Roos Give Nomads a Run for their Money

The Nomads beat the Tamworth Roos in a close fought struggle in the rain on the last Saturday of May. The Roos showed that they are not to be taken lightly but in the end the Nomads skills across the ground proved too much for them, with the Nomads winning by 20 points.

The game started in heavy drizzle and within the first five minutes the ball was too heavy to mark easily and there was a great deal of fumbling. Clean possessions were not easy to obtain. The Roos adjusted to the conditions better than the Nomads and scored the first few goals. The backs weren’t as close to their men as they should have been – the previous week’s goalfest not helping matters. The Roos also were harder at the ball and seemed desperate to prove that this year’s TAFL premiership race is not already a foregone conclusion. Nonetheless, the Nomads kicked 4 goals for the quarter after some terrific forward pressure from Tom Hunt and Modra; and were 11 points up at the break. Tom Hunt, in particular, was doing all of the hard defensive things that forwards often don’t do. Matt Foley was also garnering his usual extravagant amount of possessions and Tony Dickson was presenting and laying some great tackles. His nonchalant goal from the impossible angle was a highlight of the quarter (perhaps his proximity to Modra has rubbed off in the nonchalance stakes).

The second quarter saw the Nomads kicking away from the grandstand and again the Roos were getting plenty of drive out of the middle. However, the Two Zacs (Economou and Wells) and Tom Granleese were towers of strength in the back line. Economou punching every ball they put in the air 30 metres and Gleeso and Wellsy hitting the packs hard and putting their heads in the kinds of dangerous places that would have made Rowdy proud. Frosty and Rambo were hard at it in the middle, both seemingly relishing the wet. By the end of that quarter the Nomads were 17 points ahead.

The third quarter was a hard hitting affair and both sides kicked 3 goals. Again Wellsy, Gleeso and big Zac were handling the pressure better than most. On the wings, the Third Zac (Z. Old) and Chaks were providing plenty of drive and Modra and Isaiah Graham were causing plenty of headaches for the Roos backmen. The Nomads were 20 points up at the final change.

The last quarter was a dogged affair with not a lot of pretty football. To the Nomads’ credit, everyone went in hard and put their bodies on the line to prevent the Roos having a chance of an upset. In this last quarter the back line in particular were very impressive. The quarter was marked by a lot of pack football. The final margin was the same as that of the third quarter (20 points). Modra and Isaiah Graham ended up with 3 goals apiece.

The game demonstrated that the Nomads cannot let their guards down and must continue working on their teamwork. Many of the more skilful papers and trouble adjusting to the wet and the team missed the inside work of Weston Whitby. The No-eys did not use the wide open spaces of the Bellevue to the extent that they could have. Nonetheless it was an impressive effort in trying conditions against a very determined opposition.

The next few weeks will see some of the university boys away. All those who are in town will need to work doubly hard to ensure the Nomads maintain their unbeaten record.

Round 5 2014

Nomads def. Roos
 GBP GBP
Q14226 2315
HT8452 5535
Q311975 8755
FT121284 9862

Team:

  • C. Barker,
  • V. Chakalisa,
  • D. Davies,
  • T. Dickson,
  • Z. Economou,
  • M. Foley,
  • M. Folpp,
  • J. Freund,
  • J. Frost,
  • A. Garraud,
  • I. Graham,
  • T. Granleese,
  • T. Hunt,
  • S. Macdonald,
  • Z. Old,
  • L. Raymond,
  • D. Richards,
  • M. Spencer,
  • O. Temoso,
  • A. Walsh,
  • Z. Wells,
  • M. Woodward.

Goalscorers:

  • D. Richards (3),
  • I. Graham (3),
  • T. Hunt (2),
  • J. Frost,
  • M. Folpp,
  • O. Temoso,
  • T. Dickson.

Award winners:

  • Z. Economou and Z. Wells (Players' Player),
  • T. Dickson (Coach's),
  • J. Frost (President's),
  • T. Hunt (Captain's),
  • Z. Economou (Gleeson's).

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