Under 15 Interleague Coaches Report – 2009
Our first game for the interleague carnival was played at Shepley Oval, Dandenong, against Frankston & District League, on a perfect day for football. Finally the day had come, where the group of players, training hard since February, could play as a team. I feel the group have blended very well throughout the season. I have tried to instill a work hard, respect each other, and play for each other style of mindset in the group. It has been a privilege for me to work with such an inspired young group that are really eager to learn and develop their skills in our great game.
The first game was played with the result going our way comfortably. I thought the boys combined well as a team, doing all the team things we had practiced at training. They won a lot of the contested footy early in the first term, and this set the scene for the entire game. Their use of the ball was excellent through the midfield, running in numbers, and creating space and options were highlights. Our entry into the F50 probably let us down a little bit which is something we will have to work on. Our Captain, Jason Coghlan and vice Captain, Kelsey Curry both had a lot of the footy and led by example all day. A really good team effort across the board but mentions for Chris Brown, Sam Raru, Jordan Whiteman, Kirt Richards, Matt Taylor and Darcy Shore for an excellent game also.
Our second game, on Sunday against Mornington & District League proved to be much more challenging than the previous days encounter. The game was played at Casey Field’s in Cranbourne. With a bit of an unsettled preparation due to some change room technicalities, Mornington got an early jump on us in the first quarter, but we settled a bit in the late stages of the first term to be only 3 points down at the break. They were challenging conditions with a strong cross wind on the ground, and it made for a fairly untidy game of football.
We gathered intensity in the second, had most of the play, but still struggled to convert on the score board in a major way. It was a much more physical game than the day before, the footy was harder to win, and it was hard to use effectively in the wind. There were lots of turnovers and pressure from both sides, and a heap of running back and forward. We had kept the opposition to a point, and we had kicked 3.3.
The third term saw Mornington get back into the game with some good, hard running footy. Our team started to break down a bit, winning less of the contested ball, and not being accountable at the contests, resulting in a lot more clearances to Mornington. Without making excuses, I felt the impact of the game the day before was starting to take its toll a bit, and the fresh legs of Mornington were starting to damage us. We went into the last term only 1 goal up. It was a really good pressure game, and interesting to see how the boys reacted and who dug deep. Mornington were eventual winners by a mere 1 Point in a hard fought game. Among our best were Sam Raru, (Carnival Medalist), Kirt Richards, Chris Brown, and Jordan Whiteman.
It was a good shoot out against some good opposition and we shall take a lot out of it as we go forward to the V/Line Cup Series. The most pleasing thing out of the whole weekend was that the players played for each other, were really focused on the job, and they gained valuable experience whilst getting a lot of enjoyment out of the carnival.
A big thank you to all my staff, Sue Dickson, Brendon O’Donnell, Lee Dryden, Peter Costigan and Numerous Water Carriers for a fine Job.
Looking forward to the V/Line Cup Series.
David Duncan
U15 Interleague Coach 2009
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