News

Courtesy Casey FM 3SER 97.7
Reported by Anthony Brady

In round five of the TRUenergy Victorian Football League season, the Berwick Lodge Primary School Casey Radio 97.7FM 3SER team headed north of Melbourne, to the suburb of Preston, to see Port Melbourne down the Northern Bullants by 34 points on Sunday.

In a wildly fluctuating match, the Borough got home with a five goal final term to win 15.12.102 to 10.8.68.

A very sunny day greeted players at NAB Oval, with not a breath of wind to speak of. A fairly healthy crowd of between 1500-2000 were in attendance to cheer on these long-time VFA/VFL rivals.

Things weren't going right for the 'Ants even before the first bounce, when they lost first-choice Carlton-listed ruckman Dylan McLaren to a right ankle injury. The injury happened so soon before the first bounce, that they were unable to bring in an extra player, and thus started with just three on the bench.

The reserves set the scene for a big main match, as a fiery box-on ended a thrilling five-point away win for the Borough.

In the seniors, the toss was won by Port captain Chris Obst, who elected to kick to the city end of the ground.

The ground's condition, while still not perfect, was in much-improved condition, after the Bullants round one game had to be moved to MC Labour Park due to NAB Oval not being up to standard.

The game began in blistering fashion, both teams using the corridor with long, efficient disposal, and not too many stoppages occurring, the first, not from the result of a goal, didn't occur unti the 20-minute mark of the term.

While Port wer also depleted in the ruck, losing David Fanning during the week to a broken hand for five weeks, their stand-in rucks of Rhys Bloomfield and Adrian Bonaddio were acquitting themselves well, and midfielders such as David Spriggs and dual Liston medallist David Robbins were gathering plenty of the ball.

The Bullants maintained touch, however, going into the first break six points behind thanks to some industrious midfield work from hard-nuts Frankie Raso and Victor Siciliano.

At the quarter-time break, Port coach Saade Ghazi was happy with how his team had acquitted themselves early on, and stressed to continue to be accountable for each of their opponents, and continue to use the ball through the central corridor.

The second term was dominated by Port. Play slowed up somewhat, and the Bullants became guilty of over-using the ball with short chips backwards and sideways, and chains of handballs, that only served to get them into further trouble and create more pressure.

The Borough were working hard, through such players as the 65-kilogram speed machine Robin Nahas, and John Baird patrolling things in the defensive half, the Borough booted three goals for the term to the Bullants none to go in at half-time with a sizeable 25-point break.

Not only were the Bullants down on the scoreboard, they were also rapidly losing personnel. Key forward playmaker Josh Houlihan suffered a big head knock during the second term and was forced from the field for a short while; David Teague left the field and went straight to the rooms with his right hand heavily iced, he showered and changed and left the ground soon after, indicating he may have had to head to hospital; and, young Carlton playmaker Jake Edwards suffered a leg injury, which saw him return on crutches, not taking any further part in the game.

It was a completely different Bullants team that returned to the field for the second half, they ran the lines beautifully, moved the ball on much more quickly, and gave their tall-marking forwards in Digby Morrell and Jordan Bannister a chance one-out with their opponents, rather than being double- and triple-teamed due to slow ball movement up the field.

The rejuvenated Houlihan was also doing great work, crumbing off the packs beautifully and snapping a couple of timely goals to help the Bullants kick seven goals for the quarter and draw level with Port for the first time since the first quarter. A late Borough behind saw them take a one-point lead into the final term.

With the scene set for an enthralling final term, Bullants coach Barry Mitchell drove home the big opportunity which lay before his troops, issuing them with the instructions to keep ball-movement flowing, make sure they pay particular attention to Borough running machine Nahas, players shouldn't be afraid to use the wings if they had to, but just to ensure they got the ball moving, and not became stagnant and pressurised like the team did in the second term.

The only real worry the Bullants had was that they were down to just one man on the bench, which they mainly used to rotate the tall ruckman in Shaun Hampson, Aisake O'hAilpin and Matthew Duggan.

Whatever it was that Borough coach Ghazi told his players at three-quarter time, it worked a treat. Their ruckman gave first usage to the midfielders, who ran the lines beautifully and gave hard-leading forwards such as Jeremy Dukes and Matthew Pearce great lace-out passes. Pearce had been terrific all day, and capped off his performance with two last quarter goals, the same as the highly-talented Dukes, while the Borough defence kept the Bullants goalless in the final term, to record a stirring 34-point victory over one of last season's glamour teams in the VFL.

The Bullants fans weren't at all happy, and some had a verbal stoush late in the game with Port playmaker Robbins. Then, after the game the Bullants came into a huddle at half-forward at the city end of the ground, for an on-field meeting. Then, as they were talking off the field and up into the rooms, a particularly vocal supporter had a short-but-heated argument with Bullant veteran Morrell.

In an interview after the game, coach Ghazi commented how close-knit the Borough group were, being stand-alone and the players all getting to train together three nights a week, which provided some sort of advantage over the AFL-aligned clubs, who were separated for the majority of each week.

Better players for the Borough included: Baird, who was resolute across the half-back line, working diligently at providing a contest on the Bullant forwards, and running the ball out of the defensive 50-metre arc beautifully on many occasions; Nahas, whose pace was electric around the midfield, his disposal can let him down sometimes, but more often than not, he was pumping the ball into the Borough forward line quickly and directly, and giving the Borough forwards a real chance to take marks directly in front of goal, he also chimed in with two excellent goals; Luke Livingston, the former Blue and Bullant returned to his old stomping ground in grand fashion, providing a great contest on the last line of defence, and running the ball out effectively and fluently on many occasions; Smith, who was a tower of strength up forward for most of the day, taking strong over-head grabs and leading hard and straight, he finished with four well-deserved goals for the match; captain Obst, who led from the front backwards-of-centre, working hard to win contested balls and burrow in-and-under packs to give the Borough first usage; and, Julian Rowe, who was sensational running up and down the wings and propelling the Borough into attack with meaningful and fluent disposals on many occasions.

For the Bullants, their better players included: Josh Vansittart, who created space and time for himself very well on many occasions with deft and agile movements on his various Borough opponents, he ran the lines well and provided some good, long-raking kicks into the forward 50 arc for the Borough; Adam Iacobucci, who was singled out for praise at three-quarter time by coach Mitchelle for his burrowing in-and-under work and the way he fought hard to win first usage for the Bullants; Bannister, who presented well as a roaming half-forward flanker, nailing a couple of long-range goals and could have had a few more with a bit of luck, he worked hard all day to provide a really good over-head marking target up forward for the 'Ants; Houlihan, who was very productive after returning to the field from his injury, he crumbed well and provided a good target up forward, working hard and using his good goalkicking nous to exception; O'hAilpin, who is showing increasing maturity as a footballer as his deft passes from defence prove, he runs very well for someone 201 centimetres tall, and he used his agility and fitness to the best of his ability; and, veteran Raso, who showed he can still cut it at VFL level with a terrific game, winning many contested balls and working hard to push the ball forward for the Bullants on many occasions.

The quarter-by-quarter scores and goalkickers for this match are as follows:

Port Melbourne        4.2  7.4  10.7  15.12-102
Northern Bullants 3.2  3.3  10.6      10.8-68

Northern Bullants goalkickers: J. Houlihan 3, D. Morrell 2, J. Bannister 2,
J. Edwards, A. Iacobucci, S. Hampson.

Port Melbourne goalkickers: M. Smith 4, A. Bonaddio 2, J. Dukes 2, R. Nahas
2, J. Rowe 2, T. Hazell, S. Brewer, L. Cotchett.

Next weekend for these two teams sees both in action in Saturday, the Bullants travel to Box Hill City Oval to take on the Hawks in the ABC TV game, while Port Melbourne host North Ballarat at TEAC Oval.

In other round five results in the TRUenergy VFL for season 2007, and in the early televised game on Saturday, Geelong continued on their merry way, travelling across the bay to Casey Fields and rolling the Scorpions by 81 points; also in Saturday action, Box Hill scored their first win of the season with a stirring 13-point victory over Tasmania down in the Apple Isle; on Sunday, Werribee also notched their first win of the season, a welcome return to form in disposing of North Ballarat by an even 100 points at AUSTAR Arena in Ballarat; Williamstown scraped home by three points over a much-improved Bendigo at Burbank Oval; and, reigning premier Sandringham kept their unbeaten record intact by defeating Frankston by 24 points at Kars Street Oval in Frankston. Coburg had the bye.

The ladder as it stands at the end of round five in the VFL sees the undefeated Sandringham remain on top on 20 points, followed by Geelong (16 points), Port Melbourne (14), Coburg (12), Williamstown (12), Frankston (eight), Northern Bullants (eight), and rounding out the top eight is North Ballarat on eight points. Then comes Casey (six), Werribee (four), Bendigo (four), Tasmania (four) and Box Hill (four) remain rooted to the bottom.

In round six of the TRUenergy VFL for season 2007, thanks to Berwick Lodge Primary School, the Casey Radio 97.7FM 3SER team will either be heading way out west to Bartercard Oval in Werribee, to see the game between the Tigers and the Tasmania Devils, or, if our gear is unable to work there, we'll instead be doing the game from TEAC Oval between Port Melbourne and North Ballarat on Saturday. Join myself, Kain Pollard, boundary rider "Fabulous" Phil Pearce, Tristan Foenander and the rest of the team live at 1.45pm for what should be a great call.