Sitting at the foot of the Division One ladder with a duck egg in the win column at the mid-way point of the season, Brunswick might be expected to lack a degree of enthusiasm and belief, but that could not be further from the truth. Instead they are a team which gives total effort, is well coached and plays some good footy. Unfortunately, against second-placed Whitefriars at Gillon Oval on Saturday it was a lack of polish that told in the end, but the overriding feeling after the game was that the NOBs are on track for a much more successful second half of the season.

On a wet track in still conditions, the game started at a cracking pace, with the ball whizzing up-and-down the field. It was Friars who settled better, though, with two quick goals, before Brunswick started to get on top through the midfield, which led to a soccer goal to the dangerous Dave Marchione and a major from 45 metres to the veteran Chris Ford. The visitors then kicked a third for the quarter against the run-of-play to take a seven-point advantage into the first break.

A goal early in the second term to Marchione closed the gap again as the game became a real scrap, with scoring at a premium. The Friars then snagged successive goals again, as is their trademark, before a brilliant piece of play from the last line of Brunswick’s defence led to a six-pointer to Reubin Fulton-Grigg close to halftime. With a lead of just nine points at the long break, it was clear that the game wasn’t progressing as the visitors had expected.

The third quarter would prove to be the most critical. Brunswick’s effort remained strong, but we continually turned the ball over and the Friars made us pay and rattled off a number of quick goals. The home side’s hopes were raised briefly when Ford capitalised on a rare deliberate rushed behind decision to bring the margin back to 15 points, but the Friars ended the term with three more majors to lead by 34 at the final change. Brunswick slotted the first major of the final term through Rhyen Woods but it would to be our last, with the Friars kicking a couple late to complete the victory.

Brunswick had many good contributors over the course of the match, with the diminutive Liam Weightman playing his best game for the club after a tough run with injuries. Patrick O’Donoghue and Gus Coverdale provided plenty of outside run, while Liam Whelan, Daniel Spiers and Chris Gavaghan were solid defenders, with the latter two also showing something when thrown forward late in the day. Matthew Palmer was again very good in the midfield.

We look forward having some more supporters back soon to witness first-hand the effort on display and, hopefully, some better results.

Photos of the match can be found on Brunswick Voice.