The Rovers recorded a big 77-point win over Marcellin at Trevor Barker Oval on Saturday, to go into the Kings Birthday long weekend two games clear in fourth.
Hampton had the benefit of the breeze in the first quarter and they were using it to their advantage. The ball rarely went into the Marcellin forward 50 and scoring shots of 8 to 1 showed the Rovers dominance. When it did go forward, VDS seemed to have wings and his spoiling of the forward thrusts must have been very frustrating for the Marcellin forwards. The backs were tight and VDS with his teammates down back have developed into a solid team. The “Big O” just kept pulling in the intercept marks and nothing was getting past Joel Melnjak and Harry Crisp.
When Marcellin’s first goal bounced through from 20m out the reaction was surprise rather than shock! Up forward the boys were getting the ball but again bad kicking is bad football and when Docking passed to Costello who then hit Crawford lace out we looked sensational. Too quick and too accurate for the opposition but a wayward kick for goal let us down. Similarly, when Corey Jones took one of those strong marks that he has been taking all season the set shot just missed.
A few minutes later Garrow to Keys to Delany and he kicked truly, followed a couple of minutes later when the turnover at CHB ended up over the back and Crawf waltzed, well sprinted into the open goal. We were looking good but the piece d’resistance came in the last minute when Hugo Garrow, right below the Medallion Club, fought hard to keep the ball in play and then deftly knocked it into Josh Docking’s path, the blind turn he executed had the room in full voice and the resultant goal was a treat.
The Rovers opened the second quarter with a nice goal to Corey Jones and then followed that up with three great passages of play that all resulted in misses. While Marcellin had the breeze we controlled the play. Carnovale in the midfield was having a day out. With Hugo Garrow and Hugo Lay sharing the rucking duties we were getting first use of the ball and our mids in Cogs, Pross, Perko and at times Ryan Leslie were doing great damage in the centre and around the ground. The quarter ended with Lachy Costello using his pace to escape his opponent’s grasp and deliver precisely to James Keys who continued his run of accurate kicking. With a 42-point lead at half time those upstairs were pretty relaxed and contemplating a big win for the Rovers if “we just kick straight”!
It was in the third that Marcellin showed some form. When Oscar Roberts took a great mark at full back and then delivered one of his beautiful left foot worm burning passes that was just slightly off target and it was a pity it hit the surprised Marcellin forward. His kick for goal fell short but in the ensuing scramble for the ball Marcellin managed a goal. Likewise a short time later Pross, picks up the ball in dispute, goes left, then right then decides to go back to our two loose backs only to see the resultant kick land on the chest of the opposition. Small lapses by our players who both played very solid games. Marcellin were outscoring us for the quarter and this seemed to spur the boys on and we finished the quarter well. Jamie Delaney goaled from a handball over the top, Pross grabbed the loose ball and hit Docking lace out for goal and in the dying seconds the skipper passed to Crawf for his third. We had come back strongly in the second half of the quarter and with Ossie Parker and Lachy Costello breaking the lines and Dillon Melnjak again weaving the magic time and again we were looking good. Speedy McPherson looking more comfortable down back than he has all year and Jack Garrow in his second game was using his strength and skills to good effect.
Less than a minute into the last quarter, the intercept from half back and long kick bounces in front of Will Crawford who takes at least 4 bounces and dribbles the ball through the goals from the top of the square. Dock kicks the long bomb to the top of the square where resting ruck Hugo Garrow takes the contested mark and goals. When Corey Jones passed Max Coughlin and he kicked our third for the quarter for the second time this season our total goals were greater than our behinds, and that’s excluding all of those OOBs! When Crawf kicked his 4th a couple of minutes from the end our score of 17.15 was our best for the year and probably our best team effort for the year.
HR 4.4 8.8 11.12 17.15 117
Marc 1.0 2.2 4.2 6.4 40
Best: Christian Carnovale, Max Coughlin, Chris Perkins, Dillon Melnjak, Max Van Der Straaten, Harry Crisp
Goals: Will Crawford 4, Josh Docking 3, Jamie Delaney 2, James Keys 2, Hugo Garrow 1, James Prosser 1, Max Coughlin 1, Ben Seddon 1, Corey Jones 1, Chris Perkins 1
After the Kings Birthday long weekend, the Rovers are back at Trevor Barker Oval (for the third consecutive home game), hosting the reigning Division1 Premiers, Glen Eira.
SENIOR WOMEN
Probably the upset of the round where the 7th team beats the top of the ladder! Strange, our lowest score for the year, it must have been the journey out to the wilds of Donvale for an early start than caused the problem.
Whitefriars 0.0 1.2 3.2 4.4 28
HR 1.1 1.2 2.4 3.4 22
Best: Maegan Miller, Isla Tucker, Mandy Naylor, Isabella Cameron, Holly Lance, Cherry Cameron
Goals: Cherry Cameron 1, Maegan Miller 2
RESERVES
It was a strong Rovers Reserves side, that lined up with Anthony Folino, Jacob Gray, Cam Carmeni, Lucas Sharp, Will Walker, Oscar Donald, Adrian Hug, Nick Jackson, Peter Somogyi and Liam McCartney, all who have played in the seniors in the last couple of years, it was going to take a very good Marcellin team to beat us. The visitors were never in the game.
HR 5.5 6.11 12.14 16.19 115
Marc 0.1 2.1 3.3 5.4 34
Best: Anthony Folino, Lucas Sharp, Duncan McKenzie, Nick Jackson, Will Black, Peter Somogyi
Goals: Nick Jackson 5, Finn McMaster 2, Andrew Woolston 3, Ant Folino 1, Lucas Sharp 1, Will Walker 1, Oscar Donald1, Tom Folino 1, Adrian Hug 1
UNDER 19
HR 3.0 8.4 13.4 19.6 120
Fitz 3.4 5.6 6.6 7.8 50
Best: Kai Carrigan, Dan Hall, Benjo Wells, Stefan Somogyi, Zachery Zieslimg
Goals: Jake Grima 4, Charles Kilburn 3, Will Rogacki 3, Ben Antonis 2, Mason Carrigan 2, Max Carroll 1, Oliver Horigan 1, Stefan Somogyi 1, Jake Taranto 1, Benjo Wells 1
THIRDS/DEVELOPMENT SQUAD
DLS 2.6 3.8 6.13 10.16 76
HR 2.1 2.4 4.5 5.5 35
Best: Darcy Lyon, Sam Horigan, Jack Cookesley, Matt Dixon, Nicholas Anderson, Liam Jarvis
Goals: Nick Anderson 1, Darcy Merlo 1, Matt Dixon 1, Eoin O’Malley 1
MILESTONES
A number of milestones on Saturday: Nick Jackson 100 games, Cam Carmeni, Duncan McKenzie and Lachy Costello 50 games and last but certainly not least Club Chairperson Steve Anderson played his 350th senior game and his, wait for it, 495th club game.
LUNCHEON
It was another great Rovers Home Luncheon at the Sandy by the Bay function centre, and while numbers were down on previous weeks (numbers have exceeded 100 at each of the past three functions) it was still a strong attendance of 60 or so, who were treated to entertaining guest speaker Mark Brayshaw and Rovers senior coach Marty Pask. Book your spot now for the next lunch against Glen Eira – numbers are looking strong and are expected to exceed 100 yet again.
VOTE FOR WALLERS BAKERY
Wallers Bakery (corner Bluff Road & Highett Road in Hampton) have been great supporters of Thursday Dinner at the Rovers for about 10 years. This year they are entrants in the Triple M Best of Melbourne competition in the Best Bakery Section. We ask all supporters to support Wallers by voting for them. Go to the website here, enter your details and in the business category go to “Bakery” and simply enter Wallers Bakery.
