Fitzroy Junior Football Club Under 10 Team 1 Gold 2015: Round 4

Fitzroy’s contest against the well drilled, confident and experienced Canterbury side was an absolute cracker of a game and one that won’t easily be forgotten. Fitzroy started one player down, with key play-maker Jack, being unwell. The team welcomed back the ever skillful Jules Pellegrino however. The pre-game warm-up was crisp and with a sense of self-assurance, following the previous week's commanding win. John’s message to the boys was ‘focus, focus and encourage’ and he asked the boys to not be intimidated by the confidence of their opposition. Back on the rooms, the importance of clocking up the 1%’ers was emphasized. Gerry explained that the 1%’ers were often the little things to influence the game, with the assists and shepherds as important as a kick or a handball. John urged the boys to create space and to run if they couldn't get the ball and to help and support each other as a team. Co-captains, Josh and Yianni, stepped out to win the toss and then led the team out onto the field in near perfect playing conditions. Within seconds of Dom winning the tap-out, it become clear that this was going to be a tough, hard fought contest. Joel and Will were in the action early,with Will showing that there would be no easy goals for Canterbury with some impressive work in the backline. Kyle and Noah Cameroux were tackling hard and Sam Clarke took his first mark of the day. Alex won the ball following a one-on-one contest with his opponent and then kicked the ball forward (the beginning of what was to be an outstanding performance from him). Mason was fighting hard for the ball in the packs and Tom Ward got the first of his many kicks for the day. From the coaching area, Scott was praising the boys for their ‘positive talking’ and teamwork. Stanley took an impressive mark on the wing and Jules and Sam Ward were all class as they made opportunities for the team, seemingly clearing the ball with ease. The tackling by both teams was ferocious and clean possessions hard to come by. Despite this and against the odds, Kyle and Tom Ward paired to bring the ball down the ground. Yianni gained possession and handballed to Laird, who bounced once and then stunned the opposition by kicking the first goal of the game. Following the center bounce, Canterbury took the ball forward, desperate to score a second goal for the quarter, only to be thwarted by Noah Dekker, miserly in defense and giving nothing away. At the end of the first quarter the scores were level (clearly not a scoreline the opposition was expecting). In his address to the team, John thanked the efforts of the boys in going in to get the ball and Paul stressed the importance of playing in front in the contests. Max’s efforts were praised. Gerry outlined the boys were performing well in terms of their key performance indicators (1%’ers pairing etc). The second quarter started with Josh gaining possession of the ball and kicking the ball deep in the forward line. John called out to the boys to ‘build the wall’ and keep the ball within scoring distance. The intense pressure applied by Joe, Josh and Leo saw Joe being awarded a free kick in the forward pocket. Calm and focused (and ignoring the noise from the opposition), he lined up and kicked his first goal Fitzroy. His teammates rushed up to congratulate him. Assisting in the following center clearance, Darcy was increasing his work-rate, seemingly everywhere, gaining possession and creating opportunities. In a determined passage of play, he used his superior speed to run his opponent down, tackle him and gain possession of the ball. Also working hard, Josh was teaming well with Sam Ward and brought down his opponent with a bone-rattling tackle. Alex was impressive on the half forward flank, tackling hard and working the ball from the packs. The contrast between his calm, determined demeanor and the frustration of his opponent was telling, demonstrating clearly who the more effective player was. Shortly after Alex marked at an angle in front of goal and kicked for goal, unlucky to miss. Laird was having a great quarter, taking an superb contested overhead mark on the forward pocket. Lucas and Lachie were working hard to get the ball out of the packs and the ruck team of Dom, Joel and Max were outstanding, winning most of their contests against their taller opponents (as well as providing strong support around the ground). At half time, scores were close to level and the boys ran into the rooms, excited and full of confidence about how well they were playing. Gerry outlined that the key statistics were down a little for the quarter but were still very strong and John praised the boys for their focus and intensity in getting the ball. By being tough and hard at the ball, he explained that they were ‘getting into their opponents heads’ and they were getting free kicks because they were playing in front. Joel, Will and Noah Dekker were praised for their determined efforts, typifying the performance of the whole team. John mentioned how pleased he was that a number of players had rushed up to congratulate Joe on his first ever goal. Overall the first half had been a ‘really super, impressive effort’. The third quarter started with Canterbury playing with renewed intensity and Fitzroy proving a little slow to flood their backline. Josh was throwing himself into the packs and as was perhaps inevitable, received a heavy knock. Whilst injured and in true captains style, he resisted efforts to lead him from the ground and played on, not wanting to let his team down. Also leading by example, Darcy was getting the ball all over the ground and Tom Ward was demonstrating what a ripping player he’s become, with countless marks, kicks and contested plays for the game. Lachie was putting in a mighty performance at full back, with first, second, third attempts to get the ball and clear it. Darcy took an amazing contested mark and Yianni, heavily winded in a contested play, courageously took his free kick and propelled the ball forward. Demonstrating impressive leadership, he was soon back into the fray, breaking apart the packs like ‘Plugger’ Lockett incarnate. It was proving to be a very hard fought contest but the Fitzroy boys were not intimidated. Noah Cameroux was impressive on the wing, winning the ball in defense and moving it forward, before coming off the field injured. Unfazed by numbers, Leo took on two opponents to try and win the ball. At the end of the third quarter, scores were still close, with only a goal in it. In his address to the team, John told them that Canterbury had played their very best players that quarter and thrown everything into the contest, but still hadn't managed to gain a clear advantage. He praised Max and Tom Markham for their desperation at the ball and urged all the boys to keep up their intensity. The final quarter was possibly the best of Alex’s playing career (so far). Playing in the forward line, he was everywhere, getting kicks, winning the ball from the packs, tackling and dominating with his high work rate. It was an awesome performance that impressed everyone, both on the field and on the sidelines. Stanley was being the consummate play maker as always and Darcy went for a dashing run with the ball on the wing. Tom Markham and Leo were fearless in the packs, with Leo coming off the ground injured late in the game. With the boys tiring, the Canterbury team obtained the advantage in the final quarter. After the game, the Canterbury coach praised the Fitzroy boys, saying that this had been his teams ‘toughest game by a country mile’ and that prior to this game, his team had won every game easily. Back in the rooms, John told the boys that they should be proud of the fierce determination and concentration they’d shown for four quarters. They’d had a ‘red hot go against a really good side’. He counselled them to feel the disappointment but to use this strengthen their desire to improve their skills and performance as a team. The two Noah’s were awarded the footy cards for their intensity all day – a really excellent performance. Gerry outlined that the team had continued to improve each week in terms of their KPIs and should continue to do so. The Fitzroy boys left the ground, tired and sore but justifiably proud of their courage and with a new sense of confidence that they could match the best sides in the competition.

Quarter-by-quarter scores were:

1.0.6 - 1.0.6;

1.2.14 - 1.3.15;

0.0.14 - 1.1.22;

0.1.15 - 1.1.29

Goalkickers:

Laird 1

Joe 1