Round 14 Match Review, 2024

 

Senior Men's Match Report

Old Haileyburians     2.2     2.5       8.6     10.7 (67)

De La Salle OC          0.2     8.6     10.7     14.9 (93)

Goals: A.Stefanakis 5, N.Higgins, H.Jones, T.McPhee, B.Seccull, L.Vaughan

Best: D.Seccull, A.Stefanakis, B.Steele, M.Rose, B.Seccull, W.Paul

Milestone: Josh Gasparini (100 games)

Debut in 1sts: Ethan Hardeman

 

Round 14 and it was time to take on another challenger as we welcomed De La Salle to Princes Park. A frustrating day at the office for our group as we lost our first game since Round Two of this year. This defeat was to do with our second term where De La kicked eight goals to nil to set up a six goal advantage at half time.  It was a combination of discipline and our ability to win contest that cost us during this quarter and made it virtually impossible to get the four points.  Pleasingly we came back hard in the third term in particular but ultimately were defeated by a team that played their brand of footy better than what we did.  A 26 point loss is not the end of the world but there are some things we need to fix quickly.

Congratulations to Ethan Hardeman who played his first game of Senior Footy for the Bloods. He has made some progress in the Under 19s and showed on the weekend that he could play at senior level and has a bright future.  Congrats also to Josh Gasparini who played his 100th game for the club. Gassy is a heart and soul operator in our midfield who you can rely on every week to give everything he has for the Bloods. We look to rebound as we head out to Caulfield this week in a crucial clash for our lads.

How the VAFA saw the match:

De La Salle dealt Old Haileyburians its first loss since April thanks to a stunning eight-goals-to-none second quarter, setting up a chaotic finish to the 2024 Premier B season.  Back when the sides last met in Round 5, the Bloods blew the game open in the third term, establishing a 40-point three quarter time advantage and holding off a fast-finish De La Salle outfit which, despite kicking seven goals in the final term, fell short by seven points.  This time around, it was Nick Hyland’s unit that made a stunning break – piling on 8.4 (52) to 0.2 (2) after being held goalless in the first term, the likes of Patrick Bohan and Ryan O’Meara busy.

Considering the quarter-by-quarter scores, you could be forgiven for imagining very windy conditions in Caulfield South – but De La coach Nick Hyland confirmed there was only a “slight breeze” at the backs of his players as they rocketed to a 37-point half time advantage.  “(I was) disappointed with that second quarter – we probably lost our discipline a little bit, that’s something we need to address,” said Old Haileybury coach Daniel Ward.  “We didn’t hold up as well as I would’ve liked, and there were some honest conversations at half time.”

20-year-old De La tall Nathan Scollo made the move to the forward line in the earlier passages of the season, having played most of last year as a defender – but resumed his post in Hyland’s backline in Round 13 against Old Trinity and excelled again last weekend.  And while Scollo’s intercept game in the first half drew the approving eye of Hyland, Ward was critical of his side’s entries inside fifty.  “He looked like Darcy Moore in the first quarter, the way we were kicking the ball,” Ward said.

Needing a second half response, the Old Haileyburians found one, piling on five goals in the first 16 minutes of the third quarter to bring the margin back to one straight kick, dynamic forward Andreas Stefanakis as lively as ever.  “We know how dangerous (Stefanakis) is…that’s the first time I’ve got to see him live,” said Hyland.  “We had matchups for him, we planned for him, but credit to him, he’s a high-quality player…he’ll play plenty of VFL for years to come.”

Holding a seven-point advantage at the final break and kicking to the scoring end, De La found top gear again, booting four goals to two (both via Stefanakis, who finished with five majors) in the final quarter to win 14.9 (93) to 10.7 (67).  “Our last six weeks, we knew we were going to be in for a tough end to the season,” said Hyland.  “But if you want to play finals, you have to beat these teams.”

O’Meara and Adrian Indovino kicked three goals apiece, Bohan and Tom Stanton kicked two, and De La Salle are now just two points behind Old Haileyburians on the ladder.  They’ve got Old Ivanhoe, Old Camberwell, St Bedes / Mentone and Old Geelong ahead in what’s been a tight and unpredictable season – but Hyland’s unit, to dredge up a footballing cliche, will be taking it one week at a time.  “We’re not going to get ahead of ourselves – we’ve been really good at resetting and refocusing,” he said.

For Old Haileyburians, it’s Caulfield, Old Geelong, Old Camberwell and Old Ivanhoe on the way home, the Bloods’ nine-round stranglehold on top spot facing its first legitimate threat since June.  “Full credit to De La Salle, they’re worthy competition for later in the year,” Ward said.  "Definitely no panicking in our group – it’s more there’s some things that we can fix up.”

For full pictorial coverage of the Seniors' match against De La Salle OC go to the Gallery

 

Hearts Match Report

Old Haileyburians     3.5     4.6     5.15     11.21 (87)

Collegians                  0.1     0.1       0.1          0.2   (2)

Goals: S.Vudiniabola 4, G.Vanderwaal 3, T.Baxter 2, J.Bettes, E.Gown

Best: S.Vudiniabola, E.McCrae, T.Baxter, A.Hetherington, E.Gown, G.Vanderwaal

 

The Hearts' Dominant Victory: A celebration of spirit and skill

The Hearts secured a sensational victory at home against a struggling Collegians side last Saturday.  Celebrating Spud's Round in honour of the legendary Danny Frawley, the Hearts played with unmatched spirit and determination from the very first bounce,  Onballers Ella Gown, Eloise McCrae, and Bridget "Junior" Hanrahan dominated the center clearances, launching wave after wave of relentless attacks that resulted in an impressive 32 shots on goal. Serene Vudiniabola was a powerhouse up forward, outmuscling the opposition's backline and creating countless opportunities. When the ball hit the ground, the dynamic duo of Sienna Allen and Tess Baxter were there to swoop in and seize every chance.  Out on the wings, Alizza Hetherington and Eliza Main were unstoppable, tirelessly covering the ground and continually finding the ball. Their efforts were crucial in keeping the pressure on Collegians and maintaining the Hearts' momentum throughout the game.

The backline was a fortress, shutting down many of Collegians' forward thrusts with a steely resolve.  Gracie Vanderwaal, who has been the rock of Gibraltar in defense all year had the shackles released and was moved up forward in the last quarter. True to form, she rose to the occasion, showcasing her precise kicking skills with three brilliant goals that sealed the victory.  While it hasn't been the most successful season on the scoreboard, this match was a testament to the Hearts' grit and never-say-die attitude. The massive win against a team on the brink of finals contention was not only a reward for their hard work but also a thrilling demonstration of their potential and passion
for the game.

How the VAFA saw the match:

The potential wooden spooners in Old Haileyburians recorded their fourth win of the season, albeit a very impressive win over Collegians. It has been a real form drop off for Collegians, who started the competition strongly when they moved a division.  The win showed a massive sign of improvement for the Hearts who managed to turn last week’s 76-point loss into a 65-point thumping over the Lions. The margin threatened to be much larger, given Haileyburians kicked 21 behinds, but their strong defensive effort held Collegians to just 2 behinds for the match.  Serene Vudiniabola was a clear best on ground with four goals.

Old Haileyburians will finish off the season playing the red-hot Marcellin, whilst Collegians will be looking to bounce back against Parkdale Vultures at home.

 

Men's Reserves Match Report 

Old Haileyburians     1.2       2.2         2.4          2.4   (16)

De La Salle OC          6.0     11.4     13.11     19.12 (126)

Goals: S.Hall-Kahan, B.Oakes

Best: H.Lynch, L.Kirkwood-Scott, J.Adams, J.Vaughan, P.Paleologos, A.Bonwick

 

Under 19's Match Report

Old Haileyburians     3.1     7.3     8.4       8.8 (56)

Fitzroy                        6.6     6.5     9.8     12.9 (81)

Goals: B.Yates 2, G.Brayshaw, L.Burfurd, Z.Fuleky, B.Gathercole, S.Lynch, H.Whitaker

Best: S.Lynch, X.Scott, W.Gordon, B.Gathercole, S.Keenan, G.Brayshaw

 

It was a tough day at the office for our U19 lads on Saturday when we took on Fitzroy at Princes Park.  Undermanned due to injury and Senior selection, we let Fitzroy take control of the game early jumping out to a 22 point lead at quarter time, four goals from turnovers and poor decision making didn't make our job easy, but we knew if we could tidy up a few of these things we could get the game back on our terms. At the break we talked about how we needed to start winning the contested ball, which has been our strength all year, our need to make better decisions with the ball in hand and get some run from behind the ball.

Our second quarter was sensational, keeping Fitzroy scoreless and heading into the sheds four points up. Our midfield took control through Scanlan Lynch and Tom Antonis and our forward pressure was increased giving us many looks and enabling us to set up behind the ball. The backline was solid with Gordon and Burfurd leading the way.  Unfortunately, that was where it ended and Fitzroy got on top, no
midfield rotations and a season ending injury to Fuleky, left us with only one on the bench and Fitzroy was able to keep in front for the
remainder of the game, eventually running out winners by 25 points.

As l often say to the boys, Football is a Tough Game and requires 100% effort for 100% of the time and on Saturday we did not have enough
players willing to commit to that. Our best football will compete with anyone in the competition, but we need to be able to sustain it for the
full game or sides will take advantage of us.