Hello fellow Bull Ants
A big thanks to Murph, Keasty and the 100 club for putting on a smorgasbord of pizzas on the Thursday night going into the queens birthday weekend. We had a much needed relaxed night around each other. Jack Cowell dominated the table tennis with a unplayable serve and has staked his claim as the man to beat on the TT table this year.
A big thanks to Rexy (Steve Janev) for hosting a players get together and BBQ on the Queens Birthday Sunday.
Round 9
We headed out to Eltham for another ‘any given Saturday’ game against the turtles welcoming back in Lucisano, De Keizer and Cherbakof. We came out with guns blazing and Cherbs snagged the first 3 with his second rather remarkable, deliberately kicking a rolling banana off the ground from 20 out. We were up and about and probably started to get ahead of ourselves and were too attacking which left us exposed on their transition and the Turtles kicked the next four to be a goal up at quarter time. We started well in the second but then lost our way again with the Turtles getting on a damaging roll kicking 7 straight for the quarter and us heading into the sheds at half time 40 points down. I still could not question the lads courage with Leith Wallis backing back into a pack and taking a huge funky hit exemplifying that.
We adjusted a couple of things and came out in the 3rd playing some fantastic accountable football which took away being exposed on their transition and when we got it our instinctive footy that we’ve been working on for months came to the fore and we dominated the quarter kicking 4 goals 6 behinds to their 2 points and we where back in the game at 3 quarter time being 2 goals down.
How we were playing was thrilling stuff, disciplined, focused and taking the game on, Jack Cowell embodied all of this and linked up beautifully with the likes of Brodie Mc , Chance , Micky Rogers and De Keizer on the clunk as Cherby continued to be super dangerous up forward. It was a terrific team performance with the defence rock solid lead by Leith Wallis and Joseph Paolucci.
The turtles responded in the last quarter and we continued to fight and never gave in and I felt when the siren went , as sour as the feeling was, I felt we’d turned a corner.
Heartfelt thoughts with Andrew Verga who did his knee early in the piece. Andrew coaches the Colts, Captains the first 11 Bull Ant cricket side and was playing some good footy. I’m devastated for him. He is a spiritual leader of our club in football and cricket and is a all welcoming figure for anyone in the Bull Ant community to go and have a chat with. In true class and passion to our cause he took the devastation in his stride and was helping me from the sidelines within 5 minutes of coming off.
Heartfelt thoughts to Daniel Tonelli who seriously damaged his hand in the reserves and will be out for the rest of the year. He’s a absolute ripper and like Vergs a great clubman. He was my half forward partner in crime in 2008 before doing his knee in the second semi, he came back from that and was a key member in our 2012 premiership. He has since been pivotal in the reserves winning the past 2 best and fairest’s and was building for another crack in the seniors which would have been awesome, but as Vergs and Dan both said the following Tuesday at training, ‘that’s footy’. Thoughts with you Dan and the club appreciates and values yours and Andrews love for the club.
Round 10
We ventured out to West Brunswick and welcomed in the young jet Luke ‘the Tornado’ Stacker from the Oakleigh Chargers for his first game in the blue and gold for the year. And was great to have Oran ‘The Storm’ Aziz returning from injury.
We had Billy ‘the Spartan’ Tourogianis playing his 250th senior club game. A monumental effort and getting into some really special territory. I said to the lads before the game if I was to pick my dream team of Bull Ants I’d played with, and those players were at the peak of their powers, my first pick would be Billy, he’s still playing good footy but at the peak of his powers he was something special, week in week out, quarter in quarter out, contest in contest out he was as relentless as any one could be with high pressure contested footy and damaging when he got it. And that’s what we brought out with us, I feel really proud writing this , the lads effort and application was spectacular and we produced a exciting brand of footy. When we got it there were 1 2s, there were draw and give offs and take the hit , there was running with the ball, there was ‘the moment is right ‘tempo retain the footy’ footy , and when they had it , there was dour last line refusal defence on all parts of the ground, there was sticking up for your mates, it was enthralling and we went into quarter time 2 goals up.
The class that is West Brunswick responded and came at us in the second kicking 4 goals but we were gallant and denied them getting on a roll and we kicked 2 goals of our own and went into the sheds 3 points down.
We’d really tapped into some hunger for the contest, we were thriving on it and it went up another notch in the 3rd starting from the engine room in Billy ‘Superglue’ Wilson, Jack ‘the Lavaman’ Cowell and Brodie ‘the Glove’ McLaughlin. Nick’ the Hammer’ Palumbo and Chance’ the Undertaker’ Burridge shared the ruck duties for the day and both were focused and influential. The backline was a wall with Luke ‘the Tornado’ Stacker’s class and long left boot on show and Leith ‘the Bear’ Wallis oozing commitment to the cause. Matt ‘the ‘Clamp’ Cowell and Kristian’ the Spanish Bull’ Mattizzo were giving it their all and Joseph ‘the Bouncer’ Paolucci had kept their gun on a leash. Tyler ‘the Shadow’ Aguis and Jimmy ‘Wolfman’ Dedes didn’t give their opponents any room and Billy ‘the Spartan’ Tourogianis did what Billy does. The pressure was insane and that was consistent all over the ground with our half forwards and wingers in Oran ‘the Storm’ Aziz, Leon ‘the Lock’ Dimopoulos, Micheal ‘Pockets’ Rogers, Rob ‘the Pressure Cooker’ Brancatisano and David ‘the Blanket’ Dakin all being dangerous and accountable. Our captain for the day in Anthony ‘the Monsoon’ Lucisano and Micheal ‘the Jack Russell’ Considine we’re willing themselves with true grit and determination to influence their contests. Kristian ‘the Iron’ Cherbakof was doubled and tripled team from the get go and still continued to find a way and keep the scoreboard ticking over. All this great stuff was happening and then there was a very special Bull Ant having a very special quarter. Sir Robert ‘The Squeeze’ Edsall rose to the occasion and to the flying Sherrin however it was coming in, it was simple delicious football and there was a moment there when he went bang with a banana from a set shot after a crowded goal line clunk that I felt a force in the Bull Ants that I have not felt in a long time. It was brilliant and we went into the 3 quarter time huddle a goal up.
The last quarter was on like donkey kong , lead changes , moments of magic , moments of despair , the game was on a pendulum. And this well drilled, winning culture, polished, damaging unit of West Brunswick found a way, and I was devastated but proud.
This journey that we’re all on has been a continual process of discovering a brand of football we love playing and that stakes up. And although we’re 3-7 and in relegation zone I truly feel we are building foundations for a fruitful future. So it’s onwards and hopefully upwards.
See you at the game
Chivs
