Seniors lost in a maze of 50m penalties.

Seniors


Bragging rights were on the line as in hot conditions and on a rock hard surface, a full strength Labrador took on a pride of proud cats including the energy of renewables Harry Sleigh, Webby, Spackers, Searly and Tom Clough.

The tigers got first blood through a 50m penalty awarded to Sleeth for busting the pack. We won the subsequent centre clearance and posted a point off the boot of Shorty after a pass from Spackers. The kick-in obeyed the first law of zone defence, but when they went for the switch play, Tinker took an intercept mark and gave the long handball off to Spackers who kicked truly. Our second came about through a typically aggressive tackle by CloughR which stopped a certain goal and spilled the agate to Quicky who put the long transfer into Tinker’s safe hands and he converted with a 50m goal. Hales to Stewie should’ve made us happy but another behind resulted and a Tinker steal from the kick-in racked up a further point – for a while we thought the goal umpire had only one flag. To prove the point Tinker had first, then second and a third touch in evading opposition and added yet another minor. Meanwhile Hutchy, off with the blood rule, was to play no further part in the game ironically from a non-related shoulder injury. The tigers quietly picked up another three with Sleeth prominent around the goals and Licht around the ground - so much so he attracted the serial stopper to his side. JD got one away seemingly out of the T-tree on the ocean flank which fell short but Stewie made some amends with a hanger in the square and finished well. A quarter of lost opportunities? Quarter time: Labrador 4 2 to Broadie 3 6. Post game, the adjudicators noted a report on a tiger for front on head high contact on CloughR – readers of the record will be pleased to know we missed it.

The second stanza began with a sickening collision between Nathan Lyons and McGennesker. We thought the blankets would be called for to put both players down but they survived in the best traditions of aussie rules. Labrador was to kick 7 goals this quarter and it reeked of a magoos repeat early on (see below) but our blokes capped the emissions to a manageable deficit by the long break. The hard ground came into the game with long and high altitude kicks bouncing very high and the second player to the contest won the ball over the stranded static receiver. Simmo and Searly were out and about as JD marshalled the troops. Quicky was very strong at the nut in the air, Rhino was keeping Featherstone quiet and Cookey, now at CHB, was responsible for repelling 2 attacks. Knobel got an early Christmas present when Cookey smothered his free kick and the man in orange chose to apply a 50m penalty for running over the mark. Knobel got about 70m and easily scored a goal. Payback was almost immediate when CloughR was awarded a very long 50m at the resultant centre clearance and his left foot was on target. Both adjudicators should forget going into real estate but they insisted on exploring their sense of distance with a double 50m penalty allowing the tiges in again. At one of the centre bounces Tinker thrilled all spectators with a classic Skiltonesque steaming clearance out of the middle that deserved better than it got. He then took on a Leo Barry role with a pack mark down back that defied his 17500mm, followed by a courageous chest catch running the wrong way - never took his eyes off it. Great stuff and the entertainment continued as the momentum swung our way. Shorty scored from a free when he beat his opponents 2 out and then Stewie, from a free kick in the goal square, came in off the long run, kicked accurately and kept up the pace in his follow through to make 5 metres to sledge his offender who took umbrage and hit the deck. The ump paid the goal and commenced play with a free kick to the tiges from the centre. By this time there were a few ‘push and shove debates’ and from a hasty ball up designed to return player interest to the game, Nathan Lyons, while most continued their discussions, calmly won the sherrin and found Bev Declan whose graceful left foot did the deed. While we were down 7 8 to 11 4 at half time, the late goals gave us confidence. The blokes were having a real dip.

Smithy appealed to the group to take the game on, to run and spread when we had possession and to pressure and man up when we didn’t. Sleigh went to full back and Cookey took Knobel, Simmo went down back, Lyons had Featherstone and Stork was in the ruck against well credentialed tall men who knew the tricks of the trade, and he took a ripper in the first contest. While he recovered Hales swooped and snapped a ripper. Game on. Quicky took a good mark in defence that led to a Bev raking left foot goal on the end of a chain of assists from Rhino, Lyons, Simmo and Tinker. The margin reduced to 3 points 9 minutes in when Tinker kicked to Stork who cleverly tapped it forward to Shorty, who found Harry Sleigh with a handball and he kicked to CloughR who brought the crowd alive with both flags. The tiges got one back. Cookey started to dominate off the half back line and take telling marks deep in defence. He took Knoble on by playing in front with pace and backing himself. Several times he cleared in Dench fashion. We started to find spaces. Fifey to Searl was good to watch and from the ensuing stoppage, that famed cricket fitness coach Shorty, dobbed a special. Fifey found Simmo for another goal. We were two points up. The back lines were fantastic. Webby was amongst it twice, Quicky took another good catch and in general all contributed to the contest. Hales, CloughT and Bev all benefited but couldn’t quite find the main gap. Despite a brilliant smother Tinker’s opposite number goaled, but CloughT put us back in front when he climbed over Stewie, which meant he was up there, to grab a long bomb from his brother, and goaled. We had nine goal kickers for our thirteen. Four points up at the break. Broadie 13 10 to Labrador 13 6.

The tiges were worried. All the pundits had them winning comfortably and we were up going into the last. Jarrod Field, well known Broadie under 18 premiership coach in 1999, shunned his supporters and took the tiger mob well away from the huddle spot. Their intentions were clear when Hales was collected fairly just off the ball. We had our chances. CloughyT, Stewie and Chook all scored behinds while Fifey fell short off a 1 stepper. We went to a 6 point lead after JD scored another from a pressure mark from a kick-in. Knobel was now down back. The ying and yang of football ensured that they had their chances also. The day, the surface and our intensity had taken its toll. Errors in ball handling and hitting targets started to emerge, and off a short pass kick-in we let them in for a goal. One point up. The tiges started peppering their goal line. JD and Webby were magnificent but the tiges picked up 7 behinds to our one to go to a 5 point lead with 1 min to go. Unfortunately a 50m penalty to Knobel hurt us and after a goalless quarter we fell short by one. Labrador 14 14 def Broadbeach 13 14

Goals: 2 each to Stewart, CloughR, Goedheer and Declan, and one to each of CloughT, Spackman, Zorko, Haley and Russell.

Best: Russell, Zorko, Walters, Fife, Lyons and Webster

One round to go against Mt Gravatt. Their seniors have to win to make the finals, our aim to stop ‘em.

Magoos
We lined up knowing that a win would cement us in the finals and keep a lid on the flag. We had the usual seven or so changes in the lineup including some kids whose empty Farax jars gave some indication to their ages. The lesson from the day was 4 quarters are needed against the better sides.

Twinny Hansen went down for the count at the first bounce but in Cat spirit got up to put in a good game. Swinger exerted his presence from the start and the spleenless one benefited to slipper our first and it appeared we had jumped them when Travis Johnson goaled after a twisting/turning assist from the Dick. Twinny showed he had all his marbles winning the centre clearance to enable Barlo to mark and feed off to Johno for his second. Three up on ‘em in quick smart time. After some ugly football they had several forays inside their 50 and racked up a couple in response. Dick was roaming everywhere and McGuire was stout down back. Greeny was handed the nut by Swinger but hit the post and it took older heads in Skrin and Zim to notch our fourth. At quarter time we led 4 4 to 2 2 against the ladder leaders and with our line up at the bounce of Barlo, Ash Palmer, Swinger and Skrinner, all senior reps this season, and we had high hopes.

The tiges were quick to even the game up, and more. Four on the board in three and a half minutes. We had contributors in Twinny, Ash, Hamish, Swinger, Johno and Matty Barrett did us proud in the tackling stakes, but a couple of 50m penalties (maybe we need to stop the back chat – clearly the referees have a low tolerance for any sort of enquiry), and a line ball holding-the-ball decision gave ‘em another couple. After 9 minutes they had added eight. The Dogmeister, Twinny and SOS Christie, with two efforts, found Johno whose kick in was marked by Swinger for a much needed and only goal for the stanza. Apart from a clever Dick centre clearance, which found him baulking and twisting while exchanging the agate three times with teammates, then unfortunately running out of energy to score the goal his play deserved, it was the tiges who stood up and challenged us to knock them off the top of the pedestal. The tiges finished with a ten goal two quarter, all from close in shots, and led comfortably 12 4 to 5 4 at the long break.

Two minutes in and 2 goals to them, then another two, and we were looking for a mercy rule. But fortunately our blokes on the deck are made of sterner stuff. Johno brought the ball to ground and Swinger finished off. Ash, who earlier should have maybe passed off, kicked inaccurately. He made up for it after Joey Arnold had put in a second effort to retrieve a pass from the Dick. Joey and Ash combined once more to goal after a Daicos Barrett assist. Barlo missed a set shot from the boundary and SOS made a great smother on the designated kicker to force a turn over and another opportunity to Barlo registered 6 points. Two more came: one off Daicos Barrett’s foot after he sharked a Dick spill, and a third to Ash assisted by Swinger. Three quarter time: Labrador 18 7 to Broady 11 6. Even stevens, 6 goals each for the quarter.

We maintained our efforts during the last period and matched the competition leaders again. Joey Arnold kept up his ball magnetism and at one stage was crunched after the play and Ash missed the resulting down field shot. Our goal came from a great Dick gather, a smart pass to Ash and a loooooong, loooooooong handball to Skrin who finished the deed. The lesson was learned: we can match it with anyone if we put in four quarters and we still have a lid on it. Final Score Labrador 20 11 def Broadbeach 12 6

Goals: Palmer 3, Edwards, Johnson and Zimmer 2 each, and 1 each to Barrett, Skrinis and Barling.

Best: Dick, Johnson, Edwards, Barling, Skrinis and Hansen

Next week to Mt Gravatt where a win will ensure finals participation rather than relying on superior percentage. Unfortunately that hard Dick was reported for striking in the first stanza and word is, will accept a one week holiday. Must be “footy record” karma.

Under 18s

Report not yet in but we believe that after a couple of points lead at half time, the boys won reasonably comfortably in what was described by a jubilant club president as "...one of the best under 18 games seen..."  

Last Modified on 17/08/2009 16:08