Eastern Rovers - final match report

Eastern Rovers final game against Footscray was a demonstration of a committed team fighting to the last to remain competitive and ‘steal’ a win. To that end, the score at 3/4 time saw a tight game with the Rovers trailing 7 goals to 5. Footscray asserted themselves more readily in the last quarter to run out winners by 6 goals.
The more fancied Footscray (2nd on ladder) were not expecting the pressure the Rovers applied which, in addition to the wet and muddy conditions, hindered their running game. The conditions rewarded the team prepared to kick long and make the most of limited opportunities. Not capitalising on their thrusts forward ultimately cost the Rovers an unlikely victory.
TV Tasty Knows played his first match for the year and took ‘mark of the day’ in the opening 5 minutes. Naturally your humble correspondant, watching from the sidelines with the zoom lens camera, did not capture the moment on film. Plenty of other moments did make it on film however. Can you spot TTK in the accompanying picture ?

Eastern Rovers - final round

Eastern Rovers play their final game against second placed Footscray this Sunday afternoon at their Heathmont home. Goodridge has been named as "first emergency", largely because of poor health on his part and less on his relative football merit. At this stage, unlikely to play. TV Tasty Knows however will be making his debut and has been named in the forward pocket. Good luck young man - kick a bag full.

Eastern Rovers Round 8 - match report

Eastern Rovers fought bravely against Werribee Tigers in their round 8 home clash on Sunday but lacked the finishing skills of their opponents, going down 12 goals to 6. The endeavour for the Rovers was close to their best for the year, continuing to run and challenge right up to the end of the game. Two last quarter goals and a couple of missed opportunities was their most productive part of the game. A 5 minute lapse at the end of the second quarter saw their opponents pile on 3 easy goals and virtually take the game away from the Rovers.
Goodridge played a little over a half a game again from the half-back flank and kept his opponent quiet. It mattered little however with too many Tigers loose able to run forward, choose the best option and kick running goals.
There are only two weeks of training left and one game to go against second ranked side, Footscray.

Eastern Rovers Round 8 - preview

In what has become a recurring theme at the selection table this season, Goodridge has been named on the bench for Sunday’s round 8 match against 4th ranked Werribee. In all likelihood this will lead to half a game in the back line.
In truth the motivation has begun to wane as the winter moves on and the aerobic fitness is nowhere near the levels attained earlier in the year. Two more weeks and one game to go then I can get fat over August.
September 1 is my start for pre-season however which is not that far away …

Eastern Rovers Round 7 - match report

A heartbreaking two point loss to the Rovers on Sunday. In an otherwise scrappy, unimpressive affair against bottom-placed Box Hill Demons, the Rovers lead for most of the second half but their poor kicking ultimately cost them the game. With mere seconds to go, a BH forward marked the ball within range, the siren blew and then slotted the goal that gave them the win. The Rovers 4.12.36 was ultimately not enough to the Demons 6.2.38.
At least half of the Rover’s missed chances were from set shots within range. Mind you, as one wag put it the next day, if our forwards had kicked 3 more points between them then that would have been sufficient.
Two more games left this season (both at home) against third and fourth on the ladder.

Eastern Rovers Round 7 Preview

Clearly ranting about something has no actual health side effects ! As blogged and ranted last week, I'm still ill and have spent more time at home than at work these last two weeks. I'm now on antibiotics as I'm pretty sure the cough has gone bacterial but I'm still far from 100%.
That means that training has been OFF the agenda and my legs feel as though they will atrophy from the inaction. This also means that I am unavailable for Sunday's round 7 clash with bottom of the table Box Hill.
Eastern are 4th off the bottom having beaten the other two teams below it and so a win is hoped for. Certainly we would expect to encounter a team who is a similar standard to us however one should take nothing for granted. We have played far from well in the past few games and turning victory into a loss is not beyond us.
My hope is to be well enough to stand on the sidelines and cheer the boys on.

Eastern Rovers Round 6 Match Report

Last Sunday’s Round 6 match between Eastern Rovers and top side Glen Orden was always going to be a difficult assignment given the Rovers recent run of form. The end result demonstrates clearly who was the superior team (13 goals to 2) however as I like to point out, they didn’t thrash us as much as Frankston two weeks ago but I bet they don’t care : Glen Orden are on top of the ladder with 6 wins and 0 losses.
Yours truly played a little over a half, starting on the bench and moving to Half Back a little before half-time. A half-dozen kicks and handballs meant that I was kept in the game. In the last quarter I picked up their key forward who would have continued his merry dance had his teammates kicked the ball long and deep. They didn’t and I looked like the premier backman with my opponent only touching the ball once.
A couple of photos taken by a very rugged-up spectator, Rise Tall etc who even now is enjoying the warmth of the Gold Coast.


Indisputable proof that I got at least one kick and one handpass !

Eastern Rovers Round 6 selection

This Sunday’s clash against top of the table Glen Orden will be somewhat equalised by the wet, cold, sloppy, muddy, mucky and did I mention cold conditions this Sunday. Playing at home has never seemed so attractive … NOT. Still, about 25 braved the conditions at training last night which just shows how many desperate men there are out there in real-life land who also happen to be scared of the coach. Goodridge named on the bench.

Eastern Rovers Rd 5 vs Frankston - match report

I did not attend Sunday’s fixture against Frankston and the winter weather and driving rain was not the reason. I did in fact sit in my lounge room in front of my log fuelled open fire place watching The Good The Bad and The Ugly but that wasn’t the reason I didn’t play either. In truth, one my young fellows was unwell and we thought a trip to hospital might have been in order. As it turns out he recovered sufficiently to avoid that but by then I had made the call to opt out of Sunday’s game.
As it turns out, it was a good game to miss. Reminicent of some of the worst of Mitcham Tigers circa 2006, the final score was (14.13) 97 to (0.3) 3. The coach apparantly went straight to the bar at the final siren and didn’t address the team. And this against the third best team in the competition. We have teams 1 and 2 coming up. At least we can get that foolish notion of ‘finals’ out of our system and enjoy the rest of the year, come what may. It will make Wednesday night training an interesting experience !

Eastern Rovers Round 5 selection

The big surprise coming out of Round 5's team selection for Eastern Rovers v Frankston this Sunday is that yours truly has been named in the back pocket yet again. All this despite the unimpressive last performance. Nothing for it but to go in hard and get the ball ! I was strongly of the belief that I had the week off. That's what you get for going to training !

Eastern Rovers Round 4 versus Hallam - match report

A measly 3 points was the winning margin of Hallam over Eastern on Sunday and the long faces, coach’s ire and disappointment were palpable.
Hallam’s desire to win the hard ball and create chances for themselves was greater than their opponents who, at times, lacked cohesion and purpose.
Recruit Goodridge had a very ineffectual game, spent at least half of it warming the pine and does not expect his services will be required come Sunday week against Frankston.

Eastern Rovers Round 4 - versus Hallam

Goodridge has been named on the bench for the Rovers round 4 match versus Hallam. Another “must win” game for the club if they hope to entertain finals action. The Rovers and their opponents are both 2-1 so far this year with Hallam 4th on the ladder and the Rovers, 5th.

Eastern Rovers Round 3 Match Report

A few bumps, a few spoils, a few tackles. That was the sum total of my impact against Murrumbeena on Sunday. Yes there were a small handful of other disposals but nothing noteworthy. My direct opponent (the forward pocket) doubles as a human pot plant during the week. He was reluctant to move forward to the ball and wanted to hide as deep in the pocket as he could go. As a result he didn’t touch the ball all day (a victory for me ?) and managed to drag me out of the play often. A most unsatisfying afternoon.
I played a little over 2 quarters of football with the rest of the time watching on the bench (those “team” things; the “one-percenters”) – also unsatifying !
The Rovers are now 2 wins (and 1 loss) for the year with a 69 (9.15) to 49 (7.7) win. The team’s form was most ordinary in the first half and were Murrumbeena a more skilful outfit they would have led. As it transpired the scores were locked at half time through a couple of late Eastern goals. The third quarter however was comprehensive team football from the Rovers. Everyone played on their man, not allowing the opposition any time or space to move forward (they scored one behind for the quarter) and everyone in our team played in front – suddenly all of the free kicks going the other way were coming our way. The umpires aren’t so fickle after all!
Eastern should have led by more but for the fact they struggle to kick goals from set shots. Still, a win is a win and the coach is happy … until training next Wednesday that is.

Eastern Rovers - Round 3

Goodridge has been named in the back pocket for Eastern Rovers third round game against Murumbeena. The Rovers “home” game is being played at Heatherdale’s Purches Street oval from 2pm. Rovers coach Nick Uren described Sunday’s game as a “must win” for the club as it hopes to play finals this year. Rovers are 1-1 so far this season.

Eastern Rovers - Round 2 match report

A lesson taught to the new Rovers on Sunday with a 28 point defeat at the hands of the Knox Lions.
Leading 5 goals to 3 at quarter time the Rovers never looked better with clean transfers of play up forward and plenty of fresh legs willing to run.
The second and third quarters however were not good football by the Rovers as the Lions ran hard, ran in numbers and moved the ball forward with plenty of loose men around the park.
The Rovers showed some pluck in the last quarter by kicking 3 unanswered goals to get within 5 points. This effort was short lived however as the Lions took control and kicked the last 4 goals to win 12.8.80 to 8.4.52.
The coach was not happy.
Goodridge however was quietly smug. He had run the boundary all day and his personal disposal count was healthy (a number of throw-ins and 3 out of bounds on the full decisions – all going Eastern’s way now that you mention it). At least until the next game, Goodridge knows that he was not a part of the losing side and can be part of the solution for the next game ! Now for the hard part : he has to deliver.

Eastern Rovers - Round 1 match report

Thursday
Goodridge has been omitted from next Sunday's Round 2 match against Knox due to the dreaded rotation system. His inclusion in Round 3 against Murrumbeena has been assured.
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Monday
Sunday was “new boots” day at the Perc. Allison oval in Beaconsfield where Eastern Rovers took on, and defeated, the Beaky Eagles in Round 1 of their 3rd division, MAFV clash.
Existing (quite happily) for the past two seasons with a set of “old school,” Lou Richards style football boots with screw in studs and high ankle support, I have purchased a brand spanking new pair of Nike boots (with moulded soles) that are red and silver (by engaging my Footlocker specialist early). The old boots had become uncomfortable and the new ones were about as inexpensive as I could go.
Suffice to say that my old boots were the butt of many jokes by the fellas at my old club. It would seem that the simple garishness of my new boots will continue the jokes for another week or two yet. I’m sure it was a compliment when the coach said that they needed an award struck in my honour at year end.
I played the first half on the half-back flank and found little trouble in being involved in the action, setting up plays forward and avoiding anything difficult like packs or mud. The new boots were comfortable to run in and for the most part, I hit my targets by foot (except for once when I was aiming for the coach and missed … ouch).
Eastern got on top early with the best of the centre clearances. Our defence was tight and the forwards locked the ball in our forward 50 effectively.
I moved to half-forward for the 3rd quarter and contributed to the team score by kicking a goal. Similar to the practice game two weeks prior, I was by myself around 40 metres out, more or less in front and I kicked truly. This time, someone else had the good grace to handball to me as he was being tackled into the turf. Kicking a goal in a real match was very exciting !
The rest of the quarter however saw Beaconsfield control play in their forward half but unable to convert. I spent a lot of time running from side to side at half forward with the ball not making it that far down the ground.
I played out the last quarter in the back pocket with the sole job of keeping some big, ugly mug quiet. Mission accomplished. Beaconsfield got to within 3 points however Eastern lifted through some fine ruck work from the butcher, big Dane, and kicked away again to win by nearly 4 goals (10.5.65 v 5.12.42). After one week, Eastern are in the top 4! Rule a line through the season now !
The Eastern Rovers squad (made up of Eastern Districts, East Ringwood Roos and Mitcham Tigers players) managed a combined total of 3 wins in 2006. To get 2007 underway with a win was a great thrill for all involved.
My stats were something like 2 or 3 kicks per quarter, half a dozen handpasses and about 4 marks.
We only have a one week break now until round 2, against suburban rivals, Knox Lions (who were smacked by Werribee and will be looking to restore some pride I don't doubt). This is our first home game for the year with a kick off time of 2pm.

Eastern Rovers Round 1

Goodridge has been named on the bench for the Eastern Rovers' first round match against Beaconsfield on Sunday.
Eastern Rovers is a new look team which has brought together members of 2006's most struggling teams : Eastern Districts Superrules, East Ringwood Vets and Mitcham Vets. Rovers coach, Nick Uren, has found himself in the surprising position of having 40 names to choose from for each game this year. This means that there will be a compulsory turnover of about a dozen names for each game to ensure everybody has a run.
Goodridge was excited about the prospect of getting a run and put his first week selection down to "turning up to training every single week."

Superrules - my first game

Sunday
1045am : Racing toward my first football game for the year : an intra-club practice match.
I have worked very hard over pre-season doing a lot of running, swimming and gym. My BMI is the lowest it has been for years and my aerobic capacity way up. I’m nervous but excited. I know I can run with most guys on the park and know I can execute the skills well enough.
In the past I have lacked confidence in my ability to read the play and run out a game. If truth be told, I am scared of being hurt by some brawny mug. For the most part this is an irrational fear. The physicality of a Superrules (over 35s) football match is nowhere near the crash of AFL (or even club level) and the pace of the game has slowed right up to suit the older participants.
An intra-club game will be just the tonic I tell myself to get into the swing of FOOTBALL : 2007. A good place to stare down those fears I reason because the opposition are my own teammates !
I have joined a new team this year, Eastern Rovers, in a metropolitan wide competition. Some of our ‘away’ games involve travelling to Frankston, Beaconsfield and Werribee. I have trained well and want to impress my new team. No wonder I’m nervous.
Wolfmother’s ‘Joker and the Thief’ is playing on the radio. I turn it up loud. I’m not sure whether I will be a joker or a prince of the football world by the end of the day.
1130am : With the current drought, the poor state of most grounds and the Councils ban on playing on them, the ground we had arranged to meet at was forbidden from our use. We drive in a giant conga-line of cars to a nearby suburb and find a spare ground that we can use.
1215pm : Half the squad is playing in the Eastern Hawks jumpers (brown and gold) and the other half in East Ringwood’s Roos (blue and white). I am playing in the blue, on a half-back flank. This is a great result. I should be able to run hard, use my defensive experience to ‘run with’ my man and turn defence into attack. By not playing a central position means that I don’t have to worry about the expectation of being a key target.
1247pm : The first quarter is nearly over. Our team has dominated possession and followed the coach’s orders by playing up the middle. The other team have constantly gone wide, not direct and have found themselves under pressure as a result. Neither team can kick straight with my team kicking 5 points and the other mob only 1 point. I have collected the ball a few times and dished off handpasses to teammates. My direct opponent is one of the other very fit fellows at the club and he is running everywhere. I follow him up to our half-forward line.
I find myself in space at about centre-half-forward. The ball bounces out of a pack and lands near me. I pick it up and take a few steps toward goal. Nobody has jumped on me yet. The good news about Superrules is that nobody moves that quickly. I decide that the goals are within range and I kick truly. The first goal of the game to me. A pump of the fist, a big smile on my face and I give our coach (playing for the other side) a razz as I go past.
My fellow members of the back-men’s union celebrate a goal by one of their own. The defensive players have often felt that the forwards need to be shown how to play the game.
230pm : By the end of the game I wonder if I could have done more. I look as though I have been in the wars which is impressive to teammates. A giant ice bag is strapped to my left thigh following a “corky” in the third quarter. Quite how I got anywhere near a pack in the first place was by accident.
My stats for the game were something like 3 marks, 8 kicks (4 of them on target, 4 of them not) and a few handballs. Not bad considering some of the “quiet” outings of 2006.
I felt comfortable playing the game and mixing in with this grade. I could have done more defensively but was quite happy with my attacking skills.
915pm : I have iced my leg a second time. I have doubts whether I really ran hard enough during the day by fall asleep on the couch and don’t stir for 90 minutes, after which I wake up and go to bed ! That answer’s my question as to how hard I worked. The first round of the season is in two weeks.