The Obturation of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
We all knew the starting point of the match at Central Reserve: Fitroy, two wins, two losses and a draw. The Oblates of Mary Immaculate (Mazenod); one win and four losses. Fitzroy looking to play finals while Mazenod are looking at going straight back down to C Grade.
Can I let you into a secret? I do not like Mazenod. We never beat them out there, once again one of their players was sent from the ground for a hit off the ball and their supporters; well it is the only amateur ground where the home supporters come down to the away side’s goals and bait the visitors.
Our season up to now has been only a pass effort but we have played five of the top six sides so now is the time we need to bank some wins. Like last year we score too few. The forwards get a ‘c minus’ so far, a bare pass. Just look at the last three weeks: six goals, six goals and six goals, which reminds me of last year, early on, when we played our hearts out but rarely troubled the scorers.
Mazenod have a new ground that they share with the Richmond Cricket Club so the minute I arrived I went to check out the canteen. They serve the tea in paper cups, which I dislike, but they are big paper cups which I do like. The sausage rolls were done to perfection and early on we were obturating the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate to perfection. They had no space to move in. Any endodontist in the crowd will know what I mean. The pressure applied all over the field, and, especially by the forwards, meant we rattled on six goals to none in the first quarter. We were with a four goal breeze but it was the best quarter we have had in B Grade.
A few examples: Pickers, on the way to five goals for the day, hit the ruck contest hard, gathered the loose ball at ground level and ‘tiptoed through the tulips’ to manufacture a goal out of nothing. A tremendous second effort by Daniel B (look it up on VAFA TV) snagged us another sausage roll and Rory, from a ‘end to end kick in’ after a Mazenod behind, kicked their behinds with a cheap goal.
The second quarter opened like the first; we were constantly attacking and at one stage we led, seven eight to zero two. Dalts kicked a point or two, taking his number of points kicked in a row to nine but we were killing them. How good was this and we were all thinking percentage.
They then dominated the next two quarters and while we went in at three quarter time four goals up, we were into the breeze for the last quarter. The game was on the line so what happened? We lost multiple centre clearances which has been a problem at times this year. I would like to see the stats on this and see which players are in the centre square when we win or lose the clearance. We had not hermetically sealed (ask an endodontist) the Mazenod back line. They had placed an extra defender behind the ball at centre half back which is like when you miss a canal while root filling a tooth. You may obturate the others well but the endo will still leak. Our forwards were not leading up to the ball, leaving this defender alone to take several marks. Our forward line was leaking the ball, allowing Mazenod to run and carry the ball forward.
At the start of the last quarter Rory and Parko buggered up a simple uncontested mark and the spillage fell to a Mazenod player who snapped truly. They had kicked seven four to our two four and they were with the breeze. We looked in trouble but Daniel B, playing a commanding last quarter, provided our answer: a contested mark and kicked a long goal, another Daniel B mark, a lay off, and Dom was on the end of it.
We ran out easy winners in the end but it was a hard way to get there. We scored ninety nine points for the day, which is the most we have ever scored in B grade. It was our biggest win in B grade and I must mention two events in the last quarter. Chesh made a supreme effort to get to a contest. He was out numbered two to one, and the ‘fat side’ was completely open. He loses this contest they could score. A perfect tackle, a smother, and a ball up, was a great win to the Roys. Parko, playing on their best forward, left his man and went ‘up field’ to the contest, giving us the essential extra number around the ball. Parko could visualise a win so took a risk, rather than hanging back, playing defensively. Result: easy clearance for the Roys.
Parko, looks to have settled back in at centre half back. Pickers went off with a ‘groin’ but returned to kick a goal late in the game. Matty K continues to impress playing up the field. He was wasted in the forward pocket which brings up a few points that I want to make.
The centre square clearances need to be looked at carefully. Who is in there when we win and lose this essential part of the modern game? I would like to see Cuzzie tried down back for a while (his arm is not seriously hurt) as he was a dominating junior but has not been able to translate this into senior football. He won’t lose many ‘man on man’ contests down there and might become the player we all think he could be. It would give us a tough backline.
My sponsored player, Max Ellis, should be tried up forward. It’s shaping up as an even season so any advantage must be investigated.
We are now fifth on the ladder and a win against Ajax next week puts us in the four (when is the next Maccabi games?) so I will see you all at the BSO next week.
Go the Roys.
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