Roos Wrap
A big challenge taking on The Pickering Brook Hawks away on a lovely sunny Mother’s Day.
More changes as Myles, Marshall, Lachlan, Jonesy and Harry, made way for Musto, Crash and Rhys coming in for their first games of the year and young Daniel Thomas following in his dad’s footsteps to debut for the club.
With one of the least experienced teams to play for the year the decision was made to bring in Della and our average age went from 20 to 30 with his invaluable inclusion.
The game started with both teams working hard to create opportunities and it was the Hawks who settled first to kick the opening goal. The Hawks were sweating on our mistakes, turning them into shots on goal and were stretching the young Roos. Jakey began to find the ball in the middle and Musto across half forward, creating late goals to Tyson and Rhys, two goals down at the first change.
Some positional changes for the start of the second and the Roos started to find their feet. Braeden found his hunger for the ball in the middle and was linking well with Jesse to drive the ball forward. We started to reduce our mistakes and it showed on the scoreboard, two goals to Austin with Rhys and Mick one a piece and we were right back in the game. Our backline had gotten the match ups right and with the hard-running Nick taking the game on from half back we were two points up at the half.
Mikey was doing a massive job for us in the ruck and giving Jakey, Tyson and Gaz first use of the ball and we had begun to stretch the Hawks. Mistakes continued to hurt us and the Hawks were able to match our hard work with goals all coming from turnovers. When combined with several posters for the Roos during the quarter we were only eleven points up at the last change.
A tough and tight last quarter and it was the Hawks who struck first to tighten things up, before a nasty head knock to Greggo down back had the game stopped with eighteen minutes left on the clock. Greggo was in safe hands as Shelley looked after him on field as we waited for the ambulance to take him to the hospital. Ever the team player he was keen to let Bill know that he still owed ten bucks for the game.
The Hawks kicked the goal from the restart to hit the front and it was up to the young Roos to respond. Goals to Austin and DJ got us close however the Hawks quickly answered and despite some last gasp efforts to snatch the game it was the Hawks by two points. Braeden, Jesse, Jake and Nick our best on the day Austin our leading goal kicker with four.
Some mentions on the day with Dev showing some inspirational dash only to figure out he was going the wrong way and Maitland with two of the fastest sprints that we have seen at the club, what dodgy ankle and to Rhys’s girlfriend for flattening the battery listening to the radio during the game. At least we won something on the day as we took home the chocolates the raffle!
A massive challenge for the boys this week as we take on Chidlow on our home deck, desperation and hard work the key as we continue to learn and improve.
Carn the Roos!