Round 8 A Wet One v Oakleigh @ Home

Match Reporter: Katrina Leason 

Weather condition’s :  Good weather for ducks. Great snow coverage.

Captains  : Thomas Bray & Hunter Hutchinson

First Quarter

The lead up to this Round 1 re-match, was difficult to read. Both sides had 7 weeks of play to develop their strengths & iron out the early fumbles.
The first quarter starts with a bang, the Sharks attack on the footy is fierce. An early couple of scores gave the Sharks parents a glimmer of hope that they were about to witness two wins in a row but alas the rain came & froze their minds & bodies.


Knocked out of the centre by Paul, I mean Nate Dear & picked up by Callum. Courage by Nate with a great save at goal to get it back. Ace won the ball on the ground & kicked it to Matt Edwards. Great mark by William Roworth who kicked it to team mate Lochie Leason. Lochie kicked it to the pack where it was picked up by Lachy Morison.


Our pressure is manic, Henry Lewis gets a touch, with David Pain showing class with the first score. The Chargers quickly kick over the zone & surge into their pack. Both sides missed some gettable set shots.
The pressure & rain took its toll on parents & kids as both sides made mis-kicks & parents fumble with their umbrellas.  Lots of whistle blowing by the ump added to the lack of flow.


The pressure sees the Sharks scoring points instead of goals & whilst we are on the ropes, I held hope that we would secure a few goals for a win. Matty Edwards  used his pace  & elusive skills very well to stop a few goals & clear the ball around the defence before kicking to a team mate. He also managed to score in the final quarter! Well done Matt.

Second  Quarter

 After a good win the previous week the Sharks became overpowered by the Charger’s  in the second quarter of the game.

The intensity continued in a rain-soaked second quarter slog in which Sharks goals were scarce.
Nate did a stoppage & kicked it to the pack.
Daniel Hutton showed courage & leadership by running with the ball a couple of times.
Overall, a gutsy second quarter.  At half time, the boys ran into the change-rooms  dripping wet but warm as they had tried their best. Coach Darin encouraged the boys to turn the game around & talked about spending time chasing and "run, run, run and kick it long".
He further added “Get possession, keep the ball and block”.
Praise given to David Pain & Max Heath who read the play really well.
Also to Lachy Morison “he gave the best quarter I’ve seen all year”.

Third Quarter
The Sharks began the third quarter with lots of enthusiasm. They had listened to the coach, found their feet & did more running on the flank.
A good mark taken by who Ace kicked it to Mitchell Morison. Max Heath received a free kick after a push in the back.
Clark Alyward saved a Charger goal by a great defensive mark. David Pain kicked it & it was picked up by Will Roworth. 

Fourth Quarter
The players were reminded by Coach Darin that they had a final opportunity.

After a good win the previous week the Sharks were overpowered by the Oakleigh Chargers in the fourth quarter.

A great show of strength & will-power from Matty Edwards for a team lifting goal. He was the Sharks one & only goal kicker. Lachy Morison ran at the ball and sent it flying down the ground.

Chargers proved to be very strong opposition & dominated possession of the ball. Sharks as a team lost their mojo in the wet & walked off the field with that “if only sinking feeling”.

A contested possession by Mitch Morison against 2 ‘Chargers’, saw him come off second best with a mild quadriceps injury. The push over the line favored Mitch.
Level ,1 Accredited  trainer, Bron Fitzgerald,  ran to the aid of  Morison at the end of the game after a clash between himself & two Chargers . An ice pack & lolly eased the pain & he got back on his feet in no time flat.

The final siren.

Wet & muddy they shake the opponents hands & the mud off their boots & head towards the warmth of the clubrooms.

The sharks may have played only one outstanding quarter against Oakleigh, but our Coach Darin didn’t seem to mind.

In an off the record chat after the game, our seasoned coach Darin spoke fondly of the vast improvement the players since the beginning of the season.

Congratulations to: Daniel Hutton & Angus Moller  who won the Coaches Awards

Nothing like singing the club song & a few encouraging words from Darin & Fitzy for the players to realize the importance to focus on their strengths &  have fun and come to practice on Thursday with determination & a willingness to never give up.

Sharks have undoubtedly improved since our first game in Round 1 when they lost by 8 goals to the Chargers.

Many thanks to Geoff Archer, Peter Leason & Steve Pain for your all important game day roles.  

Thanks also to Melissa Edwards and her sensational management skills which are as impressive as her son’s slick moves.

Match reporter’s final words: Never ever give up, where there is life there is hope! 

Angus & Daniel winners of the Coaches Awards