo lays a crunching tackle on a star opponent, who struggles to raise himself from the grass (which is coarse). Samuel continues to rattle about in heavy traffic.

Up forward, Alessio is a livewire. He uses his body in marking contests and sets off in mad pursuit when the ball hits ground. Things happen when Aless starts scooting.

However, just as he is threatening to take over the game, Aless limps from the ground with an injured ankle. Our main avenue to goal will remain on the bench for the rest of the match.

In response to the blow up forward, our titans in defence, the talented duo of Jono and Darcy, take up their role as Men of Interception. (They should also be on The Avengers.)

Halfway through the quarter, Jono takes yet another mark across half-back and so begins a passage of play that is clearly the highlight of the match.

Jono kicks inboard, which is significant, as it denies Balwyn the chance to kill the ball down the line. He finds James, who’s found plenty of the ball since being moved into the midfield.

James hoicks the ball towards Evan at half-forward then follows his kick. Evan contests hard in the air. With amazing dexterity, he mops up at ground level and gives off to James, who has met the play on his follow-through.

James wheels around several opponents then sprints forward. He lets fly from the arc with a perfect drop-punt. The ball does not deviate one jot as it sails through the goals. The Fitzroy players go nuts. The parents gasp again. It is fun to watch our gallant boys.

With one goal apiece for the quarter, the difference at the final break is three points in Fitzroy’s favour.

Unfortunately, Balwyn’s edge in class finally takes its toll. The Tigers break the stalemate early in the last quarter and swarm in numbers towards goal.

The remaining matter of interest for Fitzroy people is counting the marks that Jono takes at half-back. He takes at least half a dozen for the quarter. I reckon it’s 15 for the match. His performance is extraordinary.

Balwyn kick five unanswered goals and win by 26 points.

Our three century boys – Tom, Freddy and Lachy – have fallen short of playing in a winning team in their milestone match. But that’s footy. You win some and you lose others.

We lost this one, but we’ll get them next time.

Round 10 – Kew Rovers at Stradbroke Park, Sunday 29 June, 3pm

Fitzroy: 14.12-96
Rovers: 5.2-32

Weather: Showery then sunny

Canteen: Roller door came down on the 3 o’clock siren so who knows?

By Steve Marmo

GOOD footy teams are hard. Good footy teams are skilful. Good footy teams are adaptable. And good footy teams are well coached.

Last Sunday’s match against Kew Rovers left little doubt that the Fitzroy Youth Boys 1 are a good footy team. The opposition threw different things at our lads throughout the match and the players, and the coaches, reacted almost perfectly to each and all of them.

The first quarter was a quandary in that while Kew dominated the air, took their chances and appeared to have the best few players on the ground, we ended up just two points behind and had doubled their number of scoring shots.

The coaches had opened with quite a few players in somewhat unfamiliar positions. Jono and Darcy joined Samuel in the guts, Toby went to full forward, Jericho appeared to be a kind of second full forward, and Finbar was actually staying put in the backline.

It was a probing quarter with each team having a bit of it and while Kew had a bit of an “on top vibe”, our lads had a sense of being cool, calm and collected. They may have known the coaches were doing the same.

Toby was our only goal kicker in our 1.5 to their 2.1 quarter-time score.

The second was a pearler. Finbar escaped the backline to capitalise on some hard bullocking work from Samuel for our first. Newly promoted Oliver Phegan made himself at home with a brace, the second coming from a hard-earned free kick after some relentless tackling, and Toby got his second after a panicked Kew defensive error. But Kew got three of their own to trail by just 5 points 5.2 – 32 to 5.7 – 37 at the long break.

Jono and Darcy were joined by James Edgar, Leo, Jules and others in the middle who had capitalised beautifully on the fantastic ruckwork of Evan who just gets better and better every week. Some of his tap work would have made John Nicholls proud!

But although we improved in the second quarter, not many would have predicted what was to come in the second half.

A portent for our best quarter of the season saw Evan (again) involved, getting it to Jules who thumped it forward to Jericho who put us two goals up. Things started to bubble when Zac’s worm burner put us three up. The Jules and Jericho show returned for an encore performance to put us four up and the boys had officially gone berserk!

The Rovers boys suddenly realised they were four goals adrift and had lost control. Now ALL the best players on the ground were in maroon and blue. What to do?

They decided – not unreasonably in the circumstances – to get, well “physical”. Whether it was a coaches’ tactic or player driven, the Kew lads thought it was time to throw their weight around. And while they didn’t discriminate, one bloke they appeared to target for a good five minutes was Lachy Muraca. Wrong bloke!

Despite not being the heftiest Royboy, Lachy chewed it up and spat it out. I counted five times he was targeted, and he stood up in the tackles and brought his antagonists down each and every time. It was stirring stuff, and you could see the Kew boys knew the jig was all but up.

Not least because the backline desperados, Declan, Dylan, the Hindson twins and others were just not going to let a thing pass. Jono now in defence continued his electrifying match, looking as fit as Mallee bull, really for the first time this season. The return of Noah A after the break will give the backline even more bite!

Meanwhile back on the forward line, Aless was creating havoc, doing his best Jake Stringer impersonation, Zac and Jules had gone up another gear, and Jericho was terrorising his poor opponent, rag-dolling him at will. You could say they looked “on”!

Five goals to zip was the result of a blinder of a quarter that lacked for nothing. 5.2 – 32 to 10.9 – 69 and it was time to savour those oranges.

It was a procession in the last, with defenders kicking goals (Declan), Alessio doing what Alessio does in kicking two and Jericho icing the cake at the finish.

The second-half score was 9.5 – 59 to a solitary point and an overall 64-point thrashing – 5.2 – 32 to 14.12 – 96 – triple their score.

Kind of a shame the break has arrived. The Roys look a well-oiled machine. Lacking none of the qualities that make it a very, very good footy team.

Round 9 - Surrey Sharks at Victoria Park, Sunday 22 June, 3pm

Fitzroy                         1.4       6.6       9.9       9.9 (63)
Surrey Sharks              2.3       2.4       3.6       6.8 (44)

By Paul Daffey

IN THE early 1980s, the Melbourne ska band Strange Tenants released a song called Grey Skies Over Collingwood, which became a student classic. Later, another Melbourne band, Weddings Parties Anything, released a cover of Grey Skies that was somewhat jaunty compared to the original, probably, I thought, because the lyrics refer to footy and the Weddoes love footy, which is a thing of happiness, of course.

Well, that’s how it works in my mind. The lyrics refer to circumstances not being that good, and smokestacks, and a young girl on the tenth floor with a sadness in her eyes. There’s no mention of footy. It’s just that the song loops through my head whenever I go to Victoria Park and there’s a hint of cloud over Collingwood.

This match, the Round 9 fixture against Surrey Sharks in Youth Boys Division 1, was to be the Mighty Royboys’ last home match at Vic Park for the season, and there was plenty of cloud overhead. It was a shocking day, with a biting wind blowing in from behind the smokestacks, so I had plenty to hum about.

The first quarter brought nothing of note. The ball zipped and bobbled back and forth and round about as both teams tried to find their rhythm. The Sharks kicked two goals and the Royboys kicked one. No biggie there.

But the second quarter! My goodness! The clouds did part!

The Roys found a gear that I had seldom seen before. Their play was fierce and flowing. First, a manic tussle to win the ball. Then a quick handball, a step into the clear, and it was on, with two, three and four Royboys boys all racing to receive the ball. The girl on the tenth floor would have been impressed.

I’ll give a few instances to illustrate the events of this extraordinary quarter.

It began in the middle, with Evan tapping to advantage. The ball was just out of Leo’s reach but there was no way anyone else was going to get it. He bullocked and bashed and shifted stunned opponents off their axis, but the ball being oval, it bounced in capricious fashion and fell just wide of his reach.

Enter Samuel, who crashed and bashed with the force of ten men until, finally, he was able to seize upon the ball and fire his pistons in a goalward direction. A band of boys went with him, sallying forth like the Abbotsford Army. It was a magnificent passage – as bold as it was fierce. Ned Kelly’s helmet was found nearby.

A few minutes later, there was a ball-up in the forward pocket. Evan, deft once again, tapped the ball to his feet, whereupon Freddy Marmo gathered the ball in traffic. Freddy plays with industry, but also craft. He finds a way. In this case, he snapped on his left. It was never going to miss. Another goal to the good guys.

For the third scenario, I give you Alessio, who led hard and fast and gathered the ball on the wing. When Alessio senses a vacant forward line, no one moves faster. The difficulty in this case was that he was so far up the ground he was near the train station.

No matter. He ran and bounced and ran and bounced with his opponent straining to catch him. It was a glorious run, featuring dash and dare and attacking instinct, made all the more dramatic because he traced the path of the boundary line.

After four bounces, maybe five – who knows, it could have been twelve! – Alessio ended his mission by kicking inboard. The play came to a standstill. A ball-up was called and everyone took the chance to gather their breath. But the energy was up. Grey skies be damned. The Roys kicked five unanswered goals and for us parents on the wing it was all very exciting.

The only downer in the second quarter was foisted upon Finbar, who went down late, and felt extremely frustrated that he was denied his part in the fun. Finbar plays like a river that is flowing to the sea. This time, there was a snag on the bend and he injured his ankle. He returned after the break, but without his usual lovely fluency.

In the third quarter, we were less dominant but no less exciting.

I’m going to transgress here, by trumpeting my son. Leo is so dedicated it makes me tired. He goes to footy training every day, and sometimes more. He goes to the gym twice a week. On match-day mornings, he eats eggs with honey, which is the dietary equivalent of putting your head over the ball, a feat that must be performed if you’re going to be at your best.

During the third quarter, on the attacking side of the centre circle, he crunched past an opponent, pivoted and looked towards goal. Seeing a better option, he set off at 45 degrees – the magic angle! – and placed the ball neatly on his boot.

Now the magnificent part.

Jericho, our full-forward with shoulders like Hercules, thundered out with strength and purpose and met the ball at the perfect point. The precision, the power, was breathtaking. In the words of the young people, it was cool. The parents on the wing did gasp.

Jericho kicked towards goal. His teammates felt the comfort of a target in attack.

My final passage of play is my favourite. Some might say it was just a fist. To me it was far more than that.

Viggo was in for his first game in the ones for the season. A latecomer to footy, he’s what AFL recruiting types call “a project player”. Meaning he’s tall and raw, and blessed with talent. What a project he is!

Viggo is a beautiful mark. It’s a wonderful sight to see him drift across the half-back line to take the ball above a sea of arms. On Sunday’s evidence, he can now kick as well. On several occasions, he found teammates upfield with well-executed drop punts.

Because he is such an arresting sight in athletic terms, Viggo’s courage and determination receive less notice. They should receive more. There was one instance on Sunday which deserves special mention.

An opposition forward led towards the pocket. Viggo approached the contest from the side. In such instances, most underage defenders make a vague move towards the action and hope they get a hand on the ball, or get in the way of the leading forward, or something in between. It usually ends up in a tangle of bodies and a nil-all draw.

I was at the opposite end of the ground and even from there, it was as clear as day, even on a cloudy day, that there would be no tangle of bodies in this instance, because there would be no vagueness about events. Viggo approached the contest with the certainty of dawn. He got a clean fist to the ball and sent it firm and straight over the boundary and into the tin. It was a defensive act. It was also a defining act. The air went out of the opposition attacks.

In the last quarter, the Sharks fought back. They have plenty of talent themselves, and a capacity to work, and must be considered when finals arrive. But now it was the Fitzroy defenders’ turn.

Jono Watt, a heroic footballer, with his bravery and ball sense, patrolled the skies alongside Viggo. They made a mighty pair.

Tom Hindson, caught out of position, somehow reached around his opponent to push the ball out of danger. Will Hindson, his brother, took two important grabs. Noah, another tall boy with a neat pair of hands, rolled back into the front of a pack to take a mark of courage and judgement. Hamish Waddell, alert and incisive, ran the ball out to great effect. James Edgar made a welcome return to the half-back line.

James is a talented musician. He also has a big smile. He brings joy to the team and the parents, and the season is all the more promising with him back in the team.

Back in attack, Ollie Phegan put himself in danger and was crunched. He got up and played on, which was at once startling and stirring, and typical of our match. Toby, a forward who plays with a sense of possibility, tried all the angles he could find. When one of the parents congratulated him on an unlikely feat, he looked up and smiled. He has a sense of occasion.

I would like to mention every player, because every player played his part. I apologise for falling short. I was, however, proud of them all. I felt a strong sense of appreciation, both at the wonders of our boys and the combative beauty of our game.

I left Vic Park for the final time this season with the familiar song in my head, this time with a warmer tone. Despite the cold and the thorough greyness of the skies over Collingwood, to me it was a day of sunshine. Roll on, you Mighty Royboys.

Round 8 – Templestowe at Templestowe Reserve, Sunday 15 June, 3pm

With scribes absent on Sunday we tapped our Youth Boys co-ordinator and assistant coach Daz Oliver for a Q&A-style mid-season check-in – plus some insights into the Round 8 nail-biter.

But first… when a WhatsApp chat is better than a match report! Thanks Scott Hamilton.

     Quarter time – Templestowe 1.5:11  Fitzroy 1.4:10  Little bit of composure should see the boys rewarded in the next quarter.

     Half time – Templestowe 2.8:20  Fitzroy 1.5:11  Still in range.

     Three-quarter time – Templestowe 3.9:27  Fitzroy 2.6:18  Big finish needed.

     10 minutes to go – Templestowe 3.9:27  Fitzroy 3.6:24

     Three minutes to go – all tied up 27 apiece.

     We’re a goal up with 90 seconds to go!

     Go Roys!!

     Full time – Templestowe 3.9:27  Fitzroy 4.9:33

And now to Darren…

Jeepers Sunday’s match was a squeaker, what happened there?

I’ll say it was, us coaches really don’t like close games like that, way too stressful ha ha.

As we often say to the boys, no game is easy, and if you’re not switched on and ready to play hard physical football you can lose momentum and confidence very quickly when the opposition are up and about.

All teams at this level are capable and dangerous. Templestowe are a much better side than the results suggest and have been very competitive each week. They got a whiff of their first win and were excellent with how they attacked the ball and that definitely caught us by surprise.

Lessons learned from the tight finish?

Firstly, we were very proud of the boys, particularly in the last quarter. Even though collectively we were playing poorly the boys still hung in there and were close enough on the scoreboard to have a chance, although we were getting nervous that time would run out. However things can change quickly in football as we saw on Sunday, so we take a lot from that game.

The important lessons were:

• The attack on the ball has to be strong. Templestowe led the way there.
• Also, if we hesitate and go away from the simple things we’ve been working on all year, such as giving the first option, not bombing our kicks, not playing tight enough when the ball is in your area, then we will be on the back foot very quickly. It’s a cliche but doing the basics well is what football is all about.

The game I hope gave the boys a bit of a wake-up call on preparation week in and week out and not taking the opposition for granted, and that effort must be there for four quarters.

What did they do later in the game to pull off the win?

I thought the opposition tired a little and we sensed an opportunity, at the ¾-time huddle we encouraged the boys to attack with all they had and if we could start clawing back on the scoreboard and put pressure on the opposition, anything can happen.

As we got closer the pressure increased and momentum shifted.  A few tweaks positionally, a few firm messages to some players that we needed a lift and to the boys’ credit they did, and that was a sign of a very good team. The message being that even when you’re down and not playing well we never give up.

I think we have shown this fighting spirit a few times this year, when the chips were down we still believed in each other as a group and kept trying until the final siren.  We love this from the boys.

We’re coming into the second half of the season. Have the boys taken on board their coaches’ directives?

We always hope so, we have a strong group and both teams from week to week no matter who is playing have been competitive and fun to watch. That’s always our goal, to have two competitive teams, to provide opportunities to all players whether it be the role they play on the field or moving between teams. We want Youth Boys to provide a worthwhile experience, to build confidence, develop their football and for the boys to be better for the experience.

We are so pleased with the effort the boys have put in so far, and while there are ups and downs and disappointment and things don’t always go your way, we hope the experience gained will put them in good stead as the season comes to a close. We certainly have full confidence in them all.

What’s the one thing that sees them on top of the ladder?

I always love the phrase, a champion team over a team of champions. As a collective, our Youth Boys group is very even and that shows with the strong performances of both teams. Being a cohesive unit that can adapt and overcome challenges together is a strength of the group and one that is important to us as coaches and performances on game day.

The boys are such good mates, they know each others’ strengths and weaknesses and work to support each other, that is certainly our focus as coaches to encourage the team-first mentality. Being such a close-knit group we love seeing the fun and enjoyment the boys are having with their footy so far this year. That’s why we’re here.

What do they need to do to stay there?

Consistency is so important, getting to training to hone skills, understand the way we want to play and work on fitness. That will make a big difference to the outcome of the season.

Football is a tough game, it’s a long season with many challenges – from injury to illness and the grind of winter all make it tough to hang in there and keep up the effort. We are working hard to manage the load on the boys, especially with everything else going on in their busy lives, so we hope we balance all those things well enough to give the boys the best opportunity to maintain the high level of performance they’ve shown so far this season.

Hopefully the opportunity to play finals later in the year adds to the enjoyment of the season. More footy is always better and it also challenges them. We want them to take pride in their football, to strive to the be the best they can be both as a team-mate and player, and that hard work does pay off.

If the season so far tells me anything, we are well on track.

Round 7 - Beverley Hills, Victoria Park, Sunday 1 June

Fitzroy: 19.14-128
Beverley Hills: 2.5-17

Weather: Sunny-cloudy and cool-ish

Snacks: Fifty-cent Ikea hotdogs

Quote of the day: ‘What do you mean they eat the oranges at half time not 3/4 time?’

By Steve Marmo

OVER most of the seasons our young Roy Boys have played junior footy there was always trepidation when coming up against the ever-uncompromising Beverley Hills. And not just because they stole our guernsey design!

But last Sunday, on the occasion of Zac’s 100^th, the denouement of this cohort’s junior careers saw a somewhat surprising result with the hitherto less physical Roys showing more muscle and little mercy in an eventual 111-point mauling.

It was all set up by a dominant first quarter aided by a 3-goal breeze to the Trenerry Crescent end.

It wasn’t long before Freddy took a strong intercept mark and put one through the big sticks to get the ball rolling. The ever-mobile Finbar (where does he actually play?) doubled the quota not long after and when Leo found Jericho for our third things were looking ominous for the visitors. Toby stretched the lead again before one of the great goal heists of all time. It came when an on-the-run Jericho handballed 5 metres to Jericho (Yep you read that right), picked it up beautifully and went BANG from outside 50. It was damn high and curling, curling, curling, coming back with the breeze before it dropped like a rock and was just 3cm from the line when, out of nowhere, Samuel’s foot arrived to steal Jericho’s thunder. When Fred took a great intercept mark and immediately passed to the shameless Samuel for our sixth of the quarter, things were starting to look very Swans V Adelaide. Though it must be said, Beverley Hills fought harder than the Swans. At quarter time it was 6.4-40 to no score and the visitors had only been inside 50 twice.

It was down to a dominant on-ball division of Fred, Josef and Jules who were given first use by a dominant Evan who would go on to rule the ruck all match, and a scary forward line with Jericho, Toby and Samuel all looking primed. And I’m pretty sure if you look up ‘bullocking’ in your Encyclopedia Britan-nica a picture of Leo Daffy crashing through a pack of Beverley Hillbillies will be present.

But Beverley Hills isn’t the type of club to give it away this early. The second quarter became a pressure-filled affair with the now wind-assisted visitors breaching their 50 arc time and again, only to be thwarted by either one of the 3 Wills (Cashen, McManus or Hindson) or an increasingly confident-looking Jono, Lachlan, Declan or Noah A. Joseph was another to stand out wherever he was and Max just loves getting involved. Their 2 goals for the quarter were split by Freddy’s second snag after some Will Cashen heavy work forced the ball to the ever-calm left-footer.

You had to doff your cap to them after the first-quarter mauling, outscoring us by 5 points to trail 7.7-49 to 2.2-14 at the long break.

The third opened with a brace to a now rampaging Jericho. A classic old-fashioned bone-jarring shirtfront from Will M added to his highlight reel for the day. The milestone man got into the act for our 10^th (much to the delight of his own little cheer squad in the Sherrin stand) and then the lowlight of the day saw Jono subbed out with cramp after up till then showing what the old timers were describing as back to his best form.

Will C cheered us up with a rare snag and Jericho got his third for the quarter to re-establish normal order with a 68-point lead 12.11-83 2.3-15. You may note, dear reader, that apart from the damaging footy perpetrated by the forwards and mids, the backs had managed to hold the visitors to just one point for the entirety of the first and third quarters combined. Yes there was a bit of a breeze but it wasn’t that strong. In other words, all systems in all parts of the ground were just humming.

The last became a bit of a celebration for 2 players especially with Noah B scoring his first (and second) goals of the season. His second was handed to him by the other player of the quarter in Zac who gallantly handballed over the top to him despite being in a position to kick it himself. In the interim, Jericho helped himself to his fifth in a spectacular match performance, the ever-improving Dylan slotted one effortlessly from 30, Will C got his second with some deft body work and mark in the goal square and Toby got his second after a strong (what else would it be) one-on-one mark. The footy gods placed the cherry on top with a great tap down by Toby to that man Zac who put through our 19^th for the match!

My notes are littered with glorious one percenters. Tackles by Hamish, smothers by Daniel, chases by ‘Tony’ Joe White. Everybody made a contribution. That’s how you get percentage boosters like this. A shout-out to Jules once again for consecutive great matches, one in victory and one in defeat. He wasn’t in my notes but boy he was in my sights.

Like plenty of his mates, he’s getting better as the season goes on.

Round 6 - Macleod Eagles at Greensborough College, Sunday 25 May 3pm

Macleod: 10.9-69
Fitzroy: 8.6-54

Weather: Sunny again with a breezy north-northwester, 18.5 degrees at 3.

Canteen: Homemade soup, scones, hot chips!

Quote of the day: ‘I told you it was a 4-goal wind.’

By Steve Marmo

WHEN Macleod kicked their second goal of the second quarter within 30 seconds of their first, the previously undefeated Mighty Fitzroy Colts looked like they were headed for an old-fashioned mighty ole towelling.

At that point we trailed 5.4 to zip and Macleod looked like another species. They were bigger, faster, more skilful and had an air of confidence the Hawthorn small forwards would envy. Not to mention the number of head-high free kicks they received.

But then … something changed.

From this point the lads would win each of the remaining 3 quarters and solidify their position as flag contenders in season 2025. And maybe that was the catalyst? The form and manner in which they’ve played so far would have made the boys think they weren’t out of it just yet. And that’s just what the parents watching on the western hill were thinking too. And one is pretty sure the coaches had that reservoir of trust and confidence garnered by the previous weeks to think they were still a show. And boy were they still a show.

After all, the confident statement that it was at least a 4-goal breeze had come to pass at quarter time. Yes the first 2 to them weren’t really part of the plan, but hey, plenty of footy left in this.

And despite the score, Fitzroy could point to some great defensive efforts in the first stanza. ‘Tony’ Joe White, Will McManus, Finbar and Daniel H (with his impressive old-fashioned coathanger) had all come to play.

So it came to pass that the ever-industrious Will Cashen got on the end of one from Freddy M and got us on the board at the 9-minute mark. Then a lad who would go on to epitomise the fightback in Jules almost killed their number 21 who took approximately 7 minutes to walk from the park with coach Darren pleading to the ump for some time on with said 4-goal wind. Jules subsequently kicked to a pack of one – Toby – who gathered his own crumbs and duly brought up our second.

We were right back in it when Will McManus took a ripper in an unfamiliar position on the half forward line (‘What’s he doing there?’) and got it to Daniel who was in a familiar position at the bottom of a pack and screwed around the corner for our third. The best transition of the match began with a strong mark from a buzzing Jono Watt at half back and ended with a Jericho snap and we had pegged the gap back to just 9 points at the long break 5.4-34 to 4.1-25.

The premiership quarter got under way with Macleod again threatening to blow it open. They again looked quicker, they held their positions beautifully and kicked the first 2 goals from downtown in quick time. It was suddenly 7.7 to 4.1, or in other words 14 shots to 5, and things looked grim. The quarter’s highlight was the leg-break bounce in the square from Dylan C who had got on the end of an Ollie intercept in the guts. And although we only got one for the quarter, the boys had staunched the Eagles’ momentum (a real good sign of a real good outfit) and we went to the break just under the magic 4-goal margin 8.7-55 to 5.2-32.

The physical attack from many Gorillas stood out in the third. Jules literally carried the oppos’ midfield on his back, bursting forward countless times in a manner befitting the sport played by those with lesser IQs and wider necks. He was just a brute! He was aided in the physicality stakes by Toby, the pair of them in the middle putting a halt to the previous silken running of the Eagles’ centre-square denizens. Other manic Lions included Declan, Jono, Max, Will H and a pair of Noahs.

To the last!

The bloody wind dies down!

First goal to them.

A ripper tackle from Noah A. A desperate spoil from Josef. More ridiculousness from Jules. A great intercept from Fred who chipped to Finbar who with the aid of our third 25m penalty in 15 minutes put the margin back under 4 goals. A minute later It was under 3 goals when Finbar again bobbed up receiving from Jericho and dribbled though another. Will H brought the house down when his snag brought us back to within 2 straight kicks. Will deserved a goal to underline a terrific match by the head-down-bum-up number 29!

But Macleod answered with the next and the flame was snuffed out. 15 points was the final margin. But we had outscored them since the fifth minute of the second when we finally had the chance to settle after literally being blown away by both the conditions and a home team at the top of its game. Heads held high and all that you know!

On arrival, the intel was that if there was a current ladder for this season these Eagles would be well on top of it. It was said this team had emerged fully formed from the nest of a certain premiership-breeding high school. The trophy hunt was on.

But will a proudly organically developed desperate footy team from Ole Fitzroy stand in their way?

Stay tuned.

Round 5 - St Marys at Victoria Park, Sunday 18 May, 3pm

Fitzroy: 13.8-86
St Marys: 4.8-32

Weather: Sunny with a brisk cold breeze – (13.9 degrees/felt like 8.3)

Canteen: Another cheese kransky

Quote of the day: ‘As if Finbar hasn’t got enough kicks, now he’s kicking to himself.’

By Steve Marmo

ROUND 5, and a third consecutive home battle at the once-feared home of the Pies. This time against St Marys, a club the lads have played many times over their junior years, and a footy club that always brings the principles and attributes the Joe Johnson Indigenous Round celebrates.

At the end of the match Zac Henderson will have the Joe Johnson Medal dangling from his neck since he was judged to have displayed those qualities of endurance, tenacity, courage, loyalty and pride. Not to mention what could go down in the annals as ‘Hendo’s Run’ after a dashing 2-bounce goal in the third.

But it was Will Hinson’s turn to lead the Roys out and through the banner celebrating his 100^th match in a Lion’s guernsey. Will WILL enjoy his milestone match!

Like any match against St Marys it was a tough, rugged no-holds-barred start. The visitors were hampered by numbers and having no bench, but they weren’t about to ease themselves into the match. And the attitude and physicality our boys would show throughout the afternoon was soon on display in the hard-edged efforts of ‘Tony’ Joe White, Dylan Colyer, and a welcomed-back Jono Watt.

So it took about 8 minutes before we were on the board when a rundown tackle by Aless caused a turnover to Finbar who finished beautifully on his left from 40 yards. Then Daniel Hodgson took a blinder about 45 out and kicked truly to forge a hard-fought 2-goal gap. Then some some fancy footwork and a deft pass from Freddy saw the ball back in Aless’ hands after he had charged from the centre bounce and followed it up with our third. Dylan, who had just returned to the fray after earlier being crudely slung to the ground, made sure of a snap by Jericho and poked it over the line and we suddenly led 4.1-25 to 1.3-9 at the first break.

The second quarter start was highlighted by a crunching tackle from Will McManus and some other top-drawer defensive efforts from Max Sekhon and the milestone man in Will. Noah A began to get his aerial game going, Josef Hicks threw his weight around and Will Cashen and Declan Hudson did what they do every week – make it damn hard for the opposition forwards to do … well … anything!

We got our fifth after Jericho ended up on the end of a mad forward scramble, and when a lightning transition started by Noah saw Finbar run on to the loose ball and dribble through his second the Roys had asserted their dominance all over the park. Another great Jono mark began another fantastic transition which saw Zac welcomed to the party when he marked Oscar’s snap on the line and put through our seventh. It was Harlem Globetrotters time when Aless got another one, and though St Marys had improved and had little periods of momentum, we had had another 4-goal quarter and led comfortably 8.2-50 to 3.4-22 at the main break.

It was hardly surprising that Max got the first snag in the third. He had been both aggressive and skilful all over the place and St Marys didn’t have an answer to him. It was getting Harlem Globetrotter-like when Zac lit up the joint when he bolted onto a loose ball about 60 out, accelerated, took 2 bounces and went bang!

But to their credit St Marys then put on the clamps and goals were suddenly hard to come by. One was suddenly transported to Swans v Saints and Roos v Lyon matches in the dark mists of time. It wasn’t just the lack of numbers, but indeed the lack of size that made things hard for the visitors, but boy they battled hard! And they even brought the niggle despite the size and age difference. One must dip one’s lid to them.

Your correspondent noted the efforts of the Js (alphabetically) Jack, Josef and Julian, along with Evan, Max, Daniel and Declan through this period. One for the purists!

But St Marys’ hearts were crushed when the stalemate was broken after Jericho got on the end of a booming kick from defence, waited around until the forward line finally arrived and handballed to a running Freddy who bombed a classic left-footer’s goal from 40 right on the siren. Their eventual Joe Johnson medallist No. 32 wasn’t overly impressed though and decided to let Fred know how unimpressed he was. But Marmo’s mates arrived en masse to fly the flag and they all smilingly went off to eat oranges leading 11.3-69 to 4.6-30.

A glorious handball from Julian to Jericho who found a gut-running Finbar who sent a Hail Mary to the pocket where Dylan ran onto it and snapped precociously before being accosted again by No. 32 got things going in the last. Somebody else got our 13^th, but it was waaaay too far away for your correspondent’s aged eyes to discern, even after asking both spectators and even players! (Let’s know who it was and we’ll update the record!) The sting went out of the game in the last, but despite the eventual percentage booster, it must be said St Marys fought their guts out despite the disadvantages they endured.

As the medals were bestowed, it was the St Marys coach who commented on the Roys’ ability to transition the pill that really separated the teams. Matt and Darren have moulded a team that appears at this stage to not have a weakness in any part of the ground. They have some class, and they have some grunt. And most importantly, they appear to play for each other. And they are great to watch.

But still plenty of work to do!

Round 4 - Parkside at Victoria Park, Sunday 11 May 3pm

Fitzroy: 14.12-96
Parkside: 3.10-28

Weather: A balmy 23 degrees at first bounce with north-easterly breeze.

Canteen: Cheese kransky with appreciably imperceptible cheese.

Quotes of the day: Parent 1: Mushrooms for Mother’s Day brekky? Not sure I want someone to cook me mushrooms any more. Parent 2: Yeh, apparently Erin Patterson’s the new Lindy Chamberlain.

By Steve Marmo

FAR BE it from me to eulogise about any victory by Richmond, but on Mother’s Day 1991 the Tiggas, then 13^th of 15 AFL teams, took on the reigning premiers Collingwood at The G and in what became known as the Mother’s Day Massacre, put the Pies to the sword by a whopping 67 points!

Fast-forward 34 years and the Fitzroy Youth Boys 1 managed an eerily similar winning margin by fixing up Parkside, this time by 58 points at the Pies’ old home ground at Vic Park. And although not matching then Tiger full forward Jeff Hogg’s bag of 10, Alessio Colosimo’s return of 6 majors may well be talked about for the next 34 years. Well, at least by the Colosimo brood anyway!

Under gloriously blue autumnal Abbotsford skies, Aless got going early in the first after marking the ball after some good combinations from the mid-field mates Fred and Samuel and his first snag went up as your scribe’s first kransky went down!

Aless had a brace after 2 Parkside lads spoiled each other and the resultant crumbs were distributed by Fred to Daniel H whose quick kick forward was marked by our number 11 two metres out. Two goals to zip!

To the naked eyes of the gaggle of dads in our vicinity, Parkside’s team comprised more than a few handy footballers. They appeared both tough and skilful and had an air of quiet confidence. But as the quarter went on things like the continued great defensive form of Noah, the insistence of Evan C’s tackling, and the spectacular spoiling efforts of Zac H were coalescing into a whole that made the visitors look as ordinary as those of another red-and-white team I can think of!

By the time Aless had kicked his third out of a pack and Dylan C snapped a left-foot blinder from the boundary, our quarter-time score of 4.2- 26 would end up only being bettered by a couple of points by Parkside’s final score of 28 when the final siren went. Did someone mention the Mother’s Day Massacre?

No they didn’t.

Things looked even better for the Gorillas in the second after an ever-industrious Finbar got the pill to Oscar who squared it to a most welcome back Jericho who put through our fifth. A ripper tackle by Olly made everyone recognise it wasn’t just the forwards having a say in proceedings. But a pack-mark screamer by (guess who) Alessio who got it to Jericho and on to Finbar in the goal square reminded us of the truly dominant performance of the forwards.

Towards the end of the quarter, one could sense the frustration of the Parkside lads, but their increased, and sometimes misplaced, physicality was met with glee by the Roy Boys who took on this facet of the game as they had the rest. And when the curtain had come down on the first half, the Roys led 7.5-47 to 1.3-9.

Parkside would lift appreciably in the third, but with red-hot goers Max Sekhon, Dylan, Will Cashen and more adding the tough stuff to the by-now purring midfielders in Zac, Finbar, Samuel, Fred and Noah they could only manage 3 behinds while Alessio added another 2 majors to bring his total to 6 in 3 quarters! A terrific consolidating quarter that saw the boys extend the lead despite the obvious improvement from Parkside. But it was the defence who stole the show and led us into the last leading 10.11-71 to 1.6-12.

But to their credit, and remember they had no bench for the second half, the visitors came out all guns blazing to dominate the early stages of the last. But they just couldn’t get the ball between the big sticks. And when one of footy’s great truisms saw us get the ball up our end just once for a goal to Oscar after Parkside had dominated the play without scoring and then Oscar quickly got his second, you could forgive Parkside throwing in the towel. But they’re better than that. They snagged a couple back before Samuel grabbed a throw-in no one else seemed to want and cruised past beautifully onto his right for his well-deserved first. But then one of the year’s highlights happened when crowd favourite and perennial rugged niggling defender Olly took a ripper mark at half forward, played on and kicked it straight over his goal-umpiring Dad’s hat who duly brought up the twin calicos!

So while a truly gutsy Parkside played some of their best footy in the last, Fitzroy extended its lead to run out 68-point winners 14.12-96 to 3.10-28.

So the lads are undefeated after 3 matches this season and are looking like the proverbial well-oiled machine. Coaches would be rapt?! All areas of the ground appear to be in good working order and lots of lads in good nick. But as I keep saying to my Collingwood-supporting mates, it’s very, very early in a long, long season. It’s still 4 long cold months till September, finals and Father’s Day!

Round 3 - Kew Rovers at Victoria Park, Sunday 4 May 3pm

Fitzroy: 10.5-65
Kew: 7.10-52

Weather: Sunny and warm with a swirling northerly

Canteen: Kransky in a roll and sausage in bread with slurpy-soft onion

Quote of the day: Can you believe the democracy sausages were $5 in Kew yesterday? Five dollars!!

By Steve Marmo

SOMETIMES A late 3pm bounce is a welcome thing. Like when a collective election-party hangover afflicts two-thirds of the parents hazily present at this game. Our boys at least were bright-eyed and bristling for action after an Anzac weekend bye that stretched the school-holiday break to a seemingly endless 3 weeks.

And much like in round 1, a 100-game milestone lad played a match-winning role in an evenly matched, pressure-filled game that was a pleasure to watch.

So after Declan burst through his 100-game banner it was down to plenty of early work with terrific tackling and tons of pressure. It paid off for the lads with a goal at the railway end from William H to get us on the board. Two minutes later Alessio took a fine juggling mark 30 out and kicked truly. After a 5-minute arm wrestle Kew finally got on the board, then were quickly matched by Josef marking at centre half forward and kicking our third. The first quarter was marked by terrific pressure from both teams, but Fitzroy’s contested-possession game gave us a well-earned 2-goal lead.

The Roys were out of the blocks quickly after Declan spoiled a pack at half forward, followed up and kicked towards goal with the ball taking a right-angle bounce through the big sticks. Kew was building some momentum now, racking up their second goal, until 2 great tackles by Max and Freddy dampened their drive. Kew was just unable to capitalise on their ascendancy, peppering the goals but not putting the ball through the middle. Then a beautiful Roys pass was dished off to Finbar who evaded 2 and snapped truly on his left to halt what had been a fairly dominant quarter by Kew.

Our boys reclaimed the upper hand 30 seconds into the third quarter when the ever-industrious  Samuel got ball to Toby who shot a pass to Oscar who duly brought up the twin calicos. The highlight of the match came 5 minutes later when the boys using a glorious chain of handpasses took the Sherrin from one end of the ground to the other, culminating in Samuel passing to Noah B who kicked truly from 40. Kew then finally found their range, kicking 4 unanswered goals in a 10-minute spree to bring them back into the game. Losing the ball in a tree at the Trenerry Crescent end bought us a much-needed breather with the Rovers on our tails at quarter’s end – just 3 points the difference.

Quarter 4 found spectators chasing a waning sun to the eastern end of the ground. A carbon copy of the opening to the second quarter ensued when Samuel (again) got the ball out of the guts, passing to Alessio in the pocket who kicked truly to carve out a more comfortable gap on the scoreboard. Toby then drove the ball to Thomas who marked 30 metres out, snagged it, and we had 2 in a row. Then Kew broke through to bring the difference back to just one straight kick. Cue the goal of the day from Max who snapped on a tough angle to get us out of trouble. Our boys really lifted in the last – the Rovers just couldn’t get the ball past Jack A and Freddy joined in with 3 lads who had been outstanding all day in Declan himself, James E and Darcy D in a barnstorming quarter of defensive effort to cement a hard-fought 13-point win in our second victory in a so-far undefeated season.

Round 1 - Balwyn Tigers at Gordon Barnard Reserve, Sunday 6 April 3pm

Balwyn: 4.4-28
Fitzroy: 5.5-35

Weather: Sunny warm-up, 22 degrees half-time, last-quarter sun shower to make things slippery

Canteen: Slim pickin’s this late in the day but the canteen blokes rustled up 2 warm snags in fluffy white

Quote of the day: ‘We don’t want to play too well in these grading games – do we?’

By Steve Marmo

IT WAS in 1996 that one bore witness to one of the great milestone matches when the then 32-year-old Paul Roos, in his 300^th match, put in a rampaging performance for the Swans against the eventual premiers North Melbourne at Princes Park.

The former Fitzroy legend had 30 touches and pulled down 11 marks in the 79-point thrashing. But before the tears well up, and I start to remember that year’s grand final result, I need to get to a modern Roy Boys’ milestone match in the first round of this year’s Colts.

Noah Atkinson ran with his comrades through the impressive homemade banner marking his 100^th game in a Lions guernsey and the influence he had in the victory was Roos-like in a tough, defensive away game against Balwyn.

In a match ultimately decided by a couple of pieces of random brilliance, the Roy Boys put the clamps on a Balwyn midfield which at first glimpse appeared to be populated by a mob of fleet-footed classy lads with Hawthorn-style hubris.

Our lads hit the lead deep into the first when Finbar gathered the footy in the centre square, took a few strides and booted truly from about 50 out. The boys had a bit of momentum and took a two-goal lead into quarter time after Lachie similarly dobbed one from 50 in a second scintillating game breaker. A two-goal lead at quarter time reflected a high-pressure hit-out with just the couple of pieces of brilliance separating the teams.

The lead got out to three goals in the second when the hard-working midfielders Samuel and Fred combined with Toby and Alessio to get an adventurous ball forward to where Finbar was once again in the right place at the right time, marking right on the goal line and kicking his second. All was rosy when Toby channelled Tom Hawkins and wrestled the ball from a boundary throw-in and kicked an underground sausage for our fourth. It was just reward for Toby who had been working his butt off all around the ground.

So the first half of the year couldn’t have really gone any better with Balwyn failing to bring up the twin calicos score in a half of footy while the mighty Gorillas had four on the board. A major reason for this was the defensive marking of our milestone man Noah. Not just his marking, but his ability to be where the ball was (in a mangled tribute to Jack Dyer) and the resultant pressure he applied to his opponents was just inspiring to his mates.

But at half time when the hunt for a decent feed from the most disappointing kiosk of the season so far yielded modest reward, the skies darkened and an ominous atmosphere hung over the ground.  And as we all know, four goals in modern footy ain’t what it used to be and just a few minutes into the third Balwyn had put two through the big sticks and the game was on. The rest of the quarter was just rough and tough footy and a winner hard to pick.

So into the last and just two straight kicks was the difference. Balwyn capitalised on an errant kick in from the first behind of the quarter to make it a five-point game. We breathed a sigh of relief when an always threatening Alessio finally got on the board with a great snap from the pocket but when Balwyn answered almost immediately our hearts were back on our mouths.

The quarter was highlighted again by the pressure of both teams and a mid-quarter sun shower beckoned as a good luck omen. A bit of individual defensive hard brilliance and run from James Edgar personified the effort required. Noah went to town again in the last and his untiring work across half back was ultimately the difference when the siren mercifully went with us seven points in front 5.5-35 to 4.4-28.

Watching the match, one was reminded of just how much faster and more physical our little ones had become since the days of the under-12s or under-16s or whatever. Our lads have arrived as young men in 2025 and they looked well and truly at home. They revelled in their first game of what for many will be their last year of junior footy.

A great season beckons! And congratulations to you Noah!

– Steve Marmo