Last minute goals to Will Symons, Harry Jorgensen and the presence of mind of Ben McDonald to run the ball over the Fitzroy goal line for a point, saw Fitzroy turn a 12-point deficit into a one-point win all in the final minutes of play at Ramsden Street Oval in Semi Final 1 against Old Trinity on Saturday.

It was enough to send the crowd, who had been debating the extra time rules, into a frenzy and Coach Trent Coleman was barely able to speak for some time after the game.

The unlucky Old Trinity side made the cardinal sin of kicking badly for much of the day, going into the long break behind 4.5.29 to 2.10.22, having had many more scoring shots, including some that sailed wide. Their first two goals came only after they’d scored 10 points.

This was a game played in fits and starts with many of the goals being scored against the run of play and in bursts.

Trinity’s early tactics to lock down and turn the game into a ground level scrap and stop Fitzroy’s run, was very effective. They dropped a man back in defence and made sure to stick close to the in-form captain and goal kicker Tim de Natris, but equally they came up against a formidable back six for Fitzroy and also failed to take advantage of their repeated forward forays.

Two excellent late goals in the second quarter, both from out wide on the boundary and the second to the skipper after the half time siren, gave Fitzroy a seven-point buffer at half time.

The third quarter was a tough affair and Fitzroy edged out to a 10-point lead, scoring the only goal of the quarter with Old Trinity growing increasingly frustrated by their goal kicking, adding a further three points to their tally. From a momentum perspective, in the last part of the third quarter, the play seemed to open up a little and it felt like it was with the home side. The visitors had other ideas.

The final quarter had to be seen to be believed. Having been wayward all day, Old Trinity straightened up, ran the ball in closer to goal, and quickly piled on three early goals. Having scored two goals to three quarter time, they suddenly had five.

Fitzroy then wrestled back some possession and drive into attack, but had caught the goal kicking yips as the teams reversed fortunes, missing three of its own gettable shots.

In a game where there were no easy possessions, Trinity got out to a handy – and what appeared as though it might be a match-winning – lead when a controversial deliberate out of bounds free was paid in the forward pocket and Old Trinity kicked truly from the boundary line to score its sixth goal.

With minutes to play the Fitzroy faithful were feeling the game had slipped away, but the team on the field wasn’t about to dip out in the first semi final for the second year in a row.

A terrific running goal from Will Symons turned the tide, followed by a snap off the ground by Harry Jorgensen with just seconds to play.

Having secured the all-important possession out of the middle, the Fitzroy players all pushed forward and Ben McDonald had the presence of mind to run the ball over the line for a point just ahead of the siren.

Adam Taib was the best on the ground for Fitzroy, repeatedly repelling Old Trinity’s attacks into Fitzroy’s forward 50. Given the job on one of the competition’s leading goal kickers, David Cowley, Taib kept him to just one goal, whilst also creating plenty of momentum out of the backline.

Rhys Dolby created plenty of run and attack through the middle of the ground, Jorgensen, Symons and Hugh Morris-Dalton, in his 5oth game, were all strong, and Nathan Grimshaw again stood tall.

To some extent the shock of the weekend was the loss of minor premier De La Salle to Beaumaris, for the first spot in the grand final. It was the second loss to Beaumaris in three weeks for the previously undefeated side.
De La will now present a significant challenge for Fitzroy in the preliminary final, which will be played at Waverley Oval in Malvern East on Saturday morning at 9.20am. Go Roys!

Fitzroy set up its top of the table clash with Williamstown very nicely with a clinical victory over Old Ivanhoe on Saturday.

In a ruthless defensive display, against a team which still had finals aspirations, Fitzroy kept Old Ivanhoe goalless for the first half.

Coach Luke Mahoney would have been pleased with the balance between his team’s miserly defence and the ability to move the ball quickly and find multiple avenues to goal.

Ted Clayton worked beautifully from the midfield and earned best on ground honours. Rory Angiolella seemed to be everywhere and Jacob Long continued his development in defence, combining very well yet again with Max Ellis and Tom O’Donnell.

It certainly didn’t hurt having star youngsters Sunny Brazier and Nino Lazzaro providing great targets and the wily Will Fenton chipped in with four goals. Jack Dalton and Sam Baker were also terrific and accurate with three goals each.

By the end of the day, the Roy Boys had stamped their dominance on the opposition winning 18.15.123 to 6.14.50.

Meanwhile the Ressies went quietly about their business and were equally as dominant. The team benefitted from a few more very handy inclusions pressing for senior selection. Michael Cussen enjoyed a day out with five goals, Ross Borland was amongst the best players and there was also a pretty handy fullback named Tom Biscaro, who made it through unscathed.

Sean Laidlaw, Drew Olarenshaw and Sam Batterton again stood out as the goals were evenly spread and the team ran out to a 17.14.116 to 3.6.24 win.

This week’s summary of the action from Brunswick Street comes to you from the Footy Almanac correspondent, King George III (and father of Saturday’s leading goal kicker – in the seniors that is!).

Veterans deliver: Dan and Dave on our selection
Danny Wilson, long time FFC raconteur and U19 player at Fitzroy when the club played at the BSO in the VFL, hosted the guests at last Saturday’s President’s Luncheon with the deft skill of one who trained for war and sport but knows the gulf of reality between the two.

Our host Danny used the interview he conducted with Dan Cairnes and Dave Farrell, both returned distinguished Australian Defence Force veterans, to tease out the their current careers as founders of Veterans in Construction (VIC) a project designed to assist returning service personnel to reintegrate into civilian worklife as seamlessly as possible after what for many is a period of service, sacrifice and gallantry without decoration, and can often create a disconnect on return home.

They pointed out that though the Defence forces tried to accommodate their ambitions with an array of opportunities, on return, within the military, once the decision to leave was made structures to assist transition outside the military were as thin on the ground as had been their situation in theatres of war where they had needed to summon all the ‘groundhog day’ repetitive training to bring them from the dark into the light.

Their enlightenment of the gathered was warmly appreciated and especially by David Leydon and his Union guests when Dan mentioned that many of those who availed themselves of jobs sought and sorted by VIC became members of the CFMMEU!

Onto question time our guests were Bren gun fired by Mandy Hudson (mother of Toby Hudson Bevege), Gabrielle Murphy (mother of ‘good one’ Max Ellis), and Narelle Winchester (the delightful aunt of Rory Angiolella) before Madame President (and mother of ‘Top Cat’ Tom Cheshire) pointed out to MC Danny that even in a femocracy we should allow a question from a father of one of our senior players!

After official proceedings ended, Fitzroy ‘diehard’ (we exchanged triple bypass stories whilst carefully selecting our buffet lunches) MP Dick Wynne drew the raffle ticket prizes and like the two left wings of the ALPatross – the ACTU and GetUp – he could only find red and green wynners in the bowl leaving we other ticket holders very blue indeed. We hope to see you winging it to Fearon Oval next week, Dick, as everyone will be needed in the field.

At least one veteran lion won a prize – Dyson Hore-Lacy, an oversized bottle of Tahbilk wine – in no way enough compensation for the battles he and Bill Atherton fought against all odds way back when to keep the Fitzroy entity going even in exile until it re-emerged in its current metamorphous state. Even the record defamation compensation payment he retains after Rebel Wilson’s failed Court of Appeal case is miniscule reward for his truly lion hearted efforts on behalf of Fitzroy Football Club and the army of unfortunates he has helped during his legal lifetime.

On the field of dreams…
Veteran ‘Bungalow’ Borland back from basking in Botswana barrelled a binary for Bernie’s brigade in the twos whilst Michael Cussen and Will Pickering kept the heat on their protégé forwards in the ones with their performances.

In the seniors the twin ‘tow balls’ Jack Dalton and Rory Angiolella continue to impress whilst the Baker and the Brazier keep cooking their opposition and Nino showed he could kick running goals with either foot.

Some weeks ago, we saw a veteran of another side, Robert Campbell of Old Camberwell, a 2008 AFL premiership player with Hawthorn, give one of the best performances seen by this scribe in any of the games watched this year. That he did so in a skilful and fair way provided a lesson to our own players who played on or against him that day namely Jack Hart (when Campbell rested in the forward line) and Matt Gaite, Andrew Pettigrove, Bill & Ted Clayton, when he rucked at centre bounces and around the ground. Gaitor grew in stature immediately doing a double Dusty fend off and a well feigned look ahead 25 metre sideways hand ball in the said game. Each of these boys’ games have positively incrementally improved since that encounter which is important for the denouement of Fitzroy’s season.

As always, the Admiral of the ship Coach Luke Mahoney in well measured tone told the players following the victory over Old Ivanhoe we now have the opportunity this week to do what no other team in our competition has done this year – defeat Willy at the Fearon Oval.

Scouting the ground after the magnificent victory by Coach Simon Jackson and Captain Rachael Telfer’s Fitzroy-ACU Team in the curtain raiser at the nearby Seagulls VFL home ground, this observer saw what he thought to be CYMS stalwart Smokie Dawson’s rust chassied VW Kombi van with trailer parked oblong to reserve car spots for the big game. Don’t worry Smokie we’re coming by car, train, boat, bus, helicopter or on foot. See you all by the seaside Saturday.

By George!111

Fresh to the game and hailing from the USA, Tess Plant-Thomas has not only had to get used to the Aussie nick naming tradition, but experienced first-hand a version of the hospital hand-pass – in her case, a hospital head-clash!

She can do everything, this girl: intrepid traveller, singer-songwriter extraordinaire, talented and gusty give-it-a-go Aussie Rules footballer.

And nothing wipes the smile from her face. Not even a bloodied broken nose and facial scratches after sustaining some friendly fire in the amazing win her team mates notched up to get the Roy Girls Ressies to their first-ever grannie.

Lettuce (as she’s affectionately known) moved to Australia last November to join her Australian boyfriend, Josh, on his return to Melbourne from La Jolla, her hometown in California, where he’d been on a year-long working visa.

“I unabashedly hurried to join him two months after he returned,” says Tess, “and since then I’ve been mixing travel with settling into life here.

“I’ve loved Melbourne since landing, but it was joining Fitzroy that really gave me a sense of belonging.”

Tess says she first started hearing about this mysterious Australian sport of footy from Josh back in San Diego. He’d showed her a few clips of his brother, Aiden Burke, playing for Fitzroy, and she was intrigued.

Then after going to Carlton practice matches at Prince’s Park and the season opener at the MCG Tess was, as she puts it, “beyond hooked”.

Before joining Fitzroy, Josh and Tess would go the park every other day to kick the Sherrin with his family’s two Jack Russell terriers. But it was Josh’s mum, Susan Burke, who really pushed Tess to play footy.

“Susan had said from the very beginning that I should join a footy club,” says Tess, “that I would love it and my background in soccer and athletics might make me well suited for it.”

So after significant procrastination, and needling from the Burke family, Aiden gave Tess the number for the women’s coach.

“I called Mick and he invited me to training that night,” says Tess. “And from there I fell in love.”

Tess says she loves the Fitzroy community. That it's incredibly inclusive and supportive.

“Everyone respects each other and it’s a beautifully quirky team of women from all sorts of backgrounds, who are tough as nails and full of passion.”

When pressed, Tess nominates Susie and Pip (or Calypso) as those she loves playing with most.

“I love hearing Susie’s voice when I’m in the ruck: ‘On your right Lettuce, on your left Lettuce, behind you Lettuce.’ She’s a rock and I love knowing she’s always there to receive my erratic taps.

“As for Pip, she has such an amazingly positive attitude – she makes me believe we can win, even when the wind is blowing a gazillion miles an hour and I’m huffing and puffing like a steam train.”

Tess lets out a long EEEE when she considers that the girls will be playing in the grand final.

“While I won’t be able to play with my current zombie face, I’ll be there cheering my heart out for my red, yellow, blue.”

And we’ll be with you all the way Lettuce. Go Roys Girls!

Tess had surgery during the week for her broken nose suffered early in last week’s preliminary final and will miss the grand final, along with teammate and second head-clash victim, Cass Blake. Despite her hospital admission (right), Tess was all smiles and high fives for a fabulous RoyGirls2 win against a more experienced MUGARS side to advance to the Grand Final, our girls’ first ever!

Word has it that Tess sings a song she wrote dedicated to Fitzroy-ACU! Those lucky enough to attend our upcoming Women in Footy lunch will get to hear it for themselves.

Each year the Fitzroy Women in Footy lunch gets bigger and bigger and this year a classy panel will take a look at the experience of and pathways for female footballers at several levels of the game.

The pre-game lunch on 25 August at Brunswick Street is a key feature of the ACU Game before Fitzroy takes on PEGS in the final home and away game of the season.

Hosted by award-winning sports journalist Megan Hustwaite, AFLW’s Kaitlyn Ashmore (Lion turned Roo) makes a return to the panel, while winner of the Debbie Lee Medal for first year player in her 2016 season with Fitzroy-ACU, Ash Riddell, and Roy turned Pie leadership group member, Hillary Grubb, make a return to BSO to talk about their paths to the AFLW and VFLW respectively. The VAFA’s Manager of Women’s Football, Shona MacInnes, will also make her first appearance to talk about what’s next in our own fast-growing women’s competition.

The make up of the panel will allow us to explore the current state of play at the VAFA, VFLW and AFLW and potential pathways for talented female footballers coming up through the ranks.

Recent North Melbourne AFLW signings Ashmore and Riddell are currently playing with the Melbourne University MUGARS in the VFLW and it will be interesting to hear how things are coming together for one of the expansion clubs set to join the AFLW this year.

Kaitlyn was on the panel last year representing the Brisbane Lions and her departure to come home to Victoria as part of the inaugural North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos was somewhat of a surprise. We reckon she’ll still wear the Fitzroy beanie though!

Ash has made a meteoric rise, playing her first season of serious football with Fitzroy-ACU in 2016 and in the same year winning the VAFA’s Debbie Lee Medal for best first year player. She has since gone on to play in the VFLW with the MUGARS, has also been signed by North Melbourne and is getting ready for her first season of AFLW footy.

Another Fitzroy-ACU success story is Hillary Grubb, who is still a Fitzroy-listed player but is enjoying a hugely successful first season with the ladder-leading Collingwood side in the VFLW. Hillary made the transition from Fitzroy’s leadership group, straight into the Collingwood leadership group and it will be interesting to explore the differences she has experienced this year.

Shona MacInnes recently wrote of the experience of bringing women’s football to the VAFA saying 3,000 young women have created the largest women’s football competition in the country and describing the benefits and challenges that go with that.

Bringing all of this together will be top notch emcee and sports journo, Megan Hustwaite, who featured on our cricket panel earlier this year and has covered all kinds of sports for newspapers and radio, including the WNBL, cricket, AFL and more.

There will be very limited tickets for the day. Get in fast.

You can book here: https://fitzroyfc.worldsecuresystems.com/BookingRetrieve.aspx?ID=97602

There's still time to buy your tickets for this year's Major Raffle. Your final opportunity to be in the running for double-passes to the 2018 Toyota AFL Finals series tickets (donated by the Brisbane Lions AFC: AFL Authorised GF Promotion Code GFAFL 18/17), including the 2018 Grand Final, will be at our home game on August 25 when the prize will be drawn after the game.

Don't worry if you can't be there on the day, as the Club will contact you directly if you have won one of our fabulous prizes.

The Fitzroy family is shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden passing of one of our most loyal supporters.

Barry Leeder was a familiar face at Fitzroy lunches and matches, always happy and smiling and proudly sporting his Fitzroy Foundation tie.

Barry was born and bred Fitzroy and lived most of his life around the corner from the Brunswick Street Oval. Most recently residing in nearby Woodside Street, Barry loved nothing more than watching his beloved Roys go round on the grand old ground.

We extend our deepest sympathy to Barry’s mates and fellow Roys’ supporters, and especially to his daughters Natalie, Vanessa and Victoria.

Barry’s funeral will be held on Thursday 23 August (details to be published in the Herald Sun on Monday 20 August).

Photos: Barry Leeder, happy to be celebrating Fitzroy’s win against Marcellin earlier in the season.

Barry Leeder (right), in the Fitzroy clubrooms earlier in the season with former Fitzroy footballers including Ian McCrae, Danny Wilson and Bob Tozer

Fitzroy’s Under 19s and coach Greg Coleman are working hard to finish season 2018 on a positive note this Saturday against one of the competition’s top sides.

Fitzroy scored a strong win over bottom side Old Melburnians last weekend, 15.14.104 to 9.4.58 with full forward Rory Patterson proving the difference, kicking six goals.

With some more senior experience under their belts, Harrison Grace and Noah Wright led the charge and were the best players. Marcel Laidlaw, who has had a very consistent season, kicked two goals and John Jorgensen kicked three, taking his season tally to 48. John can be rightly proud of an excellent season up forward and should finish in the top three of the goal kicking for the Section 2 comp, which is an outstanding achievement given the team will not feature in finals.

This week it will be a far greater challenge against third-placed Parkdale. The Roy Boys will use the home ground advantage and seek to finish their season on the right note.

The VAFA is running a census to map the size of its community and they’d love to get to know you better.

The competition management is seeking to get some more accurate data to find out the make-up of its community, details about family connections, volunteering, past players, engagement with the VAFA’s media channels, feedback on health and wellness issues and the lifestyle trends shaping the VAFA community now and into the future.

Check it out here. It will only take about 5 minutes. Your data will be protected, and individual responses will not be analysed.