My Aussie Rules Rd #3 2008 Match Report

Round 3 was a shambles from start to finish for the Yeronga 3rds. Started badly on the Thursday night with team selections. Standard process is the Seniors pick their lineup, then the Ressies and then finally, with seconds to spare before announcement the 3rds coach gets a list of who is available and shambles a lineup together.

This particular round teams were announced and the 3rds had a team list of 14 available players. Given you need 18 to fill each position on the field (min 16. to legally play) and 4 normally on the bench we were a bit short.

Frantic phone calls were made by everyone to a range of people. Ranging from those who have played for the club previously and haven't been down to training or matches this year, those who said they weren't playing this year, people we know who maybe once mentioned they'd be interested in a game all the way through to people that had never even thought of playing before. That's how desperate we were.

Friday day and Friday night were furious action organising a team and we ended up with a squad of 22. Then Saturday morning the Ressies stole another player after they had a late pull out and despite our mammoth effort we ended up with 21. Still a very good effort considering where we were.

Drove all the way out to Strathpine for our first Day game of the season. Their club was in Div 1 last year versus our Seniors & Reserves but due to issues had dropped all the way back to Div 3. So we were playing their Senior side which had previously played against ours for years.

I was named in a Back Pocket which actually didn't upset me, in fact I was stoked. The previous two games I was frustrated as I wasn't getting any action. This move ensured I got some... and boy did I!!

Basically we didn't kick a single goal for the entire match and went down 106-3. A hammering but funnily enough didn't seem like it on the field. We all thought we toiled pretty well throughout the day.

I was involved in so much action I was absolutely rooted by the end of the day. At one point late in the 4th I was on my knees and about to handball off and felt cramp tingle down my hammy. Not badly but an indication I was going to pay a price for my efforts.

Played by far my best game of the year and was stoked with the way I went. Thoroughly enjoyed it and got involved in a lot of physical stuff which I've not had that much of a chance to in the past. Basically through either being a softcock and shirking or playing forward and not really having that opportunity.

Few highlights include me getting a free (or two) for making a tackle and getting a holding the ball decision my way. Also one bit the ball was rolling and in between a few of us running for it. I realised I wasn't going to beat the guy in a foot race to it so dived and slid into the ball pulling it into me. He cannoned into my back as he slid and I was awarded a free for in the back.

Numerous times as the ball was falling into their forward 50 I led my opponent to the ball and hit it at pace and either cleared or knocked it forward back towards some contest where we could hold it up.

Also almost forgot to mention we lost 3 players in the first 10 minutes of the match and 2 of them never came back. One ankle injury and one dislocated finger. So it was tough with only 1 on the bench, remembering we started 1 down, for a majority of the game. I never saw the bench personally.

Basically think I had a good game and a lot of people said so. In fact this is backed up by the match results here --> Div 3 Rd 3 Results Strathpine v Yeronga


So all in all despite getting hammered I felt we toiled overall quite well and personally think I played ok.

Was a shambles of a round though...