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First Up Win Over Uni Blues

10, Saturday, April, 2010

On arrival at Melbourne University on a super sunny Saturday for round 1, my first observation was how much the generation gap has been bridged as I perused the footy record. Young players whose names used to litter the higher echelons of the guernsey numbers now found themselves proudly in the twenties, teens and for a couple, the hallowed single figures. There is no better indication to a young player that it is your time to stand up than when your guernsey number demands it!

Taking the reins again for season 2010, skipper Will Lewis led the boys onto the field, joined by his vice-captains Sam Thompson and new full-forward Mark Passador. Passador didn’t take too long to acclimatise to wearing the Cardinal, monstering his opponent early to bring up the first for the Scotchies. Wordly country star Paul Ellis showed his experience with a couple of opportunistic goals in the first and Scotch were humming along nicely, with the midfield winning plenty of ball. The dynamic backline led by Luke Brennan and supported by youngsters Scott Sherwen and Hugo Perry repelled several early attacks by the students. Richard Eva turned Cyclops as a head clash saw a cricket ball size lump appear over his left eye, and at quarter-time Scotch held a welcome 11 point lead.

Old Scotch continued their aggressive hard running football in the second, but a disciplined Uni Blues defence and some predictable football going forward saw our key forwards struggle to find any space. The Old Scotch injury curse continued to haunt us, as Scott Sherwen limped from the ground with an ankle injury, unable to take any further part in the game. In the highlight for the quarter, Yea youngster Ash Walsh tried some aerial magic but was unable to complete his soaring mark, while at ground level, Rowan Nayna and Lachie Hill were blistering with some runs along their respective wings. Injury free, Will Lewis was back to his best and fairest form, but while Old Scotch generally controlled the quarter, Uni Blues fought hard to stay in the game, kicking 2.5 to Old Scotch’s 3.4. Scotch took first half honours with a 16 point lead at the long break.

Early on in the third it looked as if Scotch could kick away, but some inaccurate kicking and wasted disposal meant that the game was still up for grabs. As the quarter wore on, Uni Blues began to win stoppages, and peppered their attack continually. Returning from a frustrating season-ending ear injury last year (yes, ear injury) Mark Tyrell’s long kicking and classy decision-making was a pleasure to watch, as coach Banfield pushed numbers behind the ball and the players aimed to control the ball and slow the game down. Scotch weathered the onslaught well, minimising the fluctuating momentum to quell Uni Blues’ advance and go into the final break with a 5 point deficit.

Pete Banfield’s instructions at three-quarter time were lucid: ‘Really fight for the first 10 minutes, stay in there and we will have the legs to outrun them’.

Rob ‘Ferrari’ Ferarro must’ve been listening intently, winning the first two stoppages of the quarter – a clear message of intent to his team-mates. With each contest more important than the last and with both teams on their last legs, Uni Blues found themselves two goals up at the 20 minute mark of the last.

Cries of ‘finish strongly’ echoed from the Scotchies, and when Ash Walsh intercepted an errant kick and put it through the goals from a tight angle, the roar from the crowd behind the goals signalled to the players that it was time to strike. Moments later, a well directed tap from Tim Widmer was pounced on by Rowan ‘na na na na na na’ Nayna and a left-foot snap had Scotch a goal ahead. His subsequent celebration was one for the ages – double fist pumps, screams and eyeballs to the crowd, something he later admitted he’d ‘never done before’. Not content to leave it there, Hugo Perry’s GPS must’ve malfunctioned, storming into the forward pocket to gracefully pick up the ball and dribble home a snap to put the boys two goals up.

If the dagger was in, it wasn’t properly twisted, and a franchise corner’s Adam Houlihan decided this was his duty, sending home another to all but confirm a courageous Scotch victory. A final goal to Uni Blues was too little too late, as the Cardinals calmly played keepings off and the siren sounded to give Old Scotch a 12-point round 1 victory.