Round 16 Match Review, 2024

 

Senior Men's Match Report

Old Haileyburians     3.8     10.11     16.13     22.15 (147)

Old Geelong               0.1         0.1         1.2          2.2   (14)

Goals: H.Jones 6, C.Riley 3, P.Gleadhill 2, M.Rose 2, M.Sievers 2, B.Steele 2, L.Bailey, J.Gasparini, C.Sinclair, M.Sinclair, L.Vaughan

Best: L.Bailey, M.Rose, D.Seccull, J.Gasparini, H.Jones, P.Gleadhill

Milestone: Peter Gleadhill (200 games)

 

Round 16 and we headed out for a home game at the Keysborough Campus of the school for an important clash. Old Geelong were our opponent and sat third on the ladder. It was a special occasion for our footy club as we celebrated Pete Gleadhills 200th game.  Gleads has been a fantastic servant of our club over a long time and is respected by all associated with the Bloods. The chat before the game was about how much deserved our best performance and pleasingly that Is exactly what we produced. In clearly our best performance for the year we ran out 133 point victors keeping OG to 2 goals for the day.

Over the last month we have been searching for a performance like this that would propel us into an upcoming finals series. Really hard to individualise but we will do our best. In the midfield Luke Bailey was immense all day and could not be tackled by our opposition. He was supported beautifully by Bredes, Gassy, Rosey and Max Sievers. On the wings Higgo and the milestone man in Gleads were brilliant working all over the ground. Pete actually ended up with two goals for the day which were well celebrated by his mates on field. Belly and Trevo did a great job in the ruck against a quality opponent.

Down back Duz Seccull led a defence that repelled the majority of attacks OG could muster. Up forward Lachie Vaughan & Charlie Sinclair did a heap of hard work to present and put pressure on them creating a platform for Jonesy to kick six and Connor Riley three for the day.  A great result from our lads and the key is to try and hold that form for the remaining two home and away games and then for finals.

How the VAFA saw the match:

Old Haileyburians' run of so-so form over the last month seems a distant memory after the Bloods made a stunning statement at Haileybury College, trouncing Old Geelong by 133 points in their best performance this year “by far,” according to coach Daniel Ward.  Old Geelong held back the avalanche somewhat in the first term, before 13 Old Haileyburians goals to one across the middle quarters emphatically put a button in the contest.  The 22.15 (147) to 2.2 (14) victory is the largest of this Premier B season, eclipsing the Bloods’ 126-point thumping of the CYs back in Round 3.

“That’s a look at an A-Grade team,” said OGs coach Nathan Brown, pitted against former Melbourne teammate Ward in the clash.  It was boys versus men…they had bigger units all over the ground, and they were just way too good.”  The Bloods’ Luke Bailey, returning from VFL duties with Coburg, was simply enormous: 51 disposals, 30 contested possessions, 20 clearances, 11 score involvements, seven inside 50s and one goal, bringing up the exceptionally rare double-ton in Premier Data ranking points.  Harry Jones kicked six goals, Max Sievers and Mattias Rose continued their good form on-ball, while Durras Seccull, usually a focal point of the Bloods’ forward line, made a move behind the footy.

“The way our team looked suited us – we’ve got a bit of a juggling act with a few players to come back, with VFL finished,” said Ward.  VFL-listed trio Charlie Harrop (North Melbourne), Andreas Stefanakis (Box Hill) and Hugo Nosiara (Carlton) were all absent with VFL duties, so there’s a good chance this Bloods team will get even stronger for its clash with Old Camberwell.  “We’ve got some real selection headaches…we haven’t really had that (challenge) in my time,” said Ward.  “It was one out of the box, but we’ve set that standard and hopefully we can continue it for the next five weeks.”

The Bloods hold a two-point lead in the race for first from De La Salle, and with their imperious percentage of 155.69% have sealed a top-two placing with the Wellers and Hoers ahead.

For full pictorial coverage of the Seniors' match against Old Geelong go to the Gallery

 

 

Men's Reserves Match Report 

Old Haileyburians     1.1     1.3       5.3          5.3 (33)

Old Geelong               3.6     5.8     6.11     11.17 (83)

Goals: B.Oakes 3, M.Walstab 2

Best: S.Hall-Kahan, J.Gillon, B.Oakes, J.Vaughan, J.Adams, P.McPhee

 

Under 19's Match Report

Hampton Rovers       2.2     5.2     7.4     9.9 (63)

Old Haileyburians     2.2     3.5     3.9     4.9 (33)

Goals: S.Lynch 2, J.Kennedy, A.Russell

Best: S.Lynch, A.Daniel-Reid, W.McPhee, L.Burfurd, E.Hardeman, J.Kennedy

 

The U19's match of the round was a great contest, Friday under lights at Boss James Reserve versus Hampton Rovers, second versus third.  The first quarter was an extremely tight contest with both sides coming to terms with the night conditions. Scores were level at quarter time but we felt that we had won enough of the footy that we should have been in front, we just had trouble connecting with our forwards.

Rovers jumped us after the break but in the last 7-8 minutes of the second quarter we dominated play, we just couldn't hit the scoreboard and put a dent into their lead. The third and fourth quarters were much the same where we were clearly the better side for parts of each quarter not getting any reward for effort.  Hampton Rovers won the day which was well deserved and we get to fight another day.

We talked afterwards about how we had done all the hard work in the first 16 rounds which guaranteed ourselves a finals birth but also about being able to bring the elite pressure and effort at each contest for 25 minutes per quarter.  This is what the good sides do.