Round 18: Saturday, 27 August 2011.
St. Bedes-Mentone v Old Melburnians at Brindisi Street Oval.
Seniors.
1st quarter: SBM 3.2.20 OM 3.3.21
2nd quarter: SBM 5.6.36 OM 7.5.47
3rd quarter: SBM 12.10.82 OM 10.6.66
Fulltime: SBM 18.18.126 OM 13.9.87
Goals: Nathan Henley (3), Zach Sengstock (2), Tom Paule (2), Jonno Nash (1), Karl Lombardozzi (1), Ted De Fegely (1), Ben Hayes (1), Simon Taylor (1), Chris Righetti (1).
Best: Zach Sengstock, Adam Marangon, Jeremy Beaumont, Karl Lombardozzi, Adam Morgan, Tom Paule.
By Lurch.
The Dark Blues gave themselves the toughest task of the season: beating top-of-the-ladder St. Bedes from ninth position to avoid relegation to Premier B in the last game of the year. With a solid win against Old Haileybury and a great win against Old Carey, could the boys in Dark Blue achieve the impossible?
The game was played at the ladder leader’s home ground (there are bigger postage stamps than it), where St. Bedes is known for its home ground advantage. It was another blue sky day with temperatures in the mid-to-high teens and no real wind advantage. A good crowd assembled after St. Bedes’ last lunch for the year, and many Dark Blues whose games had finished were there to cheer on the Seniors. With Lurch unable to attend the game, he thanks Terry Landrigan for taking the notes that made this report possible.
St. Bedes won the toss and kicked to the southern (Beach Road) end. The OMs struck first, wining the centre clearance but scoring a rushed behind. The kick-out went to ground at centre half-forward where Ben Hayes gathered it, got it to relegation-avoidance specialist Tom Paule, and he spun around and snapped a goal. It was 7-0. St. Bedes attacked hard but Tom Bachet turned back three St. Bedes’ thrusts before it broke through after nine minutes to score a goal. The OMs led, 7-6. Tom Campbell, who was doing a great job in the middle, won in the ruck, getting the footy to Ted De Fegely, who got it over to Chris Righetti, the OMs’ other relegation-avoidance specialist, for a goal. Bachet, Luke Casey-Leigh and Adam Morgan at fullback were doing a fantastic job holding out St. Bedes, while Campbell and Simon Taylor were dominating in the ruck. Sam Playfair got first use of the footy from the centre, giving Karl Lombardozzi a mark on the siren, and his goal gave the OMs a one point lead. It was a good hard contest against a top opponent, and the Dark Blues were doing well to lead at the first change.
The second quarter was magnificent. Although St. Bedes dominated the early stages, it peppered its goals without inflicting any real damage. Phil Young then got the footy to Playfair, and he got it to De Fegely for a goal. It was 27-21. With Campbell dominating the ruck, he gave Paule first use, and he got the footy to Zach Sengstock, then Taylor, and he finished with a goal. It was 33-21. Paule again got the centre clearance, getting the footy to Cam Beck, who kicked a point from the grandstand forward pocket. At the 15 minute mark De Fegely received a free kick in the grandstand forward pocket and kicked to Nathan Henley, who scored a goal. The game deteriorated into a rugby match with scrums aplenty on the small ground, but after 19 minutes Righetti marked on the west flank, kicking to De Fegely, who set up another goal. It was 45-22 and looking good, with the OMs still owning the ruck and St. Bedes overusing the ball, giving Bachet, Hayes, Nick Madders, De Fegely and Playfair many opportunities to tackle them. Overconfidence may have struck, as after the OMs missed a shot at goal, St. Bedes ran it up the ground and scored its first goal for the quarter, followed by a second one to reduce the satisfying 23 point margin to an 11 point margin at halftime.
At halftime St. Bedes must have had a sniff of the angry salts, a guzzle of jungle juice and a reading from the Old Testament because it came out firing, scoring two goals within the first three minutes of the third quarter. It quickly took a 48-47 lead and added another goal moments later. St. Bedes ran and chased hard, giving it the momentum, and the OMs were unable to step up and match their opponents at their best. The damage stopped briefly when the OMs scored a goal to trail 54 to 53, but this only angered St. Bedes, which stepped up a further cog to slam on more goals for a total of 7.4 to 3.1 for the quarter. Although only a 16 point margin, could the OMs come back against the top side?
With no wind to give either side an advantage, it simply came down to the best side taking out the game. The OMs were not helped with extraordinary play-maker Henley coming off six minutes into the final quarter. The OMs were not about to surrender though, with goals to Jonno Nash and his fellow ‘Field’ Sengstock before Hayes scored the OMs’ last. It was all to no avail, unfortunately, as the better team scored six goals for the quarter to win by 39 points, relegating the OMs to Premier B for 2012.
Sengstock played very well for the OMs despite a shoulder injury, using his marking and goal-kicking prowess to great effect. Adam Marangon yet again gave exceptional service in defence, using his speed to send the OMs back into attack. Jeremy Beaumont also gave good service in his new-found role in defence, alongside Morgan, who was released from ruck duties to lead the defence very effectively in the absence due to injury of Andrew Prowse. Lombardozzi continued to provide exceptional drive from the centre, and Paule did all he could to save the OMs from relegation. Henley also deserves a mention for battling hard and skillfully until injury took him from the ground.
Although there was a genuine belief that the OMs could win this game (and proved this belief was well-founded until the third quarter), the Dark Blues ultimately faltered against the minor premiers. The OMs did so without Nick De Steiger, Andrew Prowse, Charlie Gardiner and James Beaumont (to name some of the big-named injured), and without star forward Sam Dunell (VFL duties) and solid defender Josh Freezer (VFL duties). Ultimately, though, it should never have come down to the last game of the season, with defeat being snatched from the jaws of victory several times during the season. One more win during the season, coupled with the fact Old Trinity drew its final game against University Blues, would have seen the OMs remain in Premier A for 2012. A few more wins would have seen the OMs play finals, such was the way the season unfolded this year. Although it was perhaps the worst year in living memory for injuries to so many players, those who did play were in a winning position or within striking distance in several games, but failed to do what it took to finish in front.
To recap the season:
Round 1: The Old Xaverians gave the OMs a 106-57 lesson in the supremacy of the Red and Black football juggernaut at Toorak Park.
Round 2: At Flack Park the OMs blew away St. Bedes to take a lead of up to 35 points in the last quarter before falling asleep and letting St. Bedes win 109-107 with the last shot of the day: a loss which should never have happened.
Round 3: In the first game at the Junction Oval Collegians dominated the game (as it would most of the season) to win 96-70.
Round 4: Against Old Scotch at Camberwell the OMs were in it until halftime, when, perhaps more than coincidentally, star playmaker Henley received a devastating injury and Old Scotch regained the lead, winning 106-82.
Round 5: At Carey the OMs trailed at every change to just lose to Old Carey, 72-64.
Round 6: The OMs returned to the Junction to play Uni Blues. Trailing by only a point at three-quarter time, giving up a 16 point halftime lead, the OMs lost 110-83 despite kicking with the wind in a game which was capable of being won.
Round 7: At VAFA HQ the OMs played a magnificent and memorable four-quarter team game to defeat one of the top sides 94-73. If every game was played like this, the OMs would have played finals football.
Round 8: The OMs went to Trinity to play a modern foe on what has recently been a happy hunting ground for the OMs. In an amazing and tense game which the OMs led at every change, Old Trinity blew almost every one of its many last quarter shots at goal to give the OMs an incredible 75-73 win after a 35 minute last quarter. Tom Paule was severely injured and missed most of the season.
Round 9: In a lesson about respect and effort, the OMs disrespected Old Haileybury at the Junction Oval by thinking turning up would give the Dark Blues a win because they were one ladder position higher. The Black and Magentas disproved this belief, scoring 36-4 in the first quarter before the OMs turned in a great second quarter to trail by a point at halftime. Although 13 points up in the last quarter, the OMs threw away the lead to lose 87-91 in a game which should never have been lost. It ranks alongside the first St. Bedes game as the one that got away.
Round 10: At the Junction Oval the OMs met the Old Xavs for a second time. With the Xavs thinking it was time to start their finals campaign, they led all game, with the OMs only reducing the Round 1 margin by a point: 105-57.
Round 11: At University the OMs reengaged Uni Blues. In a low-scoring affair marred by inaccurate disposal, poor efforts and injuries, the OMs got within 12 points in the last quarter before letting Uni win 97-45. It was a game which could have been won.
Round 12: The OMs welcomed Old Scotch to the Junction, leading it at every change to win 78-64 despite trailing by two goals in the final quarter. It was a great example of the OMs’ resolve at its best.
Round 13: At VAFA HQ the OMs took on Old Trinity in a must-win game. Kicking only two goals to four left the scores drawn at halftime, but with the OMs going missing in the third quarter (which was becoming a problem), Trinity scored six goals to one and won by 97-85, with the OMs’ seven goal last quarter a great effort that came too late. This was another game which should have been won.
Round 14: At Harry Trott Oval the OMs made a great start against ladder leaders Collegians. Although only four points down in the third quarter, with only two on the bench, and Collegians having the wind, the OMs went down 123-70. Due to injury it was Nick De Steiger’s last game of the season.
Round 15: At the Junction Oval the OMs met De La Salle. The OMs were seriously undermanned due to injury, but also played poorly, giving De La a 106-54 victory.
Round 16: The OMs played Old Haileybury at McKinnon Reserve in another must-win game. In a solid game which was the best for some time, the OMs prevailed, 108-76. Henley and Paule finally returned from injury.
Round 17: In the last game for the season at the Junction Oval the OMs played Old Carey, which was after a finals berth. In a fantastic game the OMs temporarily staved off relegation 119-75, but the victory was dampened with the news that Old Scotch had beaten Uni Blues at Uni, making the last game a must-win-and-hope-Scotch-or-Trinity-loses proposition.
Round 18: See above.
The challenge now is for the OMs to play in the 2012 Premier B grand final and return to Premier A in 2013. To do this requires all players to remain true to the Dark Blue, to stay together, to fight against new foes, to stay the course for a season, to play hard and skillfully for four quarters, and to aim to do what every footy player hopes to do: win a premiership.