Round 17 Match Report

Saturday was a beautiful sunny morning that began with a trip to East Bentleigh to watch the Women take on Albert Park in the first semi-final.  It was a great atmosphere with plenty of support for both teams, and the game lived up to expectations.
 
It was tight all day, with Old Camberwell trailing by two points at half-time, leading by four points at three quarter time, and finally prevailing by three points.  It was a great effort by all the women – ferocious tackling and good skills with ball in hand.  And don’t underestimate the importance of accuracy in front of goal.  Six goals from seven scoring shots made all the difference.  We look forward to another great showing in the preliminary final against St Mary’s this week.
 
The Ressies followed at Old Geelong, and despite playing some good footy in patches, were outclassed by a slick outfit.  It is worth noting that we had three Under 19 boys playing (Benny Gale, Billy Allsop and Harry Taylor), as well as two schoolboys (Luke Davidson and Angus “Chook” Goodale).  Thanks to those boys for helping the club out.  It was also a milestone game for Ty Beechey who brought up 50 games for the club.  Ty’s footy is getting better and better with each game as he continues to push for a return to the senior side, and his infectious enthusiasm is fantastic for the club.  Well done Ty, and we look forward to you being around for many years to come.
 
The Seniors then took the field in their crucial clash with Old Geelong.  The opposition exploded out of the blocks kicking the first two goals of the game before we settled into our work.  By halftime we had a slender lead which we maintained through the third quarter before powering away in the last to win by 32 points.  I rarely highlight individual performances, but Liam Thomas produced a game of rare quality, which included kicking 8 of our 14 goals.
 
Despite that, our victory was due to a magnificent team effort based around pressure and a willingness to “play your role.”
 
This sets us up for another exciting day of football on Saturday.  The women take on St Marys in the preliminary final at Trevor Barker Oval in Sandringham at 9.20am.  The seniors and reserves play Williamstown at GBO.  A win for the seniors would see us qualify for finals in B grade for the first time in the club’s history.
 
Finally, I just wanted to thank everyone for their support over the last few weeks.  The number of men’s senior players at the women’s game, and the women and reserves players at the men’s game, together with our parents and other supporters has been a huge bonus.  I spoke to several of the reserves players’ parents who stayed around to watch the seniors, which was fantastic.  I can’t remember a game where the crowd was that loud, particularly in the last quarter as LT slotted goal after goal.  And we need you more than ever this week for two massive games, so get down and support the Wellers in these do-or-die encounters.

Go Wellers!

Gavin Powell
President