An injury-ravaged Hampton Rovers side were defeated by top-of-the-table Old Ivanhoe by 39 points in VAFA Premier B round three action at Boss James Reserve on Saturday.
The Rovers were missing four players from the previous week, two due to injury, while a total of six players from the opening game of the campaign were missing. Overnight rain had eased and it was decent conditions by 2pm. Prior to the game, players and supporters respected a moments silence in honour of the ANZACs.
The wind was blowing across the ground but favouring the Northern end, to which the visitors kicked with in the opening term. The 2009 A Grade side started the better of the two and controlled the game, kicking four goals to one in the first quarter. The telling difference was Ivanhoes ten scoring shots to the Rovers one with the home side struggling without their usual target up front in Daniel Corp.
The Hoers put on a further three goals in the second stanza while the Rovers could again only manage just the one, with the margin at 35 points. Two goals up to the main break, especially at home, was obviously disappointing for the Rovers and they had to lift for the second half.
The Rovers started the third term in much better fashion getting the ball out of the middle quickly and kicking a goal in the opening moments. However unfortunately for the Boss James faithful they could only manage one more for the term as the rain started to fall, while the visitors kicked three. At the final break it was Old Ivanhoe leading the game by 48 points.
To the Rovers credit, they managed to outscore Old Ivanhoe three goals to one in the final quarter, but the damage had already been done. The visitors getting up by 39 points and remaining top of VAFA Premier B while the Rovers drop to seventh.
The Rovers will be keen to put Saturdays disappointing result behind them and put in an improved performance against fierce local rivals Oakleigh next week at WA Scammell Reserve.
The only multiple goal kickers for Hampton were Ed Turner and Leeroy DeBoer with two each. Amongst the best were Gerrard Woods in for his first senior game in 2010, Jackson Ward, Mark Devereaux and Chris Gleeson also had a good game.
A positive for the club as a whole is the depth in 2010. Despite several injuries and unavailabilitys, the Hampton Rovers still fielded four full sides on Saturday, comprising a total of 94 players.
Elsewhere in VAFA Premier B on Saturday, Old Carey had a surprise win over Uni Blacks, St Bernards defeated Old Essendon in a local derby, St Kevins snuck over Old Haileybury by a point and Oakleigh demolished a hapless Melbourne High by 24 goals with the schoolboys managing just the one goal.
HAMPTON ROVERS 1.0 2.2 4.3 7.7 (49)
OLD IVANHOE 4.6 7.7 10.15 11.22 (88)
Goals: E. Turner 2, L. De Boer 2, C. Gleeson , B. Theodore , J. Verlin.
Best: G. Woods, J. Ward, M. Devereaux, L. Fletcher, G. Carr, T. Curry.
The Reserves had a comprehensive 52-point win over Old Ivanhoe. With the Rovers down by two goals at half time, they came out a different side in the second half, booting 12 goals and restricting the visitors to just two. The bulk of the goals were kicked by Ahmat with five and Jason Giasoumi with four. Jesse Donald was best for the Rovers. Their second consecutive win puts them fourth on the ladder.
It was a triple-header at Boss James Reserves with the Thirds opening proceedings at 9:30am. There was only three points in it at half time but Richmond Central controlled the second half getting up by eight goals. The Rovers werent disgraced though, putting in a fine performance against a good team. The Centrals are the Old Scotch team of 2009 and got up by around 100 points last weekend and sit top of the ladder. Matt Curry kicked two goals while Joel Morgan and Michael Flahive were best for the Rovers.
The Under 19s were originally scheduled to take on Old Geelong on Saturday but they dropped down to the second division mid-week so the opponent was Caulfield Grammarians. The Rovers finished strongly but went down by 36 points.
