U16-2 Boys Division 3 2023

Match report - Round 14

Round 14. Our final game of the season. A glorious late winter’s day at our spiritual home. A little excitement, a little sadness. One last go playing the game we love; we’d love to be playing more.

We gather on the grassy knoll. As coaches we share with the boys our thoughts on the season and the team – in short, the team has stuck together, we’ve played with great spirit and we’ve loved coaching the team. We highlighted and celebrated Toby’s leadership role as captain and the great support he has received from Ollie and Luca.

Now thoughts transferred to the game, what lessons had we learned from our first encounter with Banyule? They’re a hard, contested team with a couple of dynamic Mids. We vow to hold them to account and match them with our attack on the ball. We pose for our team photo –sad that Charlie and Oscar can’t be in it – does Gary’s award willing skills extend to Photoshop? We know we’ll miss them in the game but we’re feeling good and ready to play some footy.

The game starts and Banyule jumps us, some impressive play leading to two early goals. Will we stand up? There is a degree of nervousness but we shouldn’t have feared. Our true colours began to show with Angus Mc showing us the way through his typical trademarks– fierce attack on the ball and tremendous pressure applied when without. Harry had found himself a home at half back throughout the season, playing some solid footy. The Banyule opponent brought out the best in him, crashing packs, winning his own ball and then setting up the team with his beautiful left foot. The team had found its mojo and were rewarded late in the quarter with a Beau mark and goal at full forward. We went into the break 12 points down but with a sense we were well and truly in it.

Stat of the week, 4 of our last 6 opponents had not scored more than 59 points. And our defence would go on to achieve that again in this game to make that 5 of 7. The team within a team has shown great resilience all season, with Ollie the fulcrum, Elias contesting everything, Will cementing his golden fist award, Cic reading the play, Simeon providing a fierce contest, Harry rebounding from
defence coupled with cameo support from our resting mids in Toby and Angus at half back. The defence had also been shored up by three of our team first, utility players in Chiron, James and Henry Nelson, whose magnets have been thrown around all season with no complaint. A coaches dream! Banyule were unable to penetrate this gang of brothers in the second quarter and were held goalless. An arm wrestle of a quarter was settled with a solitary goal from our ever reliable source of scoring Luca and we went into the half time break within a kick.

We gather in the rooms and congratulate the boys on their effort – lots of encouragement. Nullify Banyule’s playmakers and we’re right in it. Fuelled by oranges and snakes we continue to take the game up to Banyule – it’s a real arm wrestle. Angus Mc was back in the middle and along with a super competitive Jack A in ruck and Angus K on a wing, providing drive into our forward line. Daniel and Dylan, our first year players were right into things, mixing it up in midfield and on the flanks. Stefen was presenting as a target up forward whilst Robbie was getting back into the swing of things – gees we wish we had him all season!

Jack S was finding space on the wide expanses of BSO and marked on the half forward boundary line. Without hesitation he lowered his eyes and nailed his kick into the corridor to Harry, who in turn converted his set shot from 30 metres out! Great play…. exactly the style of play as coaches we had tried to have the team play. Spencer was being equally creative and smart with his distribution and the defence was holding up. We had got no closer by the end of the quarter but only a goal down and right in it!!!

We had one quarter to go and a celebrated win was within our grasp. One final call to give it everything we’ve got! Let’s do this! Chiron was an early casualty and had to benched – no surprise, he had suffered a head knock, not a surprise given his contested style. Our cult hero Vincent, as he had through this game and all season, crashed and bashed his way through packs, looking to inspire the team. Midfielders Alex, Thierry, Toby and Henry drove us forward valiantly – Alex slicing and dicing the opposition with his run and distribution, Thierry growing ever more assertive, Toby never shirking the contest and Henry Nicholls on a special mission to shut down their run all day playmaker.

An early goal to Banyule made things difficult. The boys fought on and Luca goaled from 30 with mere minutes to go. Desperate attacks ensued and Thierry suffered a heavy head knock in his desperate attempts to win the ball. Alas it was all in vain as the final siren blew to confirm our defeat on the scoreboard by 9 points. We consoled the boys and applauded them for their efforts and you could sense that the boys were satisfied they had given it their all. That’s all we can ask. As for Henry Nicholls special mission? Their gun mid didn’t get a possession in the last qtr. – a fact Henry proudly reported to me at the end of the game. It just shows you there are myriad ways to measure success and many battles won and lost within a game. And it’s these little triumphs that sustain us, nurture our love of the game and will bring us back in 2024 to do it all over again!

Go Roys!

Angelo and Cam

Match report - Round 13

We set the GPS coordinates to Park Orchards and followed a similar route to the week prior against Warrandyte. Obviously they share the same non-green coloured grass variety. We knew it would be a tough challenge but were inspired by the performance of the Hawks the day before knocking off AFL ladder leaders Collingwobbles.

Coach Angelo and Cam swung the magnets around today giving the boys an opportunity to play in different positions. Jimmy and Henry in particular enjoyed having more freedom running up and down the wings and DC applying his see ball get ball style to the midfield. Despite a serious case of the flu rampaging through the group and resulting in a number of pre-game casualties, we got off to a competitive start, no doubt due to Ollie’s typically passionate pre game speech.

Jack A solid in the ruck finding his sidekick Alex on numerous occasions and driving the ball into our forward 50. Stefan presented strongly taking a couple of contested marks and dishing off unselfishly to his team mates deeper in the forward 50. One thing we learnt quickly was the opposition played high pressure football and once they caused the turnover they were able to transition the ball into the forward 50 within the blink of an eye. What was to be a theme for the day was if you were in the backline you would see plenty of action. Luckily we had committed to the cause including Ollie, CIC, Vincent and Will amongst others defending for their lives and making life difficult. Despite the solid effort in the first half the boys were unable to put any scorecard pressure on the opposition and we finished the half well behind.

We stayed out on the ground at half time to enjoy the fresh country air. At half time the coaches remained very positive and supportive as the oranges quickly disappeared. This proved to be a good decision as we had our best quarter for the day in the 3^rd quarter. Jack’s ruck dominance started resulting in more clearances and contested work from Angus M, DC, Henry Nicholls and Toby. Angus K was finding space on the wing with great link up play from the back line as we moved the ball inside 50 more often. Spencer was having an impact creating chances, Oscar was taking some strong marks and up bobbed Alex to kick an incredible snapping goal over his left shoulder and right on half time Jimmy bobbed up as we have come to expect and slotted a goal through right on the siren.

The coaches were proud of our efforts and our refusal to give up. The 3 quarter time snakes were devoured including from the our runner. The coaches continued to swing the magnets in the last term with Will going into the ruck and being super competitive. Despite not being reflected on the scoreboard we continued to fight until the final siren and restricted the scoring of the opposition who showed why they are the flag favourites. This was typified by Smithy who had been involved in the action all day who literally bleed for the team and was subbed out under the blood rule late in the game. The opposition coach was full of praise for our efforts despite the scorecard difference as were our coaches.

The key message afterwards was let’s finish the season on a high. With one game to go, the coaches pleaded with the boys to get down to training on Thursday.

The final game this week is at our spiritual home BSO.

Go Roys!

Tez #13

Match report - Round 12

The sun was shining and we were all ready for our day trip out to the country. After such a close and contested game last week the boys were determined to go one step further. As we ran onto the ground it was clear that Warrandyte had not seen much rain with the oval resembling more like a sandy cricket pitch than an AFL oval. And despite the sun shining it soon became clear that the wind was going to play a major role. Conditions were promising for a great day of footy.

Match report - Round 11 (Part 2)

The Roys were determined to raise the effort against Templestowe this week. It was Chiron’s 50th game so the boys had extra motivation to do well. The team crashed through the banner and was ready to go.

We played on Templestowe’s smaller ground which sloped to one end. Toby won the toss and didn’t hesitate to kick down the hill in the first quarter. Ollie gave one of his famous rev ups.

Fitzroy started strongly with some great tackling and attack on the ball. Dylan, Toby and Angus Mac were doing some really hard work around the contests.

Stefen, Smithy and Beau were all leading well to give our mids lots of options. Vincent took a set shot and put it through for our first goal. Conditions got more slippery as the game went on. The ball was like a bar of soap, and neither side found it easy to hold their marks.

Tez, Alex and Angus Kitt ran really hard all day. The game was really tight but Templestowe kicked some long goals when they needed them.In the third quarter we started to close the gap with a couple of goals but couldn’t quite hit the lead. Our defence was doing a great job to restrict Templestowe from scoring.

In the last quarter Ollie went forward and kicked a fantastic running goal, but in the end Templestowe finished in front. A great effort by Fitzroy though, with everyone playing well.

Go Roys!

Luca #9

Match report - Round 11 (Part 1)

It was a misty, wet old day when we arrived at Templestowe Reserve. After a tough loss the week prior against Macleod, the boys still turned up ready to give it their all. Chiron’s 50^th game also added some excitement and motivation for the team.

The game kicked off with Henry Nicholls leaping in the ruck. Vincent quickly scored the first one through to start the day.  It was a really tight contest with the Roys having the hill to their advantage.  However, we didn’t use it to the fullest as Templestowe kicked the next goal, and the quarter ended with Templestowe up by a point. Second quarter the Roys slowed. Despite the great midfield efforts from Toby & Angus, Templestowe was too strong, kicking two goals to Roy’s nil.

The half time speech was intense, but it must have worked as the Roys entered the third quarter with determination and spirit.  The rain came down harder, but we seemed to push through with Luca kicking two spectacular goals to put us only 8 points behind at the end of the quarter.We went into the three quarter time knowing this was our last chance to give it our all. So, with one last rev up from Ollie, and some tactical guidance from Angelo, we entered the fourth quarter ready.

We had to take new risks this quarter and so we tried Dylan in the midfield for the first time. He showed great effort and skill.

Unfortunately, Templestowe were just too strong combined with the rain and the hill advantage. We fought till the end with Ollie kicking the last goal of the match with a few minutes to go. Sadly, we fell short this week but proved we are a competitive team. Roys will be ready to take on Warrandyte next week.

Go Roys!

Jack #21

Match report - Round 10

The perfect day for footy kickstarted with a fiery rev up from Ollie and Henry Nicholls.  As the siren blew, everyone was anxious to see the game unfold.

From the outset, Fitzroy were caught flat footed, with Macleod scoring 4 goals and 3 points leaving us trailing behind with a goal and a point to our name by the end of the first quarter. However, the scoreboard did not correctly reflect the heavily contested game and our backline’s defensive efforts at keeping the ball in our half. Our midfields worked overtime to win the footy, with Alex, Toby, Angus McDonald and Luca attacking the ball with ferocity and poise.  With strong competition across the ground, the game was still well within our reach and every one of us knew it.

The second quarter was much more even with hard fought contests and long periods with the ball locked in our fifty, allowing us to score 2 goals before the end of the half. Jack Amiet and Beau competed hard in ruck, both hitting the scoreboard when up forward. Wingers Angus Kitt and Daniel created much needed space and helped to crucially open the game up. Meanwhile, Spencer and Chiron were prevalent in taking intercept marks in the back line, assisting in the key rebounding of our backline, with Elias and Ollie using their defensive prowess to hold the ball out of the fifty in the first two quarters.

We came into the third quarter sadly missing Henry Nicholls. Throughout the quarter, Thierry, Harry, and Charlie used decisive kicks and handballs to link up beautifully as they did during the bulk of the game, aiding the kicking of all four of our goals.

Although facing an unreachable deficit, we fought hard to maintain possession, with Vincent, Henry Nelson and Jack Smith all contributing to keeping it locked in our fifty. Stefen and Simeon worked well in the backline as they tried to keep ‘Big T’ and Macleod’s arsenal of big forwards from splitting the sticks as they bombarded with forward fifty entries.

As the fourth quarter dawned, the Roys were met with yet another riling, invigorative rev up from Ollie. With the passion ablaze to end the quarter and the game well the Roys set out to stun the opposition with a great last effort, although Macleod’s midfield proved to be a strong opposition and were able to move the ball quickly and efficiently out of the centre, into the waiting hands of their forwards. Our backline worked hard to try and stop a mark inside fifty, but Macleod played in front taking strong marks. Despite the dominance of the opposition, the Roys ran out the game in true fashion, fighting to the very last siren.  Although a disheartening finish, the Roys effort never faulted and we fought to the end.

Go Roys!

Angus #10 and Will #26

Match report - Round 9

In round 9, Fitzroy under 16 2s took on the Brunswick Dragons in a thrilling game in “perfect” footy conditions. Our boys played a great first quarter and showed that we were in this game to win it with help from great ruck work from Jack Amiet and great clearances from both Luca and Henry Nicholls.

The second quarter was no let down from the first as the boys came fired up out of quarter time with a amazing early goal from James, the goal was backed up by another solid quarter in defence and the midfield keeping the Brunswick Dragons to a solid 2 points for the quarter, after a bruising half with Thierry and Angus Kit suffering huge collisions which was a loss for the team Fitzroy retained a lead of 1 point.

After several oranges consumed and an amazing speech from both Cam and Angelo the boys were ready to take the game head on lead by Angus Kitt emerging from his injury, this quarter did not go the way we were expecting with Brunswick kicking three goals two points and Jack Smith suffering after a huge collision. Defence turned up the heat lead by Cic who marked the ball every time it entered their forward fifty and a couple good marks and tackles by Toby and Vincent kept us in the game.Going into 3-quarter time the boys knew what was ahead of them chasing a 3-goal lead that they knew they could get, after yet another great speech the boys were ready to go, the quarter was started off by a great clearance by Fitzroy which showed great hope for the rest of the quarter, the last quarter it was a real arm wrestle which conveyed the way the whole game played out. The boys played the majority of the last quarter down in their fifty but were only rewarded with 1 goal.

Sadly, the boys could not quite get the job down with Brunswick kicking a few late goals which sealed the game off. The team should congratulate themselves on a great challenge against a good team and look forward to the great season ahead.

Go Roys!

Ollie #15

Match report - Round 8

It was a bright and sunny day, a beautiful day to play footy. With a muddy middle but a determined Fitzroy team we were ready to take the Bullants on. After our loss two weeks ago, it made us even more hungry to go for the win today.

With everyone pumped up and ready for this game with the Bullants, the first bounce was underway. Preston kicked the first goal of the game, but then a great goal by Daniel was kicked quickly in response. The quarter was pretty even until Oscar kicked his first for the game and Fitzroy kicked 2 quick goals at the end of the quarter. Preston kicked a late goal to even the score a bit more. Making it 3 straight goals 18 to 2.3 15. Fitzroy were leading at the quarter time break.

The second quarter was upon us, and with a fiery speech from Coach Angelo at the quarter time break, we were even more determined to keep this lead. The quarter was heavily contested and was going back and forth. Preston kicked 2 goals but James Hamilton kicked a goal from inside the square to keep the game alive. The scores were Fitzroy 4.1: 25 to Bullants 4.4: 28 leading into the half time break. This was a close game and we wanted to take the lead in the second half and dominate.

After a refuel of oranges and snakes and a strong talk from Angelo at half, the Roys were ready to go out and take the game in the third. Preston came out the gates firing, winning the ball out the middle, putting pressure on the Fitzroy defence. Preston scored two goals and a handful of points pushing their lead to sixteen. The Roys needed a response. The rest of the quarter was more contested and Oscar was able to kick his second goal of the game to keep the win within reach for Fitzroy going into the fourth, down ten points.

Going into the fourth quarter Fitzroy knew it was do or die. The start of the fourth was extremely contested and the play was very back and forth. Oscar was able to get his third goal of the match to bring the Roy’s within reach of the lead, down less than a goal. The game was now extremely heated with scraps and fights breaking out. But a few fifty metre penalties proved costly for Fitzroy with Preston scoring two more goals. After a hard fought battle the final siren blew with the final score being Preston 8.8: 56 to Fitzroy 6.4: 40.

It was extremely close the whole game with Fitzroy and Preston proving to be a great matchup. Unfortunately Fitzroy couldn’t bring home the win in this one and instead were left sad and muddy. But their heads are still held high when it comes to Brunswick next week.

Go Roys!

Toby #14 and Henry #16

Match report - Round 7

The sun was shining at Victoria Park, not a cloud in sight. It was the perfect way to begin Round 7. Not only were we halfway through the season, but most importantly it was Thierry’s 100th game. We had prepared all week for this game against the reigning premiers Hawthorn. We had our pre-match debrief, with coach Angelo encouraging us to focus on the game ahead, rather than Hawthorn’s grand final victory last season. We charged onto the ground in celebration of Thierry’s 100th game, running through the banner with anticipation. We knew they would be a tough opponent, but we were determined to take this challenge head on.

At 1pm, the game was underway. Hawthorn were quick to bring the ball down to their forward half. Spencer and Ollie worked well keeping the pressure on Hawthorn. Although our defence was strong, Hawthorn kicked the first goal of the match, unfortunately followed by another three. That did not deter us. We kept fighting, causing Hawthorn to kick four behinds. We only managed one behind in the first quarter, but were determined to come back in the second.

Toby addressed the team during the quarter time break and we felt more determined to get back into the game. It paid off! In the first few minutes, Alex scored the first goal for Fitzroy, an amazing goal on the run. It was what we needed to put us back in it. Chiron then kicked an amazing set shot from 55 metres out. We finished the first half feeling we still had a chance, with the score 14-43.

We came out of the rooms at half time feeling pumped, topping it off with Ollie’s wonderful speech. He really got our heads in the game and how to think strategically. He just knew how to fire up the boys. Absolute class from him! Running onto the field at the start of the third quarter, we were ready to go. Hawthorn started off strong once again, scoring a goal. But Toby scored a wonderful goal. Good stuff from the skipper! Unfortunately that would be our only goal for the quarter. We still tried hard and pushed through, and did what we had to do as the quarter came to an end.

Before the fourth and last quarter we huddled in and we had one final talk. We left the huddle to go into the final quarter to try our best. Starting off the quarter, Hawthorn were quick to get ball to boot. They ended up scoring three more goals that quarter, but Henry Nicholls scored a lovely set shot goal for our final goal of the game. We kept up the fight until the end, but unfortunately today Hawthorn was just too strong, 29-93. We kept our heads high. We are only 7 games in and we still have 7 games to go.

Go Roys!

Dylan #28 and Vincent #40

Match report - Round 6

Round six of our season saw us battling against a strong opponent in Bulleen Templestowe, while celebrating the legacy of local footballing legend Joe Johnson, in yet another cold muddy day at the famous Victoria Park. The boys met in the locker rooms and huddled in for a pump-up from Coach Angelo, touching on leaving it all out there and focusing on our own game, not the opposition. Both teams lined up for the Acknowledgment of Country, which was well presented by Bridget.

The siren sounded to signal the start of the game, and Bulleen Templestowe started off strongly, winning the centre clearances and testing our defence. Our defence proved strong. Toby’s intercept possessions helped lead to our first look at a goal for the game, Oscar kicked a long ball inside 50 which just got away from our forwards, leading to the ball rolling out of bounds. Our continuous effort which was epitomised by Alex’s gut running, which helped keep our opponent to three goals at quarter time.

The pre-match message was reiterated at quarter time, and Assistant Coach Cam delivered the message of the importance of staying in front in defence. The second quarter saw our game structure fall apart, repeat forward entries for Bulleen Templestowe led to inside 50 marks, proving costly on the scoreboard. Despite the score line, there were a few highlights during the quarter, like Angus McDonald’s fierce tackling and on-field leadership from Alex and our Captain and Vice-Captain, Toby and Luca. The boys didn’t let their heads down but found themselves with a lot of work to do, down 51-2 at halftime.

Facing a daunting 51-2 score line at half time, the boys needed to lift big time in the second. There needed to be changes made if we wanted to salvage something out of this game, and those changes certainly made a huge difference in the 3rd term. Oscar was thrown into the middle for the first time of the season, with Will joining him in the ruck, giving Jack a much-deserved break. All the way from Italy, in his first game of the season, James kicked a ripping goal from the boundary, just eluding the Bulleen defenders as it bounced through, all the players getting around him. Fitzroy were moving the ball far better and quicker than in the first half, and it felt like there was some building belief in the team, and it really showed, with Luca being rewarded with a mark in the goal square, converting for our second major of the quarter, leaving Bulleen goalless in the third.
The Roy’s continued in that same vein for the final quarter, and Jack Amiet had a chance to kick our third consecutive goal but it just missed to the right. But, have no fear, James was there yet again to take the mark from 20 out on a tough angle, slotting the goal for his second of the match. It was great to have him back. The rest of the quarter was a bit of a stalemate, with Oscar kicking the 4th and final goal for the Roys, making it a 4 goal to nothing second half.

In spite of this fantastic second half effort, if we want to compete in this league, we are going to need to bring that level of intensity for the full four quarters.

Following the game, one player from each side was rewarded with long-standing Joe Johnson medal, who demonstrated the five principles of: Endurance, Tenacity, Courage, Loyalty and Pride. Alex was awarded the medal for the first time, providing reward for his run and link-up play.

Overall, it was a solid performance from the boys against a tough opponent, with several guys playing their best games of the season. Hopefully, we can bring that second half effort next week against another tough team in Hawthorn.

Go Roys!

Chiron #12 and Alex #4

Match report - Round 5

The team was prepared for a challenging match against Banyule at their home ground. This was the first week of Sir Doug Nicholls round, and before the game Angelo talked about the importance of respect for one another. The two teams lined up for the Acknowledgement of Country which was well spoken by a Banyule official.

When the game got underway, Banyule made a good start by getting the ball out of the middle and putting pressure on our defence. Angus Mac put on a huge smother which saved a goal, but we couldn’t stop a few majors being kicked against us in the first quarter. Fitzroy kept in touch with a couple of great goals. Jack Smith got us started with a beautiful goal after making a bold run into the forward 50. The other Jumping Jack Amiet was doing well in the ruck, and Henry Nicholls and Angus Kitt were getting into the packs. Luca scored a long goal on the run, but at quarter time the Roys were down 41-12.

Coach Angelo wanted the team to stick closer to our opponents in the second quarter and the team immediately improved. Banyule had some good contested players that were hard to stop, but our defence was strong with Ollie, Elias and Cic all taking marks or spoiling bigger opponents. Vincent laid a great tackle and Sim really attacked the ball hard. Banyule scored a few more goals, but we put through a couple of our own! Henry Nelson scored a great goal, and Tezz scored a sharp shooting goal to continue our accurate kicking. 67-25 at half time.

In the third quarter we struggled to create scoring opportunities but we started to get our running game going, with Alex running amok and linking up with handball. Will was flying into marking contests and some of our newest players like Daniel and Dylan were playing well. Spencer was very reliable in defence as usual!

Match report - Round 4

It was a fine afternoon at Brunswick Street Oval against the mighty Templestowe Dockers. The first quarter started and straight out the middle, the mighty Roys won the battle for the ball and kicked into the forward fifty. We keep it there and centre it to the top of the square for there to be a ball up and a chance to score. And we did – Angus Mac burst out the pack and snapped for goal  – the Roys up 1 goal to none.

Centre bounce became the challenge again after that goal as the Roys couldn’t capitalise in that department as Templestowe rushed out the middle and kicked on goal to make the scores level with great composure. Not long after, Stefen used his body to beat the defender at the ball and went back, giving the Roys another goal. But like before, Templestowe kept fighting and scored a quick 3 goals before the end of the first quarter. 

After the big chat from Toby, the second quarter started with Templestowe coming out guns blazing with the first goal of the quarter. The Roys lifted the intensity and fought hard with big tackles from the back moving it up to the midfield and getting to our forward fifty with Thierry kicking a great goal to keep us in it before the siren went.

The boys came out of the rooms after a talk with the coaches Angelo and Cam with fresh legs and an energy boost from the 1s boys and parents. We bring lots of pressure to Templestowe which they definitely couldn’t handle at times. Luca lays off a great kick to Stefen who receives the mark right in front of goal. He takes the shot, he scores! to secure his 2nd goal for the game. Surely that would help us lift.

The siren goes off for the final quarter, we’re 32 points down. We’re starting to get tired and the opposition were tall so the contests in the air were difficult for us. We did well on the floor and under pressured situations to calm the play down. A small build up starts from the other 50 where Thierry receives the ball and takes a bounce. He kicks a massive bomb towards Elias, Elias uses his body well to move the opposition player out of the way and gets a chest mark in front of goals. Without hesitation he kicks the goal and celebrates. The scores ended 76-33. We put in a good fight.

I think our kicking accuracy could have been better and leading out wide could’ve been used more but I’m sure we can fix that for future games and I know we’re looking forward to giving them another shot in the future.

Go Roys!

Stefen #25 and Harry #11

Match report - Round 3

It was a cold, cloudy and wet day, as the temperature slowly rose towards a bitter 12 degrees! It rained for most of the night prior and most of the morning but the mighty Roys were ready for our first home game of the season. At Victoria Park, the spiritual home of Collingwood Magpies during the 20th century.

As we ran out of the race, we were all pumped up and ready for the battle against the Camberwell Sharks, although more importantly the battle to stay in Division 3! The siren sounded and the game was underway! It was a heavily contested game as the ball was slipping and sliding making it extremely hard to get a clean set of hands on it.  Within the first ten minutes Luca had hit the scoreboard twice and gave The Roys the early lead! Dylan followed suit with a rippa juggling mark before slotting a set shot goal that bent right back in! Before you knew it, The Roys were away with the Quarter Time siren sounding.

Fitzroy 3.2.20 to Camberwell 0.0.0.

The second quarter was becoming a lot more physical as the ball picked up more dew off the wet ground. Luca showed his class adjusting to the wet conditions and completed his hat-trick with a kick off the ground! Vincent took an amazing mark and then earned a 25 metre penalty in his favour and kicked a great goal. The defence was rock solid with the likes of Spencer, Elias, Ollie, Cic, and Will only conceding a behind for the half. With the score being increased by 13 points.

Fitzroy 5.3.33 to Camberwell 0.1.1.

At half time we returned to the rooms and analysed our first half. Cam Conduit spoke to us about the ability to be disciplined and not drop off in the second half and double down! The ability to move it forward in any means was greater than picking the ball up in the wet conditions. It was amazing to see our injured teammates (Harry, Daniel and Eli) still turning up and cheering on our team from the sidelines.

In the third quarter Camberwell lifted their game, their intensity and pressure rose a level. The game became even more contested! Camberwell scored a goal, potentially showing the signs of a comeback? Of course not! We were not going to let that happen in a hurry. As our midfield got back to work with the likes of Alex, Toby, Angus Mc and Angus K working superbly together which resulted in another 3 goals to The Roys. The forwards were leading hard and making the most of their chances. Stefen and Oscar were contesting superbly while Jack S was putting his body on the line once again epitomising the selfless attitude that we played with. Henry Nicholls kicked two fantastic goals. Angus K then laid a sublime tackle on the opposition player and earned a 25-metre penalty and assisted Chiron to slot another goal, opening the lead up by 18 points.

Fitzroy 8.3.51 to Camberwell 1.2.8.

The final quarter of footy was upon us, the rain set in once again and it became congested once again! Charlie, Tezza and Henry Nelson were all combining beautifully to set up the final goal of the game which Robbie kicked although Camberwell was adamant they had touched it. After a long conversation between the umpires, the two white flags rose together! Camberwell were visibly exhausted as play was stopped on multiple occasions as trainers got their steps up! Unfortunately Jack A was subbed out with injury although he did an amazing job to push through for 3 quarters of the game. In the end The Roys were winners by 49 points! Surely earning the privilege of staying in Division 3.

Fitzroy 9.4.59 to Camberwell 1.3.9.

GO ROYS!

Angus #1, Elias #18

Match report - Round 2

It was a clear and sunny day as we ventured to Koonung Reserve for our second match – this time against Ashburton Green. Fitzroy was looking to back up its performance last week. Only one change to the team sheet with vice-captain Ollie Orr unavailable for this clash.

The game started with the ball swinging from end to end and neither team capitalising on their opportunities. Fitzroy kicked only two points in the first five minutes, but the deadlock was shortly broken by a key goal for Luca that opened the flood gates. Both Henrys grabbed goals shortly after. It looked to be a dominant first quarter performance for Fitzroy with all members of the defence performing well. Toby and Alex also stood out, breaking the game open with their clearance work and accurate kicking. It looked to be perfect play until a late goal for Ashburton bought us back to earth just before quarter time leaving the scores 1.1 7 and 3.2 20.

As the second term started and fresh legs hit the pitch, the outstanding work of our midfield saw any momentum for Ashburton vanish. With fresh legs both Oscar and the always reliable Harry hit the scoreboard early to solidify the lead. Winning quite a few congested tussles in the middle of the ground led to two more goals for Toby and Oscar again. But with good comes bad, as in-form Harry was forced out of the game with a back complaint. But that was not the last of the second quarter scoring. An unselfish late play from Luca led to Spencer nailing his first to complete a dominant quarter with the scores at half time 1.1 7 to 8.7 55.

After a good half time talk about the positives and negatives of the first half, both teams hit the field to recommence the game. Even though the defenders cannot be praised enough, an early goal was let in. Was this the sign of a comeback? No – the unlikely combination of Elias and Alex linked-up in the midfield, allowed goals to flow straight back. Robbie’s first came off a “Collingwood-like” play down the wing, followed by Luca’s second and Oscar’s third. Continual midfield dominance allowed the defenders to relax as the forwards feasted. Dylan kicked his second goal in two games and Oscar marked and goaled with ease to grab his fourth. Henry Nelson’s second finished off yet another quarter which like many before it was dominated by Fitzroy’s midfield transition into the forward line allowing mass scoring – leaving the tally at three quarter time 2.1.13 to 14.9.93.

The siren blew to start play and with the coaches looking for variety, Stefen took the opportunity to play ruck and that he did well with 100 points being broken hastily with Henry Nelson kicking his third and Oscar his fifth. Charlie had a big fourth quarter, with a few marks on the wing, linking up play with Angus K, Spencer, and Alex. A few more late magnet switches led to Angus McDonald finalising the scoring with his first of the match. As the final minutes ticked by no others could majorly impact the result and the game ended 2.1.13 to 17.16.118.

Another stand-out performance from the boys from Fitzroy as they presented themselves as a team well clear of division four. We have since been rewarded with a promotion and most likely a challenging game against the premiers of division four last season, Camberwell, for our first home game of the year.

Jack #8 and Oscar #20

Singing the song

Match report - Round 1

After the longest pre-season in modern history our new captain Toby Littlejohn-Sims led the boys out for their first game of the season.

On a perfect autumn day, the boys honoured the ANZACS, demonstrating great teamwork as they took on Parade St Damians on their home track in the wilds of Watsonia North.

Jack A set the tone early, dominating in the ruck. Vice-captain Luca got the scoring underway with a goal within the first two minutes of the opening siren. Alex and Harry were everywhere, joining in the goal fest. Strong rebounding defensive efforts from Toby and Elias kept pumping the ball forward and with goals to Henry Nicholls, Oscar and vice-captain Ollie, the boys led 7 goals to 1 at quarter time.

With this bright start providing a measure of control, the pre-planned magnet spinning began (thanks Damian S for managing!) – in these early rounds it’s important we give the boys exposure to multiple positions. The second quarter was a more even tussle – Luca rucking to advantage and Jack S running off half back. Harry and Henry Nelson were in everything and repeat efforts from Angus Mac and Stefen were appreciated in the coaches’ box. Oscar and Harry hit the scoreboard and the boys retired to the rooms for well-deserved oranges, leading 65-8 at half time.

The coaches set the boys a third quarter challenge – get our new boys on the scoreboard. The boys set to work with Vincent ticking the box early in the quarter. Henry Nicholls and Luca’s tireless efforts were rewarded with goals and with 18 seconds left, KPI acquitted with Dylan’s classy snap.

The last quarter was a return to traditional values with the boys full of run – gotta love a bench on a warm day! Cic kept taking intercept marks while Angus K and Chiron, after tireless running on the wings, enjoyed some time in the middle of the park. Charlie presented a strong forward target. Robbie kicked two with Henry Nicholls and Spence rounding out the scoring in a great first up victory.