What a win! The reserves registered the best victory of the year on Saturday with a stirring come from behind win over Old Geelong. This game (like so many others) was a tale of four quarters.

1st quarter.

Following a beating at Como park earlier in the year at the hands of the Cats, the Nobs were keen to get revenge and with a good side on paper, the boys were up and about early, kicking three straight goals (18) in the first quarter to put the scoreboard pressure on old Geelong (2.4.16). Dan Tonkin was showing his class and commitment in the middle of the ground, Danny (“the King”) King and Chris “Spud” Le Maitre were ferocious early with their tackling pressure all over the ground. The backline was also solid early (and continued all day) with Cam, Bones, Gabe Williams, Jimmy Grints (a.k.a Jimmy Grants) and Tommy Emmet putting pressure on to force the OG inaccuracy at goal.

2nd quarter.

Con brought the boys in and asked for a lift in concentration as OG were starting to play the game on their terms. Franky Caldow (strait from LAX) was solid in his first game back after a spell and the cult hero of the team, Andrew “Ding Dong” Bell showed his class all around the ground as he played wherever the team needed him. Scott Sleep and BJ Lawless showed class up forward, shooting straight to go in at half time 7.0.42 to OGS 4.7.31.

3rd quarter.

We knew OG would come out hard as they are a good side, they did that and with the wind were hard to stop, kicking away to a 20 point lead at 3qtr time. After some very specific instructions at 3qtr time Junior stayed true throughout the 3rd quarter and started to dominate his opponent both in the air and on the ground. The Old Geelong players were quick to point out the scoreboard once they got in front as one of them said “we were always going to beat you, now it’s only question of how much”. The scores at the end of the quarter read OG 10.8.68 to NOBS 8.0.48.

4th quarter

A 20 point margin in a low scoring game with 20 minute quarters is a challenge in anyone’s books and the bookies certainly would have been with OG. Con’s stirring 3qtr time speech, combined with the leadership and wisdom of Scott Sleep proved critical as did some key changes on the whiteboard at 3qtr time. Nick Marchbank into the ruck was the most pivotal coaching move of the game as he started giving the boys first use out of the middle.

Micky Rapa burst through the middle of the ground at the first centre bounce, handball to Sleep, goal. That goal narrowed the margin to 14 points with 19 minutes to play and proved the catalyst for what was to come. Straight out of the middle again and again and again with the combination of Marchbank, Tonkin, King, Spud, Brown and Dobbo getting the ball forward at every opportunity. The goal kickers in the last quarter were as follows; Belly, Junior, Dobbo, Davo (2), Tonks and King. As Kingy was sure to remind the OG players: game over!

Final scores read – NOBS 16.6.102 vs OG 11.8.74 – a 48 point turn around in the final quarter!

A great come from behind win by a side that is stiff to miss out on the finals but one that has showed plenty of spirit in the second half of the year.