At picturesque Ivanhoe Park on Saturday the improvement in the Brunswick NOBs of 2019 was on display as we produced a solid four-quarter performance to ensure there would be no repeat of our shock loss at that ground last season.

Up against an Ivanhoe side which boasted half-a-dozen very good players, but otherwise did not bat deep, Brunswick was able to dominate possession and ultimately outclass the opposition. The most exciting aspect of the win was the promise of much more improvement to come for this team.

The opening to the game was scrappy in conditions which were a little tricky. For a while it looked like we might waste the advantage of the scoring end at the small ground, mainly through poor and indirect disposal, until a certain Master Francis Evans stepped up and imposed his class on the contest. In a flash he had kicked three goals and we had a 10-point lead as the quarter-time siren blew. In a sign it was going to be his lucky day, the controlling umpire didn’t hear said siren until after Chris Ford had marked it directly in front of goal and Fordy was able to extend the margin to 16 points, much to the chagrin of the home supporters.

Ivanhoe took it up to us in the second quarter, which had the effect of halting our run off half-back, but to our credit we found a way to withstand that assault and manufacture four goals, including a couple to newcomer David Royle, which increased our lead going into the main break.

In the third term we broke the back of the game, scoring four goals to one, with the highlight being another two majors to Fordy, one from a rebound off the hands of his opponent and the other an old-fashioned flat punt which didn’t spin at all. It really was his lucky day!

Coach Palmer asked the players at the final change to finish off the match like a good team. He didn’t quite get all that he wanted, but five goals to three meant a 54-point win, which we will take any day. Fordy was able to grab a bag of five while “Dancing” Dom Sullivan once again turned it on with three goals in a last quarter, a couple of them pure class.

Best-on-ground for the third time in four weeks was Evans, who has deservedly earned himself a reputation amongst the Division 2 sides as “The Kid”. Mat Dickson backed up his form from last week with a strong first half on the ball and an excellent run-with role after halftime.

Others to impress were the veteran bookends in Ford and Mick O’Donoghue, while newcomer J.P. Perez played his best game by far, as did big “Choco” Royle. Geremie Ganino was back from injury and, after some early rust, also very good.

We are on the road again this week, to Ted Ajani Reserve to face Bulleen Templestowe in another very important early season game. See you there.