Bloods v Blues match report

In one of their best performances of the season the Bloods gradually drew away from the Double Blues to post a comprehensive victory, 17.14 to 9.4. With this being our last game against a team outside of the top 5 it was absolutely imperative that we won and we showed a lot of class, determination and fitness to storm home in heavy conditions at Richmond today.

Bonner and Milne dropped out of the named 23. Willets started on the bench but spent most of the game in ruck.

The first Q was the only one where Sturt dominated. They held us to 2 goals while kicking 4 but for the rest of the game we added a further 15 goals while they could only manage 5. The scoring shots told the story with Westies having 31 to Sturt’s 13.

We gradually worked our way into the game, kicking 4 goals in the second, 3 in the third and 8 in a blistering last Q. It is still something of a mystery why we can have Qs that are so different but as long as we win it won’t be a major issue. Some of the passages of play in the last Q were simply sensational as we carried the ball from deep in defence to a scoring position. We demonstrated wonderful teamwork, playing on at all times, fierce tackling and threw the ball around with handball, a little overdone at times. If there was any criticism it would be that we didn’t assert ourselves earlier in the contest when we let Sturt off the hook with poor kicking for goal.

Schmidt played on a wing and compiled 34 valuable possessions. It seems a little unkind then to say Porplyzia was probably our best player but he was. He is all class. A strong mark, he brings other players into the game with his footy ‘smarts’ and played a role in many of our goals.

We had more kicks (224/177), around double the handballs and, critically, more marks (97/85). It was our capacity to take telling marks in our forward area that was the main factor in the win. Fielke with 6, Green with 7, Porplyzia 7 and Beech with 7 all took telling contested grabs and guys like Middleton and Hardy are starting to be an influence up forward.

The umpiring was as confusing as ever with Sturt getting a few of their goals from strange frees. Most of their other goals came from our turnovers when bringing the ball out of defence. Hartlett was terrific down back and he had great support from Caire, in particular, and Keough and Wasley-Black played a strong game.

Fielke booted 4 and Green 3.

The 2’s went down 8.16 to 4.9. Helbig, Ezard, Homburg and Newell are useful players that can play senior footy if and when required.

Good report B&R ..

But who was that idiot i saw going beserk smashing the crap out of the glass door to the main bar after the game? Looked like he was using a golf club.

You have got to be kidding F/B

bundy wrote:You have got to be kidding F/B

True..leaving the ground through the main carpark, there was a bloke smashing the crap out of the front door to the bar, quite a few people there trying to fend him off, he ran past me with what looked like a golf club... seems some one inside the club upset him...

firstblood wrote:

bundy wrote:You have got to be kidding F/B

True..leaving the ground through the main carpark, there was a bloke smashing the crap out of the front door to the bar, quite a few people there trying to fend him off, he ran past me with what looked like a golf club... seems some one inside the club upset him...

The guy was being critical of the club so I told him to harden up and become a volunteer like the rest of us and he went crazy.

Do we know if we got a number plate or a name for this person as he left?

Great report again, B & R. I thought we were in command after quarter time, but took a long time to translate that to the scoreboard.

I thought Adam Hartlett was superb and Errin Wasley-Black gave a lot of rebound and was named best at the club.  Porps was again great, along with Schmitty and a host of others. Taite Silverlock played his best game for th he last few weeks, while Mason Middleton kicked two goals and blanketed Coad's influence zfter half time. Tom Keough was excellent on the dangerous Beard.

Some of our ball movement in the last quarter was wonderful and our small forwards, Fielks and Greeny again kicked 7 between them.

Everyone played well and to kick 17 goals in the conditions was really good.

We looked better balanced with Willits and Hardy rucking and Middleton at full forward.

All in all a great effort and some terrific coaching moves.

We're second, but have to keep winning to finish top 3.

Random Thoughts.

1. Best team game of football I have seen for 5 years.
2. Won the hitouts and smashed them in the clearances.
3. While we were lucky that Kurtze went off Willo did some great things to justify his selection.
4. Hardy and Middleton did well up forward and provided a good contest.
5. Greeny and Fielks took advantage of this and both were fantastic.
6. Defense was solid with Wasley-Black starring.
7. Taite was solid all day and provided some great rebounding.
8. Teamwork like that today will win us some finals games.
9. Beachy and Tucky back to there best today.
10. Porps, Schmidt and Stevens are all class.
11. Week off has come at a great time.
12. Well done to all the volunteers today.

Great win today against a side who would have been full of confidence
After their win against Port.

Porps has had a magnificent year and he probably would be leading
our B&F. He would have been very disappointed at being delisted and
he has shown what a wonderful player he is.
In time I think he would make a very good coach.

The next three games we need to show the competition we are the
real deal. I won't this group of players to really stand up and win these
Next three matches.

We have players such as Ezard,Helbig,Milne,Homburg,Agostino, Bonner
and maybe Webb that are all capable of playing league footy.

Great fun today. Champagne football at times. Quickness & precision of movement in the last stanza was as good as it gets.

Glad u enjoyed it ST. Yes it was great to see big Brucey back in &  he did have an important impact. We do look a better side with him in.

Re the lunatic that smashed the back door he also drove straight through the big black "Richmond Oval" gates (which were shut by people to try to keep him in while the police were called) at high speed & knocked them clean off their hinges. Fortunately we have got CCTV of him plus Chris Schmidt had the presence of mind to get his number plate. Our Venue Mgr, Andrew White & Graeme Barton (Board member & former Asst Police Commissioner) plus CEO KANTA are all over it. I hope he is arrested & charged with several offences. He must be a full blown IDIOT!!!!!!! Extremely dangerous & irrational behaviour.

Second Team wrote:

firstblood wrote:

bundy wrote:You have got to be kidding F/B

True..leaving the ground through the main carpark, there was a bloke smashing the crap out of the front door to the bar, quite a few people there trying to fend him off, he ran past me with what looked like a golf club... seems some one inside the club upset him...

The guy was being critical of the club so I told him to harden up and become a volunteer like the rest of us and he went crazy.

That's ... S.T.

1.) How long after the match did this incident occur?

2.) Anyone know the reason why he was so disgruntled? Sturt fan? or drunk person evicted from the venue?

Sounds like a pretty serious offence! From memory those gates are pretty solid steel? Would have made a mess of his car!

Back to the match, a good win, i was happy to get there by the second half after work and that the rain held off. good ball movement, thought we only made a few small errors - which was pretty good considering the conditions. Sturt got a few opportunistic goals and a few soft assists from the umpire in the second half. Like i said, a good win by our boys, but we are a far superior side to Sturt, so can't read much into it, the next 3 weeks will show us alot! Also will be interesting to see the self belief of the boys against the better sides. Both on paper and on the field, i don't see any reason why we can't match Port, Norwood and the Eagles.

PS: After the last Sturt match i came and complained about the constant heckling of Hartlett. Sad to see it still continued today and not much has been done about it. I was on the other side of the oval and could clearly hear what the loudmouth in the Sturt cheer squad was saying. Too bad they went pretty quiet in the last 5 to 10 minutes

Did Hartlett do something after the siren? a gesture towards them?

Second Team wrote:
12. Well done to all the volunteers today.

It just gets funnier and funnier the more times you mention it, doesn't it.

dl550 answers.

1: Just before presentations at about6.20pm
2: Evidentially he was playing the gaming machines (caught on CCTV) & got disgruntled about something. Don't know what. Don't think he was a Sturt fan & was not evicted to my knowledge, just went to his car got something out & came back aggressively smashing the glass in the back door to the main bar. Then rushed back to his car & drove through the gates at pretty high speed. Also don't know what damage to the car it all happened too quickly. It was a blue commodore & we have a chrome Holden badge that was dislodged at impact. As I said before we also got the number plate number.

Re Harts. I think we are all really happy with how he has conducted himself during this season. He has been very consistently good & very reliable keeping the backline together with the other guys who have also been good. No retaliating & no reports. So far so good. Didn't see him gesture after the game.

Any more news about the upset person after the sturt game, and I was there Harts just waved to them at the end of the game ,So cheer squad keep supporting your club guys, its a passion
, we ve done this stuff even when Weve taken home the wooden spoon ,

merrick wrote:Any more news about the upset person after the sturt game, and I was there Harts  just waved to them at the end of the game ,So cheer squad  keep supporting your club guys, its a passion
, we ve done this stuff even when Weve taken home the wooden spoon ,

Adam copped vile abuse from the Sturt cheer squad the whole time he was on the field while one of those brave men in their yellow jackets just stood nearby and listened. It seems to me that there are double standards regarding supporters comments to players.