Scores
Thanks to all of our secret scribes who have sent in match reports for the weekends games. Summarised results are below
Seniors || Aquinas 6.8.44 – Hawthorn 19.15.129
Reserves || Aquinas 13.9.87 – Hawthorn 11.8.74
Women || Williamstown CYMS 4.12.36 – Aquinas 5.6.36
U19s || Aquinas 11.9.75 – De La Salle 12.2.74
Seniors Match Report
Kicking to the Great Ryrie Street end in the first quarter Aquinas were looking to make it two on the trot at Bloods Stadium.
Starting off well and with some good ball movement out of the backline the home side found themselves 4 points up at the first break after a couple of nice goals from Butcher and Dwyer.
Hawthorn started working into the game in the second quarter and in all honesty we were lucky to still be leading by 1 point at half time after they kicked a wasteful 3 goals 6 behinds for the quarter.
The visiting side evidently bathed in Bloods Kryptonite at half time as the Aquinas players wanted nothing to do with their opponents after half time. It was genuinely perplexing how a side could go from genuinely competing to whatever that second half was in the space of 20 minutes.
Hawthorn managed 15 second half goals whilst we snagged the solitary major, the 1 point half time advantage quickly subsided into a 85 point loss.
One of the more disappointing efforts of recent years and hopefully one that won’t be repeated again this season.
With 11 players in the side Saturday who’ve played U19’s in the past 2 years there is plenty of promise in this squad, we just need to harness it and unleash it.
Go Bloods
Reserves Match Report
The Reserves came up against Hawthorn on the remarkably pristine bottom oval. If I was the VAFA I’d be sending ASADA out to the curators warehouse because whatever they’re doing to keep the bottom oval in such good nick must surely be illegal.
The cookie cutter script of the last few weeks was followed; an older, bigger bodied side would get the jump on the Bloods for the first 5-10 minutes before we run and use the ball far better than them for the last half of each quarter.
On the theme of ASADA, the Bloods were fielding a team akin to the Essendon top up team of 2016, with ring ins coming from everywhere to fill the side after rural music festival Groovin the Moo decimated the club of its playing stocks. On a positive note, whenever we are scheduled to play in Bendigo, we now have a wealth of socio-economic knowledge and understanding of the playing conditions in the paddocks.
Back to the game – we were very appreciative of some old and new faces coming down to get us out on the field with a full side.
Backs were well and truly against the wall as we were down by 29 points in the 3rd quarter, but we ran all over them in the last to come out 2-3 goal winners.
Westy performed an admirable shut down job on of their better players, who undoubtedly became distracted by his infamaous moustache and gave away many unruly free kicks. The Wrights were strong as ever in the guts, while Nooshka Campbell fired right up in the last quarter, inspired by the prospects of the function to come that night.
Well done to all the lads on an exceptional win that will be a reference point for the rest of the season.
Women’s Match Report
After a well rested week off, the women were back to training in fine form. We welcomed back Tess Mcdonald to training as she is recovering well from preseason surgery, great to have a McDonald on the track.. as we don’t have many of those.
The women took a road trip over the west gate to Altona North to take on Williamstown CYMS. The Willy girls came out firing with ample scoring opportunities. The Bloods backline applying the pressure early, still some work to do on our kick outs.
10 points down at half time, we re grouped at the break. Back to what we had been working on at training, the 3rd and 4th quarters were a strong battle by both teams. Williamstown were a strong leading and marking team, that didn’t stop the Aquinas girls from taking on the game.
Emily Winters was seen in every contest making an impact. Ella Furniss and Freya Dowling took on the game in the back line. Ella showing some great leadership hoping on her bike and running the ball up the ground, keeping Williamstown to just one goal up at the 3rd quarter break.
The Bloods kept the ball in the forward 50 for the most part of the last quarter, bringing the game to just a one goal margin. Goal kickers Caitie Flanagan, Jess Cridland, and Monique Elliott with her first for the Bloods, brought the women within range.
Mollie McDonald laid a killer tackle in the final minutes, unfortunately she was left with the McDonald curse, a busted collarbone- all the best for her, and a speedy recovery.
Both teams didn’t give up, Willy 4.12.36 and Aquinas 5.6.36, a sombre finish with a draw.
Looking forward to celebrating the women in our lives next week, for the Mother’s Day round at home.
U19’s Match Report
The Unders ventured out to Waverley Oval to take on De La Salle, a team that had always given us a touch up, with both teams having a 3 – 1 record.
It was a close contest all game, with the Bloods going in at half time 6 points in front. De La came at firing in the 3rd, first grabbing the lead then pushing the margin out to 11pts before a Baxter miracle snap from the boundary brought it back to 5 points at 3/4 time.
The Bloods came out firing in the last kicking out to a 12 pt lead before giving up 2 very easy replies in quick succession to square it up, a goal to Farry had us back up and about but we failed to finish it off giving up the last 7pts of the match to lose by a solitary pt.
Best players Leigh, Sali, Noyes, Tooley, Crosbie and Muckleston.
Goal kickers Sali 5, Baxter 3 and Farry & Noyes 2 apiece.
E&S Women’s Player of the Week
Congratulations to this week’s E&S Women’s Player of the Week Freya Dowling.
Freya started the year with a ripping preseason and was rewarded for her efforts with a spot in the leadership group. She spent much of her first two games on the back flank and accounted herself well, usually against much larger opponents.
Thrown into the guts against Williamstown she dominated from start to finish with one of the coaches heard to say she was best on ground by a mile.
Well done Freya.
Functions
A reminder of our Past Players Day on Saturday 19th May. This luncheon will be held in the O’Driscoll Room as per previous years and will celebrating the 10 year anniversary of the 2008 U19 Premiership. All past players are invited to attend for what is always a fantastic day.
Our hugely popular $5000 Reverse Raffle is also happening again this year. Lock in June 16th to your calendars for what will be a massive night. Hopefully this year a premiership player doesn’t win it again and use the money to retire from football and move to London. Looking at you Guthrie.
Another reminder of our Mother’s Day afternoon tea being held after our Women’s game this weekend. There will be baked goods as well as a raffle with all proceeds to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Starting immediately after our Women’s game this Saturday.
Round 5
This weeks games as follows
Seniors || Canterbury || 2:00pm at Canterbury
Reserves || Canterbury || 11:40am at Canterbury
Women’s || Old Melburnian’s || 11:4oam at Aquinas College
U19s || Peninsula || 9:20am at Aquinas College
Sponsors
Thanks to all of our sponsors who give so generously to our great club
