Last Saturday afternoon the Wilpak Bayside Bombers Masters made a triumphant debut at their new home ground at the Redlands AFL club. Against a determined Wynnum side the Bombers were determined to build a pattern of fast-moving continuous play, with a spread of players presenting options, which would enable them to carpet bomb their way to victory.
Both teams brought intensity and endeavour in a contested first term. Led by Russell 'Bags' Bagnall in another great ruck performance, the Bombers midfield and centres wrestled Wynnum Supers, for domination of the game. Gavin 'Torso' Kearney and Mick 'Casper' Kath gathered many hard ball gets and disposals, with Sean Edwards and Carlos Achille spreading well into open spaces to pick up numerous possessions, while match winning play-makers Michael 'Flash' Rennie and Adrian 'Ada' Roberts possessed the ball and ran out of the centre deep into the forward lines at will.
Lining up at full-forward, Darren 'Dukes' Smith, opened up on Wynnum in season-best form, kicking two goals himself, from 15 and 45 metres out, while creating another goal, with a clever 10 metre kick off the ground to Jason 'Rookie' March who was standing free in the goal square and converted. Bombers led by 15 at qtr time.
The second quarter, amounted to a battle of the back lines, as both teams fought for contested ball between the half back and half forward lines, to gain ascendancy in the match. Courageous captain Russell Crowe marshalled the resolute back line, John 'JAF' Fuller, Kim Dry and Mathew Nightingale, with Simon 'Seargent' Riley arresting the ball out of contests and rebounding with running play on many occasions. Stephen Hayes, who played one of his best games of the season, crashed the packs to gain a multitude of half-back possessions which set up many forward line thrusts for the Bombers.
When Mike Rander made a “Black Caviar” like burst to kick his first off a series of clever handballs the whole team lifted. Goals then came from Rennie and March to close the half 28 pts ahead..
At the half time break the Bombers coach Doug Knight demanded a more systematic effort from his troops, imploring the Bombers to rise above their lack-lustre opposition and to dominate the scoreboard the way they were dominating general play. The Bombers playing group agreed and following a couple of positional moves, responded in kind.
Into the third quarter, the Bombers began their full bombing run, with breaking play that left Wynnum Supers playing catch up football. A Bagnall , Kath, Roberts combination gave possession out of the centre with Roberts running full pace through the 50 metre line, to score a long running goal and set the tone for the rest of the quarter. Another quick clearance by the Bombers, saw Jason March, who scored a match leading 4.4 for the game, lining up on a 45 degree angle, to score a set shot goal from 45 metres out.
Ever improving rookie,John Gibson, was shifted to full forward and immediately created opportunities, goaling from a Sam French rocket and then returning the favour.. A highlight was a captains goal, scored by Russell Crowe who was moved into the centre in the second half, with a successful long shot from the half forward line, fora fast-flowing Bombers team to lead Wynnum by 54 points a three quarter time.
In the last quarter, in a play that encapsulated the full force carpet bombing of the Bombers midfield, Michael Rennie took a mark 65 metres out from goal on the right hand wing and created havoc in the Wynnum back line ranks, with a stab pass to a fast-breaking Adrian Roberts, who, running out of centre through the half forward line, received the ball at full stretch and converted for a goal. In a back up effort from the hard as nails midfielder, Roberts then ran out of the centre through contested play, to finally mark in the forward pocket, for a goal from a set shot on an acute angle.
Captain Russell Crowe, following a hard ball get, hand-balled sideways to a free running Michael Rennie who again broke through the Wynnum back lines to score with a running goal from 35 metres out. Rennie went on to kick two more majors in similar fashion.. Following a five metre handball from the boundary line, Mick Kath then scored from a tight angle from 30 metres out to seal the fate of the Wynnum Supers team, who were decimated by the Bayside Bombers by 85 points.
The win saw the Bayside Bombers, sponsored by Rathbone Engineering, move to 4th on the AFLQ Masters League Table and within striking distance of top spot with several home games to come.
Goals: March 4, Roberts 4, Smith 3, Rennie 3, French 2, Rander 1, Gibson 1, Kath 1, Archille 1
Best: Roberts, Crowe, Rennie, Hayes, Bagnall, Smith, March, Edwards, French
Last Modified on 18/09/2012 22:56