July 20, 2024
CLOUDS CLEARING?
Week 14: Blue skies for some
A Century of the Red & Black
Another stunning weekend for the Old Xavs, with eight teams saluting the judge. On Saturday, the U19s had a great win at BBO, WOX 2s stayed hot, the U23 Twos topped 30 goals and Josh Lyon booted another nine. Today, the Ones and Ressies swept by Uni Blues, and the Menages won again. More to come ...
Xavs travelled to Parkville this Sunday hoping toget its game back on track. After very disappointing home losses to Collegians and Old Brighton, it was an ideal time to test itself against another well-credentialled team.
Blues were on the board early on slippery surface under drizzly skies. They jumped to a 15-0 lead in the first ten minutes before the visitors staunched the wounds.
Nearly into time-on, Charlie Holmes booted Xavs’ only goal of the term. Blues added another, but then Xavs came again, only to register four behinds on end to finish in a hurry. At the turn, Blues led 21-10.
The Swamp Hens added another goal early in the second stanza. Xavs had opportunities, but could add only behinds. At eight minutes, both teams had scored eight times, but the Blues still led by 15 points. Blues took it out to 20 points at 13 minutes, a handy lead given the conditions. Xavs responded with yet another minor score. Then Blues goaled again to go ahead by 25 and things were looking darker than the skies.
Charlie MacIsaac slotted truly to bring themargin back to 20 points, which is where it stayed until the long break.
It was MacIsaac again who struck early in thethird term. Ed Delany nailed one at five minutes and the margin was in to eight points. Three goals from the game’s last three shots had made it interesting once more. The Red ‘n’ Blacks now had registered more shots than their hosts, but could they hold the momentum? The immediate answer was in the affirmative. Charlie Holmes put a six-pointer through at 8 minutes, and the X-Men were back within a straight kick.
After eight minutes without a further score, Blues were back with a behind and then another goal. Again, the first responder was MacIsaac, who soared for a mark and sent it home from 50 metres. 18 minutes gone, just three points adrift. Another behind, then Charlie struck yet again from close range with his fourth goal. 21 minutes gone and finally Xavs were in front.
And so with a quarter to play, the X-Men somehow led by 3 points after a stunning third term. They had shut down the Swamp Hens, who added just 1.2, and booted five goals from six shots to give themselves a chance.
In the previous nine contests at Uni Oval between these clubs, Xavs won the three closest, two of them by less than a goal. Weigh that up against Blues recent victories in very close games.
Four minutes in, another goal to the Red ‘n’ Blacks through the returning speedster Hayden Troiani, who wheeled on to his left and calmly slotted it home. At eight minutes, Dan Tuddenham, following Troiani's path to goal but using the outside of his right foot, blew the margin out to 15 points.
The next ten minutes yielded just a solitary point to the home team. Into time-on, Xavs thirteen points to the good.
Blues missed again. So did Xavs. 24 minutes gone. X-Men by 13. Blues score another rushed behind at 25 minutes. Two goals in it. Clock running. Julian Soccio nailed one on the run after being on the end of some slick teamwork. Up 18 points in the 28th minute.
Another point to the X-Men. A hundred voices say in unison “It could be a valuable point!” Any which way, it was the last. 32 minutes. Siren. Xavs 8.3 to 1.6 in the second half. From a 26 point deficit to a 19 point win.
Blues didn't have a single decent shot in the final term as the X-Men pressured them, forcing turnovers and hurries.
There were many Xaverian players who played great games. Big Spag, Alec Spralja, was again instrumental in the contests. He is fast developing into the competition's best ruckman. Ben Andrews was an effective defender in a group that gave away little. Tommy Dunne played his best game for the year too. Skipper Stavrou was never far from the action and with his centre square allies Shaun Cross and Sam Fisher, did. alot of hard work in the clinches. Up front, the mercurial Charlie MacIsaac turned the game in the third term.
Next Saturday, it's another crack at Uni Oval, this time against the other Varsity team. Uni Blacks have done very well against Xavs under the spires and they will be keen to maintain their six game winning streak. The Red 'n' Blacks will be looking to create some history of their own against a team that plays a brand of football that differs somewhat from the style employed by their stablemates.
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Some interesting results in R6, and the pack is once again reshuffled.
The unbeaten Dimitri's Gladiators travelled to Parkville for a Sunday R6 clash with University Blues. In the end, they won it by 42 points.
Early season had returns indicated that Blues Twos, after a few lean seasons, were contenders for finals. Certainly, for the top-ranked Xavs, a return to Uni Oval would provide another strong test in a year where there have already been a few close tussles.
Both teams scored a goal in the opening two minutes, with the Red ‘n’ Blacks on the board second through the skilful linkmanWade Brusnahan.
Another 15 minutes elapsed before another score,a goal to the Swamp Hens. With a minute to go in the term, Connor Dunne put the X-Men back in front. At the first break, the visitors led 14-12.
Big Oscar Duncan, back from injury, slotted the Xavs’ first of the new stanza in the second minute, but Blues pulled within a pointat 5 minutes and then goaled again to go in front with 7 minutes played. They pushed out to a ten-point lead with another major at 14 minutes, and the Red ‘n’Blacks were under serious challenge.
Xavs hit back, but missed three times before Harrison Bell drew twin calicos in the 23rd minute. Blues missed a latechance and went to the sheds up by two points. The X-Men had scored the firstand last goals of the stanza, but just five behinds in between, a prodigalperformance in a tight contest.
Over the first five weeks, Xavs had outscored opponents by an average 56 to 15 in the second half. While such dominationseemed unlikely at the midway as the teams took their instructions, there was certainly some confidence that the Red ‘n’ Blacks could do the business. Blues had come in with an average of 38-35 per second half. But would recent history hold up?
The third stanza did not answer that question. Xavs booted the first goal through Hamish MacIsaac, but thereafter managed a paltry five behinds. That was enough, however, to wrest back a two-point lead, as Blues were held to two shots and 1.1. It was all down to the last.
Xavs missed again twice to commence the quarter before a goal at 5 minutes to Ted “Senator” Kennedy extended the visitors’ leadto ten points and then Connor Dunne blew it out to 16. Makuc Mahommed made it 22 the difference at eight minutes.
Past the halfway mark in the last, the becalmed Blues had yet to get on the board. And in that same predicament they stayed. Brusnahan goaled at 16 minutes. Another came at 20 minutes and another still in the final minute to close it out.
All in all, a solid win.
Old Geelong won the day at Como with a solid team effort that Xavs could not withstand. There was no lack of endeavour from the Red 'n' Blacks, but they did not have the cohesion of the Geelong team and fell further beind as the game progressed.
The Reserves maintained their successful streak with a big win at Como over Oggers. The first quarter saw an even contest, but the Red 'n' Blacks kicked away in the second term, and sailed away furthe rafter the long break. Sarah Anderson and Katta Mullins booted three apiece in the great win, while Kasey Jobling and Zoe Purcell were outstanding players.
Old Brighton at BBO has never been easy for the Red 'n' Blacks, particularly when slotted in for an early morning start. Today proved to be the same struggle, though the X-Men managed to keep their noses in front and win a tight one by ten points. Brighton remains atop the ladder, but Matt Handley's boys have sent the message. Charlie Christopher has relished his promoion to the top side. For aman who wants to kick goals, he couldn't have a better mentor than his coach.
St Bernard's beat Xavs by ten points at Stradbroke after an even contest between two willing teams. Xavs led by 9 points after holding the Pitters goalless in the second term, but led by just a point at the lemons. Cruz McAuliffe booted three and was named best. Ed "Calling Dr Casey" Nelson also nailed three and high among the best.
Xavs were no match for St Mary's/Salesian at Fernadale Park. The home team led all the way and by the lemons had skipped away to a 40 point advantage. Xavs' best quarter was the fourth, but nevertheless, the Saints increased their lead to win by 45 points.
A one v two battle resulted in an easy win to the Red 'n' Blacks at Camberwell. The pwerful U23 lineup was led by Will Sheedy and Jack Kennedy, who were in everything, while Tom Comer booted four goals and seven others shared the other nine goals. It was a big win, with the margins growing at each change.The X-Men retain top spot, Scotch slips to third on percentage behind Uni Blues.
Old Xavs football returned to the Roche as the Menages outlasted AJAX on Sunday morning. Will Hart was best and the goals came from Rory Calvert (7) and Charlie Niall (4). It was a high standard contest, but Xavs pulled ahead in the second half, though never really shook off the Jacker challenge.
The Crocodiles stuck it to Old Carey at Bulleen, running out 111 point winners in Michael Speakman's 100th game. It is worth noting that this was a contest beteeen two previuosly unbeaten outfits, but the day revealed a chasm between the Reptiles and the rainforest denizens.
Josh Lyon booted another nine to bring his tally to 42 from six games. Adam MacIsaac slotted six in the big win. It is fair to say that the Emerald Hose are in fine form as they enter the mid-season.
The U23 Twos hammered BHN at Stradbroke, booting a massive 31 goals to seize the points. Frank O'Callaaghan booted nine and Conor O'Brien five, as fifteen of the X-Men drew twin calicos.
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