Big Loss to Inverell
by Nick Schultz
The Nomads travelled to Inverell on the weekend and suffered a heavy defeat, in a really disappointing game for the club.
We went into the game with confidence, and were keen to test our recent form against the league’s best. We matched it with the Saints in the first quarter, as we attacked the ball hard and created plenty of opportunities up forward. Some wayward goal kicking was the only thing keeping us from a quarter time lead, and it seemed like it could be our day. The intensity of the contest continued in the second, though the Saints gained the upper hand, as the goal kicking nous of Mick Viney was again giving us trouble. Two minutes before half time, our star Weston Whitby went down with a knee injury, and a somewhat deflated Nomads returned to the sheds at half time.
I don’t want to dedicate too much print to the second half, but needless to say, we were mauled. It was the second time this year that we have dropped off the pace of Inverell after keeping with them for a half. A few Nomads kept up the effort throughout, but overall it was a pretty poor showing from the boys. Inverell play a very attacking style of football, and they make it work by running in numbers and having crumbers around every contest. We will match them only when we are prepared to give four quarters of our best, most disciplined football.
Among our best for the day was the big Botswanan Omphile Temoso, who racked up possession playing a kick behind the play and marking strongly. Sam Trotman returned for his first game of the year and was very busy at centre half forward – we would love to see some more of him this year. Adrian Walsh was lively up forward (when it got there), and Glen Northway, Clinton Ballagh, Grant Wagstaff and Matt Bourke also fought hard for us all day. Calla Teseling, who is new to the game, got some good game time, took some marks, and looks to have a lot of potential.
It was Adrian ‘Starry’ Walsh’s 100th game on the weekend – only the second player to achieve this milestone at our club. Starry continues to defy the physics of getting old and having crap knees to put in great games for us every week, so we congratulate him on a this great achievement. Unfortunately we couldn’t make it a great game for him, but he’s only a few games off the club games record, so hopefully we can make that milestone a cracker.
I don’t know if our second half fade out was due to a lack of spirit and determination, after losing Weston, or a lack of fitness, but they are both things that can be worked on by getting good numbers to training. We have the Roos next week, who are also in great form (they kept Narrabri to a single goal on the weekend), so we are going to have to be sharp if we want to atone for this week’s loss.
Award winners: Player’s player – Omphile Temoso, Vice President’s award Clinto Ballagh, Coach’s Award – Glen Northway, Captain’s Award – Sam Trotman, Red Rooster – Grant Wagstaff, Vice Chancellor’s award – Tom Walsh, Inverell’s Best – Christopher Whitton.
Round 13 2010
Saints def. Nomads | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G | B | P | G | B | P | ||
Q1 | 5 | 2 | 32 | 4 | 4 | 28 | |
HT | 10 | 3 | 63 | 5 | 5 | 35 | |
Q3 | 17 | 8 | 110 | 6 | 5 | 41 | |
FT | 24 | 13 | 157 | 7 | 8 | 50 |
Team:
- C. Ballagh,
- M. Bourke,
- M. Clayton,
- M. Dowdle,
- D. Dunlop,
- J. Frost,
- D. MacLellan,
- M. Maxwell,
- C. Murray,
- G. Nelson,
- G. Northway,
- H. Pearce,
- N. Schultz,
- C. Teseling,
- O. Temoso,
- S. Trotman,
- G. Wagstaff,
- A. Walsh,
- T. Walsh,
- R. Whitby,
- W. Whitby,
- J. Wright.
Goalscorers:
- A. Walsh (2),
- D. Dunlop,
- G. Nelson,
- G. Wagstaff,
- S. Trotman,
- W. Whitby.
Award winners:
- O. Temoso (Players' Player),
- G. Northway (Coach's),
- S. Trotman (Captain's),
- T. Walsh (VC's),
- G. Wagstaff (Red Rooster),
- C. Ballagh (Vice President's).