Colac Herald » Sport

Alvie calls umpiring a disgrace

Matt Murnane — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:15:18 +0000

Matt Murnanelvie coach Luke McLennan has launched an extraordinary attack on the umpiring during Saturday’s preliminary final loss to Irrewarra-Beeac.
McLennan met with umpiring officials after the game to voice his disgust at what the usually-reserved Swans leader called “disgraceful” umpiring that was an “indictment of the league”.
“The umpiring was a disgrace and I’m happy to put my name to that,” McLennan said.
“It was the worst display of umpiring I’ve come across in 22 years of football.”
McLennan said his men were unfairly treated by field umpires Daniel Williams, David Robertson and Regan Nelson throughout the final that Alvie lost, 6.8 (44) to 10.16 (76), in a mud-bath at Irrewarra Recreation Reserve.
The Swans were incensed with a string of free kicks against them in the second quarter that culminated with star forward Ben Cox getting yellow-carded when Alvie had the wind and the momentum.
Cox appeared to scream at fellow Swan Christian Kelly during what seemed nothing more than an animated exchange between team-mates.
The expletive was over-heard by Williams, who then exchanged words with Cox before sending him off.
Cox received another card in the final quarter that kept him off the ground permanently.
“The send-off of Ben Cox was a joke,” McLennan said.
“The umpires told us after the game that they sent him off for “audible swearing”. He was swearing at one of his own team-mates,” he said.
“How many times do you hear swearing on a football field? There was at least 50 times on Saturday where I heard other players swear.
“All those were just brushed aside but this guy decides to send off Coxy because he wants to get noticed.”
“People are there to watch football not umpires.”
McLennan made it clear the umpires were not solely to blame for the loss.
“I know it’s going to sound like sour grapes and I’m happy to say there was plenty of opportunites that we didn’t take and we should have and I’ll put my hand up for that,” he said.
“But when you’re playing a quality side like Irrewarra-Beeac it just makes it even harder when you’re not getting your fair share of the decisions.
“We were happy to go out to Irrewarra and play them out there, I didn’t say anything about that during the week, all we wanted was a chance to see how we would go against the best team in the league on an even playing field.
“But unfortunately we didn’t get that.
“Even Irrewarra-Beeac players I spoke to after the game said they thought we were harshly done by.”
The Colac Herald understands Alvie was privately seething about its treatment from the umpires during its qualifying final loss to Birregurra two weeks ago.
Back then, McLennan played a straight bat with his comments, choosing instead to blame his players’ lack of discipline for the five 50-metre penalties against the Swans that led to Birregurra goals.
“After the Birregurra game I held my tongue but it just got worse,” McLennan said.
“So now I’m at the point where I’m happy to talk about it because it’s at that the point where it can’t get any worse,” he said.
“I know I’m going to cop it but I just think the umpires have been a protected species for too long.
“They get paid to umpire.
“If I do a bad job at work then I expect to cop it but these guys don’t cop any criticism.”
Colac umpires president Tom Roscoe, who was at Saturday’s game, defended the three field umpires and strongly rejected accusations that his officials were biased against Alvie.
“The accusation that we went after them, that is definitely not true,” Roscoe said.
“The performance of the umpires was up to the standard that was expected of them under the circumstances of the day,” he said.
“There was nothing they did during the day that we were very disappointed with.”

Focussed Tigers claim nail-biter

Alex White — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:14:34 +0000

Colac 17-and-under netball coach Nicolle Mitchell has attributed her team’s thrilling one-goal preliminary final win to a more focussed and resolute performance.
Mitchell said her team was switched on and determined in the build-up to its 33-32 win over Geelong West St Peters at Corio Leisuretime Centre on Saturday.
“Going into the game we knew it would be a really hard contest and I think the girls were a lot more focussed and determined to win this week,” she said.
“Everyone played really well, the girls were concentrating very hard prior to the game and it showed because we looked the better team on the court.”
The Tigers led for the majority of the game but were unable to put the game beyond doubt as the Roosters made a late charge resulting in some nervous final-quarter moments.
“I thought we might have had it won but with a few minutes to go they shot three quick goals so we just needed to maintain possession from our centre ball,” Mitchell
said.
“We were very excited to get the win, we probably could have won by a few more goals but it was always close,” she said.
Best and fairest winner Kelsey Lang made a welcome return from an ankle injury for the do-or-die clash and Mitchell said the star defender’s influence, along with a best-on-court performance from goal shooter Saskia Douglas-Dekker, boosted the team.
“Kelsey being back was definitely a big positive for us, the girls really look up to her and she con-trolled a lot of the court,” Mitchell said.
“Saskia also played very well. She shot well, held well and was best on court.”
The win has set-up a grand final showdown with league powerhouse South Barwon on Sunday.
Mitchell declared her team would go in underdogs but would stick to its game plan.
“They’ve been the dominant team over the past couple of years so we’re probably the underdogs but we’re pretty happy with our set up so we won’t change it too much,” she said.
“Zoe Donne might return from injury this week so we’ll just have to wait until Thursday to see the make up of the team.”

REACH: Young gun Kelsey Lang returned for the Tigers to help her team defeat GWSP on Saturday.

Alvie lets chances slide

Matt Murnane — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:12:54 +0000

It was a game where Alvie needed to make the most of the momentum when they had it.
Even before they arrived at Irrewarra Recreation Reserve on Saturday, nothing was falling into place for the Swans.
Firstly, the late-game switch to the Bombers’ home-ground.
Then, just to make matters worse, nearly an inch of rain between Friday and Saturday turned the usually weather-proof surface into a swamp.
Some Irrewarra-Beeac old-timers said it was the worst condition they had ever seen the ground.
It was hardly the ideal stage for the young Swans that love to move the ball quickly and carve up oppositions with their foot skills.
Then there was the late withdrawal of Liam McGuane – the gifted mid-fielder who umpires rated Alvie’s second best player this year.
Then the toss of the coin. Again, the football gods weren’t with Alvie and the Bombers prepared to kick with an advantageous breeze in the first quarter.
Then the game started.
As expected, the Bombers got off to a flyer, booting four goals from 10 scoring shots and an abundance of inside 50s.
The Swans stayed in touch thanks to two of Luke Riches’ three goals for the game.
Then it happened. It was the Swans turn to get a run on kicking with the wind in the second quarter.
It started with Jack Mahoney Medallist Andrew Kelly finding space at half-forward and hitting his brother Christian lace out on the lead.
The league’s leading goal-kicker converted the difficult set shot to bring the margin back to 11 points.
Suddenly, the Swans had all the ball and all the momentum.
If they were to win the game, they had to strike now.
History will say Alvie didn’t strike – partly their own fault and partly for reasons beyond their control at certain stages.
The umpiring from Saturday’s game was widely debated at the weekend and will continue to prompt more discussion this week.
CDFL president Phil Cobbledick called it “inconsistent”, Luke McLennan labelled it “disgraceful”.
Regardless, the Swans didn’t take their chances and as McLennan pointed out after the game – against a quality side like Irrewarra-Beeac – his side had to take every half-chance, let alone the full ones.
Christian Kelly missed a set shot from 35 metres out directly in front he would kick nine times out of 10 and Ben Cox miss-fired a snap he would also back himself to convert.
Then the intensity reached a new level as the Swans pushed harder and it seemed like every whistle was going against them.
Cox screamed at Christian Kelly for ignoring him 25 metres out directly in front.
McLennan admitted Cox “swore” at his team-mate, an expletive overheard by the umpire.
The umpire stopped the game and approached Cox. An exchange between the two followed and Cox received the first of two yellow cards.
Cox and his Swans team-mates looked stunned.
Shortly after, Alvie had another chance to reduce the margin to under a goal.
Paul Cass handpassed to Kelly 10 metres out for what looked like a certain goal but the Swans spearhead sprayed the shot, thanks to a terrific lunging tackle from Bomber Travis Sell.
As another goal went begging so too did Alvie’s momentum, playing one player short.
The ball went up the other end and finished with David Dunne, who soccered home the type of goal only he and few others can kick.
Then Dan Casey marked and goaled.
By the time Luke Vickers marked in the goal square and slotted one of his three majors for the game the Bombers were up by 26 points.
It was only half-time but it may as well have been full-time. Alvie had missed its chance.

GUTS: Irrewarra-Beeac warrior Robert Elborough swings onto his left foot.

Bombers just as hungry

Matt Murnane — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:11:04 +0000

Irrewarra-Beeac coach Dan Casey has hit back at critics who said his team had lost its “edge”, declaring the Bombers were “hungrier than ever” to win another premiership.
Casey said his team-mates’ reaction after Saturday’s stirring preliminary final win against Alvie was proof the Bombers’ drive for a third premiership was exactly where it needed to be.
The minor premiers will get their shot at an historic third premier-ship when it takes on Birregurra in the club’s fifth consecutive grand final this Saturday at Central Reserve.
“Going for three in a row is hard but a lot of blokes that played in those last two premierships aren’t playing now and we’ve got another group of young blokes,” Casey said.
“And I think that’s made us hungrier than ever.”
In the lead-up to Saturday’s 32-point victory, injured Alvie star Joel Flanigan asked the question many in the CDFL had pondered all year – do the Bombers have enough motivation to stay on top?
Casey said he was using the perception that his team was lacking motivation to inspire his players.
“That’s something that we’ve heard from everyone, not really what Joel said but more at the start of the finals series,” Casey said.
“People were happy to write us off and, look, you’re going to get comments like that,” he said.
“All you can do is go out and prove that you are hungry.
“A lot of people were saying we’ve lost our edge but at the end of the game on Saturday I think the boys showed how much it meant to them to make another grand final.”
After being out-slogged by Birregurra in the second semi-final, Bombers midfielders Khan Beckett, Tony Walker, Rob Elborough, Jason Cartwright and ruckman Peter Featherston led their team in atrocious conditions at Irrewarra Recreation Reserve.
While fully aware his team was “doing things the hard way” this finals series, Casey said Saturday’s mud-bath could have been exactly what his club needed.
“If it hadn’t have rained and we had’ve got a dry track, we would probably have gone into Central Reserve next week in the same position we were in the week before,” Casey said.
“So I’m glad we got that hit-out in the mud,” he said.
“Obviously people will say we might have tired legs now for the grand final but I think it just gives our boys a bit more confidence going into what could be a similar game this week considering all the rain we’ve had.”
Surprisingly, the Bombers went into Saturday’s game with an unchanged line-up, despite Casey vowing to swing the axe following an effort he described as “pathetic” against Birregurra the previous week.
“We sat down with the senior players and said which way do you want to go with this? We could start dropping blokes after last week,” Casey said.
“But we decided to put it back on the guys and asked them what they wanted to do and basically they said ‘gives us another chance to prove ourselves’ and they’ve done that so it paid off.”

MESSY FOOTBALL: Irrewarra-Beeac’s Lee Hickey and Alvie’s Ryan McKenzie chase after a ball in the swamp-like conditions at Irrewarra.

Attack woes hurt Tigers

Aidan Fawkes — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:09:35 +0000

Simpson coach Kaylene Jones has condemned her side’s inability to handle South Colac’s high-pressure defensive game for its preliminary final exit.
The Tigers were lost for ideas attempting to break through the Roos’ defensive set up, the biggest factor in its 7-19 first half capitulation.
“We definitely got out-played,” Jones said.
“South did a fantastic job in our attack end of the court then we didn’t capitalise on the ball we had,” she said.
“They shut it down, they forced them out wide and forced the long shots, and the shots weren’t sinking.
“Defensively and through the mid-court we played really well. We just couldn’t break their defence end.”
Jones said the Roos had the defensive game to trouble Irrewarra-Beeac in the grand final.
But she said questions still remained on their potency in attack.
South Colac shot at 64-per-cent accuracy on Saturday and in some respects Simpson’s 58-per-cent effort only prevented the game from being the nail-biter fans expected.
Roo goalers Ebony Piera and Grace Parker will come up against Bombers Leah Ousey, Emma Hillman and Narelle Frith in the decider.
“The defensive game they played, if they play that against Irrewarra-Beeac they’ll have a good shot,” Jones said.
“Their attack end might let them down a bit, Grace and Ebony coming up against Narelle, Emma and Leah,” she said.
Pride in her players was South Colac coach Janelle Bond’s theme post-match.
She agreed Simpson’s inability to break down defenders Nadine McNamara and Katie McCoombe played into her side’s hands.
“I’m a defender and I looked at their game styles, Nadine and Katie, from the word go and tried to help them, bring a new influence into their games,” Bond said.
“Katie has been fabulous. She’s absorbed so much information this year and taken it in her stride.
“And Nadine has had other experiences. They’re just on fire, both of them.”
Bond also credited mid-couters Tahnee Monteith and Chelsea Speirs, who were faultless transitioning the ball into attack, and Natasha Goodall’s job on Michelle Gristede.
“She might be a thin-framed, petite girl on the court but she’s certainly strong,” Bond said of Goodall.
“She didn’t make any bad throws under Michelle’s pressure,” she said.

PRESSURE: A barrage of passes into South Colac’s goal ring caused Simpson goal keeper Ashleigh Cronin to lose her glasses in Saturday’s preliminary final.

First-half blitz launches Roos past Simpson

Aidan Fawkes — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:08:16 +0000

South Colac will play unbeaten Irrewarra-Beeac for the 2010 A Grade netball premiership.
The Roos completed the penultimate stage of their flag mission by powering past Simpson 36-22 in Saturday’s preliminary final at Irrewarra Recreation Reserve.
A devastating first half, in which Janelle Bond’s side hurried and hassled their opponents en-route to a 19-7 lead, proved the foundation for the triumph, with the Roos shading Simpson in the second half.
And while the performance might not have scared the Bombers – they will tell you they fear no one – it raised questions about how to stop a rampant South Colac machine.
Simpson scored the match’s opening two goals but had no answers for South Colac’s pressure-packed first half thereafter.
From 0-2 down the Roos shot the next eight goals and led 8-3 at quarter time.
When Simpson drew within four early in the second term, South Colac again went on a match-defining run, this time 10-2 run to end the half.
The Roos’ spark came from the back, where defenders Nadine McNamara and Katie McCoombe protected the space under the goal post well and forced Tigers Jessie Hawkins and Sophie Cronin to lead out of the ring.
The result was Simpson too often throwing the ball away searching for a crack in the defence.
When they did break through, Hawkins and Cronin shot from long range and the goals just weren’t dropping – seven nets from 15 shots was easily the Tigers’ worst first half for the season.
Comparatively, South Colac moved the ball with ease and appears to have its mid-court structure down pat.
Crucially, it was also
able to find the positions it wanted to ensure goalers Ebony Piera and Grace Parker shot from close range.
As well as in the Simpson goal ring, South Colac’s other big win was Natasha Goodall’s performance against damaging Tiger Michelle Gristede.
Wing defence Goodall used her pace to hurt Simpson coming out of defence and did not give Gristede any space when defending.
The one-sided nature of the first half was perplexing and was a combination of Simpson self-destructing and South Colac’s pressure in defence and faultless ball movement.
The Tigers mounted a charge early in the third term but South Colac again held them at bay, and when Simpson did start converting their possession, it was too little, too late.

IT’S OURS: South Colac goalers Grace Parker, left and Ebony Piera sense victory at three-quarter time.

First term crucial to Roos’ big win

Ben Martin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:04:19 +0000

South Colac coach Greg McCarthy says a solid first quarter was the catalyst for his team’s 62-point under-17 preliminary final win on Saturday.
The Roos have struggled with opening quarters during the past fortnight and with rain soaking the Irrewarra Recreation Reserve surface, McCarthy said a strong start was more important than ever.
“In conditions like that, you can’t give opposition a good start because you can’t get back into the match like on a dry day,” he said.
“If our boys can hold them at the start, we can outrun any team.”
And after a tied 1.2 (8) first quarter, the Roos took charge for the rest of the match.
Captain Dean Jenkins led the way in the high-intensity clash, laying a stack of tackles across half-back and keeping Alvie’s Spencer Williamson quiet, while Dylan McCarthy provided plenty of rebound.
“Our backline was so strong – Dean Jenkins, Dylan McCarthy in centre half back, Daniel Madden in full back – they let us get the ball to guys like Zac Hammond who gave us plenty of run up that wing,” McCarthy said.
And while Swans Dean McGuane and Fraser Howard contested admirably despite the barrage of inside-50s, it was Roo full forward James Marshall, three goals, who had reason to celebrate post-match.
South Colac’s Hammond and Alvie’s Chris McKay provided plenty for their teams out of the middle.
Six goals up in the final term, McCarthy used the opportunity to rest his senior, experienced players and was rewarded with goals from forwards Xavier Lamanna, David Morrow and ruckman Shaun Harrington.
“Playing in these sort of conditions in finals can take its toll so I gave some of the guys a break,” McCarthy said.
“We’ve got good cattle on the bench who can come out and kick goals, especially with confidence,” he said.
“We were all committed as we’ve played all year, we started well and our running game started to show.”
The confidence-boosting win holds the Roos in strong stead for their semi-final rematch against Simpson in this weekend’s grand final.

COP THAT: South Colac’s Brendan Monaghan, centre, cops the full force of Alvie’s pressure from Swans Tyler Murnane, Dean McGuane and Xavier Allan in Saturday’s under-17 preliminary final.

Imperials dominate Saints in mud bath

Ben Martin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:02:33 +0000

There was a distinct attitude change from Colac Imperials coach Justin Williamson after his team’s preliminary final victory against Birregurra on Saturday.
You could tell he was much happier than he had been seven days earlier when his team played what he described as “one of the worst games we’ve put in”.
Imps bounced back from its 26-point loss to Irrewarra-Beeac with gusto, outmuscling Birregurra in Saturday’s slog 7.7 (49) to 3.3 (21).
“We played a little bit smarter, when the ball was in dispute which was quite often in the wet, we only had one or two players go in, and two others ready to put a block on and talk,” Williamson said.
Post-match, Williamson said there was a different feeling about his team that led for four quarters in rain-soaked conditions at Irrewarra Recreation Reserve.
“It was massively upbeat, it was pretty much a complete turnaround from last week’s efforts and we haven’t really played too much wet weather footy,” he said.
Despite the best efforts of Birregurra’s mid-field general Ian Rowarth and Jake Rogers who racked up a stack of possessions through the middle, Imperials won the mid-field battle.
“Daniel Cook played a great game, for a little guy he puts on a countless amount of blocks, runs and finds the footy himself, and Luke O’Brien was unbelievable, he’s as hard at it as any player I’ve played with,” Williamson said.
Imps’ forward Jordan Johnstone put a stamp on his place in the side, kicking two goals in a dominant performance presenting in conditions not well-suited to forwards.
“Jordan straightens us up, he’s incredibly strong and the worst things he’s going to do is bring the ball to ground and that’s what you want from a forward,” Williamson said.
The Cats will now prepare for this weekend’s semi-final rematch against Irrewarra-Beeac, a match Williamson hopes will play out differently this time around.
“Perennially they’ve been the best in it and we plan not only to match them but to win it, we’re not going in next week to make up numbers,” he said.

QUICK: Colac Imperials’ Heath Spokes gets a handpass out before Birregurra’s Trent Williamson lays a tackle in muddy conditions at Irrewarra Recreation Reserve.

Demons look to final

Aidan Fawkes — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:00:49 +0000

Otway Districts have set up a 17-and-under grand final showdown with unbeaten Colac Imperials.
The Demons earned their place in the decider by defeating Simpson for the second time in finals in a high-scoring preliminary final at Irrewarra Recreation Reserve.
A flurry of goals late in the third term and in the early stages of the fourth allowed Otway Districts to shrug off the determined Tigers and win 41-38.
Otway Districts coach Liz Barden said an increased focus on defence in the second half, which also included two positional changes at half time, proved crucial to the win.
Barden swapped goal defence Samantha McKenzie and goal keeper Lydia Denny, which allowed Denny to play a more running game on Tiger Caitlyn McVilly.
“We just knew our defence had to lift,” Barden said.
“We thought our attack end was going okay, it was just our defence,” she said.
“I thought we slowed them down in the second half when we took the lead.”
The first half provided fans with an attacking spectacle, with Otway Districts goalers Caitlin Dolan and Nadine Oborne and Simpson shooters McVilly and Rylae Kirby well on top.
Both sides were moving the ball quickly and the game went goal for goal for most of the half, with Simpson leading 22-21 at half time.
The match was still in the balance right up until a Dolan goal moments before the three-quarter time siren, which gave Otway Districts a 32-29 lead.
The Demons then went on a 4-1 run early in the final term and opened up a seven-goal lead, which proved too big for the fast-finishing Tigers.
Dolan finished with 28 goals, including 19 in the middle two quarters, in a best-on-court effort while sidekick Oborne, 13, missed just four nets for the match.
For the Tigers, centre Emma Wilkie and goal defence Rachael Mason were solid in defeat.
Kirby hit 20 goals to lead the Tigers’ scoring and McVilly finished with 18 and didn’t miss after quarter time.
Post-match, Barden hinted at a changed line-up for the grand final.
“We’ll have to go back Thursday and work on what we think Imperials’ strengths are,” she said.

JUMP: Otway shooter Caitlin Dolan flys for a catch.

Hawks soar into grand final

Ben Martin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 00:58:40 +0000

The roar of Apollo Bay fans after Saturday’s preliminary final was enough to show the magnitude of the Hawks’ thrilling win.
Apollo Bay flew from fifth spot into this weekend’s B Grade grand final, surviving three elimination finals against more-fancied opposition.
Simpson was the latest of the in-form Hawks’ victims, after the Tigers failed to keep up with the Bay’s momentum for four quarters.
And for the first time in over a decade, Apollo Bay will have a senior netball team taking the court for a grand final.
“It’s amazing, I think you could tell by the squeals after the game we’re pretty excited about it,” Hawks coach Lauren Nicholls said post-match.
After a rain-soaked opening three quarters in which the scoreline went goal-for-goal, the Hawks broke away in the fourth quarter when the sun came out.
Nicholls took advantage of the midcourt in the final quarter after Simpson dynamo Bridget Foster finished the match on the bench.
Nicholls said the weather change gave her team confidence as the Hawks cruised to shoot 12 goals to the Tigers’ three to turn its one-goal lead into a 35-25 victory.
“At three-quarter time we said to the girls ‘we’ve got a one-goal lead, just keep possession and keep it steady’,” Nicholls said.
“And we did, we got a bit of a lead and I think Simpson got a bit nervous which wasn’t like them.”
Nicholls said she was happy with her team across the entire Irrewarra Recreation Reserve court.
“Our goal attack Katie Roberts played one of the best games I’ve seen her play, she was giving good, strong leads and rebounded really well,” she said.
“Down back Katy Schrederis got plenty of intercepts and she got a few deflects on shots, which I don’t think she knew you were allowed to do before today.”
Nicholls also praised the efforts of 18-year-old Annie Broadley for her job on Simpson’s Maureen McGrath.
“Annie’s usually quick and zippy and has a tendency to play on a bit, but we asked her to keep it slow and steady and she did really well.”
The Hawks will need to capture all the momentum they can from the inspirational hit-out as they prepare to take on league powerhouse Irrewarra-Beeac in this weekend’s grand final.

LUNGE: Apollo Bay mid-courter Belinda Dear attempts to stop Simpson’s Bridget Foster.