Match Report
Round 12
16 July 2022
AJAX v Fitzroy
Our season sat at 6-4 and we looked forward to an away trip to the historic Brunswick St Oval to play Fitzroy. We were greeted by terrible conditions for football. A gusty northerly wind was to cause havoc throughout the afternoon. The scene was set for our first game after the double bye. A win would guarantee that we remain in the top 4 and gain breathing space from 5th placed Fitzroy. Unfortunately, the result didn’t go according to plan and Fitzroy won a hard fought game by 12 points. We sit in 5th position on the ladder with five games remaining.
The game began with fierce aggression and endeavour being displayed by both teams. Both sides made skill errors due to the pressure and the strong northerly wind. Fitzroy had the ball in their forward half for a majority of the first 15 minutes however our desperation and effort withstood their attacking play. Fitzroy hit the scoreboard soon after and then quick consecutive goals blew the margin out to 18 points with one minute remaining in the quarter. A centre clearance and a deep forward entry allowed Toby Lipton to snap a clever goal to bring us closer on the scoreboard. Though Fitzroy had more of the play in the quarter, we were content with our position at the first break.
We began the second quarter in positive fashion with some fancy footwork by Jake Lew who soccer passed to Brad Caplan for a goal. Brandon Joel curved the ball from left to right to score a brilliant goal from the forward pocket. We attacked the pavilion side of the game and really got our running game going. Unfortunately we conceded two goals against the wind which was to end up very costly. Kane Nissenbaum and Nick Lewis were gaining plenty of the ball around the ground, and Jake Wrobel was competing strongly in the ruck. Charles Hamilton and Adam Caplan were proving plenty of run and carry across the half back line. We went in at ½ time facing a four point deficit.
Fitzroy were fired up after the break and hit the ground running. We displayed composure and matched their intensity at the contest. The conditions worsened and the game became a real scrap. Every contest was important. Holding team possession of the ball was very difficult and defence was crucial. Both sides tackled with intent. Kane Nissenbaum kicked a great running goal late in the quarter which brought us within one goal at ¾ time. The game was up for grabs. Our forward pressure was exceptional in the 3rd quarter. The stage was set for a huge last quarter. The reward for both teams was fourth position.
The final quarter was a great contest. Hutch Davis was moved in to the middle to take on a defensive role. Early in the last quarter defence turned to offence, Hutch scored a clutch running goal to give us the lead. We missed a couple of set shot opportunities to extend the lead. It had become an arm wrestle, desperate football was to follow. Both sides knew the importance of the final stage of the game. Ultimately, the final 10 minutes was dominated by Fitzroy and they were able to kick the final two goals of the game to win by 12 points.
It’s always disappointing to lose, even more disappointing when we gave ourselves a really good chance of winning the game. However, we look ahead to our next opportunity against Beaumaris at Albert Park. We challenge ourselves against one of the best sides in the competition.
Goals: Lipton 2, Davis, B Caplan, Joel, Nissenbaum
Best: Nissenbaum, Lewis, B Caplan, Debinski, Simon, J Cohen
|
Q1 |
Q2 |
Q3 |
Q4 |
AJAX
|
1.1.7 |
4.3.27 |
5.5.35 |
6.8.44 |
Fitzroy |
3.1.19 |
5.1.31 |
6.3.39 |
8.8.56 |