Round 7 Match Review, 2022
Senior Men's Match Report
Old Haileybury 7.14.56
University Blacks 11.16.82
Round 7 on the weekend and we welcomed top team Uni Blacks to Princess Park.
Blacks were sitting 2 games clear on top, but we had set ourselves to compete hard enough for long enough to get the victory.
Pleasingly our players had great support on Saturday, and it was great to see some faces in attendance that we had not seen in a while.
Right from the first bounce our effort and intensity around the contest was fantastic.
The first quarter saw our boys put great pressure on our opposition and although we missed a few set shots scores were level at the first change at 16 apiece.
Our midfield was getting our hands on the ball and getting it into our forward line quicker than what we had over the last couple of weeks.
With more space to operate in our forwards were creating a great contest and were working hard to lock the ball in.
After a tight second quarter we went into Half Time with a 4-point lead.
The third term saw both teams attack the footy and their opponent with great endeavour, but goals were hard to come by.
At the last break Uni Blacks had their noses in front slightly with 2 points the difference.
After coming off 2 close losses we had an opportunity to knock off the top team to close the gap but unfortunately Blacks proved more clinical to run out 26-point winners.
Although we did not get the W some great steps were taken by our young group that will hold us in good stead for later in the year.
Individually Sam Loewe and Will Paul set a great example of how to attack every contest with intent right throughout the day.
Again the effort of all 22 players was exemplary and there were plenty of positives from all who pulled on the jumper.
The message to our group was even though our effort was fantastic and our best performance of the year it is 3 losses in a row we need to keep improving individually and as a group to get back on track with some wins.
It would be easy to look at who we have injured now and not in our team, but we want to be a no excuse footy club.
If we bring the same effort next Saturday at home against Fitzroy, we will be back singing the song again after victory on Saturday night.
Thank you all for your support it is greatly appreciated by our group.
See you at the footy.
Go Bloods.
Senior Women's Match Report
Old Haileybury 13.12.90
Therry Penola 3.4.22
The sun was shining brightly for only our second Super Saturday for the year with all four Old Haileybury teams at playing at home.
The girls were up for this clash and knew that the super valuable top 2 spot could be cemented since we were playing Therry Penola who were 3rd on the ladder.
After the usual Rev up from our co -captains Chelsea Frawley and Carly Dillon before the bounce, the Hearts were ready to go about their business.
As anticipated, the Therry group had come to play and winning the contested ball and setting the scene from the start was critical. Our mids and wings did just that and with strong tackling and being first to the ball, we started to get on top in the all important I50 entry area. Our forwards were lively and leading well whilst our backs were able to repel most of the Therry attacks. We went into the first break with a commanding 22 point lead.
It was more of the same in the second and third quarters. The Hearts girls were not about taking the foot off the gas and continued to work well as a team and run hard to create opportunities. The constant heat and pressure which our group brought to each contest soon became too much for Therry and by the ¾ time our girls had set up an unassailable 36 point lead.
The team goal was set to kick 4 majors in the last quarter to blow this out to a big win and none of the girls were interested in relaxing at any stage. With constant work rate from our mids plus great run off half back, the ball continued to go forward for the Hearts and the forwards were starting to feel like they were at Luna Park ! 6 goals were kicked in the girls best quarter of the year thus far and another statement was sent to the rest of the competition with this 68 point win.
A big highlight was Serene Vudiniabola booting 9 goals which is a new Hearts club record which will certainly be hard to top anytime soon. We had many other really strong players on the day and it was a super team effort. Our group are all about working together and supporting each other as a team.
The Therry players and officials came into our social rooms post-match to enjoy some afternoon tea with the best players from each team acknowledged for their efforts. Well done to Bridget ( junior ) Hanrahan who played in our midfield and was judged best on ground by the Therry coach. A huge thanks to the helpers who work tirelessly to make our after-match events very enjoyable for all. Not one Therry player left without saying how nice the food was and how much they enjoyed it.
We are now at the half-way mark of the season and our group will continue to work hard on the track and we look forward to the game against Old Camberwell next weekend.
Men's Reserves Match Report
Old Haileybury 6.10.46
University Blacks 11.18.84
This week against Blacks was a much better result from a developmental perspective for the reserves boys. They would have learned a lot from being well behind deep into the third quarter and from only being 38 pts behind at the end of last quarter.
The game started with Blacks kicking the first 4 goals from a couple of mistakes but the boys fought back after controlling the first part of the game but failing to score when they had opportunity. Rayner and Jesse were terrific and Olly and Wil Barrie drove us forward in the second and Stuart Connelly was getting the ball to our mids despite a significant height disparity in the ruck Like last week the boys could not respond as we needed to and score, it was a grind and the heavier bodies of the Black were winning out around the ground. The second half started with some changes to the side the boys as a collective really dug in and chose to compete rather than switch off and have a mental break like the previous week and you could see belief growing. Jordy Hurley and Joel Constable started to come into the game and Olly Sharpe was working back behind the footy to help the defence.
The third quarter was full of opportunity but to Uni’s credit they did not allow us and again, on the back of a couple of wasted opportunities and errors where we did not quite recognise the moment as we should of. We lost both Brad Prior and Finn Williams with injury which made it tough and Joel copped a nasty knock as well.
The final quarter started with us trailing by 49 points and they kicked the first goal very quickly but we never gave up and hung in there with them, we competed and went head to head until the last minute and won the quarter 38pts. The level of performance between round one to round 6 was night and day, the boys discovered they actually are capable of not only competing but being able to have an impact against a side that have been inflicting heavy losses against opponents. Shout out to Jesse Laite who would have had 20 plus tackles on the day, incredible effort Jacob Gown never stopped competing and gave his all as he does every week and kicked three last quarter goals. Proud of the boys for their effort and fact they never threw the towel in. Corey Connolly and Stuart Connelly never stopped working all game and as always Jack Grenda and Cooper Nolan were great. The highlight of the second half was Bainy and the way he played, his work rate was through the roof and his ability to win the footy with Rayner was great, great to see so many of the boys looking to push up into the seniors.
For this week against Fitzroy we will again look to improve, work on our areas for development and make sure we play for 100 minutes of our style of footy instead of 80 minutes of it like the weekend. I understand everyone wants to win but we need to keep working on the right things and the wins will come, we have a plan and we will stick to it. Bring on Fitzroy this week, we will be up for the fight!
Under 19's Match Report
Beaumaris 16.9.105
Old Haileybury 8.3.51
The 19s took on second place Beaumaris at home on Saturday hoping for a bounce back from last weeks effort. Four early goals by Beaumaris and a poor start from our boys concerned the coaches however the boys dug in and settled half way through the quarter. Two quick goals to Nic Ganim and Noah Higgins got us back into the game and we went in at quarter time 4 goals down but with plenty of positives. Our attack on the ball was fantastic and the boys were playing a free flowing brand of footy that troubled Beaumaris when we got it going.
Our second quarter was impressive matching the Beaumaris key players with our mosquito fleet of JJ Adams, Harry Grenda, Noah Higgins and Dippa creating headaches for our opposition with their pace and carry with the footy. Big Maxxy Walstab had them looking around whenever the ball was within his vicinity and the “Bish” was using the ball well when he got it in his hands.
The second half saw much of the same with our boys out tackling and harassing our opponents and early in the third quarter we got to 20 points and Beaumaris looking very concerned. Nic Ganim was a massive target kicking goals from everywhere. He finished with 5 goals straight with all of them from amazing angles and distances. He was unstoppable and showed how much a handful he can be up forward.
Our defence were exhausted after the game but worked hard and like the rest of the side, we were extremely proud of their efforts. Ryley Cairns, Jackson Williams, Lachie Hood and Josh Gillon were superb ensuring the ball got to ground every time it came into our defence.
We tired late in the last quarter and went down by 54 points but a sensational competitive effort against one of the division gun sides.
Thanks to Hyxy as our guest Assistance Coach, Tom Walstab as our goal umpire and Will Hardeman for taking on the boundary.