OM's vanquished by Varsity

Round 6: Saturday, 21 May 2011.

Old Melburnians v University Blues at the Junction Oval (By Lurch).

Seniors.

1st quarter:                        OM                        3.3.21                        UB                        3.2.20           

2^nd quarter:                        OM                        7.8.50                        UB                        5.4.34

3^rd quarter:                        OM                        10.10.70            UB                        10.11.71

Fulltime:                        OM                        12.11.83            UB                        16.14.110

 

Goals: Cam Beck (4), Tom Paule (2), Al Armstrong (1), Karl Lombardozzi (1), Sam Dunell (1), Charlie Gardiner (1), Jeremy Beaumont (1), Tom Davidson (1).

Best: Josh Freezer, Jonno Nash, Michael Davis, Andrew Prowse, Phil Young, Tom Paule.

This game at the Junction was played on a warm spring day with a northerly wind favouring the southern end to which Uni Blues kicked in the first quarter. Charlie Gardiner scored the OMs’ first goal. Cam Beck’s first shot at goal was offline, and Uni responded with a goal before Beck tried again, with style. Running around the NW boundary line with a pack of players, he drilled a goal from the tightest of angles. The OMs went back into attack from the centre bounce, but Uni defended strongly and scored a goal. A long period in attack by the Dark Blues and very scrappy, tight play by both sides resulted in an OM shot at goal which was touched just before the goal line. De Steiger won a hit out just inside 40m, giving Lombardozzi the opportunity to gather the crumbs and drill a goal. It gave the OMs a quarter time lead despite kicking against the wind. Twenty three tackles and other good KPIs showed that the Dark Blues were working hard to get their results.

From the first bounce of the second quarter, the OMs went into attack, with Simon Taylor winning at the centre bounce and the footy coming out to Sam Dunell, but Uni defended and went into attack. The OMs’ defence, led by Andrew Prowse, stood firm, conceding only a point. For much of the quarter thereafter, it was the OMs in attack. It took a long time, however, before Beck snapped out of a pack, watching the ball bounce towards goal, where a teammate and a Uni player waited for the ball with different intentions. The footy was beautifully shepherded through for a thrilling goal. Tom Paule then burst out of a pack on the 40m arc, took a few steps, threw it on the boot, and dobbed a huge goal. A few other great passages of play failed to deliver results on the scoreboard. Paule kicked on the burst around the SW boundary line near the point post, but his great kick was touched on the line. After 21 minutes of play, the officiators invoked the charity rule and gave Uni its first goal of the quarter. The OMs responded by snapping the footy out of a pack from a SE pocket stoppage, with Beck, running away with the ball flying overhead, doing a terrific job to mark it in front of him. He rewarded his effort with a goal. It was 44-27. A monster kick from the centre square gave Tom Davidson an incredible goal. Uni scored a late goal, and the OMs were back in attack as the siren sounded. It had been a real grind of a quarter which had been dominated by the OMs. Prowse led the defence admirably, and Michael Davis had some good runs out of defence and down the western wing. However, for all the OMs’ domination, they failed to capitalise on the scoreboard to the extent they should have done.

The third quarter began well, with Paule running into goal. Less good was a punch on in front of Uni’s goal, 70m away from the play, which resulted in Uni getting a free kick and a goal. Beck responded by running into goal for his fourth and final goal. It became a tense game as Uni goaled to briefly lead 69-64, but from the centre bounce the footy came out, Jeremy Beaumont had a shot at goal, but Al Armstrong marked the kick and slotted a goal to retrieve the lead. Uni’s shot at goal was touched to level the scores at 70 apiece. Prowse took a great defensive mark, but it was Uni which had a shot for goal after the siren, missing, to take a one point lead. It was a lacklustre and very disappointing quarter, as Uni was allowed too much freedom, giving it the opportunity to take the lead.

Only a point down, kicking with the wind, the OMs were in a reasonable position at the start of the fourth quarter. An early shot at goal by the Dark Blues was touched on the line, but Sam Dunell soon had another chance, and his huge kick cleared the jumping Uni defender on the goal line. It was 77-72, but Uni took the lead with a goal, followed by another. An OM push forward was repelled. Uni took a shot at goal, but Prowse chased the bouncing ball and touched it in time. Uni was running in numbers, scoring against the wind, and went to a 104-77 lead before Turbo Timmy Davis started an attack from the halfback line, ending up with Beck up forward, and he kicked it to Jeremy Beaumont, whose set shot goal was the OMs’ last for the day.

It was a disappointing day. The OMs’ first half was very hard fought, but ultimately extremely taxing and was not rewarded with the effort it deserved. Uni stepped up its efforts in the third quarter, and this challenge was not adequately met, and by the final quarter the floodgates were open. It was yet again an unfortunate lesson in making the most of dominant play on the scoreboard, of the importance of a four quarter effort, and of stopping a run-on before it becomes a run-on.

Josh Freezer was the OMs’ best, playing his best game for the year to date with a powerful performance. Jonno Nash provided strong drive up the ground, and Michael Davis did some good work coming off the halfback line. Phil Young skillfully covered a lot of ground. Tom Paule had some great constructive bursts and deserved more than the two goals he scored. Andrew Prowse yet again led the OMs’ defence, giving his all to stop Uni, and often touching shots at goal in the nick of time. His efforts deserved a better result too.

Next week the OMs play a Sunday game at 1:20pm at VAFA headquarters against De La Salle, which this weekend dealt ladder-leading Collegians their first loss. It will be a real test of the OMs’ resolve. None of the OMs’ losses this year have been by large margins. They have often played well – for up to three and a half quarters – and a good four quarter effort will bring the success so desperately sought. Cheer them on.