Youth-2 Boys 2025

Preliminary Final

Fitzroy                             4     2     26

Ashburton/Glen Iris     6    11    47

We entered the Prelim Final with Ashburton and Glen Iris, buoyed by the return of some troops and excited to reach this stage of the season. Everything was set for a ripping contest. The results had been split over our two previous meetings, with the Roys coming out on top in our most recent encounter.

Back at our famous Brunswick Street Oval, the Roys were caught a little off-guard by our first game on home soil for a couple of months. Jack A-type left his blue shorts on the Hills Hoist, and our entire half-back line discovered they had grown out of their blue KingGees. 

Nevertheless, we cobbled together a team kit and the Roys looked sharp as they burst onto the field from under the old grandstand. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and conditions were near perfect for footy. First goal-kicker: Jane Bunn. 

Fitzroy were led out by Ollie, lining up for his hundredth game. Ollie’s form had been steadily building throughout the season, and his penetrating kicking skills had become one of the team’s primary weapons.

The air-horn sounded, and from the outset the pressure around the ball was intense. It was tight and scrappy, with very little in the way of precise disposal from either side. Not much escaped the attention of the umps, and the conglomerate were the beneficiaries of a couple of rolled gold shots on goal which they put away in quick succession.

Fitzroy were made to work a bit harder for scoring opportunities. Ted was reading the ball superbly around the stoppages, and Aussie’s outside run and clever disposal was creating chances. James was running hard to create a target up forward. Beau swooped on a loose ball and had a ping under pressure to get the Roys’ first point on the board.

Promisingly, the Roys competitive spirit was in play. Marcus’ tackling game was top notch. Henry put on a couple of big defensive tackles. And another thumping tackle from Dom sent the message that the Roys were here to play. 

By the second quarter nerves had settled, and the Roys started to find some fluidity. Taj marked in space and wasted no time kicking to Ted, who looked inboard to find Ollie. The score inched forward, but more importantly the connection was building.

Moments later it was Ollie bobbing up again – changing the angle to spot up Eamonn, and this time Taj was on the end of it. Champagne football.

Hamish E-type was winning plenty of the hard ball in the stoppages, and Angus Mac was powering through the contests to send the Roys forward.

Play was briefly halted to allow photographer and chief memory-maker, Gary, to adjust his shutter-speed to a finals setting… such was the pace of the ball movement. 

Meanwhile, Ashy Iris were also finding their rhythm and put on another couple of majors. But some lion-hearted defensive efforts throughout the quarter, including goal saving clearance work from Max and the ever-reliable Pat, stopped the scoreboard from getting out of hand. 

Fitzroy hit back when Lewis exploded out of the ruck contest and found Ted in front of goal with a sure pair of hands. Cool as you like, Ted went back and slotted the set shot to put the Roys back in the frame.

The second half started with a bang. Spence kicked beautifully to find Sam Healy on the chest, who made no mistake with the set shot.

Ashy responded by peppering the goals, but a purple patch of defensive brilliance from Will, turned some almost certain goals into rushed behinds. Some lunging efforts from Elliot held the ball up in defence. 

Up forward, a fantastic repeat-effort from Ash – first tackling his defender to cause the clanger, then following up to win the ball coming back – cleared the way for Ted to snap a spectacular goal. His second for the game, and the spark the Roys desperately needed. 

At the centre restart, a Glen Irisman thought he had the clearance… that is until Angus D-type snuck up on him like a taxidermist and absolutely stuffed him. A crunching tackle felt in the grandstand.

At three quarter time, we found ourselves 20 points in arrears. At our last come-together we bit the head off some snakes and entered the last quarter full of venom. With fresh memories of our runaway final term in the last game against this mob, the Roys were ready to give this a red-hot go. 

Sam Hugo went into the middle and brought his famous tackling pressure. Ted continued to will himself from contest-to-contest, racking up possessions. Hamish W-type was rebounding with dash and dare, linking up with Schmiddy and Eamonn to break the lines.

Jack A-type had been steamrolling through the stoppages all day and winning plenty of the ball. His pinpoint kick into the forward line found Sam Healy, who kicked truly to get one back for the Roys. A great game at both ends of the ground, from Sam.

Courageous to the end, Schmiddy jumped into a marking contest… a brave effort that came with a heavy hit. Try as he might to convince the trainers the half-forward flank would be a nice place for a little lay down, Schmiddy was frog-marched to the pine.

Our lads ground out the remainder of the game and refused to throw in the towel. A character trait to be proud of. At the final siren we had fallen a bit short on the scoreboard, but had given it our all. 

The debrief on the turf was more a reflection of an enjoyable year, and for some in the group the end of their playing junior footy journey with Fitzroy. We hope those lads choose to take up a place in the Fitzroy U19s next season.

The support these lads received from the parents and volunteers has been simply outstanding. Goodwill was typified by TM Lyss and Trainer Scott, who turned up for weeks on end while their kids were sidelined by injury. With everything else on her plate as club President, Bridget’s dedication to supporting the YB2s in any number of ways has been once again quite extraordinary. 

But right now, we can turn the whole squad attention to the Div 1 Grand Final in two weeks time. Every Fitzroy Youth Boys player can continue to train midweek, turn up and be loud at the Grand Final. It’s been a group achievement for the YB1s to make it there… let’s keep the spirit rolling.

Go Roys!

Qualifying Final

Hawthorn Citz       10     7       67

Fitzroy                      2      5       17

And so we entered what Coach Duke describes as the fourth quarter of the season. A finals campaign starting with a Qualifying Final debating the young citizens of Hawthorn.

In this double-chance game, the booby prize for the winner was a ticket to the big dance in a fortnight… on the frightening condition of a weekend ahead without footy. For the team on the wrong side of the scoreboard today – a chance to sharpen up next week and extract even more value from their memberships. 

Promisingly, Fitzroy had been steadily moving up through the gears over the last month, building belief through a run of tough games. We were looking forward to this top-of-the-table challenge. 

Lewis started strongly in the guts, throwing himself into aerial and ground contests. An arm-wrestle ensued, with the Roys working hard to keep a lid on the Hawks’ midfield playmakers. Hamish was getting in-and-under, Angus was a brute with his bodywork, and the gang-tackles were sticking.

It looked like being a low scoring affair. Fortunately the big, beautiful stick got in the way of a couple of Hawks scoring opportunities. Sam Healy was gobbling up anything that dared cross the Roys back half, and Ollie was rebounding with a cool head.

Taj and Schmiddy were finding space and hard-earned chances were created, but Hawthorn didn’t like the idea of Roy boys encroaching into their end zone. Their NIMBY defensive unit was proving a tough nut to crack, displaying strength in the air and at the fall of the ball. By quarter’s end, the Hawks put a couple on the board, to our solitary point.

Into the second quarter, live-wire Ted was right amongst it… threatening to snare a goal at any moment. Eamonn’s high work-rate and front positioning was earning him the pill up forward. And strong leading from Beau was giving the Roys a few good looks at an elusive six pointer. 

The resolve of our backline continued to be tested. One of our staunchest types, Pat put on a vice-like tackle to deny the Hawks a shot on goal. While James continued to rebound with dash and authority from the back half. Will had been all over his opposing full forward… a tricky customer who has left a trail of destruction through the competition this season. Limiting his damage was the name of the game, and Will played his role superbly. 

Still, the Citz were precise and efficient with their attacking forays. Three scoring shots apiece for the term – three goals to them, three points to the good guys – saw the margin creep up to 29 points at the half time air-horn. At the break, Team Manager Lyss relaxed her tough-but-fair ‘No goals. No oranges.’ policy and the boys tucked in. After all, the unrewarded effort had been there for all to see.

With a shot of vitamin C pumping through the veins, the Roys came out fighting in the third quarter. Our men started making inroads in the battle for territory, having the better of it in the early stages.

Jack A-type moved into the ruck and began crashing into the contest. Man-mountain Viggo continued to take the game by the scruff of the neck, marking strongly and surging the footy forward.

The Roys mids ran their guts out. Spencer typified the determination with a strong tackle and desperate second-effort to spoil in the backline.

Sublime ball movement between Jimmy and Ted sent the ball into our forward line, where Eamonn once again put his body into the contest. Our big men in Ash and Sam Hugo continued to present, but both defences were holding firm. 

The ping-pong between the arcs continued to play out, with the Roys managing to hold the Hawks to a single goal for the quarter. 

The physicality didn’t let up in the last. Jack A-type threw his weight around but copped some gob-claret for his trouble. Fearless Jimmy absorbed a whack to his ribbery. And after performing well in a short stint in the middle, Patty came to the pine with just a pair of spades and quite a bad hand indeed.

Already short on rotations, an average team would have packed up at this point. Not this Fitzroy outfit. 

Angus and Max laid team-lifting tackles. Hamish ignited things with some superb stoppage work. His clearance to Spence, who in turn found Jack A-type, resulted in the Roys breaking the goal-drought in fine fashion. With the hoodoo over, Hamish once again sent the ball into the forward line, where Eamonn scooped it up for another great goal.

The Hawks replied with a few majors themselves… probably in a desperate attempt to avoid their lowest score for the division season. But the Roys kept them under the threshold, and Operation Citizens Arrest was declared a huge success.

We now turn our attention to Ashburton and Glen Iris, better for today’s experience. Let’s keep up the fight!

Go Roys!

Round 14

Ashburton/Glen Iris       3     7       25

Fitzroy                               7     8       50

And in the blink of an eye, round 14 was upon us. The last home-and-away round, and another serious dog-fight billed as the Bitzer versus the Purebred. 

Today’s rival in the red trunks… the freakish cross-breed of Ashburton and Glen Iris, a tough and respected opponent. In the maroon, blue and ol’ yeller corner was Fitzroy… with 140ish years of history you can trace. This match-of-the-day at Ferndale Park was the playoff for second place on the ladder, and the guarantee of at least two finals appearances. 

Adding fuel to the fire, Max was notching up his hundredth game for the Roys. A nonchalant lefty in the David Gower mould… Max has shown he’s capable of anything, and performs best when the Roys have their backs against the wall. We’d need to call upon his magic, today.

Fitzroy were a few soldiers down – with Taj north of the Murray, Hamish W-type crook as, and Isaiah with a dodgy-digit and under strict instructions to pick his snoz on his non-preferred. However, the lads were boosted by the support of 19th man, Fred.

Game on, and it was the Glen Burtons on the attack early. Elliot saved two certain goals – firstly with a get-outta-here smother on the last line, followed soon after by flying fingertips on the last line to rush a behind. Pat was equally determined in defence, outnumbered but not outworked, to run through his opponents and clear the backline.

Fitzroy’s forwards worked into the game, with some clean ground-ball gets from Ted and Henry almost paying off. Ollie got the scoreboard moving with a sharp goal to end the quarter on a high note.

Into the second, and the Roy boys were rising to the occasion. Jack A-type had his eye in, anticipating quickly and marking superbly. Lewis and Viggo were also sending back whatever came their way. 

Fitzroy found great service out of their runners, with Sam Healy launching attacks and Marcus performing his role perfectly. Jimmy and Ollie started up the afterburners and the game started to open up. 

Beau marked and wheeled quickly to pump the footy deep into attack, where Angus D-type competed strongly and Ted snared the goal. The Roys extended the lead when Ollie snapped truly. 

Milestone Max let his actions do the talking, backing bravely into oncoming opponents to earn a kick. Angus Mac’s tackling pressure saw him rewarded with the ball, and a big smother from Dom pushed back the oppo. Will was tough and tight in the backline. It wasn’t until late in the term that Ashy put their first major on the board, after a 25m penalty led to a crumby-dribbly one from the goal square. 

After the main break, the oppo came out of the sheds a different side. The Bitzers threw the changeroom sink at us in the third quarter, but the Roys didn’t take a backward step. Some of our toughest amigos in Angus Mac, Hamish and Schmiddy all made their physical presence felt in a finals-like way. 

Dom copped a knock in the chops and responded by laying a ground-shaking tackle. Lewis went bang, and stopped an Ashy troublemaker dead in his tracks. And while the Roys weren’t able to trouble the scorekeepers, they certainly left a few dents on their opponents. 

Despite creating some half-chances here and there, we couldn’t push anything through the big or little sticks. Meanwhile, the other mob kicked another grubbery-goal from point-blank range… dragging the Fitzroy advantage to within a kick going into the final quarter. Fitzroy up 23 to 18.

Over the mixed lollies, Coach Duke swung the magnets and devised a final quarter plan to more than double our total score over the previous three quarters – all while pushing up the hill. Let’s see how it panned out.

It was the Redbacks that drew first blood, with a goal from a tight angle putting them in front for the first time since the opening minutes of the match. The locals got loud.

Runner Gus spread the word, demanding a seismic shift in momentum. A single defining act was required now. And so Eamonn outsmarted his opponent with deft footwork, and put the ball in the right spot. An Ashurton defender thought he could run away with the footy, but Sam Hugo chased him in down and put on a bear-like tackle to win the holding the pill decision. Up he stepped for a clutch shot on goal that never looked liked missing.  

But with the quarter not yet halfway through, we definitely needed another hero. Tina Turner always underestimated.

Angus D-type – who had attacked the ball ferociously all day – seized the moment by kicking a magnificent goal. The Roys added another major in quick time, but weren’t done yet. In the closing stages, Spencer somehow still had the legs to burst out of the contest, and spear a long ball to Ash’s advantage. Ash eased his opponent out of the contest with some expert forward-craft to take a big grab. The set shot sailed through.

The final result saw the Roys clinch a big away-win to the tune of 25 points. This was a gutsy performance, showing all the signs of a team willing to rise to any challenge. Bring on the Hawks, we’re ready.

Go Roys!

Round 13

Macleod Preston       3     6       24

Fitzroy                       10     8       68

On a pearler of a day, lucky round 13 had us pitted against the imposing Macleod Preston collaboration. MacPreso had their finals aspirations hanging by a thread, and the Roys had their eyes set on a double chance. In our previous meeting, Fitzroy came out on top – but were flattered on the scoreboard that day by the oppo’s up-country kicking behind the stick. This return clash at Greensborough would be a humdinger.

With so much to play for, the opening minutes were frenetic. Like seagulls fighting over minimum chips, there was some chest puffing, daylight robbery, flying feathers and occasional screeching. Fitzroy was first to emerge with control of the footy. 

Spencer found the elusive Mister Schmiddy within range, who calmly converted the set shot. The other mob answered by pushing the Sherrin into the open spaces, gaining valuable meterage. Despite strong defensive efforts, MacPreso managed to squeeze a couple of goals past us, while the Roys were easing themselves into the game. 

Dom was working superbly in the ruck, and the midfield connection was building. Marcus and Sam Healy were making their presence felt in new on-field roles. On the highlight reel, Ash’s centring kick to the flying contradiction produced mark-of-the-day to Big Beau Little.

Angus Mac and Hamish E-type were throwing themselves into the physical contest. Eamonn attacked the footy in uncompromising fashion, and unfortunately copped a whack that sent him to the pine.

By the end of the first, the Roys were one straight kick off the pace. There were a couple of shoulda-woulda-coulda moments that passed us by, but we went into the quarter time huddle knowing we had improvement in us.

Early in the second, Ollie set the tone by intercepting a MacPreso attack and pin-pointing Aussie on the burst. From a challenging angle, Austin sent it straight through the middle.

MacPreso kept attacking – but Hamish W-type was rebounding with flair, and Viggo was too strong in the aerial contests. Towards our goal, Fitzroy started to get the ball on the outside and create opportunities. Marcus lowered the eyes to hit James, who made no mistake with the kick. 

At the main break, MacPreso led by the barest of margins. In the orange-time huddle, the Roy boys re-applied the Banana Boat and focussed on maintaining the rage in the second half.

Fitzroy immediately set about hitting the scoreboard in the third quarter. Up forward, Angus D-type artfully pick-pocketed his opponent and sent the footy to the goal line, where Beau finished off the good work. Angus was in it again minutes later, this time finding Jimmy to put through his second. On the run, Ollie took a bounce before sending a beautiful kick through the big sticks.

Many of Fitzroy’s attacking moves started in defence. Elliot repelled MacPreso with all the footwork, sweat and desperation of a Blue Light Disco. He was well supported by Max, who picked up the contested ball superbly to start a silky chain of possession. The pressure around the ground went up a notch, with Ash and Sam Hugo both sticking big tackles.

The Roys piled on 4 goals in a dominant quarter, while refusing to concede a major the other way. In the final term, Fitzroy didn’t let up the fight. 

Defensively, Lewis was barnstorming his way through the packs and sending the footy our way. Patrick sent a huge roost out of our danger zone, and the Roys defence looked impassable. 

Angus Mac worked his way into the hot spot to take a mark and slammed through six points. Relishing a move to the forward line, Jack A-type pounced onto the footy and snapped a great goal. Jack seemed particularly keen to describe it in detail to his cousin on the opposing side, in case he missed it. Angus D sealed the game with an exclamation mark, bouncing his way into the goal square before sending the footy into the third tier.

Trainer Scott was running low on pickle juice by match end… with Aussie nursing a bung arm-connector, Jimmy with a dicky-knee, Taj no good in the nether-regions and Eamonn not quite right. Fingers-crossed these troops will bounce back quickly.

This was a hard-fought win, and another step forward as we head into the final round of the home and away season.

Bring it on, we say!

Go Roys!

Round 12 - TAC Road Safety Round

Surrey Sharks       3     6       24

Fitzroy                    8     5       53

You could sense it in the cool July air. There was plenty at stake this week in our out-of-town clash with the Surrey Sharks.

Coach Duke had been patiently waiting for a heavyweight battle such as this to introduce Muhammad Ali into his pre-game address. Today was the day. You could hear a sock drop when he dropped the F bomb… that’s right – ‘Finals’. A guaranteed spot was on the line. Would our men seize the opportunity? Would they sting like bees? Did they even know who Muhammad Ali was? 

So many questions… enough already, let’s get into the answers.

From the opening air-horn this appeared to be an evenly-matched bout that might just be won above the shoulders. Captain Angus Mac set the tone early by laying a crunching tackle. Surrey was also tough in the contest, but were met with fierce resistance from a determined Roys defence. Will was tough, Hamish was composed with the footy, and Spence ran hard to lend a hand from the midfield.

At the attacking end of the ground, Beau broke through with an opportunistic soccer-goal. Moments later Beau Messi was at it again, kicking his second off the rug… this time courtesy of some strong shepherding work from Ollie upfield. Team-first footy.

The Roys forward line was building potency. Austin’s holding-the-ball tackle typified the forward fifty pressure we were looking for. And whenever the ball hit the deck, Ted was ready to pounce – unlucky in the end not to have two or three goals to his name. Deep in red-time, Ollie weaved through traffic to slam another one through the big sticks. The Roys went into quarter time 20 points to the good and yet to concede a point.

But it was Surrey quicker out of the blocks in the second quarter, putting their first major on the board. Fitzroy responded impressively. Angus Mac was superb through the middle, applying defensive pressure and linking up attacking chains. Viggo and the on-ball brigade bustled the footy out of the stoppages. Sam Hugo refused to be out-marked and was tenacious at ground level.

Fitzroy rattled on another two majors to stretch the lead out to four goals by half time. At the well-earned breather, the Roys set themselves to maintain the momentum into the second half.

The third quarter was tight and tough. Not much separated the two sides, but in the big moments the Roy boys were brave and selfless. Aussie was outnumbered in a 1 on 2, but cracked-in to force a stoppage. With eyes only for the ball, Elliot took the bravest of marks running back into the pack. Jack A-type floated in front of a stampeding pack to take a courageous grab. 

The Roys never allowed their opponents to settle with the footy. Isaiah’s fists-of-fury made life impossible for the oppo forwards. In the trenches, Steely Sam Healy flexed his muscle with some tackling manoeuvres that should be trademarked. Hulk Hogan-esque. 

Scoreboard reward came when live-wire Eamonn started a flawless chain of possies ending up in Ollie’s reliable hands. The resulting goal put the Roys 23 points up going into the last. 

Needing to make up four goals in quick time, Surrey were forced to roll the dice in the fourth quarter. Fitzroy were ready and waiting. Lewis was a rock across half-back, taking intercept marks with superb reading of the play.

Adding another string to his bow, Schmiddy was strong overhead… then in more typical fashion, lowered the eyes to find Ash on a beautifully-timed lead. There was no mistake from the birthday bruiser. Big Beau Little didn’t get any shorter in the last 20 minutes, and collected another one to cap off a bloody good day at the office. 

In a great contest played in the right spirit, the Roys ran out victors. This was the type of all-round team effort which is becoming the hallmark of this side. Let’s keep it rolling!

Go Roys!

Round 11

Fitzroy                   12     15       87

Templestowe         3       5       23

Like any noble street fighter, we eventually agreed to sort out our differences with our round 11 opponents on neutral territory. Ford Park was the venue for the clash between the battle-hardened boys from Fitzroy, and the Dockers, hailing from the charming seaside town of Port Templestowe.

After downing tools for the last couple of weeks, we arrived with plenty of pent-up teenage angst… an energy which could be felt rippling through the entire football department. The Roys were ready to run through brick walls for Taj’s 100th game for the club, and made light work of the crepe paper barrier. Good signs.

With the game underway, our centurion stamped his experience on the game early – with a precise kick setting up the first goal of the game from James. It wasn’t long before Spencer entered the fray, kicking another one through the middle for the Roys. Angus D-type was getting right amongst it, helping Fitzroy establish an early lead.

In the engine room, Dom took ascendancy in the ruck and was ferocious at ground level. Sam Healy was never far from the contest. When the ball entered the back half, Hamish provided the defensive rebound. Austin and Jimmy were working hard to create the spread. 

The morning time slot made for a slippery pig-skin early doors, and clean possession was difficult to come by. But it didn’t stop the Roys building a sizeable lead in the second quarter.

Beau showed how it’s done with a slick ground ball gather and handball finding Henry to get the scoreboard moving. Hard-running James snared his second major. Henry used poise to find Jack in space, who sealed the deal. And after racking up possessions throughout the half, Ollie marked strongly to kick another snag for the Roys.

Schmiddy then found himself somewhere between a schooner and a middy, if you will – in two minds whether to go big or take a shorter option. Wisely, he settled on the former, and booted a superb long goal from just inside the arc.

Max brought the tackling pressure to help keep the pill in Fitzroy’s forward line. When the Dockers looked to exit their defence late in the quarter, Hamish attacked the contest to create a brilliant turnover. After consuming a half-baked Cambodian tarantula just a few days earlier, the last thing Hammer needed was another hit to the guts. But he took one for his trouble.

Eamonn combined with Angus D to slam through another 6 points and take Fitzroy into half time with all the momentum.

Post-oranges however, it was a different story. The Dockers came out determined to fight back and raised their tackling pressure. Our last line of defence was made to earn its keep, with Will leading the valiant efforts to hold Templestowe at bay.

The other mob got a couple back on us, before Fitzroy wrestled back into the contest. Captain Angus Mac started an aerial rampage, contested-clunking everything in his vicinity. The footy started moving our way.

Determined not to allow a goalless quarter enter the record books, Ash stepped up to boot a major just seconds before three quarter time. The break provided an opportunity to chew a snake and reset. Our men vowed to raise the level of intensity and complete a four quarter effort.

Into the final term, the Dockers weren’t about to lie down and used some quick ball movement to test our defence. Fitroy’s effort did not waver. Viggo competed strongly to repel Templestowe’s attack. Sam Hugo landed another vice-like tackle and was duly rewarded with a holding the ball decision.

With some brilliant roving efforts, Taj peppered the big sticks to inch the Roys score forward. Scoring opportunities opened up, but with some heavy legs, our kicking was becoming a little wayward. Angus Mac broke the trend by kicking truly from right in front. It was Ollie who put the icing on the cake with a snap goal late in the game.

At the final siren, the Roys finished ahead by a fair margin but were made to earn the victory. So begins what Coach Duke has described as the season’s third quarter. A tough run of games that will reveal what this team is truly about. The boys look like they’re up for the challenge.

Go Roys!

Round 10

Hawthorn Citz       11     17       83

Fitzroy                      7       5       47

We’d been looking forward to this near-the-top-of-the-table clash at the Hawk’s nest. As Captain Beau pointed out in no uncertain terms in the pre-game huddle – the Citz had been getting the better of us for a few seasons now… and enough was enough.

This week the YB2s welcomed Hamish E-type back into the line up, marking his fiftieth game by smashing through possibly the best assemblage of crepe paper we’ve seen all season. 

In the opening minutes both sides fought desperately to gain the upper hand. The small ground made the midfield battle even more imperative, and the Citz brought some likely types into the guts. Some clean clearance work saw the Hawks get the footy moving their way and eventually hit the scoreboard first.

But the Roys soon settled in, with Angus and milestone-man Hamish crashing in for hard ball gets. Oscar was covering the ground superbly – and when he lowered the peepers to find Ted on a strong lead, we were on the board with a major.

Fitzroy kept applying the heat to the Hawks and a smother from Ollie created a big turnover. Eamonn snared the footy within range and kicked straight through the middle.

In a show of force, Henry ‘The Half’ Nelson stopped a runaway Citizen in his tracks with a huge takedown on centre wing. Following the example, Taj and Jack A-type both won hard-fought holding the pill decisions. The tackle count from the Roys was through the roof and fuelling opportunities. Sharp-shooting Oscar jumped on the end of some more Roys pressure to kick our third for the quarter. 

The second term opened with the home side holding a narrow lead. Determined to make inroads, Dom attacked every ruck contest and brought Fitzroy’s runners into play. Eamonn dished a lightning handball off to Ollie on a tear, to slot through a beautiful long range goal. 

Spence got in on the act with another ripping goal on the run. Fitzroy were making the most of their opportunities, and hit the front on the scoreboard. Good kicking is good footy so they say, and the Roys had their kicking boots on.

At the other end, the Roys defence was resilient. Well serviced by Elliot’s reading of the flight, Lewis’ strong contests and Patrick’s constant pressure. 

A grab deep in attack by a Citizen looked like a certain goal, until Isaiah executed a smother from on the mark. Unfortunately for the young man, his day ended shortly after with an ankle roll. Trainer Trev’s quick-thinking dash to the ground’s tuck shop helped ease the swelling with a can of Solo and an icy-cold Bubble O’Bill firmly strapped to Isaiah’s fankle. Patrick was the next to come unstuck with a crook wrist, taking us down to 19 fit.

With our defensive stocks under pressure, the Citz strong-marking forward line started to fire. They quickly knocked through a few on the trot, and by the half-time siren the maroon ’n’ blues trailed the wees and poos by 22 points.

The second half kicked off with the Roys determined to stop the Hawks’ onslaught. Spence doggedly took the game up to the Citz prime movers. Damage was limited by defensive fight from Max and Ash in the marking contests. But at ground level, Hawthorn continued to cause us strife.

The peppering of the goals was all at the wrong end in the third quarter – we couldn’t sneak a solitary point over the line. The commentators said we were out of legs like a lolly snake.

With the margin over 40 points entering the final term, Roys pride was on the line. And our lads responded superbly. Space started to open up with heavy legs on both sides. Will was up for the fight, Schmitty was connecting the chains of possession, and the Roys ball movement was looking decisive. 

It was Ollie who led the way, bursting through the forward line to kick his second goal for the day from downtown. That was quickly followed by a clever snap goal out of the pack by Jack Amiet. Beau and Dom kept presenting up forward, and the Roys had the better of the quarter. 

At the final hooter the scoreboard had us 6 goals to the no-good. But we were more than pleased with the strong endeavour, and patches of supremacy against a quality outfit. All-in-all a great contest and good cause for belief as we march forward into July.

Go Roys!

Round 9

Fitzroy            18     10       118

Northcote        1       1         7

This week we were privileged to play part one in another Fitzroy Youth Boys Festival of the Boot – perhaps our last game on the hallowed Vic Park turf this season. 

Our house guests were the neighbouring Northcote Cougars. Nothing neighbourly about this clash, however… not a cup of sugar asked for, nor given. A bit of mutual respect and perhaps a vague promise to return the lawnmower was the most we could expect. 

Game on. In the early battle for ascendancy, the Cougars started strongly out of the centre. But it wasn’t long before Fitzroy started hitting the scoreboard. 

Beau opened the account after taking a well judged mark running back with the flight of the ball. Soon after, El Capitan Schmiddy fed the ball out to Oscar, who hammered home a silky running goal. And when Ash stuck out the one mitt to scoop up the footy and kick a major, the Roys had built a handy lead.

The class of Lachie was shining through, getting himself in all the right places and kicking snags from any hint of an opportunity. Ollie O-type was bringing muscle and determination to every contest. and when the pill entered our defensive zone, Elliot was setting up our attacking rebound intelligently. 

Our men picked up where they left off into the second quarter, with Aussie hitting the scoreboard early. Henry was getting into the action and putting the Roys into good scoring positions. Max was a high-flying threat, and whenever the pill spilled, Sam Hugo piled on the forward pressure. Taj was running on top of the ground and kicked a brilliant running goal.

Jack A-type held his position nicely to block Northcote’s forward movement. Once again, Sam Healy was reliably self-assured with the footy in hand. The Roys back six were all superbly disciplined, refusing to concede any scoring chances. 

At half-time the local rivalry spilled into the bleachers. A few barbs were thrown each way on the topics of soy milk, electoral voting preferences and labradoodles, of all things. A lot of pot-calling-the-pan-burntarse kinda stuff, with neither cheer squad able to land a mic drop moment.

With both postcodes fired up, the third quarter became a tighter contest. Patrick brought his toughness to the midfield, landing some crunching hard-ball gets. Meanwhile, Angus Mac continued to put his body between his opponent the ball. 

Spence was a prime-mover of the footy, as pressure around the stoppages lifted in the second half. Dom excelled by following up his ruck work and tackling hard at ground level. 

Deep forward entries were harder to come by for the Roys. The Cougars pegged one back, but couldn’t stop Fitzroy adding a further three goals for the term. Lachie continued his dominance with another clever snap through the middle. Schmiddy hit the front-n-centre and was rewarded with six points.

With snakes in the bellies, the Roys were determined to finish the game off strongly in the last quarter. Ted found space in the forward 50 to drive home the advantage. Lewis crashed through the centre contest and linked up beautifully with Henry, then Ollie to slam through one of his two for the term. 

In one of the game’s highlights, Oscar pulled down mark of the day and never looked like missing from the angle. It capped off a strong result for the YB2s and a game where teamwork and discipline paid dividends.

Go Roys!

Round 8

Ashburton/Glen Iris        10     8       68

Fitzroy                                4      6       30

Fit and refreshed coming off the long weekend, the YB2s boarded the team bus destined for Ashburton-upon-Glen-Iris.

The twin-towns had been in lethal form of recent times, dispatching opponents by hefty margins. The Roys had also been travelling nicely – a stern test for both sides awaited.

We welcomed back Angus D-type and Fred from long injury layoffs – both champion club-men. Spencer K was celebrating his 100th game and emerged out of the fireworks and smoke machine haze, ready for action. Plenty for the Roys to play for.

Captain Tom won the toss and elected to kick below sea-level. Today’s office was a narrow, sloping ground reflecting the high price of habitable real estate – quite unlike our expansive Vic Park fortress.

From the first bounce it was high-quality, heavily contested footy. Both sides piled on the pressure, with neither able to break the shackles. It was clear we wouldn’t be getting the time and space we’ve enjoyed in previous weeks. Boo-bloody-hoo. We’d just have to find another way. 

Some of our toughest hombres got to work at the stoppages, with Tom and Angus Mac stopping the oppo from breaking loose, while winning the footy themselves. James E signalled his intent by throwing himself into the contest like a human cannonball.  

The Redbacks’ tackling pressure was proving problematic. They caught us red-handed in the back line a few times over the afternoon, and the first instance resulted in them stealing a first quarter major from a free kick and some yardage to boot. 

A free kick the other way saw the Roys hit back, when Eamonn scooped up the footy and took the whack in the chops. No mistake from right in front. 

Schmiddy was making smart decisions with the footy to open up the corridor. Ash was competing ruthlessly to bring the ball to ground in the forward line, but we couldn’t quite capitalise on all of our opportunities in front of goal. Nevertheless, the Roys held scoreboard advantage by a solitary point by the end of the first. 

Early on in the second, Ashbiris demonstrated the value of the scoring end with repeat forward entries. The oppo somehow managed to sneak through three goals in quick succession. But as we all expected, the mighty Roys defence responded valiantly to halt the onslaught.

Centurian Spence was typically hard at it. Patrick was determined to keep his opponent out of the contest, and Marcus wasn’t giving his man an inch. Jack A-type was bold with his rebounding defensive play, and Steely Healy was providing high-flying resistance. 

Try as we might, the Roys couldn’t quite hit the scoreboard going up the hill, leaving us with a 19 point deficit and some thinking to do at the citrus.

The third quarter quickly turned into an arm wrestle. A great tag team effort from Dom and Viggo in the ruck was wearing down the other mob’s big-men stocks. Our on-ballers continued to hang tough defensively.

Fitzroy’s hard work eventually paid off when Angus D gathered in a tough contest and snapped a superb goal. A well-earned reward in his welcome back game.

The dirty, dirty, dying seconds of the third quarter produced the oppo’s only goal for the term in a scramble on the goal line. At the last gasp the twin-towns had kept their half-time margin intact – but not out of reach. 

That left 20 minutes on the clock to take a swing. After a tight tussle up until this point, the final quarter started to open up a bit. Offence started to take the ascendancy across the ground. Glen Burton started hot and kicked accurately to pile on three quick ones. But the Roys weren’t about to lie down.

Viggo started bullocking through the stoppages. James powered out of the middle to kick a beautiful running goal from long range. Up forward, our big men started to clunk a few. Max took a big mark and polished it off by kicking the goal. Beau flew high to snare a strong contested mark and was only inches away from kicking truly.

After fighting it out to the end, the Roys were left with a few sore spots and 38 points behind on the scoreboard. We’ll take away some more encouraging signs and plenty to work on. Looking forward to the rematch!

Go Roys!

Round 7

Fitzroy                     19     13       127

St Marys                   1       1         7

Welcome to part one of another Fitzroy Festival of the Boot, with delayed coverage from the Vic Park House of Discomfort. These back-to-back Youth Boys home games sure do bring out the best in Fitzroy’s club spirit.

The early game was our first return bout for the season against a St Marys side quite possibly hell-bent on revenge, after the Roys’ round one victory.

First day of winter. Hot start. Fitzroy’s ball movement was looking sharp. James bounced his way through traffic with line-breaking runs – fast becoming his trademark. 86 metres gained he reckons. Meanwhile, Smiddy’s lightning quick hands were carving a path through the oppo’s defence.

Lewis competed strongly when sent into the ruck. At the defensive end of the ground, nothing was about to get past Jack A-type, rebounding off half-back.

A deft tap by Dom helped Ted open the Roys account with a classy finish. Ash and Beau both grabbed chances to snap goals out of contested play. Eamonn went bang, and bang again, to give our men a commanding lead at quarter time.

Momentum continued in the second stanza. Hamish was delivering the footy with precision. Ted was running amok in the front half. And across half-forward, Henry just kept on getting hold of the pill and creating scoring opportunities. Sam Hugo presented as a strong target.

St Marys had the numbers camped deep in Roys territory, but couldn’t rebound through the great wall of Fitzroy. Clearly visible from outer space.

About now the Viggo-train hit full steam out of the stoppages, with plenty of running support from the likes of Taj and Spence, constantly on the move.

Fitzroy added three goals for the term. Henry sidestepped his man to pop one through from the goal square. Sam Healy slotted through a beautiful goal, and Max kicked his first major since obtaining his pen licence. Big celebrations. But despite the territory dominance, some nicely-crafted passages of play didn’t quite pay off. 7 behinds added for the quarter.

At the half, Coach Duke got busy on the board. No snake-break for him. Some magnet masterstrokes included bringing Captain Marcus’ running power into the midfield mix, and keeping Max smack-bang in front of the big sticks. In further shuffles, Runner Fred succumbed to a sore back-slapping hand and passed the bib over to Angus. Great job by those lads, while Luke watched on from the comfort of a dim sim.

The half-time break in teenage concentration didn’t help the Saints muchly, with their long centre clearance at the start of the third sailing the wrong way into the arms of Ted. St Marys soon corrected their compass and got on the scoreboard, but couldn’t contain Fitzroy’s scoring power.

In typically hard-running fashion, Tom repeatedly speared the footy into the Roys forward line. Sam Healy took a nice grab and kicked a major. Spence followed up with a brilliant running goal. A perfectly-executed crumbing goal to Ollie hammered home the advantage.

A loose ball was pounced on by Ted who snapped truly – and backed up minutes later to kick another major, this time courtesy of silver-service from Hamish. Eamonn marked and converted his third for the afternoon.

There was no let up from the Roys in the last quarter. Spence burst from the centre square a launched a long-bomb that got on a good roll through the big sticks.

Irrepressible Big Beau Little started a handball chain, got back involved in the middle, then ended up on the end of it to kick a major. Henry booted straight to chalk up another goal. Spring-heeled Angus took a big overhead clunk and found Tom, who kicked a wobbler right through the middle. Dom earned a free-kick right in front, and made no mistake.

The Saints kept competing, and tested our defence. Miserly to the end, Ash desperately denied the other mob on the last line. Four-quarter determination, right there.

By the final siren, Fitzroy’s fresh legs had bolted away on the scoreboard. There was plenty to like. Teamwork and confidence seem to be growing by the minute. We’ll take the break next week, and look forward to hitting the back half of the season.

Go Roys!

Round 6

Surrey Sharks      6       3       39

Fitzroy                   7     15      57

Round 6 provided another cracking day for footy, and an early game against the Surrey Sharks in hostile waters. 

There was a special reason for the Roys to dig deep for their coach today, but in true fashion, Coach Duke brought the focus back to the job at hand. ‘Never give up’ and ‘Enjoy the moment’ being the mantras for the day. Black armbands were donned, but it was all-positivity from there on in.

In bright pre-game signs, the boys were busting to get out onto the park. We welcomed back Kobe from injury, Sam cast aside his doona as a big late in, and Lewis was good to go after finding a pair of white shorts and oversized novelty sunglasses in the team dress-up box.

Captain Dom led from the front in the first quarter, giving the Roys first use in the centre square.

Our men cracked in with hard nuts Angus, Tom, Spencer K and Jack all contesting fiercely at ground level. While Ollie, Austin and Hamish provided the outside run.

In the skies, Viggo swallowed up just about everything that reached half back, while ever-reliable Marcus intercepted strongly on the last line. However it was the Sharks that managed to draw first blood in the majors column.

The Roys responded with Ted taking a superbly judged mark and kicking his set-shot truly. Eamonn brilliantly mopped up his own marking attempt to slam through another. By the end of the first, the sharp-shooting oppo had three straight on the board to hold a narrow lead. Game on.

Over the next 20 minutes, the Roys unleashed some sublime kicking skills. Hard running, team-first footy resulted in space opening up for Sam to burst into the game up forward. Elliot and Henry dominated proceedings across the backline, quickly turning defence into attack and helping to hold Surrey scoreless for the quarter. Our back six were outstanding, all game.

Taj was quick and precise with his ball use in the forward half. Ash propelled the pill into good scoring spots for the Roys, and once again, Ted and Eamonn seized opportunities to kick important goals. Four eight played three straight at the snakes.

With the game up for grabs in the premiership quarter, the Roys set out to make like Fonzie and jump the Sharks early. Equally, Surrey came out ready to raise the pressure.

Viggo cleverly gained yards on his opponent by hiding in the dug out. Fitzroy looked even more dangerous once we got all 18 on the park. 

The Roy Boys kept their cool under pressure, with Jack selling some candy to drive Fitzroy into attack. Kobe was lively across half-forward, and Spencer B emerged as the Roys power-forward. 

Two superb goals from Spence allowed Fitzroy to maintain breathing space on the scoreboard.

Our lads continued to bring the heat in the final quarter. A couple of ferocious tackles by Tom typified the team’s spirit. 

Beau took a vice-like grab and put his name in the scorebook. And Fitzroy’s rebound play kept the ball in our attacking zone, but the Glad Wrap between the big sticks continued to bother us a bit.  

At the final air-horn, Fitzroy ran out winners in a hard-fought contest. A memorable day, made all the more satisfying by a huge all-round team effort.

Go Roys!

Round 5 - Sir Doug Nicholls Round

Fitzroy                      5     3     33

Macleod/Preston   0     7      7

Grading over, we entered the meat’n’potatoes phase of the season with a Youth Boys double-header celebrating Sir Doug Nicholls round. Our men burst onto Vic Park looking magnificent in their indigenous guernseys, co-designed by Fitzroy junior players. 

The Roys were primed for Henry’s 100th game. The way the milestone-man ripped through the banner, you’d never know it was made from corrugated iron. 

Today’s rivals were a lethal combination forged from Macleod and Preston. Undaunted, we stood ready to take on any number of clubs simultaneously thrown at us. Bruce Lee-like. 

The game got off to a free-flowing start. Both sides created chances, but it was Fitzroy that lowered the eyes and hit targets up forward. 

Jack centred the ball with precision for hard-running Tom to kick the first. Soon after, Taj made a strong lead and calmly converted his opportunity. Ted started a chain of possession that ended up with the ever-dangerous Spencer snaring the Roys’ third for the quarter.

In defence, Isaiah boldly intercepted multiple forward entries to repel the oppo. Desperate acts by Patrick left him with a dodgy paw, but helped hold the other mob goalless.

Enter the second quarter, and the conglomerate started to find their form. The Roys were met with strong pressure right across the ground.

Our big men in Viggo and Dom took up the fight, competing strongly at every contest. The Roys running brigade got us moving with Aussie, Hamish E, Taj and Tom linking-up beautifully. Captain Hamish W ran tirelessly through the middle to provide an outlet.

Despite Beau’s high flying heroics, the goal face proved hard to penetrate, with just two points a piece added in the second quarter.

After the citrus, MacPreso continued where they left off… testing the Roys with their physicality and endeavour. With both teams digging in, it became more about being gritty than pretty.

The Roys defence was rock solid. Max took front position away from his opponent, Marcus held the ball up superbly despite being outnumbered, and Henry wasn’t about to let his man get a sniff, either.

Just 3 points were added to the scoreboard in the third – all to the other mob. The scoreboard attendant was seen ducking off for a jam donut at one stage, while keeping half-an-eye on proceedings. 

The game was well and truly up for grabs in the final quarter, and the Roys rose to the challenge.

Eamonn cleverly found Beau, who slammed through a vital major to break the stalemate. At the defensive end, steely Sam Healy marshalled the troops superbly to keep the opposition at bay. 

After his hard work in the midfield, Hamish E drifted forward to eventually kick the sealer in a hard-fought win. 

The Joe Johnson medals went to a couple of fearless competitors from both sides. Congrats to Zach D’Onofrio from Preston and our own Elliot Hannan, who attacked the footy relentlessly all day.

Another great team effort to build on!

Go Roys!

Round 3

Templestowe   1     7      13

Fitzroy            18    14     122

In our third hit-out for the season, the Roys headed out to Templestowe for a clash with the Dockers. It was set to be an unseasonal sun’s-out-guns-out type of affair, with every Fitzroy player opting for the sleeveless guernsey.  

In this Pat Cronin Foundation round, we reflected on the coward punch and the fact it has no place in society or footy. With this in mind, we aimed to play typically hard but fair. 

Must be said though, the one-size-fits-all yellow armbands struggled to match the circumference on many of the Fitzroy biceps. Sure, we looked strong in the sheds… but would the boys bring it when it mattered? Still mildly-smarting from last week’s result, Coach Duke demanded a fast start.

The work rate across the ground was high in the opening minutes. Jeri was looking dangerous around the big sticks, hitting the scoreboard early with a left-foot cannon.

Sam found Big Beau Little in the square, and Eamonn made no mistake from his hard-earned free kick.

The balance of power continued to swing Fitzroy’s way in the second quarter. 

Ash provided an attacking target, clunking overheads and polishing off his work with a major. Henry stood up bravely in the contest, and our one-percenters were creating opportunities.  

Beau was strong in the air, and even better off the grass, kicking a couple more with the most lethal big toe we’ve seen since Matty Scarlett circa 2009.

Eamonn was in electric form, whether it was finding space or putting his head over the footy in the forward line. 

By the half, the Roys had piled on 8 democracy sausages without conceding the other way. Credit to the Roys defence, who were disciplined when they needed to be, and launched counter-attacks at every opportunity. Viggo was proving hard to get past and Isaiah was repelling the purples with poise.

The Roys continued to apply the pressure in the third quarter. Some of our handball chains were poetry in motion, with the likes of Spencer K, Jimmy and the Hamishes repeatedly cutting a swathe through the corridor.

A brilliant smother from hard-running Hamish W turned the ball over, with Ted on the end of the chain to kick the goal.

Playing his first game in colts-colours, Lewis gave the mids good service in the ruck. Hamish E complemented his tough stoppage work with a superb crumbing goal, and Eamonn chimed in once again for his fourth.

After some fits’n’spurts output last week, today at the snakes, the boys pledged to run out a four-quarter effort. And that they did.

James lit up the member’s wing with a couple of devastating forward surges. More bounces than Clive Palmer’s chequebook.

Captain Dylan swooped on everything in the forward 50, and slammed through a couple of classy goals. Taj covered the ground superbly to find space, and convert the opportunity. 

Elliot bravely chose to smother with his sourdough-basket, and tells us he won’t be trying it again in a hurry. Bounced back quickly.

Henry snapped truly under pressure, Ollie marked and calmly slotted one through, and Jeri added another to his tally.

At the end of the day, the Roys ran out big winners on the scoreboard, but more importantly continued to develop their confidence and teamwork. We’re looking forward to next week’s challenge.

Go Roys!

Anzac Round 2

Fitzroy     4     4      28

Banyule   16   10    106

The Anzac round is a much-anticipated day on our match calendar, where we look to play in a way befitting of this important occasion.

Before the bounce, Scott Hamilton conducted a stirring ceremony, reflecting on the courage and all-important mateship that typifies the Anzac spirit. A wonderful way to set the scene, with both sides lined-up in front of the old Vic Park grandstand.

We entered this round 2 clash with the Banyule Bears, full of confidence. After a fortnight break spent developing game plans, studying the tapes, and pottering around home landscaping projects, the coaching panel felt as prepared as they could be. 

But in a hot start to the game, it was Banyule that took the ascendancy. We struggled to halt the other mob’s forward momentum, and some precise ball movement saw the Bears pierce our defence to put 5 goals on the scoreboard.

On the counterpunch, Crashin’-Cashen got the footy moving through the corridor for the Roys. Spencer K got on the end of it, and seized the opportunity to unveil the googly-doosra-bamboozla-punt he’s been developing over the off-season. 6 points never in doubt.

The physicality was taking a toll. Just as Fred was getting into the play, he suffered an unfortunate double-knee injury. Sam headed to the bench with a case of snoz-claret. Yet the Roys refused to take a backward step.

The second quarter didn’t get any easier. Our defence, led by Will Mac battled manfully, but weight of forward entries saw the oppo continue to mount scoreboard pressure.

On our highlight reel, Jericho dished out a double-don’t-argue in the centre, then followed-up the contest superbly to snare a long range goal before half-time.

With only one team representing the Youth Roys this week, the YB2 support team was brimming with 11 emergencies, 3 statisticians, 2 grappling coaches and a boot studder. At the oranges, we called upon every dollar of our soft-cap to find a way out of this first-half hole. 

The resulting lift in intensity was evident from the start of the third quarter. Dylan was winning plenty of contested footy and driving the Roys forward. Jack began to dominate aerial contests around the ground. Viggo was throwing his weight around to repel the opposition attack.

Pin-point passing repeatedly found Beau on strong leads, who was our ball magnet up forward. Sam turned on a dime at centre half forward, and kicked a great goal. Take that, Bad-hair Bears.

Fitzroy were determined to finish off strongly in the last. Strong contests typified the Roys resilience. In a couple of goal-saving efforts, James pinned his opponent in a crunching tackle, and Ash monstered his man for well-earned kicks. Captain Elliot showed desperation in defence when called upon.

Banyule’s pressure didn’t let up in the last, and they somehow managed to sneak through another few majors. 

Our men responded when Jeri used his strong presence to slot through his second goal for the afternoon.

At the end of the day, despite not getting the 4 points, Fitzroy honoured the occasion with teamwork and tenacity, in a match played in good spirit. Thanks for the strong showing of squad support!

We’ll take a bit out of this, and be raring to go next week.

Go Roys!

Round 1

St Marys (2)   4   5    29

Fitzroy (2)     10  11   71

We’re on the board! After a strong pre-season campaign, the Youth Boys squad has kicked off the season-proper in fine style.

The YB2s headed to Whatmough Park to tackle an unsaintly St Marys outfit. Despite all the pre-season blood, sweat and thinking time, Will Mac left a sock in the dryer and Rocco arrived minus a mouthguard. Fortunately, Chemist Warehouse was just around the corner, providing DIY fang-protectors and the unexpected bonus of 2-for-1 conditioner.

Things settled down somewhat from there.

Capt’n Angus Mac pointed decisively to the Chemist Warehouse end, and the Roys took advantage of the breeze and downhill slope. The boys slammed on 4 majors in the first, courtesy of Dylan’s deadly left foot, Roc’s hard-fought goal, a magnificent long range goal from Spence, and a first-for-the-Roys goal by Austin. Blistering start.

In quarter 2, the Sainters had their turn kicking towards the pharmacy – but Fitzroy held the momentum. Jack was winning the ruck battle and following up strongly at ground level, Leo burst through traffic to snag a classy goal, and Angus D chimed in with a major. Aussie hit up strong leads from forwards Eamonn and Isaiah with pinpoint accuracy. And at the defensive end, Will Mac, Marcus and Patrick were rock-solid on the last line. At half time the Roys held a comfortable lead.

In a challenging third quarter, we lost a couple of our ball-winners. Angus D copped a badly-fankle… Kobe wore one on the jaw… and we were suddenly looking crook as a chook. The Saints seized the opportunity to peg a few back. Ollie single-handedly stemmed the tide with a desperate goal-saving tackle. Beau snapped truly to claw one back for the Roys.

At the snakes, Coach Richard challenged the boys to win the last quarter. Fitzroy responded. Henry typified the lift in intensity with a crunching tackle. Will Cashen was a driving force through the corridor. The handball chains really started to click, and Spencer and Dylan finished the job to became multiple goal scorers for the day. With a true team effort, the Roys ran out 42 point winners.

Go Roys!