Hampton Rovers went down to Fitzroy by 56 points at Boss James Reserve. Again it was the Under 19s who got the only win of the day.
The scoreboard the story in this game, although surprisingly with a few minutes remaining in the third, the margin was just on three goals and the Rovers were still in with a chance. Unfortunately a short lapse and a couple of cheap goals saw them jump ahead and the game was as good as done, with the visitors having the wind in the last.
In was the third term when Hampton played their best football. Goals to Sam Bradford, Adam McNeil and Nath Smith had the crowd up lifted the supporters’ spirits and when Smith took the mark of the day without care for his safety, the crowd was up and about.
Fitzroy kicked the first three majors of the final term before the Rovers troubled the scorers and it was a blowout.
The young Rovers side made a number of mistakes, more evident in the first half, but game by game the players are gaining experience. In the first quarter alone, four Fitzroy goals came from handling errors from the home side. They had a number of handy inclusions including their best player making his first start of the year. Despite kicking against the strong wind, they controlled the first term, kicking six goals to three. It was the co-captains of Leigh Fletcher and Daniel Corp that held the ship together.
Christian Carnovale and Jack Toouli weren’t as dominant as they were last week, but still involved. Nath Smith and Adam McNeil finished the game with three goals each, but it’s up front where we’re missing the likes of Martyn and Turner who’re both recovering from injury.
Next week is a massive challenge for the boys, facing Premier B flag favourites and long-time rivals Beaumaris Sharks, who have the likes of ex-Saint Stephen Milne lining up for the. It’s consecutive home games for the Rovers so we encourage everyone to get along to Boss James Reserve for this big match.
HAMPTON ROVERS 3.5 4.5 7.9 8.11 (59)
FITZROY 6.1 10.3 13.3 18.7 (115)
Goal Kickers: N. Smith 3, A. McNeil 3, S. Bradford, M. Robbins
Best Players: N. Smith, A. McNeil, L. Fletcher, D. Corp, S. Bradford, C. Carnovale
Watch the full match replay on VAFATV >
The Ressies were blown away in the first quarter but from there it was a relatively even game – five goals to six. Adam Power and Dave Morton kicked two goals each while Shem Curry, Power and Ben Clarke were best for the Rovers.
The Under 19s kicked-off the triple header at Boss James Reserve and recorded a comfortable 37-point win over Marcellin. But it could have been so much more, with 17 more scoring shots on goal than the opposition. Read the full report >
The annual Rovers Women’s Lunch was held at Boss James Reserve on Saturday and while it wasn’t a full house like a couple of weeks ago, there was still a decent turnout to enjoy the day. Felicity Frederico was the guest speaker and spoke about the Grass Ceilings’ campaign in Bayside.
