CLUB NEWS, Round 3, 10th May 2003.
Skipton versus Natte-Bealiba @ Skipton
"Rovin' Rambler Report"Only inaccurate kicking at goal prevented Skipton from winning by a bigger margin than the 122 points against Natte Bealiba at home last Saturday
Led by the Coach, Tim McKay, with 10 goals the team put in a very solid performance and could be well pleased with their efforts.
All reports were that Natte Bealiba had impressed in earlier games and this appeared to be the case when they kicked the first two goals of the game. Only a strong mark and goal to Josh Milenkovic stopped their run. Another goal to the opposition at the six minute mark appeared to sting Skipton into action and they kicked the next seven goals of the quarter led by McKay with five.
Daniel Rowe was proving to be a focal point at centre-half-forward and his strong marking was a highlight. Smaller players in Troy Ferrier, Rowan O’Callaghan and Milenkovic were creating plenty of opportunities and they were being supported by an attacking centre line in Tony Boyer, Luke Hills and Kris Johnson who continually ran the ball forward. Troy Wickham, from Mitta United, playing his first game showed that he will be an asset to the team with his strong play in defence.
The second quarter opened with Natte Bealiba kicking two of the first three goals as they tried to lift their game. Mathew Battistello came off the bench at quarter time and had an immediate impact. His clever play created a number of opportunities for his team mates and he kicked three goals for the quarter.
Captains Rod Kennedy and Tony Boyer were both showing great leadership as they controlled their positions. Craig Kennedy was also showing that he is quickly settling into the key position of full back. Play became scrambly and poor kicking at goal was proving costly with seven points for the quarter - some from easy shots at goal.
Strong words from Tim McKay at half-time appeared to have the desired effect when players returned to the team guidelines set down by him, and nine goals for the third quarter was the result. Another goal to Battistello and then one by McKay started the quarter but four straight points were disappointing. McKay kicked his ninth for the game but this was followed by another three points. Inaccurate kicking for goal was not rewarding the efforts of the players up field. Chris Jennings, Andrew Clark, James Collins and Aaron Klutke were all part of a strong defence that continually held the opposition out.
The final quarter started with the Coaches sitting on the bench and a number of players moved to different positions. Jennings was shifted to the forward line and he kicked a clever soccer goal to start the quarter and this was followed by another from Battistello who kicked from deep in the pocket. Bill Molloy showed that he is capable of holding his position in the Seniors with some strong defence and James Shelton continued to impress with his team play. Another three goals to both teams for the quarter finished a game in which Skipton was able to dominate with a very impressive team effort.
An interrupted pre-season has made it difficult for the players, but Coach Tim Mckay was pleased after the game with the progress of the team. “There is plenty of pressure being put on the players by the depth available, and a number of players who are playing well in the Reserves are putting their hand up for selection.
Over the next few weeks we play some of the top teams from last year and that might give us an idea of where we are at. Goal-kicking practice will certainly be high on the agenda at training this week.”
The Reserves continued on from their good performance in the opening round with an impressive 88 point win. The pleasing part of the game was the number of players who put their hand up for consideration for selection in the Senior team. Led by John Gardner with six goals and Anthony Bibby being amongst the best again there were plenty of reasons why the Coach, Mick Shelton, was pleased after the game.
As in the Senior game inaccurate kicking was a concern but there were many other encouraging signs. A number of new players, including Luke Crow from the Wendouree Lakers playing his first game, are quickly helping mould what could be a very strong team.
Although numbers remain a problem our Juniors continued to impress with a 95 point win. Their Coach Dean Sheridan and his assistant Ian Bradshaw are very happy with the commitment being shown by this tight-knit group of players who are determined to work together towards being a very good team.
NEXT WEEK: Rokewood Corindhap at Rokewood- See you there!
