U18’s Match Report – Round 13

We faced Norwood at home on Saturday afternoon.

Early on, we struggled to execute the key fundamentals we pride ourselves on. This allowed Norwood to play the game on their terms, forcing us to defend multiple forward entries. However, we improved our ball use by foot, and our forwards did a great job presenting up the ground, giving us plenty of options going forward. A couple of goals from small forwards Jonty Koehne and Lucas White right before the quarter-time siren meant we held a 6-point lead at the first break.

In the second quarter, a lift in intensity, tackling pressure, and an improvement in our groundball cleanliness allowed us to play more in our front half, taking a 3-goal lead into halftime which was pleasing.

Unfortunately, in the third term, our intensity dropped while Norwood’s increased, causing us to turn the ball over under pressure. Our defenders had a tough time as Norwood frequently won first possession and quickly went inside 50. This resulted in a 2-goal to 6 quarter, and we trailed by 7 points at three-quarter time.

With the game there to be won, we revisited our key focuses for the day: contesting and playing positive football. Although Norwood kicked the first goal of the last quarter and were up by 13 points with 10 minutes to go, to the boys’ credit, they stuck to the task at hand and fought hard, kicking the last 3 goals of the game. Mitch Marsh’s match-winner with only 5 seconds left on the clock was a standout moment. Key individual efforts from Ky Burgoyne and Ayden Hodgson in the final minute also helped secure the result.

Joel Parker was excellent all day on the wing, disrupting Norwood’s ball movement with quick hands and high pressure. Hamish Dow’s inclusion this week was invaluable, as his leg speed and tackling pressure proved to be real assets. Mitch Marsh was crucial for us, consistently presenting up the ground, taking 8 marks, and contributing to many of our forward entries.

Best: Joel Parker, Hamish Dow, Mitchell Marsh, Jordan Brown and Jaylen Sochacki

Goals: Noah Baker, Jordan Brown, Bailey White (2), Jonty Koehne, Mitch Marsh, Lucas White, Ed Wilson (1)

U18 Assistant Coach – Scott McSorley