Great weekend of Junior footy - U14 Red

Round 5 had the Red U14 with a home game versing the undermanned but enthusiastic Dalyston Magpies.

There were all sorts of personnel changes to the team this week, some major ins with team Fisher, Charlie and Gemma starting their season, but sadly some major outs with Bailey Parry breaking an arm at school and Darcy Optiz rolling an ankle also.

Coach Tarryn hustled some Under 12 young guns to the line-up, Jaxen, Zane and Flynn (thanks boys) while also providing Daylston with two or three kids per quarter which helped provide some fresh legs and a slightly more competitive game.

With what talls we have wiped out with injuries, Charlie started in the ruck, 20 seconds later after a perfect tap to Felix, a short pass to Zac Hughes and beautiful long kick we had the first goal.

The coach’s box is stunned by the play, what a combo!

A fluke? No way. This is repeated five times in the next five minutes with Ethan Ree, Stewy, Blocka and basically the whole mid and forward line running amuck.

Teirlie kicked two on the run and a perfect lead and mark from Jack Edge saw him kick a beauty from 25m for his first for the season, well done Jack.

Quarter time and it’s a mercy.

Tarryn reminded the pups to keep doing the things they are learning at training, which they did, building walls and locking the ball in, running handball chains and keeping space for the forwards.

Daylston were working hard and combined well at times with some of our loaned players but with Tav, Maddi, Gemma, Zac Sund and Jack Mascaros hunting tackles and the on-field structure set by Zac Hughes, Felix and Max Nicka the flood gates were open.

The island were scoring freely with and against the breeze, a high note being Jacob’s 50m (or 3m?) bomb that hit the post!

Lucky, he had plenty of chances and snagged one moments later.

In the fourth quarter Felix, Nicka and Tilley joined the Pies and worked super hard against their usual teammates in a great show of sportsmanship, which resulted in three late and well celebrated goals by the Pies.

Their effort was applauded by the Daylston coaches.

A much anticipated first of the season goal for Blocka from a mark and set shot saw it headed straight through, only to be caught in the breeze and touched on the line, by Tilley in a Pies jumper.

All in all, a very solid win with great effort by all on a wintry footy kind of day.