The last game of the home and away season was played at Boss James on Saturday, against University Blacks. This was a must-win game for the Rovers, sitting in 5th place on the ladder and reliant on Old Xavs in 4th place to lose in order to make finals.
After morning rain, conditions improved and the sun was shining.
Q1
The team started well against an opposition which had no bench and appeared to be somewhat undermanned. There were plenty of early entries into our forward line, Charles taking a strong mark but failing to convert.
Will C clunked an overheader in the goal square from a kick following a chain of handballs and he goaled – the first of many for the game. He took another mark shortly after but this time scored a behind – also the first of many for the game!
Charles laid a strong tackle at CHF which was awarded with a free, Oscar marked his kick in the goal square and scored. Goals followed to Hugo L who snapped truly after taking possession in the goal square whilst having a spell up forward, and Will scored his second from a chain of accurate passes from Bully to Charles to Will.
A feature of the quarter was the forward line pressure from the likes of Charles and Dan Hall. A total of 7 behinds for the quarter to the Rovers in addition to the goals, and the Blacks were held scoreless.
Qtr time scores: HR 4-7, UB 0-0
Q2
This quarter started brightly with Kento gaining possession from the centre bounce and then passing to Will who goaled. Kento then earned a free at the next centre bounce, got on the run and passed to Sharpy who goaled. Two more goals were scored for the quarter, one each to Smoj and Charles.
Meanwhile our defence was repelling everything that came its way, and in particular Hugo G was too tall and too strong in the air for the Blacks forwards who again didn’t trouble the scorers for the quarter. As in the first quarter the forward pressure was pleasing but there was some inaccuracy in front of goal, with another 6 behinds scored.
Half time scores: HR 8-13, UB 0-0
Q3
This was a better quarter for the Rovers who really poured it on and showed no mercy to their hapless opponents. Oscar scored his second snag early on, Sharpy got his second by soccering the ball off the ground in the goal square, and then followed up by breaking a tackle and running the ball from the centre, passing to Will who goaled. A lovely run and carry by Bully through the middle and then a pass to Will for his second for the term.
The Blacks managed to have some ball in their forward line but it didn’t stay there long with good run out of our defence through Carmeni, Beames and Will K linking up with Costello moving the ball well through the middle and wing into our forward line. Gaz briefly spent some time in the forward line and managed to score a major.
Goals were also scored by Hugo L who got on the end of a clever short pass in front of goals, and to Bully with a snap, and then a third for the quarter to Will. Kento had worked his way into the game and was too elusive for his opponents, giving great drive forward. The whole team was on song and the unfortunate Blacks had no answer.
Three qtr time scores: HR 16-16, UB 0-3
Q4
The goals kept coming as the Rovers were dominating the centre clearances through big Tommy’s deft ruck work to our midfielders who drove the ball forward– Sharpy who ran, carried and goaled, Hugo L who kicked long to Charles who goaled, Jake whose passed to Will was spoiled in the marking contest, the loose ball being collected by Smoj whose kick hit the post.
Dan then got his first for the game with a goal from the pocket, Kento also scored his first, then 3 goals and 3 behinds to Will, followed by a goal to Luis bringing the ball from our backline and kicking long and straight. A final goal to Will, making it 10-9 off his boot for the game and also securing him equal top spot in the competition for goals scored this season!
Final scores: HR 25-21, UB 0-4
A resounding win to finish off the home and away rounds, but unfortunately it turned out to also be our last game for season 2022 as Xavs won and thus remained in 4th place.
The boys finished the season with 9 wins and 9 losses and can hold their heads high in the way they have gone about the season, always representing the club in the right manner.
Many thanks from Gavin and I to the parents who helped out on game days this year, particularly to Phil Crothers who ran the boundary most weeks.
Also a big thanks to Sophie for acting as the team trainer, and to Jason who was the timekeeper and scoreboard operator for all our home games.
Some of the older players will move on to play seniors from here, but if the squad of lads who are eligible to play U19’s again next year stick together, then the future is promising.
Hampton Rovers 4.7-31 8.13-61 16.16-112 25.21-171
University Blacks 0.0 0.0 0.3-3 0.4-4
Goal Kickers: W. Crawford 10, L. Sharp 3, O. Brown 2, C. Kilburn 2, H. Lay 2, K. Hikima, P. Somogyi, L. Coughlin, D. Hall, J. Bull, H. Garrow
Best Players: W. Crawford, H. Garrow, K. Hikima, H. Lay, O. Brown, L. Sharp
