U9

Travelling out to Forrest Hill to play the team we first met in round two with just 11 players I was more confident of giving them a better game as we were up to 17 now and really starting to play as a team.

On the shortened ground we started well and with the strong breeze Forrest Hill managed to score just two goals late in the first quarter - our teamwork and pressure on the ball carrier had improved since last week and the running drills we introduced at training were starting to come through in general play which was pleasing to see.

The second quarter was much the same as the first with no team managing to score at all so going into the halftime break the boys were confident in getting on top and going on with it.

We managed to score the first two goals of the third quarter which brught us even, though after some difficult umpiring decisions we managed to go into the last quarter 3 goals down which frustrated some of the players.

I stressed to them at three quarter time that we had to play the game for ourselves and not worry about the decisions of the umpire - we need to win the game of football without assistance or reliance on the umpire. To the players credit they took this on board and managed to match Forrest Hill in scoring shots in the final quarter and only just missed out on a possible first win for the season.

Well done today boys you showed some great character in getting on with the game despite your frustration level rising each quarter!!

Round 11 v Ferntree Gully Eagles

The Under 11s were playing Ferntree Gully away (and not at the ground on the original fixture, so there were some anxious moments ensuring everyone got to the right ground). We did not have much of a warm-up, but it was a fine and sunny morning with the wind blowing towards the Burwood Highway end.

We finally won a toss, and kicked with the wind in the first quarter. Our starts have not been fantastic, but this week we had most of the ball, and managed goals to Tom and Jake K. Whenever the ball did come out, we had plenty of runners to send it back into the forward line. The backline did not get much of a work-out, and we kept them scoreless for the quarter.

The run from our backline was great in the second quarter, and we managed to score more into the wind than we did with it in the first quarter. Sal from the Under 9s came down to help us out, and after some early nerves decided to play after sitting on the bench in the first quarter. He kicked a great goal, and with another one to Tom we were 4 goals and 6 behinds at half time. Once again, we managed to keep Ferntree Gully scoreless.

Ryan and Jaycob were playing great games, and Josh kept their big man quiet after half time (which he didn’t like too much). Our teamwork was excellent and we managed to keep the forward line open for most of the quarter. We kicked 4 goals and 7 behinds with the wind in the 3^rd quarter, with goals to Riley, Max, Kyle, and another one to Tom. We were resting players in the backline, as we have a coujple of big games coming up.

With the wind in the last quarter, Ferntree Gully managed to outscore us by 1 point, kicking 1 goal and 1 behind to our goal, which was a great effort by Riley to mark and play-on. Kingy kept putting his head over the ball, and it kept getting hit – I thought he might have been out for the game at one stage, but the ball game near him and he jumped up, getting 2 or 3 possessions in a row to put it into our forward line again. Our teamwork and effort was great all day, with some fantastic shepherds, excellent handballs to open up play, and plenty of run.

Bayswater 9.13-67 def Ferntree Gully 1.1-7

Goals: Tom 3, Riley 2, Kyle, Jake K, Max, Sal

Best Players: Tom, Ryan, Jaycob, Riley, Kyle, Josh

Coach: Chris

In a match I wasn’t able to attend it was disheartening to hear that the boys started with 3 players missing. What hope do our children have of committing to something when Parents can’t do the same?  This group started the season with the bare minimum of 14 and after the first game, as we all know a parent took his child away as it would be too upsetting for him to play in a losing team each week. What character is this teaching? Let me tell you, NONE! The boys, not me, not the Committee and certainly not the Parents have increased numbers to 17, a great achievement to the boys for working towards fielding a full side on Sundays. At Under 12 level it is about developing the boys Football skills not about winning premierships albeit nice to have, it is about teamwork and it is about mateship. Our team manager mentioned that some Parents aren’t too keen about helping out in the Canteen or whatever; my answer to this is TOUGH! We are all here for the same purpose, for our boys to play Football and without these jobs being filled we do not play! SIMPLE! A phone call doesn’t take much and arrangements can be made so that your child can get to the game. The funniest thing I heard of in recent years was the grounding of a child that prevented him in playing for the club although his Face book wasn’t banned. How bizarre that the rest of the team was made to suffer as well!

I would like to thank Martin Leacy for taking his Sunday off to Coach the boys and also Damon Green for being the Runner on the day.

Unfortunately your boys have chosen an outdoor winter sport to play and in my mind it is the best sport going, this means that we may have play in the rain so of course we have to train in the rain. I find it frustrating when there are only 5 players in attendance at training, maybe we should schedule training accordingly with the Weather forecast and if it looks like rain we stay home? So in that scenario if it looks like raining on game day we forfeit? I cannot help your kids if you can’t find the time to at least get them to training and mostly it is inexcusable for a player not to show up without either the Team manager or Coach being notified. Parents you really need to start setting an example because unfortunately the world does not just revolve around yourselves!

Congratulations to Taylor Philpotts on 50 games!

Bayswater 1.1.6 def by Donvale 7.6.48

Coach: Greg

Round 11 v South Croydon

Q1: We travelled to South Croydon for the second time this year and the ground was a lot worse than last time. It was very muddy all over the ground though we had to accept it and play to the best of our ability in trying conditions. It was a fantastic start as we won the first centre clearance and went forward to only score a minor. What happened after that was very pleasing. We zoned up very well and the opposition struggled to run it out of our forward line as we worked hard to keep the ball in. Our only problem was our kicking as we amassed 15 scoring shots.

Bayswater 5.10.40 - Sth Croydon 0.0.0

Q2: The second quarter we still had most of the play but as we went forward the ball would hit the glue pot and there were many stoppages. We kept trying to hit the ball out to open spaces so we could use our run and not get bottled up by the opposition. The only 2 goals came from backing ourselves to run through the defence rather than set shots.

Bayswater 7.14.56 - Sth Croydon 0.0.0

Q3: We played out the third quarter as we did in the opening quarter. We ran hard and worked together as a team to find players on good leads up forward. Again we dominated the quarter but missed a few easy shots at goal. If you can call them easy when you are running in thick mud to line up for goals! It was pleasing to see that we did not get selfish and we looked for each other rather than blaze away.

Bayswater 13.18.96 - Sth Croydon 0.0.0

Q4: It was time to move the side around and give the backs a bit of a go up forward and to rest the onballers to give others ago. Unfortunately it did not pan out the way I expected it to. To South Croydon’s credit they finished the game off strongly, they out ran us and were more desperate for the ball. We were kept scoreless in the last quarter as the opposition showed us the way to play hard running football.

Bayswater 13.18.96 defeated Sth Croydon 2.2.14

U15