R11: Seniors lost by 33, Reserves lost by 76

4th July 2009

Seniors

 

Taking on Whitefriars away at Whitefriars College in another important game for the club, the Old Mentonians went down in a contest that was closer than the scoreline suggested. The win sees the Panthers drop out of the top four in what is going to be a close battle for the last spot in the finals.

 

The Old Mentonians started well in the opening minutes of the first quarter and kicked the first goal to take an early lead. The loss of Sam Hecker in the early minutes was a blow to the side’s midfield rotations and a big effort would be required to cover his loss. The Old Mentonians got their goals for the quarter through good forward pressure. However, skill errors cost the Panthers for the second half of the quarter, as Whitefriars were able to take advantage of the scoring end, going to the first break with a 21 point lead.

 

The Old Mentonians played their best football of the day in the second quarter. The two sides traded two goals each in the first half of the quarter before the Panthers got their running game going. The Panthers started to win the ball out of the centre with Brad Norton doing well in the middle. The Old Mentonians kicked four of the last five goals of the quarter, with good passages of play around each wing ending with goals to David Kinsella and Stuart Cleeve. The good quarter saw the Panthers go in at half time only two points behind and with the momentum.

 

The talk at half time was about maintaining a steely resolve in the second half. When the Old Mentonians kicked the first goal of the quarter through

Ben Lane
to take the lead, the signs were looking good for the visitors. That was to be the Old Mentonians only goal of the quarter as Whitefriars kicked the next five goals. Despite this, the endeavour of the Panthers was there but poor execution allowed the home side to win the ball back. The Old Mentonians went to the last break 26 points behind but with the scoring end in the last quarter.

 

The rain came down in the first half of the last quarter to turn the game into a bit of a scrap. The Old Mentonians attacked hard in the first few minutes but did not capitalise on their opportunities with a couple of behinds and an out of bounds on the full. This lack of conversion told the story of the day for the Panthers. Almost the first time Whitefriars went forward they kicked a goal and the game was out of reach of the Panthers.

 

Next week the Old Mentonians will be looking to get back on the winners list when they take on South Melbourne Districts at the Keysborough Playing Fields.

 

OMFC:              3.1        9.4        10.5      11.9      (75)

 

Whitefriars:       6.4        9.7        14.7      16.12    (108)

 

Best:  Norton, Palmer, Thompson, Felsenthal, Lane, S. Fairbanks

 

Goals:  Lane 3, Rowlands 2, Norton 2, Kinsella 2, Carroll, Cleeve

 

 

Reserves

 

The Old Mentonians went into the game against a strong Whitefriars side with some confidence with some key players returning to the team. All players were at the ground early which was a good sign.

 

Whitefriars got the jump on the Panthers with early goals on their way to a 32 point lead at quarter time. The home team was winning the ball out of the centre and putting pressure on the Panther’s backline. The Old Mentonians managed to steady things a little in the second quarter to go in at half time trailing by 33 points with some chance of victory.

 

With another disappointing quarter from the Panthers, Whitefriars were able to put the game beyond the reach of the Old Mentonians with another 5 goals to 1. The Panthers kicked some consolation goals in the final quarter but were still outscored by the home team. Like the Seniors, the Reserves have now dropped out of the four and will need to bounce back this week.

 

OMFC:              1.0        3.1        4.2        7.4        (46)

 

Whitefriars:       6.2        8.4        13.10    18.14    (122)

 

 

Best:  Duncan , M. Lumsden, S. Alexander, Noonan, Stroud, Field

 

Goals:  Stroud 3, Jenkins 2, Forsyth, Gartner