At Gillon Oval on Saturday we may just have witnessed the start of something. Brunswick was not expected to get close to top side Hampton Rovers, but the injection of five teenagers – all products of the Junior Club – triggered a breathtaking first quarter, with fast and fearless football the likes of which we haven’t played for quite a while.

Debutants William Mott and Jack Ludeman took to five the number of players from the original Under 10 team in 2010 to play senior footy for Brunswick. They joined fellow former Dragons, Dom Sullivan, Daniel Mott, Will McKenzie and Luka Vlassopoulos on the field, and they all relished the chance to play together in a big game at home.

It was Vlassopoulos who kicked the first goal of the game to get things going early, followed soon after by Daniel Mott. By mid-way through the first term, Sullivan had slotted our fourth and we led the flag favourites by 18 points. The pre-match instruction had been to play on at all costs, and the run-and-carry generated off half-back had the Rovers flummoxed, while their forays forward were being met by the immovable objects of Ludeman and William Mott.

The whole team was playing well. In attack, Jed Carey was loving the fast ball movement and had two goals on the board by quarter-time, the second a four-bounce, Buddy Franklin-like effort that had the crowd on its feet. Hampton were very lucky to get back within nine points, but the presence of their big men reminded us they still were going to be hard to beat.

As expected, Hampton came back with the wind in the second quarter, but the impressive thing was that we stuck at our task very well. Indeed, we should have scored more than one goal for the term. Despite being down narrowly at half-time there were plenty of smiles on the faces of Brunswick supporters who had had a glimpse of what the future might hold for the club.

The third term started as more of a slog, before two goals in quick succession to Nick Burgin and Daniel Mott made it a three-point game, after which Hampton replied. Late in the quarter, Carey kicked his fourth for the game, but another goal to the Rovers and two posters, one to Burgin from outside 50 and another to Sullivan from the boundary, conspired to keep us seven points down at the last change.

As our young legs tired in the final quarter, Hampton’s bigger bodies started to take control of the game, which meant the final margin was not a true reflection of the difference between the teams on the day. Late goals to Burgin and the excellent Geremie Ganino were well earned.

Reigning B&F Ganino, who has hit a rich vein of form, was our best player over four quarters. As the lone key forward, Carey was brilliant for three quarters before supply began to dry up. Down back, William Mott was colossal, playing with a calmness and composure that belied the fact it was his first senior game. Lewis White was again excellent across half-back, while Dean Beaumont was as solid as ever, and Liam Whelan gave us run. In the midfield, Aidan Pollock and Jayden Tilbrook were great contributors all day.

If this is a glimpse of the future, then it is rosy. The brand of football displayed on Saturday can win this team many games over the next few years.

See you back at Gillon Oval this week for the Battle of Brunswick against the Westies!

U19’s Luka Vlassopoulos (L), Will McKenzie (CL), Jack “Strawberry” Ludeman (CR), William Mott (R) all played Seniors Vs Hampton Rovers