Saturday 8 February 2014
Game 2 of the domestic series pitted slightly changed Yoda and Skinny led sides, including 3 debutants – Partha and Al (herein referred to as Twoey) for the Blues, and Sam for the Reds. The Blues dominated from the opening bounce and were first to the ball at every contest. Twoey was everywhere and was working well with Al and Skinny to give Aggots more ball than Freddie Mercury. The big fella had kicked 3 at the first break and the game was effectively over.
Quarter time – Blues 4.1 (25) Reds 0.0 (0)
The big change for the Reds was the shift of Paddy from defence to his customary midfield role. It made a slight difference, and he and Sam were able to see some of the ball until the latter injured his shoulder and went into defence. Despite his obvious discomfort he did a pretty good job on Aggots. The Blues were still in control though, with Bish and Waz towers in defence, and Cabbage continuing where he left off in Game 1. Aggots ended up booting his fourth and dishing off another, before Twoey finished off the half with a great left foot goal on the run. But the quarter was mired in controversy when a potentially team lifting run and goal from Paddy was disallowed because he’d run 25m too far. The decision by Shane was as agonisingly cruel as it was fair.
Half time – Blues 7.2 (44) Reds 0.2 (2)
The premiership quarter was a little more even than the first half. Scooter was rebounding well out of defence, while Murph continued to show his improvement by snaring his first goal. For the Blues, Aggots moved up the field and brought his teammates into the game with some sublime handpasses. Cabbage was the recipient of one of these and was able to snap truly for one of the goals of the game. To show his growing confidence and comfort with the game, he followed up shortly after with a great chase and tackle on Paddy.
Three quarter time – Blues 11.3 (69) Reds 2.3 (15)
With the game all but over, the crowd just wanted more beer and see some inspirational performances on the field and off. Ralphy was doing a sterling job running the boundary, and Samo’s siren blowing efforts were showing signs of improvement. He had one more chance to show his mettle. On the field, the Reds dominated with Paddy and Murph scoring three goals between them. For the Blues, Twoey’s tweaked hamstring had quietened him, but Skinning and Cabbage filled the void, and Waz continued his serviceable role up back. When Samo methodically blew the siren for the final time, it ended a rather one-sided game that was highlighted by some standout performances from several new and upcoming players.
Final scores – Blues 11.3 (69) Reds 5.3 (33)
Goalkickers:
Blues – Aggots 4, Cabbage 2, EJ 1, Twoey 1, Bish 1, Skinny 1, Al 1
Reds – Paddy 3, Murph 2