OLD-FASHIONED FOOTY FUN
about them exist because they are yet to beat a side in the current top five, but they got past St Mary’s on Saturday and the Saints’ form stacks up with the best. Underestimate Bell Park at your peril.
HEAVY rain couldn’t stop some of the best key forwards on Saturday. Jordan Erskine booted a lazy seven for Anglesea against Ocean Grove, while Jarrod Garth kicked six for Drysdale against Portarlington. Sam Nichols also kicked four for Newtown & Chilwell.
IT was great to hear St Joseph’s coach Paul Carson be so transparent about his views of players suiting up for Vic Country. The representative side plays in a fortnight, on the same day Joeys take on Newtown & Chilwell, and four St Joseph’s stars are in the squad. But Carson said he would never stand in the way of his players if they wanted to pull on the Big V, despite the highstakes game against Newtown & Chilwell that could ultimately decide who finishes the season on top of the ladder. Bravo. WHILE the conditions may have pleased some of the footy purists, in reality it was extreme on Saturday. Some of the images and videos sent into the Addy Footy Fix Facebook page on Saturday night were quite extraordinary. They showed grounds, players, umpires and spectators under considerable duress from the heavy rain that lashed the region. Kudos to the steadfast supporters for watching their side, and for the players and umpires too who battled through the icy conditions.
OH how Newcomb would have loved that scalp. Ahead by a goal at halftime against Geelong Amateur, the Power let the lead slip in the third quarter before kicking 2.4 in the final term to fall six points short. It would’ve been a famous win in front of the home supporters.
ST MARY’S has a secondquarter problem. Co-coach Travis Robertson admitted as much on Saturday, saying it’s a “common theme” to have a lapse in the second quarter and a response in the third. The numbers back that up. In second quarters alone in their losses this year, the Saints have kicked just 10 goals compared to a staggering 26 against. In third quarters, their goals kicked rises to a more respectable 19. On Saturday against Bell Park, it was the second term again that proved costly, kicking just 1.1 and conceding 6.4. The third-quarter response followed the trend, getting back into the game with 4.7.
WHILE the Bellarine finals positions are still up for grabs, the GFL top five may be close to being set at the league bye. Despite winning five of their past six, St Mary’s has a very tough run home and is still six points outside the five. South Barwon, too, is six points from fifth place and, although the Swans have a softer finish to the season, playing just three sides currently in the top five, both sides’ tasks to make finals is a tough one. GFL REPORTS: PAGES 28-31 BFL REPORTS: PAGES 32-33