The footy on Saturday had its ups and downs. The ups were the Senior Women’s second win of the season for them in Division 1 and the other was the performance by the Senior Men in overcoming a poor first half to finish strong against another team vying for finals and in the last quarter outscoring them 5 goals to 1.
The biggest down was probably the U19s who are the team suffering most from our horrible run of injuries in the Senior teams and were smashed in probably what is a high standard of footy in U19 Premier. With the first four rounds now done, the team will be re-graded down to a more competitive division.
Next Saturday is our famous Rovers Women’s Lunch. We are expecting a big turn up of players, mums, dads, supporters and sponsors to what has been in the past our premier lunch of the season. Raffles, lucky balloons and games abound! Book your spot online here.
Now, let’s hear what the coaches & Dean have to say about Saturday’s results…
Senior Men
1. Learnings were clear that we dropped our application for 20min 2nd qtr and 5min of the 3rd qtr (In the second quarter OG dominated and it was only in the last few minutes that we regained our momentum and the Rovers combined to kick the goal of the day when the skipper passed to James Keys who gave it to Speedy McPherson and he showed his dash with three bounces down the wing and capped it off with his accurate kicking style. A great finish to the quarter. In the third quarter OG controller the first 5 minutes with 3 goals but from then on it was goal for goal as the Rovers gradually got on top of the opposition).
2. Liked the response there after and our 2nd half. We showed that we have character in the group. (The last quarter was all Rovers. We outscored them 5 to 1 and despite the opposition’s best endeavours they could not stop us. With consecutive goals to Liam O’Driscoll, Hugo Lay, Christian Carnovale and Liam again we had control. When Corey Jones kicked accurately from the set shot (yes, Al) it was the icing on the cake.)
3. We are trying to find our next group of players to take the club forward and playing many young players at the minute. (We had 18 injured senior players prior to Saturday’s game which puts huge pressure on the ressies, U19s and Development Squad. We ended the game with two more).
4. Liked the performances of Perkins, O’Driscoll, Cowell, Ziesing up fwd, McPherson and I thought Carnovale battled hard (Difficult to pick the best players as apart from two brief patches we matched the opposition and played some great footy. Joel Melnjak had a huge job on their gun forward, big Tom Ellinghaus in his first game for 2025 showed great form and ran the game out well, Corey Jones covered a lot of ground over the day, Ben Crothers was hard and tough down back and Sharpie made a couple of good saves.)
5. About learning through adversity and finding the next group of players that are getting opportunities through injury. How they can shape the side in the coming seasons. (Despite our injury woes another great improvement for the week by our young and inexperienced team.)
Old Geelong 1.3.9 8.7.56 16.9.99 17.13.115
HR 1.2.8 2.2.14 6.3.39 11.5.71
Best Josh McPherson, Chris Perkins, Zac Ziesling, Harry Crisp, Liam, O’Driscoll
Goals Liam O’Driscoll 4, Zac Zeisling 2, Josh McPherson 2,
Christian Carnovale 1, Hugo Lay 1, Corey Jones 1,
Senior Women
The Rovers Women’s team were away at Richmond. Google maps hindered our Match prep, sending some people on a scenic tour of the inner suburbs. Other people were sent to Latrobe uni.
Premiership ruck and 2023 best and fairest Poppy Ward led the team out for her 50th Rovers senior game. The early start saw the game played like a wet weather game caused by dew.
A tight tussle all game against a nice and aggressive Richmond who got the better of some home ground umpiring and time keeping. A really good team effort from the Rovers with all players putting their heads over the footy to earn a tough win in a thriller.
Highlights: Casey Politarhis played one of the all time great games of footy in the middle and on the wing to set up the great win. Hollie Brodribb and Tiara Annear continued their great form. Bryanna Arnold returned from injury and was straight back to her best form at the stoppages. Liv Muller is emerging as a force in the forward line and through the mid. Poppy Ward put in a huge effort in the ruck.
Grading games are complete and we stay in division 2 with Parkdale replacing Hawthorn as the only changes to the schedule (updated fixture to be released later in the week).
Richmond Centrals 0.2.2 0.2.2 0.7.7 2.7.19
HR 0.0.0 2.4.16 2.5.17 3.5.23
Best: Casey Politarhis, Bryanna Arnold, Hollie Brodribb, Poppy Ward, Tiara Annear, Olivia Muller
Goals: Tayla Jones 1, Madeline Pearson 1, Grace Bonanno 1
Reserves
Very similar themes as Marty. We played against a very mature team that set up and defended their ground very well. We played well in patches but lapses in concentration during the game was evident. (That follicly challenged forward murdered us in the last quarter). We missed targets by hand or foot and could not penetrate their defensive press. We will endeavour to improve as individuals and as a collective on the training track and take this improvement into Saturday’s game. Tom Goldsmith’s leadership form and will to compete was again on show. Ollie Horigan is getting back to his best. Jake. Dermott & Sam Raghdo’s leadership(In his 100th game for the Club) and calmness in defence was very important and they both repelled many forward attacks. Peter Somogyi & Scott Ebbott both continued their good form.
OG 3.2.20 6.7.43 9.10. 64 15.13.103
HR 0.0.0 2.0.12 2.2.14 3.2.20
Best Tom Goldsmith, Oliver Horigan, Jake Dermott, Peter Somogyi, Scott Ebbott, Sam Raghdo
Goals Jake Klinkhamer 1. Peter Somogyi 1
Under 19
We lost 3 players 12 hours before the game started, leaving only one on the bench. We fought hard but were over run for talent and numbers. We struggled in the 3rd quarter and fell away, I asked for a huge effort in the last quarter and the boys with 16 on the ground gave plenty. Old Brighton were far too strong and will push for back to back flags. Our boys will fight another day in a different grade.
Keep plugging away lads.
A very hard game for the Unders, down on numbers due to injuries throughout the Club and then up against a Club with 2 U19 sides. It seemed to me that the opposition would have given many senior sides a run for their money on the way that they were playing.
Old Brighton 5.7.37 11.11.77 18.18.126 25.26.176
HR 2.0.12 3.1.19 3.2.20 3.3.20
Best Cohen Friend, Jake Seddon, Charlie Steen, Mason Carrigan, Jake Grima
Goals Mason Carrigan 1, Jake Taranto 1, Gideon Ziesing 1
Development Squad
We came up against a side that were top of the ladder, even started the warm up an hour before the game…much too serious for social footy! A few 10min patches in the game hurt us with Old Xavs piling on the goals in the later stages of the 1st and 3rd quarters. The 2nd and 4th quarter were strong with Ando declaring that if we played like that in the division lower September would be in on the cards. Good to find a positive out of a 135 point loss. Highlight of the day – Richard Atkins kicked one of the goals of the year ripping it out of the middle dodging two and then belting it home from 60m (Must have been a misdirected pass!). Hunter, Concaig, Merlo and Anderson all battled hard all day. Shout out to some players who have played in three tough grading matches and left it all out there against some tough opponents. We’ll now be regraded down with an upgraded fixture to be released later in the week.
OXs 24.15.159
HR 3.6.24
Best Richard Atkins, Jesse Lovig, Willem Hunter, Finbar Concaig, Darcy Merlo, Nick Anderson
Goals Darcy Merlo 1, Max Green 1
Next Up
The Seniors and Reserves are at Boss James Reserve, hosting Fitzroy of the 2025 Premier B season. With re-grading underway at VAFA HQ, fixtures for the Women, Thirds and U19 will be confirmed later in the week.
