A bright sunny Gillon Oval greeted the players, just recently rolled to smooth out irregularities after last 4 weeks of wet conditions. Although the northeasterly wind (not breeze) at 20 knots swept across the ground, which would make for trying conditions that influenced scoring opportunities throughout the day.

For Brunswick to sneak into the final 6, the team had to win and hope that St. Bedes (8th) would beat St. Kevins (6th) at home.

First quarter

Brunswick won the toss and kicked with the wind to the Sydeny Road end, however De La went straight into attack and had two goals on the board in quick succession. At about the 7-minute mark Brunswick started to regroup with two goals to Gus Coverdale and Alexander Avraam. The delivery into the forward line was assisted greatly by the Anthony’s (Alexandris & Roussos) with pin point low trajectory passes that hit their targets! Backdoor handballs out of packs also fed our attacking half backline of Declan Sparrow, Eric Newgreen and Carl Marchione.

Brunswick 3.4-22 – De La Salle 2.2-14

Second quarter and De La Salle had the wind and it certainly hadn’t abated, with the opposition quick into the action with a 4 goal. 2-point haul for the quarter. The quarter started off poorly with what in the coaching vernacular is titled a “coach killer”, with successive centre square infringements, resulting in a goal and a second forward entry resulting in a behind. Phew!

Brunswick wasn’t fazed and managed to work the ball into the wind with 2 goals 2 for the quarter, with Mathias Foley finding the goals with a boundary line snap. Two minutes later and Foley scored again with another off the ground. The small forward was on fire early! Again, the “Anthony’s” were in everything around the ground, while the “Darwin” recruit Dion Chong, who has an outstanding season across the backline, (even if the temperature is minus 20 degrees to what Dion is used to) was also repelling the numerous opposition entries with his side kick Georgopolous!

Half time Brunswick 5.6-36 – De La Salle – 6.4-40

Changes with Jack Ludeman onto the dangerous wingman #20 from De La Salle, Archie Fulton Gregg into the centre, Jasper Paevere into the forward line, the game was in the balance! With nothing in it and now with the 5-goal wind, the test was not to waste the advantage. A quick forward entry and Foley was again in the action with alas a behind. The “Anthony’s” again were waxing the ball between them and Anthony Alexandris kicking a major at the half way point of the quarter.

The backline of Alexander Georgopoulos, Sabatino, Sparrow, Newgreen, with Jack Spencer on the far wing had their work cut out with the quarter and kept De La Salle 1-2 for the 25 minutes. Brunswick didn’t waste the wind with a healthy 3.4-22 with goals to Coverdale and Paevere.

Brunswick 8.10-58 – De La Salle 7.6-48

Would the 10 points be enough of a buffer to ensure the win? Some more changes with Paevere back to the backline and “extra + 1” being Alexander Georgopolous. Archie to full forward and Alexander Avraam back to CHF. This was going to be a tight contest, but both teams played without regard to the wind and De La Salle were first to score narrowing the margin and followed up with 2 behinds to narrow the margin to 2 points!

Brunswick replied with play of the day, but only if your name started with the letter “A”. Anthony Alexandris gathered the ball on the half volley from the centre bounce and passed to Anthony Roussos who passed to Angus Ross and then a bullet pass to Alexandre Avraam and the CHF who floated forward kicked truly! Margin back out to 8!

De La Salle not fazed immediately won the next centre clearance and scored another goal, margin now 2 points. Back to the centre and Brunswick attacked and scored a behind, margin 3 points. De La Salle manage to clear from full back, and manage to go coast to coast and score goal number 10 for the day. De La Salle in front by 4 points!

Back to the centre and a clearance results in a forward entry into the forward pocket results in the ball being cleared by Coverdale to Avram on the lead, albeit 45m out an into the wind! The big forward went back and launched and not only made the distance, but hit the top of the post! Margin 3 points down!

Another clearance from De La Salle full back kick in and Will McKenzie takes an absolute screamer, landing on the shoulders of the opposition ruckman. A quick pass off to Avraam and from 35m out the CHF scored another major! Margin 9 points. De La Salle managed two more behinds before a scrubber pass from Ludeman out of the centre was gathered by Coverdale and at 35 metres out scores goal number 4 for the day. A great win and all-round team effort.

This win and really finished off the year well, winning 9 games and 4 losses in Division 4. Out of the 12-team division, Brunswick defeated 3 teams above (St. Kevins, De La Salle, Mazenod), and could have been 4, with a 1-point loss to MHSOB (3rd), two weeks ago.

The success this year was down to new recruits (x9) arriving from the surrounding suburban clubs who did not field U19 teams for 2019. John was instrumental in attracting these players and all are eligible to play again at this level for 2020. Of the top age players 10 will be eligible for Seniors in 2020.