My Aussie Rules Rd #2 2008 Match Report

Well I'm getting lax in blogging again. Hope this blog doesn't just become Match Reports... but I have a sneaking suspicion it might just turn out that way for a while. Got so much stuff going on...

Round 2 of the 2008 Season rocked around and I was again selected to play 3rds. Again, not that much of a surprise, especially given my small input in Round 1. This time around we were scheduled to play Griffith Uni @ home on Friday night.

Going into the game I was fully aware of just how badly we got done the week before and also the fact that Griffith toweled us up in one of our two matches against them last year. On the flipside I was stoked as I was named @ Full Forward, and while Centre Half Forward is my dream position, I was thinking it was GOOOOOAAAALLLLL time.

Of course this wasn't to be. For the starting lineup I found myself @ CHF. The first quarter was largely a lead-a-thon for me. I lost track of just how many leads I performed. Needless to say I never got kicked the ball and each lead saw me spin and sprint back towards my CHF position to "reload". This made me at least feel like I was doing something even though I didn't get a touch. We performed better as a team overall and the first quarter intensity was a dramatic change from our weak as piss opening quarter last week. Also the 2s coach Gary (for those keeping track my 3rds coach last year) came up to me and said I was doing really well leading and then getting back to position when I didn't get it. So kudos to me for that.

I can't remember exactly where I played for each particular quarter but I ended up playing Full Forward for a while in one of the quarters. The ball got inside our 50 quite a few times while I was down there but never got clean hands on it for a shot on goal. A couple of memorable moments from that time involved a lead out from the goal square as the ball was coming inside 50 from the wing. I ended up in the pocket pressuring their defenders and trying to harass the ball back into our possession (from what I remember my lead was either ignored or it didn't make it to me). It went out mere metres from the behind post. I sprinted back to the goal line and after the ensuing boundary throw in the ball was popped towards the square. I propped myself against the Full Back (FB) and reached hands for the ball. Just as it was about to make my hands and give me a certain goal (I was still inside the goal square) a fist came over my shoulders and punched it away. Dang it!! Still good times...

Played CHF for most of the game only about a quarter @ FF. At one point I was standing completely clear about 30-35m out from goal on a 45ish degree angle and the ball got turned over to us on the wing about 25 metres from me. As our player ran I was screaming my lungs out for the ball and waving my arms. It took him what seemed like an eternity to notice me and then, without even looking at me, he popped it my way. I stood on the spot as it came towards me and a defender dropped in from outside my peripheral vision and intercepted the mark and took one of his own. I could hear the coach yelling from the coach's box about leading at the ball and sure enough the runner arrived seconds later.

In my defence he never once looked at me and I had given up on him kicking it to me so the pass caught me a bit by surprise. Having said that though I should have moved towards the ball and not just stood there and waiting for it to make it to me.

At one point I came off the bench and was told to run to CHF. As I sprinted on the ball was coming down the far wing. I sprinted straight across the 50m arc towards that wing before a defender could pick me up and took a mark. Turned and kicked it onto the leading FF and it was an accurate kick but another defender dropped into the space in front of our FF forcing him to have to prop and change direction to get around him. By this time the ball had already been marked by another defender. Which was a shame as it would have been awesome to come straight on, get an immediate mark and have an immediate impact on the scoreboard with an assist.

Not too many other personal highlights to report. Largely was a very frustrated man at the end of the game. Gaz came over and had a chat and asked me how I felt and I said "Physically I'm fine. I even feel like I could play another game. But I'm filthy at not having any impact and running around for a couple of hours and not feeling like I actually did anything". That night when trying to fall asleep I was still very frustrated and fleetingly thought of not bothering to play anymore... yes I was that frustrated. I was never actually going to give it away but the thought popped into my head which wasn't a good sign.

Basically we improved immensely as a team. We only got beaten by about 3.5-4 goals in the end and got screwed by one decision. A penalty was paid out of a marking contest on our defensive 50m arc. Noone was sure which way. Allegedly one umpire held out her arm indicating a Yeronga free kick. A Yeronga player played on and kicked it on. The other field umpire then ran over from furtherer away and paid a 50m penalty to them as it was their free kick. We were about 14 points down at that point and about 5 minutes into the last so that 50m penalty to the goal square and subsequent goal was a killer.

Awesome improvement by the team though especially given we were expecting a much greater challenge against Griffith who, last year, were a much tougher team than Jimboomba (who flogged us last week).

All in all I'm hoping to have more of an impact this weekend and have contemplated asking to play in defence so I can get my hands on the footy regularly for a change. Will keep you all updated...