Hello fellow Bull Ants,
Round 7
We welcomed in Joseph Paolucci, Jimmy Dedes and Oliver Schmidt for their first games for the season. Was really great to see Jimmy back in the side after a long road of rehab after breaking his leg early last season, and the same with Oli that’s had ongoing issues with his shoulder. Unfortunately Pete Voglis got the confirmation we weren’t wishing for with him needing surgery on his ankle and is out for the remainder of the season. Pete’s had ongoing back issues over the last few years and was so meticulous in his pre season work load and had himself up and firing and was loving his football and then unforeseen issues with his ankle bopped up. I just want to take this opportunity to thank Pete for going above and beyond and doing everything that he possibly could.
Parade brought it and we left it in the sheds, their intensity threw us off , the swirly conditions threw us off, I didn’t recognise us , how we were playing didn’t represent what we are about. I didn’t see this coming, and it highlighted when as a collective we play within ourselves and don’t take the game things unravel very quickly.
Our intensity lifted at the start of the second and we were workmanlike without any reward until Cherbs snapped one through in congestion. Soon after we had a fantastic passage of play from a stoppage in the back pocket starting with Jack Cowell finding Aziz, Aziz a searching handball to the running McLaughlin that kicked long to a leading Cherbakof that turned and found Tribuzio running into a open goal. We got the next clearance and De Keizer was held off the ball and he went back and slotted a great long goal.
We’d turned it around and went into the sheds at half time 2 goals behind.
We started well in the third , the intent and dare was there, one moment we had it and the next we didn’t , and it became a scrappy arm wrestle, we didn’t take our chances and Parade took theirs and they were 4 goals in front at 3 quarter time.
We surged forward early in the 4th but missed a couple of opportunities which would have got us back in the game, Parade once again made the most of their opportunities and that was all she wrote. We fought on and didn’t roll over but Parade were the better team on the day. It was a lacklustre performance and with the past players watching on we missed a great opportunity to showcase the spirit and flare we’d tapped into and expressed the week before. Matt Cowell was a stand out and had his best game for the year. Mattizzo showed more encouraging signs, De Keizer was a work horse all day and solid contributions from Wilson, McLaughlin, Jack Cowell and Leith Wallis.
Some really unfortunate and sad news to come from the day was Ashwyn Mohandes doing his knee (PCL) in the reserves and will be out for the season. Thoughts are with Ashwyn and it’s such a shame because he’d only just come back to football and he was loving it and we were loving having him in the blue and gold.
Round 8
Playing the top of the table Prahran we welcomed back Edsall, Tourogianis, Lambropoulos, Brancatisano and in for their first games for the year Terry Harrisou and Ben O’Conner.
Key marking forwards De Keizer and Cherbakof were out with strains and Lucisano had not come up.
We came out of the blocks with fair dinkum intent and with some great forward line pressure from Paolucci and Brancatisano we kicked the first goal. Prahran were very well drilled and gained the ascendancy around the stoppages for their fleet of footers to run onto and they disposed of it beautifully. They were super impressive, they were super slick by hand and foot and kicked 5 goals to our 1 for the quarter. Our intent was there and if we take out our two unforced clangers which ended in Prahran goals and some undisciplined arguing with umpires it could have been a 1-2 goal game instead of a 4.
The 2nd and 3rd quarters ran consistent with the first, the effort was there but they continued to be dominant around the stoppages and slick with ball use. We showed some fighting qualities with Billy Wilson not finding it as often as he normally does but he became a tackling maniac, Mick Rogers was getting amongst it, Ben O’Conner was giving it his all and Brancatisano showed some real class. Edsall was magnificent down back and then on the ball and Dimopoulos provided a fantastic leading target for us at half forward. McLaughlin was huge and ran all day. And at 3 quarter time it was a ten goal game, but felt like 6 and could have been 4. Unforced clangers and undisciplined play really hurt us, the little things are the big things , many times we remonstrated a decision with the umpire whilst Prahran quickly played on. This is disheartening for the players that are busting theirs guts and doing the right things, the team things. And the forth quarter saw the dam wall break and Prahran flooded in 10 answered goals that had a feeling of numbness that reminded me of last quarters in by gone years against Caulfield in 2001 and Rupertswood in 2006 I’d rather forget.
Moving forward win lose of draw its going to be about really standing for something. Standing for playing good, honest, hard, positive, disciplined football, that’s what I stand for and that’s our standard.
Congratulations to Leith Wallis for being promoted to Co Captain of our football club. Leith was a member of the 2011 under 19 premiership side and the Senior Premiership the following year. Leith has been a rock for our club and plays with Bull Ant heart and passion.
Congratulations to Jack Cowell, Chance Burridge and Scott De Keizer for being promoted to Vice Captains of our football club. Jack like Leith was a member of the 11 and 12 premierships and has continued to play some pretty special football year in and year out. Chance is a absolute ripper and a Bull Ant through and through and brings a real edge and presence. Scott De Keizer is new to the club and has been a breath of fresh air, a thinker of the game and is a natural leader of men and has got allot to offer for the playing group to learn from.
And some more really awesome news, some amazing news, some beautiful news. Our very own wolverine Big Dave Floz has been running around on the training track, to think where he has come from and where he is now is a real life miracle. And what stands out to me as I watch Dave train is the appreciation he has just to be out there running around catching the pigskin with his mates.
It’s great to be a Bull Ant
Hope to see you at the game
Chivs
Womens
Round 7
After a strong week on the track and a change in mindset we came up against a strong st Kevin’s side who are unlucky to not be on top of the ladder.
The competition was fierce from the first bounce. Both teams had opportunities in front of goal however st Kevin’s were able to capitalize on the scoreboard where we weren’t able to do the same.
It’s amazing what a simple change in attitude can do, the previous week we played Fitzroy (8th on the ladder) and we lost by 50 points, this week we lost by the same margin to a top side. Whilst we weren’t able to put a score on the board the way we played and held ourselves in the contest was a drastic change!
This match saw several girls play their best games so far for the season. Our youngest player, Anti Dedes, only 16, put on relentless tackling pressure and won plenty of clearances for us out of the middle.
Liv kurczycki final had that moment where everything clicked. She has been strong in defense for us all year but this week saw her put attack and defense together and had the opposition forwards chasing her.
Katherine Collins, one of our newest players, was unstoppable on the wing. Every time she got the ball she ran and took us from defense to attack with no one able to catch her.
The scoreboard did not show how well our girls played. Going down by only 8 goals to a top side shows that our girls are heading in the right direction.
Round 8
The attitude all week and prior to the game was constant positivity. Great numbers on the track and a strong performance the week before saw our girls desperate to get out on the field at the chance of another win.
Our opposition, Canterbury, had just come off their first win and are on a similar position to us on the ladder. We new we were in with a shot today.
Whilst Canterbury got the jump early on us our girls did what they do best and never stopped trying. 2 minutes into the second quarter saw the score 15 (cafc) to 0 (btafc) however from here the game changed to be on our terms. For the rest of the game Canterbury only scored one more goal and we put on plenty of scoreboard pressure.
Our three goal scorers for the day included two first time goal kickers. Gezza and Lucy Moores both scored their first goals by putting on constant tackling pressure up forward. A great reward for effort.
The day also saw another two girls play their best games for the season. Mel krienke was unable to be stopped on the wing. Winning the ball on the inside and the outside, she did everything right.
After a small break kate McQueen back to her best. She was a coaches dream being the “mrs fix it” playing in about 5 different positions throughout the day and performed strongly in each one.
The momentum of the game was in our favor for the entire last half, and we knew if the game had gone another 2 minutes we would have got the win. However the game was a great contest and going down by only a point proves we are only inches from our second win.
