Almanac Country Footy: Avoca Bulldogs v Lexton Tigers – Old foes do battle

 

 

 

 

 

Avoca Bulldogs v Lexton Tigers
Maryborough Castlemaine District Football Netball League
Round 3, 29 April 2023

 

Usually I try to get away to a selected country match a couple of times per season. Combined with a visit to the Pyrenees wineries and a number of other tourist type activities, my first endeavour for 2023 was a visit to the Avoca Public Reserve on Saturday 29^th April to witness the local Avoca Bulldogs (placed 12^th) battle it out with the Lexton Tigers (placed 7^th) in round 3 of the 14-team Maryborough Castlemaine District Football Netball League.

 

Jim Jess, former Richmond great
The most distinguished footballer ever to come out of Avoca.

 

What a day it was. Perfect for footy; no wind, cool, clear blue sky, brilliant sunshine and an oval in wonderful condition. It was the Bulldog’s first real home game of the season. Their first scheduled home game (R1) was played at Princes Park, Maryborough (agst Maryborough Rovers) because of the condition of the Avoca oval and facilities following the effects of the flood damage sustained in October 2022. The flooding of the nearby Avoca River caused the water level to completely cover the oval and peak approximately halfway up the club rooms.

All the club’s assets are currently stored in portable shipping containers. Similarly, containers also serve as change rooms and other portable facilities are in place for toilets and the kitchen.
Led by President Bill Drummond, the committee has worked hard to get the oval to a condition where they are now able to host home games.  Avoca were especially pleased to be able to host Lexton Tigers in R3 as it was not expected the oval and facilities would be available until around mid June.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Avoca’s makeshift facilities served their purpose well.

 

Due to the process of rebuilding the club’s facilities, makeshift cooking arrangements were in place. Pies were not on offer so I was unable to partake of my usual homemade country pie accompanied by a can of beer. To the surprise of the volunteers, the savs had sold out during the first half of the reserves match. There were plenty of solid country sausages available and stupendous hamburgers, but I opted for some excellent steamed dim sims and a very fresh large potato cake.

 

RESERVES

I always like to arrive at a country match in time to witness at least half of the reserves game. I love watching the characters involved in a country reserves game.  Invariably, the players come in all shapes and sizes. Mostly they are a combination of aging ex-senior players who have dropped back to the reserves in the twilight of their playing days, young upcoming players who one day will play in the seniors, those who are there to make up the team and others who will always be happy just to be reserve players.

At Avoca, the reserves match was a one-sided affair with the Tigers running out easy winners by 66 points. The Bulldogs tried hard throughout with the occasional good play, but were simply outclassed on the day by a better Tigers outfit. The Bulldogs regularly turned the ball over with their ball delivery and disposal letting them down constantly.

The Bulldogs may have lost but they didn’t give in and fought it out to the very end.

It was the backline player, 53-year-old Trevor Field’s 649^th game for the Avoca Bulldogs. Trevor plays his 650^th game for the club at home next week (6th May) against Newstead. An outstanding achievement which serves an example of club loyalty and love for the game.

 

Trevor Field is a club legend who is about to play his 650th games for the Avoca FNC

 

SENIORS

After two lamentable losses in the first 2 rounds to Maryborough Rovers (51 points) and 2022 Premiers Harcourt (158 points), the Bulldogs senior players and club supporters were expecting a much better showing against the Tigers on their home turf. They were not disappointed.

I was told that Lexton was the old foe and that the Bulldogs had not beaten them in their last 23 encounters! I was interested to see if the 24^th encounter was a different story. I had sensed among supporters in the town (coffee shop, newsagency, op shop etc.), that there was not a lot of confidence in this happening.

The Bulldogs started the first quarter with a determined flourish. The Bulldog forwards had trouble capitalising on several 50 metre entries and scoring opportunities were wasted. At the other end of the ground the Bulldogs backline was impressive in repelling the constant Tiger forward entries. The quarter was an even affair with scores level at the break – 1.4 (10) each.

I sensed early that a hard fought encounter was to be the order of the day.

 

 

 

The second quarter was a battle of the backlines and a solid tussle from one end of the ground to the other. Again, the Bulldog backs played well and were defiant in defending the constant forward thrusts of the Tigers. Unfortunately, as in the 1^st quarter, the Bulldogs didn’t make the most of their opportunities and let themselves down with some poor ball handling and disposal.  Nevertheless, at the half-time break the Bulldogs led by 5 points and I was beginning to wonder if they might break their losing streak against the old foe.

The Tigers commenced the third quarter with three very good quick goals. They were dominant for much of the quarter with their pace and ball movement through the centre, their creation of the running loose man and their better overall ball use than were the Bulldogs. The Avoca backs once again were resilient in defence but were very stretched under the constant forward pressure of the Tigers. With about 10 minutes remaining a wonderful goal by Logan Hayles invigorated the Bulldogs and they held on well to end the quarter just 13 points down and still in the game.

One could sense the hope and anticipation among the stubby holding and burger consuming Bulldog supporters gathered outside the makeshift club facilities. Could they actually win this game?

The fourth quarter was a tough, hard fought affair. The Tigers were once again able to create the loose man effectively through the centre and across their half forward line. Their better ball handling and disposal troubled the Bulldogs. The Bulldog backs who had defended so well, were now often out marked and showed signs of weariness – but, they never gave up. Two very good Bulldog goals late in the quarter with their ‘Churchillian’ never-give-up desperation, gave their supporters hope, but the Tigers prevailed in a hard and bruising encounter by 10 points. Final score was Lexton 9-13 (67) to Avoca 8-9 (57).

Best: Jaye Farnsworth, Scott Cawthan, Campbell Blair and Byron Wynd.

Goals: Blair Campbell 2, Lachlan Wardlaw 1, Zach Lubeek 1, Byron Wynd 1, Reece Wynd 1, Jaye Farnworth 1 and Logan Hayles 1.

Overall it was a very good and positive result for the Avoca seniors given their R1 and R2 heavy losses, absence of some players through injury, work commitments and the disruption to facilities caused by the flood. It was also a good ‘blooding in’ for a 15-year-old Campbell Blair’s first senior game experience. He kicked 2 nice goals, was among the best players on debut and displayed very good skills and abilities.

 

 

 

 

Despite the difficult circumstances of hosting its first home games for season 2023 with makeshift facilities and services, it was actually a great day for the Avoca Football Netball Club with lots of positives. The loss to the Tigers by the senior team was a gutsy and positive performance and despite being outclassed, the reserves team never stopped trying. Big wins by the Bulldogs’ three junior footy teams and wins on the day by all but two of Avoca’s seven netball teams added to the day’s success.

All in all, it was a wonderful weekend in Avoca. Comfortable accommodation in a friends B&B mud brick cottage, an excellent Friday lunch at the Blue Pyrenees winery accompanied by superb reds, equally excellent pies at the local bakery, exceptional chicken mignons for Friday evening dinner purchased from the local butcher (a strong reserves player) and a great Saturday evening meal at the Avoca pub. An interesting and entertaining tour of the local art gallery and the ‘Barking Owl’ silo art were also highlights.  All on top of an entertaining local footy match – sheer bliss and another back to roots experience for a former country lad.

Mm, where to for my next country footy experience?  Watch this space.

 

 

Note: My thanks to Club President Bill Drummond, Secretary Kylie Coghlan, Gatekeeper, Chris Robinson, the lady running the canteen, the hard working barman and a couple of the Avoca stubby holding burger consuming supporters on the boundary fence for their assistance with information for this piece.

 

 

 

 

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