Round Two: Hailebury at the BSO

[DERRINALPHIL]

We trounced this mob last year while I was in Darwin, having a beer, watching the Darwin Cricket club play at Carlin Oval. Young Pete, back here in Melbourne, was sending me photos of everyone at the ground under brollies while I was soaking up the sunshine.

Ins and outs? Rory comes back in, if fit, and I thought Roscoe looked the goods in the Twos. Parko?

What do people think?

Will be a bit late for the lunch as I have a late 'endo".

 

[Roysforever]

After our free flowing running game last week the constant rain over recent days wouldn't be doing us any favours. Nonetheless if the game proves a dour affair I anticipate the taller Dan Bisetto to prove the difference and see us home.

 

[3KZ is Football]

RESULT will say today was a DRAW, but we choked in the last quarter, giving up a 15 point 3/4 time lead. Roy's had the best Hailebury for most of the afternoon but in the last quarter, they appeared to be trying to save the game rather than win it and this approach usually ends in tears. Just as they had done at the start of the third quarter, FITZROY needed to counter attack when Hailebury started to get a run on in the last. There can be no doubting that the boys tried their guts out all day and right up to the final siren they were throwing themselves at the ball and showing enormous courage, they just lacked a little composure.

On the upside, we are still undefeated.

Crowd was great at the Brunswick St. Oval and while there was a bit of a flat feeling when the siren sounded, the boys were applauded off the oval, as they should have been. This is a special group of players and they will learn from today.

 

[DERRINALPHIL]

Hung, Drawn, and Quartered​

What a match we had down at the BSO yesterday. Neville Cardus, regarded as the greatest cricket writer of all time, complained many times that people spend their time at a cricket match watching the scoreboard, rather than watching, and appreciating the contest unfolding out on the field. Cricket is a much more individual game than footy but the same could be said of footy fans. The mood after the match was one of disappointment, about the result, and anger, about some late-in- the-match umpiring decisions.

While the Roys played out a draw, most wanted to hang the umpires. Several years ago I decided that many spectators, at a footy match, spend more time waiting and watching for the umpires decisions than watching the scoreboard or appreciating the contest put on for their enjoyment. The only thing I will say about the umpires was Kip, the goal umpire who wasn’t our good friend Pat, umpired his 350th game. Well done Kip, and the Tram Conductors only found out about the milestone after the match so we did not recognise your achievement. You will get three cheers next time you are in front of us.

The day started out well. I had a late ‘endo’ that kept me usefully employed and we had our first lunch of the year. I avoided the food (had a Karin hot dog) but could not avoid a description of our four year strategic plan. Recruiting a ruckman would be my major objective, because we got killed in the ruck and murdered in the pack clearances for the second week in a row.

There was a breeze blowing to the Brunswick Street end but both teams were able to score reasonably easily against it. Haileybury wasted it in the first quarter, having most of the play, but our defence stood up as it has for the last two years. Greenie, who finished third in the Best and Fairest last year, is about to resume and Parko, our centre half back, had his second game in the Twos and should be back it the seniors. Matty Kyroussis has ‘found himself’ playing on a back flank and a new player, Leman, has had two good games in a row. Our back line is starting to ‘look the goods’.

Daniel Bisetto missed this week and last year this would be a catastrophe. We struggled to score ten goals a match last year, and when Pickers missed a game, we would struggle to score five goals. We look so much a better team this year and we are actually in the B Grade Final Four for the first time. I wonder if we are in the top ten Ammos sides?

We went in at half time four goals up which reflected our greater forward potency. Haileybury had more of the play but three late goals gave us a break that most thought would be decisive. Haileybury came out ‘firing on all cylinders’, scoring the first four goals of the third quarter to hit the front but we answered with four of our own. The first one was a long goal into the breeze by Won’t He Fenton. It was a crucial goal, that needed to be kicked, and would have been missed last year. Last year we did not have any self-belief and our confidence when kicking for goal, was as brittle as an over cooked pappadam.

Won’t He has played in A Grade grand finals and this showed in the last quarter when he willed us, not over the line, but up to it. His efforts in the last quarter were simply magnificent and why he went off for a rest???? I hate the interchange system. We were fifteen points up at three quarter time, kicking with the breeze and all thought a big win was coming up so what happened in the last quarter?

B Grade footy is top level football. A small drop off in effort against any of the teams will lose you a game. Our defence, in the last quarter, became static. I cannot remember one ‘switch-of-play’. ‘Handball receives’, the best measurements of ‘gut busting’ run, were down to ‘billy oh’. We played the last twenty minutes ‘under the pump’ which meant mistakes were magnified. Dalts dropped a mark he should have taken but they were ‘swarming around the spillage’ and scored another goal. They had more players at ‘the fall of the ball’. We missed a few goals that would have won us the game but really a draw was a fitting result for the game.

Baker, senior, played well again but faded, as everyone did, in the last quarter. Sticky Marshall (his tackles always ‘stick’) had his best game for the seniors. Toby was a ‘tower of strength’ down back and I am really enjoying all these clichés.

We have a rest next week before the big game against Uni Blues. We have loads of good players to come back in, a point made by Pickers at his address at the lunch before the game. Our centre half forward and back will return for a start. Rory was only half fit and should be ‘straining at the bit’ come our date at Melbourne University Oval. Tommy Cheshire and Will (He Get a Hair Cut) Johnson will resume in the Twos. Greenie back and we have a ‘deep’ list.

A point for you all to think about over the break. Uni Blacks and Blues kicked us off the main uni oval. If we beat Blues, off they go and we should resume playing at Uni. Blues can go and play at Ramsden Street!!!

Go the Redders.

 

[By George!111]

Of “..the flannelled fools… or muddied oafs…”; and those fooled by FlimFlammery

I was reminded of Rudyard Kipling’s exaggerated description of cricketers and rugby/football players, as headlined above, by our favourite fang man, ‘fabulous’ Phil, referencing cricket and then umpires in his weekly report. Exaggeration is a human foible.

Let me start by giving an example of recent exaggeration. On last Friday night every Australian news source was warning of the apocalyptic storm that was about to besiege far northern Queensland. One had to channel surf to avoid the special bulletins casting their prognostications through cub reporters desperate to have themselves drenched and their hair wind tossed in the heavy sea gale occurring up from the coast of Cairns. At one point I inadvertently tuned into Rage being hosted by an aged Aussie band I had not heard of - the Scientists ; I immediately kept surfing fearful that they too would have BOM pretensions and predict the future of the planet 400 years or more hence and possibly pinpoint the end of the world as we know it- after all its an industry now and this country is at the coalface- by having many not wanting to be at the coalface.

On Saturday morning if I had survived the second antediluvian it would be a monte that some of those cub reporters would be atop Mt Kosiuosko seeking an exclusive with Rusty Crowe whom they would sycophantically truly believe was the reincarnation of Noe (Noah) the veteran veterinarian.

Umpiring is a thankless but necessary ingredient of our great game. They are the only ones on the field during game time receiving remuneration in the Amateur game. Presumably they are paid to get it right. ‘Fabulous’, I respectfully aver, is wrong in his toady and exaggerated clapping of umpires on and of the field; his cricket umpiring affiliations see him unable to brook even reasonable umpiring commentary. Wellsy his mate from Richmond CC, fellow Tramconductor and good ol’ boy, is more big picture and his vision and natural diplomacy will hopefully see him have a role in the World Cricket Cup coming up next year.

To get a considered analysis one must start with the numbers. After game I stated that the frees for in the last quarter on my estimation were 11v 3 in favour of Haileybury. This was wrong; the replay shows it to be 14 (2ootf) v 4 in favour of Haileybury. So as not to fall foul of subjective opinion on this I had the opportunity to speak to Sibylline wiser Fitzroy heads who in very measured and temperate comments felt certain pressures eg fatigue, blindside positioning etc may have seen what others may exaggeratedly have perceived as the team being “thumpired”. Surely there is room for cool considered analysis of all on ground performances-after all the players are subject to such scrutiny. Nonetheless there is no room for confrontational disputation with umpires.

For this reason I believe Gabrielle our Umpires Escort and Club Director Anita Roper should have shared the 1%er award on Saturday night for their deft shepherding of the officials past minor pockets of supporters vocally exhibiting feigned or exaggerated disappointment and feelings of dashed expectations. A draw all said and done avoids Kipling’s imposters both- victory and defeat. An Honourable Mention also to Stewart who maintains our webpage and his son who manned the scoreboard after they both travelled down from Donald for the President’s luncheon. Our new media chief Emily Andersen and Stewart conferred on integrating all the various information platforms and this means we are in store for even more exiting innovations on the multi media front.

Ah! the football . Phil got it mostly covered but I believe the two Maxes –Allen and Ellis have played well both weeks and Michael Racovalis has plundered many kicks from opposing ruckman knockouts also in both games. Nick Marshall is beginning to run and bounce the ball ; when he really takes them on it will be a thing of beauty to behold. Leman , Stevic and Munro will prove to be good acquisitions. Hardy perennials Dom Pound Palmieri , Dylan Patcas and 'Wild Bill' Pickering (2goals 5 on Saturday) have shown encouraging glimpses of a solid early season build.

To Roysforever that happy old boy you saw fall over the log whilst marking Jack Dalton’s goal kick at St Kevin’s is recovering slowly. I see him daily. He was muttering some name like ‘Sue Stonnington’ repeatedly after the fall but has seemingly settled down, not that we would want to show him any sympathy- exaggerated or otherwise.

The prediction
The team that plays Uni Blues 4 times this season will be in Premier Division next year; we get our first shot next game.
Go Roys.

 

[DERRINALPHIL]

I reckon we gave away many free kicks in the last quarter as they had the ball and we didn't. I have not thought of this before but it should be reasonably easy to find out free kicks won by a tackle and free kicks given away by a tackle. I may take some stats on this but I am sure it will favour the players with the ball.

Racca was off injured and he has been very important in our first two games as he provides a 'big body' around the packs. We needed him late in the game.

Loved the 1% for Anita but I have just realised that I will miss the Uni game. Pete plays his first game for Knox hockey club in their first and I will be out at Knox. I will try to make the last quarter.

 

[DERRINALPHIL]

Had a thought while listening to some early Mozart Symphonies: the team that plays us four times will be in A Grade next year. Uni Blues (soon to be the Ramsden Street Blues) get their first shot next game.

 

[Roysforever]

After our free flowing running game last week the constant rain over recent days wouldn't be doing us any favours. Nonetheless if the game proves a dour affair I anticipate the taller Dan Bisetto to prove the difference and see us home.

If I may belatedly add my two cents it must be mentioned I inadvertently tipped the draw. Bisetto's late withdraw ultimately meant there would be no difference between the sides.

The vast crowd were indeed flat by the end of the game. I think that naturally comes with expectation. After a standout performance to open the season against St Kevins, and being the match frontrunners during the afternoon, it was a shock to only fall in for a draw. Perhaps the strange scoring sequence affected the crowd's mood. Afterall from midway during the second quarter the goal sequence encompassed: Fitzroy four in a row followed by Haileybury five in a row, Fitzroy another four in a row before Haileybury booting the final three majors. At several points it seemed the Roys would march away, but it just didn't eventuate.

Can I propose rather then feeling doom and gloom about the last quarter performance we should welcome it as a reflection of just how much the side has improved over twelve months. In the past constant backline pressure coupled with a lack of attacking penetration would be standout indicators for a flogging. Conversely on this occasion the team only conceded three goals (from four scoring shots) during the entire fourth quarter. Is that such a bad scoreboard result?