MATCH REPORT

Roy Dore Reserve greeted us with near perfect conditions for football. Warm and sunny, but with an unpredictable swirly wind that would prove to be a thorn for both sides.

The game started off well enough. Pinga was dominant in the ruck, and ably supported by the midfielders. Our clearance rate was high, but Carrum's defence held their ground and repelled. The game ebbed and flowed like basketball, with Carrum making most of their opportunities and pulling away to a 3.6 to 1.8 lead. Carrum's Joe was again the difference up forward, and if it wasn't for Rib's great work we would have had a much larger deficit. Marky S was our solitary goal kicker.

The second half was much better for us. We started to get the ball moving in the way that we know we can, with some inspiring passages of play going forward. Goals to Mitch and Seal kept us somewhat in it, but Carrum reacted better to the conditions and continued to pull away.

With the game seemingly out of our grasp, to their great credit the boys rallied and fought back. We had the wind this quarter and made the most of it. Goals to Mitch, Rev, Marky S and Sammy closed the gap. A couple of other shots could easily have gone the other way, and it was clear the Warriors had belief in themselves and their teammates and ran the game right to the end. With a final score of 10.12 to 7.12 reflecting the blustery conditions, the end result was closer than Carrum would have liked.

We had a few players playing in unfamiliar positions, so I expect we will only improve. Mentions to Rev and Damo on the wings, Geelong in the mid, Mitch up forward and Ribs first game for us. Everyone else  also put in solid performances, so overall not a disaster and we will be better for the outing. Special mention to Eddie who as we all know is as hard as a cats head.

Goals : Marky S 2, Mitch 2, Rev, Sammy, Seal

Bests : Pinga, Sammy, Geelong, Ribs, Seal, Vinnie, Mick W

Report By Coach Marko