It was warm and it was tough when we faced Uni Blacks in Round
2 for the Rouge et Noir Cup. They took the points and the trophy
on our home deck.
This weekend we'd like to return the favour as we head to
Melborune University's Main Oval with another young team. The
trophy would be nice, but the four points are crucial as our
season remains on a knife's edge. Get behind the boys tomorrow
and see if we can pull off one of the upsets of the season.
Ressies at 11.40am and Seniors at 2pm. Go Roys!
19s head east
The Under 19s had the benefit of a few senior players dropping back last week, but Old Trinity still took the points as Guy Gorilla took a look at the up-and-coming talent.
It was a bit of an opportunity to see how our young blokes
looked with a restocking of talent from the ones. Sunny Brazier,
Charlie Faubel, Harrison Grace, Darcy Lowrie, Jock Green and
19s debutant Donovan Toohey kitted up in slightly different,
smaller jumpers, some with variant numbers. A short trip along
the freeway to the playing fields of Old Trinity, an area soon
to be disrupted by another tunnel and a freeway. Money to the
schools, to the roads, and then to the schools again for relocation.
Careful Guy, getting political here.
Very impressive young coach in the rooms before the game.
Monty Stuart gives clear, simple instructions, knows the game,
inspires respect with a young man's resonance.
The first quarter was marked by periods where we controlled
the game but didn't put it on the scoreboard. We won set shots
within 30 but didn't convert. Matthew Holgate was rucking aggressively,
there was plenty of forward pressure, but in what would be
a lesson for the future, we did not run back hard enough. Combined
with poor discipline and sloppy free kicks, we were down 13-11
at the break, despite having double the shots.
The coach couldn't have been clearer at the huddle. 'Don't
let them slingshot, fairly sit them on their backsides when
it's needed. On-ballers, head down but get back defensively.
Man on man at the stoppages.'
Grace and Toohey were starting to rack them up, and Brazier
and Jono Zapantis (pictured above) were providing dual threats
up forward. Charlie Johnstone was in and under, along with
Junior Wrecking Ball, Marcel Laidlaw. We hit the front after
a Grace goal, but quickly conceded after poor marking in defence.
We were down by 12 points at the long break; errant disposal
and poor concentration were critical.
Monty reinforced this in the rooms. Focus on the basics and
defend when we don't have it. This is a key learning point
for all young players. Don't switch off when it's your turn
to defend, switch on, that's the mark of a good player.
They stretched the lead to three goals after a long period
of nothing much. Zapantis was showing the polish we know he
has, and we pulled it back to four points. Jack Walter was
defending with vigour, with Alex Prokos showing dash and courage.
Ethan Dotchin was continually in and under. We missed easy
opportunities however, and then entered a competition to see
how many 50s we could concede. It was 10 points the difference
at the end of the third in favour of the home side.
Build on the efforts of the third was the message, eliminate
the errors, stay controlled. It was starting to snow, and a
gap will be hard to close.
Unfortunately, our forward line was impotent in the last quarter.
Despite Tom Sullivan and Jock Green defending stoically, kicks
off the ground and free kicks for easy oppo goals stretched
the final margin to 41 points. Disappointing, considering our
enhanced manpower.
Improving individual and team performance will be critical
for the remainder of the season. The coach's messages must
be adhered to.
Guy Gorilla
Great shots from the game courtesy of Peter Harrison.
Roy Girls brave the elements and the Saints
We had all the elements at Righetti Oval but it didn't prove a happy hunting ground as the Roy Girls had a lot of the play but couldn't get it through the big sticks.
In the lead up to their clash with the SKOB Saints at Righetti
Oval last Saturday, the Roy Girls knew they were in for a tough
clash. And that was even before the wild weather set in!
After all, a yawning gap separated the sides – for both the
Senior and Reserves – with our girls sitting closer to the
bottom than the top of the ladder and SKOBS lurking around
third spot.
Not daunted, the 2s were resolute and determined and despite
what the scoreboard was telling us, were well and truly matching
the opposition in ball-to-ball play, certainly for the first
quarter. But in those cold and blistery conditions, goals were
hard to come by, and by the time the girls ran on after the
half-time break into the face of a hard rain that would have
defied Bob Dylan himself, their resolution was gradually worn
down by an older and more experienced SKOBS side.
True to her best-in-league name, Calypso Poole was best on
ground with Sarah Lynas, Phoebe Turnbull, Shannon Alexander,
Nikita Smith and Emilie Goegan following in her wake.
The Seniors played almost
a mirror-image game, albeit without the rain and hail and with
one goal to their credit. Matching SKOBS with a well-conceived
and faithfully-followed game plan, it could be argued that
the Roys were playing better football for the first half –
in play if not on the scoreboard. But luck was clearly sitting
with the opposition, and not a true reflection of talent and
endeavor.
Injuries leading to a bare bench didn’t help matters, especially
in the final quarter when SKOBS ran away with it.
Alice Batterton took out the Bontempo Pizza award for her
valiant endeavours and silky skills on show all game and was
joined in best-on-ground honours by Claudia Bell, Freya Shearer,
Teresa Zampaglione, first-gamer Hannah Martin and goal kicker
Lucy Kerr.
Hold your heads up high Roy Girls, clear skies and happier
results are just over the horizon.
Despite the growing injury list, this week the Fitzroy-ACU
teams look replenished with full benches for the first time
in weeks as they head to their home away from home at Vic Park
in Collingwood for a clash with the University of Melbourne.
The last clash with the Muggars was a close one and this could
be a similar affair.
Thirds warm up for first night game
The Fitzroy Thirds are back in action tomorrow with the early game against De La Salle at Waverley Oval, but all eyes will be on Brunswick Street next weekend.
Coming off the double bye, the finals-bound Thirds will have
a tough reintroduction taking on De La Salle, who are sitting
in third position just behind them on the ladder.
This weekend's game provides a great lead in to next weekend's
huge triple header at Brunswick Street Oval, with the Thirds
to feature as the first men's game under lights at BSO when
they take on rivals, Ajax.
Stay tuned for more on next weekend's line-up as we head back
to Brunswick Street for the first time in a month.
But if you want to see the Thirds tomorrow, you'll need to
be up early and at Waverley Oval for the 9.20am start.
Congratulations to the Under 23s who were our only winners
last weekend. The team pulled off a great win over Whitefriars,
causing a bit of a speed bump in their efforts to make the
top four.
Playing at home at Ramsden Street, the rapidly improving line
up put their opponents away, winning 10.11.71 to 4.8.32.
Josh Robinson and Aaron Tatchell were the stand outs, as Dan
O'Connor and Harry Dorrat-Thorpe kicked two goals each.
Tomorrow's opponent is Old Brighton at Brighton Beach Oval.
OBs are half a game clear of Fitzroy on the ladder so it's
a great opportunity to jump above them with a win, albeit at
a ground where Fitzroy sides have strugggled. Go Roy Boys.
Fitzroy-ACU Leadership group member, Cate Rushan and Senior
Coach, Gray Barton, braved the cold and wet on Sunday night
to head to the studios of North West FM for the annual Women's Footy Forum, hosted by Glen 'Scatters'
Scarborough. Several VAFA clubs took part in the chat about
all things women's football. You can catch up on the latest
VAFA footy news for our region every Sunday evening as
Men's Senior Coach Luke Mahoney reguarly chats with Scatters.
Thank you Cate and Gray for giving the world an insight
into the Roy Girls and our club's approach to the season.
Get set for a makeover with new Fitzroy supporter gear
New Fitzroy supporter gear is set to hit the market in the
next few weeks.
With the popularity
of the new player hoodies, the club's Director Member and Sponsor
Relations, David Leydon, has been working overtime to bring
Fitzroy fans some new options to wear on the sidelines.
The following options will be available:
adult hoodie (pictured): $60 + postage and handling
children's hoodie: $50 + postage and handling
polo: $45 + postage and handling
long sleeve t-shirt (pictured): $40 + postage and handling
jacket: $90 + postage and handling
David will have samples
at the Men's senior game tomorrow and the gear will go on sale
at Brunswick Street from Saturday 27 July.
Postage and handling will apply to online orders only, so
buying at the ground will be the best option.
Keep a look out in the Red Roy, social media and the website,
as the orders are likely to come online before then.
Save the dates
The social activities continue apace for the Fitzroy Football
Club.
Mark the following in your diary and keep an eye out for tickets
to go on sale:
Satuday 10 August – Fitzroy IT lunch before the St Bede's
Mentone game
Saturday 24 August – Reds Foundation lunch at the final
men's home game
Saturday 24 August – drawing of the Fitzroy Major Raffle
after the game and a post match function for the players
and supporters
Friday 4 October – Redlow.
More details will be coming soon.
Jellis Craig Game – all sold out for the literary lunch
We've had to close bookings early for next Saturday's literary
lunch with the community rooms likely to be very full for the
Jellis Craig Game.
FFC footy mum, historian and award-winning author, Dr Clare
Wright, will host “The Football Solution” and she has put together
a panel of three of Melbourne’s most distinguished thinkers
and writers to discuss the sex, politics and religion of Aussie
Rules. Clare will be joined by journalist and author of The Football Solution,
George Megalogenis, award-winning novelist, playwright, essayist
and poet, Christos Tsiolkas, and historian, Victoria University
academic and former member of the Coodabeen Champions, Dr Chris
McConville.
Apologies to those who missed out. The next lunch is Saturday
10 August for the Fitzroy IT game with speaker to be announced
this coming week. Keep your eyes peeled.
Major Raffle – you could see every finals game!
Fitzroy's annual raffle is even better in 2019.
The winner will take out the best footy prize going around:
tickets for two to every game in the 2019 Toyota AFL Finals
Series (including the Grand Final), again generously donated
by the Brisbane Lions (GFAFL19/49).
Second prize, kindly donated by David Leydon, is a framed
Fitzroy Team of the Century guernsey featuring Roy legends
including Hadyn Bunton, Mick Conlan, Bernie Quinlan, Paul Roos,
Allan Ruthven and Garry Wilson, and beautifully autographed
by the great Kevin Murray.
And this season Student Flights Melbourne have come on board
to offer a $500 travel voucher.
Tickets are only $5 each. You can purchase them at home games,
from any of our players, from the Directors of the club and
if you can sell tickets, please contact Helen Manoli, who can
provide you with books of 10. Email her at helenmanoli4@gmail.com
This weekend's games
De La Salle v Fitzroy Thirds – VAFA Thirds
Division 1 – Waverley Oval, 9.20am, Saturday 20 July
Old Brighton v Fitzroy Under 23s – VAFA
Under 23s – Brighton Beach Oval, 11.40am, Saturday
20 July
Uni Blacks v Fitzroy Reserve Men – VAFA
Premier B Reserves – Main Oval, Uni Melb, 11.40am,
Saturday 20 July
Fitzroy-ACU Reserve Women v Melbourne
University– VAFA Premier Reserve
Women’s – Victoria Park, Collingwood, 12pm, Saturday
20 July
Fitzroy Under 19s v Mazenod–
Holmesglen U19 Division 1 – Ramsden Street Oval, 2pm,
Saturday 20 July
Fitzroy-ACU Senior Women v Melbourne University
– VAFA Premier Women’s – Victoria Park, Collingwood,
2pm, Saturday 20 July
Uni Blacks v Fitzroy Senior Men – VAFA
Premier B Seniors – Main Oval, Uni Melb, 2pm, Saturday
20 July
The Seniors played almost
a mirror-image game, albeit without the rain and hail and with
one goal to their credit. Matching SKOBS with a well-conceived
and faithfully-followed game plan, it could be argued that
the Roys were playing better football for the first half –
in play if not on the scoreboard. But luck was clearly sitting
with the opposition, and not a true reflection of talent and
endeavor.
The Fitzroy Thirds are back in action tomorrow with the early game against De La Salle at Waverley Oval, but all eyes will be on Brunswick Street next weekend.
With the popularity
of the new player hoodies, the club's Director Member and Sponsor
Relations, David Leydon, has been working overtime to bring
Fitzroy fans some new options to wear on the sidelines.
David will have samples
at the Men's senior game tomorrow and the gear will go on sale
at Brunswick Street from Saturday 27 July.
