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A Grade Season 2004 - In Review
History | Memberships | Merchandise | Ground Locations | EPPSA
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SENIOR GRADE SCOREBOARD
| 4-2 |
6-4 |
7-4 |
8-5-53 |
| 6-0 |
6-1 |
6-1 |
6-1-37 |
BEST PLAYERS : Lachie Richardson, Adam Contessa, Brett Grant, Simon Cox, Tom Richardson.
GOAL KICKERS : Daniel Irwin 4, Marcus Pappa 2, Brad Fuller, Kalev Jones.
GAME REPORT : The Eltham Panthers finished the season 10 and 8 when it defeated Northcote Park on Saturday. The very cold and wet conditions were not the send off to the season either Club was hoping. So out went the open, free flowing style game replaced by dour play in the trenches, inch by inch. At one stage in the third quarter the play did not move for 10 minutes. The Cougars caught the Panthers on the hop with 6 fancy goals in the first quarter. They were going through from all angles with the highlight being a 40 metre soccer shot that aquaplaned passed the feet of the soaking wet goal umpire. From there the Cougars did not trouble the big sticks. Eltham however levelled at half time then kicked a goal each of the last two quarters to take the prize as the best team outside the finals. As for the crowd and the spectacle, well the grand stand was put to good use but the howling wind kept those who braved the elements on their toes.
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RESERVE GRADE SCOREBOARD
BEST PLAYERS :
GOAL KICKERS : Michael Iddon 2, Gerard Moloney, Grant Pittard, Steven Russell, Danny Strickland, Mark Walker, Matthew Weisheit, Rod White.
GAME REPORT : A Wise man once said Hell would freeze over the day President Potsie, Treasurer Bopper, Old Wag Whitey and the bygone superstar SR all play in a winning team against Northcote Park at Northcote. That bloke was right it was very, very, very cold on Saturday when the Panther reserves held strong over an age weary Cougars.
The weather forecast was for a pleasant & fine day with possible late storms and a temperature of 27C on the Whitsunday Coast, but unfortunately 2000km South in Old Melbourne Town; it was the coldest August day for 6 years. Needless to say, the Boys (and a few elderly gentlemen in Whitey, Bopper, SR & Potsy) couldn’t wait to get out onto the Bill Lawry Oval to have a crack at a cougar side that had more players eligible for a pension, than Judge Book Retirement Village.
But with memories stretching back to the days, where Northcote Park showed no Mercy on the Panthers, it was easy to see why so many, were so willing to shed their snow jackets & beanies, for a Guernsey & Shorts and strive for some belated revenge.
In driving rain and cyclonic gusts of wind, The Panthers showed true endeavour, grit and determination. All this whilst trying to avoid puddles that you could easily drown in and/or the Mud pit centre where you would surely have found Dinosaur Fossils buried within (especially seeing as Bopper was playing in the ruck!). And although it was near freezing conditions, the Boys got the job done, winning their final game of the season by 50 pts before hypothermia set in.
A thankyou to all players who played in the Reserves side throughout the season, whether as a “Regular”, or as a “Casual” or as a “Fill in straight off Can Hill”. All your efforts are appreciated.
Finally, an even bigger Thankyou to the Coaching Staff and support team of Willo, Streaty, Mark McCreery, Matty & Billy Smith and to training staff, who put in tireless efforts to ensure we got a team on the ground each week.
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SENIOR GRADE SCOREBOARD
| 0-1 |
0-2 |
1-5 |
1-5-11 |
| 2-4 |
4-10 |
6-12 |
9-14-68 |
BEST PLAYERS : Simon Cox, Adam Contessa, Michael Martin, Marcus Pappa, Brett Grant.
GOAL KICKERS : Brett Strickland.
GAME REPORT : Eltham Panthers went down in sloppy conditions at Warringal Park on Saturday against top team Heidelberg but were not disgraced. As the season is drawing to a close the loss of many players through injury has taken its toll on the teams ability to capitalise on its opportunities. Heidelberg tried to play dry weather football and Eltham forced many turnovers but did not have the fire power to take advantage.
Slugging around in the packs and pushing for the Panther cause were Simon Cox, Adam Contessa, Michael Martin, Marcus Pappa and Brett Grant who were named best. Brett Strickland kicked the only goal for the club. A couple of other blokes have got to learn how to kick the old wet weather mongrel flat punt. With Eltham Central Park in great condition this year it is spoiling the traditional schooling of their predecessors on this very effective yet ugly kick.
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RESERVE GRADE SCOREBOARD
BEST PLAYERS : Grant Pittard, Warren Evans, Daniel Prior, Glenn Contessa, Leigh Howse.
GOAL KICKERS : Nil.
GAME REPORT : It looks easy from the sidelines.
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SENIOR GRADE SCOREBOARD
| 2-0 |
7-1 |
7-4 |
11-5-71 |
| 6-5 |
11-8 |
17-12 |
24-14-158 |
BEST PLAYERS : Adam Contessa, Michael Martin, Daniel Irwin, Brett Grant, Simon Cox.
GOAL KICKERS : Daniel Irwin 6, Adam Contessa, Michael Martin, Chris Moyle, Marcus Pappa, Greg Strickland.
GAME REPORT : It was a must win for the Panthers to stay alive in the race for the finals as they set out for the journey to Shelley Park. What happened in the 2 hours that it took the Dogs to rout the modest Eltham challenge must have gutted the Panther supporters that went to watch with mild anticipation of a positive result. But what must be remembered is the season has been an excellent journey where the Eltham Football Club has grown, learnt plenty and has acquired the resilience to push through to the next frontier. Best of all the supporters will have gained the nerve to stick with the team in the knowledge that better times are ahead. To show this support all are encouraged to get down to Panther Park in large numbers this week for the last home game of the season to thank the players on what has been an achievement so far that was only in every supporters dreams. The players have made it a reality and the supporters in their numbers need to acknowledge that fact. Special mention to Dan Irwin who kicked 6 goals and given the same amount of opportunities as the Bulldogs full forward would have kicked a dozen, his play was that dominant.
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RESERVE GRADE SCOREBOARD
BEST PLAYERS : Kalev Jones, Danny Strickland, Leigh Miller, Adam Burns, Grant Pittard.
GOAL KICKERS : Stephen Cordina 2, Leigh Miller 2, Brett Aldred, Adam Burns, Kalev Jones, Travis Mee, Brett Strickland, Danny Strickland.
GAME REPORT : The wind was a howling, and the temperatures were darn near freezing, but this did not phase the Panther reserves as they took on the might of the Dogs at Shelley Park. It has been well documented how the two’s have been undermanned in recent weeks and Saturday was no exception. This aside, the spirit of the boys was buoyed by those all too willing to help fill the numbers, which again saw a confident and competitive team hit the field. It is never an easy task taking on a North Heidelberg side at the kennel and as usual they were tough, physical, and well disciplined. Although Eltham had a three to four goal wind in the first quarter, the Doggies ran the ball into their forward line setting them up for the first two goals of the game. Not to be outdone, the Panthers struck back late in the quarter to post 4 goals of their own to set up a two goal buffer at the Q time. The second quarter was tough going as neither side really got an early advantage. Through the mid stretch of the quarter, North started to use their first option and direct the ball long into their forward line and in so doing got plenty of scoring opportunity. However, some bad kicking and relentless Panther defensive pressure, did not allow them to kick away. A late Panther goal also helped to stem the flow and meant Eltham went into the long break with a slender margin. In the third quarter, the Doggies again jumped out of the blocks to kick three goals that came from mistakes made by Panther players taking "short options to 50/50 contests". Panther runner “A.T” Ran out Coach Wilson’s instructions to the back line to “tighten up and look long”. This showed immediate results as the half back line and midfielders started peppering the ball into the Panther forward line for next 10 minutes and resulted in 5 unanswered goals. Although the Panthers had a 21 point lead at the 3 Q time, everyone knew that they would have to give it their all in the last to ensure that North did not come cruising home with a wet sail. And that is exactly what they did. The mighty Panthers again stood tall when it was most needed to pip their determined opponents in a “never in doubt” result by 3 points.
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SENIOR GRADE SCOREBOARD
| 1-1 |
7-5 |
10-5 |
11-10-76 |
| 7-3 |
7-3 |
8-5 |
11-7-73 |
BEST PLAYERS : Lachie Richardson, Adam Contessa, Cameron Waddell, Michael Martin, Tom Richardson.
GOAL KICKERS : Brett Grant 2, Daniel Irwin 2, Ashley Dickson, Brad Fuller, Steven Kilby, Michael Martin, Chris Moyle, Lachie Richardson, Cameron Waddell.
GAME REPORT : Eltham held on to a 3 point victory in cold blustery conditions at Panther Park. Going into the game without Simon Cox, Luke McCreery It looked as though the season was shot to bits for the Panthers in the first quarter when, kicking against a four goal breeze (it almost felt as if we were at Epping), the team was getting shellacked. Fortunately the boys only trailed by six goals at the first break. Eltham put themselves back into the contest by piling on relentless pressure which resulted the Roosters losing their early poise.
Where Eltham had no run in the first quarter it was suddenly there in the second. Adam Contessa was enjoying some space for the first time in weeks as he went head to head against Carelli. Lach Richardson in the centre was working hard with Brett Grant getting their fair share of the ball from young ruckmen Andrew Willoughby, performing admirably with Adam Burns in the absence of Luke McCreery. Mick Martin was running hot continually pumping it long to the big targets in Dan Irwin and the crumbers did the rest.
Ash Dickson, playing his 150th took some great grabs but his trademark second and third efforts were team inspiring. At half time miraculously Eltham were in front. It could not have been scripted better for the large contingent back at the club for the Charlie Bode testimonial and premiership reunions. If the second quarter was all about attack the third was all about defence. With the breeze still strong, the Roosters struggled to do anything right. Lucas Paul held Grainger to no score with the help of Tom Richardson and Cameron Waddell who fearlessly chopped off leads and read the play brilliantly. In only his second game David Hewish was very solid and seems to have bobbed up just in time to fill Chris Brincat's hefty shoes. With the breeze at their backs in the last it was only a matter of how far, but no one told West Preston the script. Eltham had a few 50-50 chances in the first 10 minutes of the quarter but missed and when they eventually got their solitary goal West answered almost instantaneously. From then on to a supporter of football the contest was fantastic. It was not for the faint hearted and the outside players saw little of it. In perfect conditions it was like trench warfare, every inch was earned. The skills were still high but what had really moved up a couple of gears was the tackling, smothering and harassing. Suddenly out of a pack the Roosters snapped a goal to make the margin 10 points. Two minutes later they had another. The pits of the Eltham stomachs were reached and the agonising last few minutes were just that. With the quarter being such a struggle the game did not run for much longer as the siren went off as Eltham were deep in attack.
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RESERVE GRADE SCOREBOARD
BEST PLAYERS : Kalev Jones, Danny Strickland, Christopher Daw, Leigh Miller, Brett Aldred.
GOAL KICKERS : Leigh Miller 5, Danny Strickland 2, Glenn Contessa, Stephen Cordina, Kalev Jones, Mark Walker, Matthew Weisheit.
GAME REPORT : For the past four weeks, the Eltham Panther Reserves have put up some brave showings against quality opposition sides. Yet no matter how brave they have been, they simply have not been able to win. Knowing full well that they owed West Preston Lakeside for a heavy defeat back in round 5, the boys went out on Saturday with Coach Wilson’s instructions to shed the defensive tactics of recent weeks and instead become the attacker. With this mind, acting captain Miller, won the toss and decided to kick against a stiff 4-5-goal breeze in the first quarter. This move was queried by many pundits and rightly so as it was later heard that “Elroy” had made a mistake, not realizing that the wind was blowing in a completely different direction to normal. In any case, the gamble paid off with an early goal by Miller courtesy of a quick clearance by Pittard. With an early goal on the board, the Panthers then spent most of the first quarter staunchly defending a determined WPL who blazed away at goals wasting many an opportunity. In so doing, the Roosters were able to only creep away to a 2-goal lead at Q time. In the second quarter, the Panthers rallied and capitalized on first use of the ball from center clearances with Strickland, Pittard, Walker and Jones dominating in the midfield. They were aptly supported by the likes of “Trap” Daw and “Trapper” Maloney running out of the backline and linking with “Swooper” Aldred to give opportunities to a forward line spearheaded by the “Western Samoan|”, who after 228 games with the club has finally found his rightful position at full forward. A 15 minute burst, which included 6 unanswered goals, helped to turnaround the margin at halftime to 20 pts in favour of the Panther. The Roosters predictability came out strong in the third quarter and, after kicking two quick goals, were right back in the ballgame. Not to be outdone, the Panthers again lifted their intensity and with pride on the line held out the opposition by smart use of the ball. The final quarter saw the Panthers regain the aide of the breeze that allowed them to kick away to a well deserved 31 point win. This win was the result of a culmination of 3 weeks of improved attitude by players and of course a superb effort shown on the day by everyone in the team. If this momentum can be sustained, there is absolutely no reason why we cannot win at least 3 if not all 4 of our remaining games.
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SENIOR GRADE SCOREBOARD
| 1-4 |
3-5 |
5-10 |
8-10-58 |
| 3-5 |
6-11 |
8-15 |
10-18-78 |
BEST PLAYERS : Cameron Waddell, Justin Orwin, Ben Spoor, Brett Grant, Tom Richardson.
GOAL KICKERS : Adam Contessa, Brad Fuller, Brett Grant, Daniel Irwin, Marcus Pappa, Lucas Paul, Lachie Richardson, Matthew Tallack.
GAME REPORT : Eltham suffered its fourth loss in five starts when beaten by Bundoora on the weekend. The Panthers put up a better performance than in recent weeks but are stilled being out gunned with many key players on the sidelines. The loss forced the Panthers out of the four with North Heidelberg getting over the top of ladder leaders Montmorency. Eltham have key matches against West Preston this week at home and North Heidelberg at the kennel next week that will decide their finals aspirations.
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RESERVE GRADE SCOREBOARD
BEST PLAYERS : Adam Burns, Gerard Moloney, Leigh Miller, Kalev Jones, Grant Pittard.
GOAL KICKERS : Adam Burton 2, Leigh Miller, Steven Russell, Rod White.
GAME REPORT : It seems that the Eltham Panther reserves have adopted the Motto “When the Going gets Tough, The Tough get Going” during season 2004. Although sometimes disappointing in games which have been there for the winning, It appears that they rise to the occasion when faced with the adversity of being undermanned and up against better talented opposition. And Saturday’s game against Bundoora was no better example of this. On Thursday night, Coach Wilson had a list of only 17 players available to choose from again due to the ever increasing injury list. A few Friday night phone calls and some ego massaging, boosted the squad to 21 by Saturday Morn. In fact looking at the Team board prior to the game, You could be forgiven in thinking that the Panther Past Players reunion had come a week early, with the late inclusions of some old Panther Warriors in Steven Russell, Paul Smith, Scott Jackson & Rod White. The Players took the “Nothing to Lose attitude” into the game, and I can personally say that irrespective of the scoreboard result, which Showed Bundoora as 37 pt winners, the Real Winners for the day were those who wore the Panther Red & Black with such Pride & Passion. Bundoora really had to fight hard all day, as they were persistently pressured, tackled and in many instances outplayed by the Young and not so young Panthers. It was great to see the Panther spirit rise at a time that it was most needed. If we can take that into our remaining games for the season then we will have good victories in coming weeks. Special mention to Burnsy, who played his heart out in flogging the Big Whale, Burts who kicked two inspirational goals, and the Old timers in SR, Smithy, Jacko & the King, who helped out not only in numbers, but also in putting their aging bodies on the line.
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SENIOR GRADE SCOREBOARD
| 2-3 |
4-7 |
4-10 |
9-14-68 |
| 3-4 |
4-9 |
11-10 |
13-13-91 |
BEST PLAYERS : Simon Cox, Adam Contessa,
Lachie Richardson, Tom Richardson, Ben Spoor.
GOAL KICKERS : Daniel Irwin 4, Adam Contessa,
Brad Fuller, Chris Moyle, Lachie Richardson, Ryan Webster.
GAME REPORT : Eltham suffered its third
defeat in four outings and face another tough task against
competition heavyweight Bundoora at Panther Park this week.
Epping was always going to be a danger game for the up and
coming Panthers and decisively so, with Epping kicking 7 goals
to nil in the third quarter to set up their win. Eltham now
are engaged in a real dust up for the last spot in the finals
with North Heidelberg, which maybe decided on percentage. At
the moment only 1.7% separates the teams locked on 7 wins 5
losses a piece. Eltham are really missing in and under players
to help Adam Contessa after the injury to Mark Minney which
has seen him sidelined for the last two games. Debutant Dave
Hewish may help the situation after an impressive second half.
Up forward is also proving a dire problem for Eltham who are
really missing solid contributors Adam Burns and Gavan
Neville. Improving Dan Irwin kicked 4 goals, in his biggest
career haul in the seniors, and is trying to find consistency,
as Eltham are look for some solutions at full forward. Simon
Cox played one of his best games for the year but his efforts
could not lift his team out of the mid season doldrums. Eltham
are at home for their next two games and will be striving to
get their game plan and execution back on track before they
face the NH Bulldogs, a game which may become the decider.
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RESERVE GRADE SCOREBOARD
BEST PLAYERS : Kalev Jones, Joel Hewish,
Lucas Paul, Danny Strickland.
GOAL KICKERS : Lucas Paul 4, Brett Aldred,
Ashley Dickson, Kalev Jones.
GAME REPORT : Waiting on Leaping.
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SENIOR GRADE SCOREBOARD
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1-0 |
4-4 |
5-5 |
6-6-42 |
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4-3 |
7-4 |
15-5 |
23-6-144 |
BEST PLAYERS : Michael Martin, Adam Contessa,
Luke Mc Creery, Justin Orwin.
GOAL KICKERS : Greg Strickland 2, Adam
Contessa, Steven Kilby, Lachie Richardson.
GAME REPORT : Eltham panthers collapsed under
the constant pressure of Montmorency to fall victim to a 102
point hiding in what were perfect conditions at Panther Park.
An enormous crowd, one equally that of the interleague game
last season, saw a disappointing game after half time. With
the Valley Magpies scoring on the rebound after a crucial miss
by Eltham just before the long break left Eltham going in at
half time 18 point down. From then on it was all Montmorency.
A 16 goals to 2 second half gave the Eltham supporters little
to cheer about. Eltham, with the few players missing, need to
find a more all round effort if they are going to frighten the
leading three. Eltham coach Phil Marlin was shocked at the
very poor showing and naturally expected more. He said the
boys will be looking at a sound week on the track to get them
thinking positive again. In regards to the crowd, it is good
to see the interest in Diamond Valley football. It was obvious
all the stars had lined up accordingly, great weather, no AFL
and a Sunday game, but it just goes to show the DVFL has a
market and it is important that the clubs tap into that market
and give them a great spirited robust competition.
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RESERVE GRADE SCOREBOARD
BEST PLAYERS :
GOAL KICKERS :
GAME REPORT :
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SENIOR GRADE SCOREBOARD
| 4-1 |
11-7 |
14-11 |
20-20-140 |
| 1-1 |
1-5 |
3-7 |
4-10-34 |
BEST PLAYERS : Adam Contessa, Christopher Brincat, Simon Cox, Marcus Pappa, Michael Martin.
GOAL KICKERS : Chris Moyle 3, Marcus Pappa 3, Brett Strickland 3, Simon Cox 2, Brett Grant 2, Steven Kilby 2, Luke Mc Creery 2, Brad Fuller, Michael Martin, Shannon Strickland.
GAME REPORT : The Panthers went to Hurstbridge Park on the weekend in cold and wet conditions and got the job done. Even though Hurstbridge are struggling this year on the field the Panthers still love to beat their local rivals any time. The Eltham midfield proved too powerful for their young opponents, with Mark Minney, Michael Martin, Adam Contessa and Brett Grant winning plenty of in and under contested ball. The Panther forwards once again shared the spoils with their 20 goals coming from 10 players with the maximum of 3 kicked by Chris Moyle, Marcus Pappa and Brett Strickland. Justin Orwin found himself in unfamiliar territory at full back and played a solid game helped by the ever consistent Chris Brincat who is impressing with each outing.
Even though things look tough this year the Bridges are clearly heading in the right direction. Nothing beats energetic hard workers around the club willing to back strong leadership and a clear strategy. This mixed with talented young players willing to stick to the vision, goals will be achieved. Eltham will certainly be barracking for its fellow Nillumbik teams to continue to knock on the door of 1st division and upset the existing pecking order of the Diamond Valley.
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RESERVE GRADE SCOREBOARD
BEST PLAYERS : Danny Strickland, Christopher Daw, Matthew Tallack, Leigh Miller, Michael Iddon.
GOAL KICKERS : Brett Aldred 4, Leigh Miller 3, Daniel Prior.
GAME REPORT : It has been a few weeks since the Panther Two’s have had that winning feeling, So it was no surprise that the Boys waited in anticipation to take on the Bridgers.
Before the game, Coach Wilson instructed his charges to, “forget about our misfortunes from the first half of the season, and lets make sure we win more games than we lose in the second half”. With these words ringing in their ears the Boys went out and fought hard for a lead of only 10pts at the first Q break.
Hurstbridge, who have won only one game for the season, were very dogged in their approach on the game. Fielding what has been their strongest 2nds line up for the Year and with the aide of a strong and very cool breeze were able to take a slender 1pt margin into the main break.
The challenge had been laid down and it was now up to the Panthers to respond. Wilson made several moves which with the use of hindsight were match winning. He moved Jones out of full forward position giving him a run through the midfield. He moved the man nicknamed the “Goose” (why would you call a bloke with a Mohawk Goose?) back to a wing. Dan Prior moved into the forward line and he hid the big Western Samoan fella in a forward pocket along side another goal sneak in Aldred.
What happened then was that the Panthers started winning more possession of the footy from the midfield, due mostly to the efforts of Willoughby who rarely gets beaten in the ruck and Strickland who gets under every tap made. Tallack and Iddon became dangerous, whilst the double Trap defence of Maloney (Trapper) and (Trap) Daw held firm. This was capped off by the slightly unusual combination of Aldred and Miller converting at the forward end to give the Panthers a well-earned 44 points victory. It hopefully will give the boys some much-needed confidence in the lead up to this week’s clash with the Mont.
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SENIOR GRADE SCOREBOARD
| 8-1 |
8-2 |
12-5 |
13-6-84 |
| 5-1 |
11-2 |
14-3 |
19-3-117 |
BEST PLAYERS : Mark Minney, Adam Contessa,
Marcus Pappa, Simon Cox, Luke Mc Creery.
GOAL KICKERS : Chris Moyle 3, Marcus Pappa 3,
Daniel Irwin 2, Adam Contessa, Simon Cox, Brad Fuller, Brett
Grant, Lucas Paul.
GAME REPORT : The bubble burst for the Eltham
Panthers 20 minutes into the first quarter after leading the
Heidelberg Tigers by 6 goals. Yes, the Panthers banged home 8
of the first 10 goals and were almost unstoppable as they
continued to push the ball forward inside 50. Moyle & Pappa
were causing headaches for the Tigers feeding off Irwin at
full forward. The large crowd that had gathered were feasting
on a great exhibition of hard skilful football as you would
expect from two teams vying for outright third on the
premiership table. Deep into the first quarter the Tigers
stepped on the accelerator and kicked the next 9 goals of the
game to go to an 18 point lead at half time. Eltham could not
go with Heidelberg once the Tigers got on their roll. The
Panthers were rueing their poor checking and accountability
after possibly thinking they had the Tigers measure early on.
Heidelberg's runners ran freely through the middle and were
able to find their talls, especially Shearer who kicked 8.
Like all teams under pressure, Eltham struggled to hit targets
and chose poor options. At half time Eltham seemed to balance
themselves and with Minney, continuing with his stellar
season, playing an exceptional game along with other crumbers,
Contessa and Pappa, Eltham were within 10 points at the last
change. As they say in the classics, big men don't get any
smaller as the game wears on. The game was always going to
come down to Heidelbergs talls verses Eltham's smalls and that
was exactly how it finished. For the Panthers the smalls were
bone tired and kicking themselves for what happened in the
second quarter when they failed to score. Heidelberg finished
the game off to record a 33 point victory, took home the
OVERTON INSURANCE CUP and end what was a great spectacle of
local football. A special thanks to the crowd who came in
their numbers adding to the colour and atmosphere of the day.
In particular the Heidelberg supporters, players and committee
who patronised the Panthers well.
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RESERVE GRADE SCOREBOARD
BEST PLAYERS :
GOAL KICKERS :
GAME REPORT : “Proud but not content”. These
are the words that could be best used to describe the efforts
of the Reserves side on Saturday, as they took on the top of
the Ladder Heidelberg Tigers. The boys went into the game with
many new, and some old, faces in the team after some 26
players from the 2004 list, were unavailable due to injury,
other commitments or dare I say it lack of interest. Those
that were available did a job that would make any coach proud,
irrespective of what the scoreboard might otherwise suggest.
You see, The Panthers were always going to be up against it as
the Bergers had a talent laden side, which would not be out of
its depth, had it been playing in the A-grade fixture. Knowing
full well that this would perhaps breed some complacency,
Coach Wilson urged his players to take up the game to their
opposition and to scrag, put pressure on the ball and contest
absolutely everything. This is exactly what took place for
probably the first 15 minutes of every quarter. Unfortunately,
a side that was clearly a better side dominated the other 10
or so minutes of each quarter. That is not to say that the
Panthers didn’t have some talent of their own, with the likes
of: Willoughby, who dominated the Ruck,
D Strickland & B Strickland teamed in the midfield like they
were brothers (which they are not)
Walker was annoying to the opposition all day
Ritchie again showed some exciting potential
Cordina & Daw fought hard in the Backline
Maylin & Jerram worked hard around the forward line. However,
no matter how hard the boys fought, they could not convert
their efforts into scores on the board, which unfortunately
resulted in a 135-pt thrashing. It is not every day, that you
can walk from the field of battle after a flogging with your
head high, but I think on this occasion the Boys did a job to
be proud of. Its now time to regroup over the long break and
come back strong against the Bridges in two weeks time.
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SENIOR GRADE SCOREBOARD
| 7-2 |
11-5 |
16-9 |
22-12-144 |
| 1-3 |
2-4 |
6-6 |
8-9-57 |
BEST PLAYERS : Mark Minney, Michael Martin, Brad Fuller, Marcus Pappa, Tom Richardson.
GOAL KICKERS : Marcus Pappa 5, Brad Fuller 2, Daniel Irwin 2, Lucas Paul 2, Ryan Webster 2, Adam Contessa, Simon Cox, Steven Kilby, Michael Martin, Chris Moyle, Gavan Neville, Justin Orwin, Lachie Richardson, Shannon Strickland.
GAME REPORT : The Eltham Panthers pushed through a 16 year hoodoo against Northcote Park to establish themselves as a legitimate finals team. Eltham's fourth win in a row came in emphatic fashion winning all four quarters. They dominated the first half kicking eleven goals to two. When challenged in the third quarter the Panthers were able to respond to any Cougars bid to establish a foothold in the game. The strength of Eltham is its midfield but quickly becoming a major factor is the multiple avenues to goal. Who do oppositions sides match up on? For the second week in a row the Panthers had 14 separate goal kickers and have kicked over 20 goals, all without a principal forward. The dangerous Marcus Pappa kicked the most goals (5) on the weekend and is the leading goal kicker (22) for the club, but is not a permanent forward.
Teams are not used to adjusting their defence for a Panthers outfit but are starting to realise there is a lot to cover. Eltham controlled the scrimmages and were able to get the ball to playmakers in Mark Minney and Michael Martin. Steven Kilby and Dan Irwin were a handful for the experienced Jeffrey who was under siege with other Panther talls in Luke McCreery and Ryan Webster able to work the forward line to their advantage. Brad Fuller was lively and is starting to show his class around the packs and will prove a real asset in the coming weeks.
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RESERVE GRADE SCOREBOARD
BEST PLAYERS : Scott Mitchell, Greg Strickland, Andrew Willoughby, Joel Hewish, Jayson Mee.
GOAL KICKERS : Joel Hewish, Neville Jarram, Kalev Jones, Brett Maylin, Greg Strickland, Danny Strickland, Matthew Tallack.
GAME REPORT : On Saturday the Panther twos took on the Northcote Park Cougars and almost won a game that many thought they could not.
In contrast to their previous weeks performance, the boys went out in a more switched on frame of mind, after coach Greg Wilson had called an earlier than usual team meeting. This allowed all players to mentally prepare for the game and ensured that once they hit the paddock, they were ready to play football.
The Panthers got away to an early lead with some brilliant team play through the mid field and this was capped off by a great running goal by Joel Hewish. This was followed by a further goal to Greg Strickland before the Cougars answered with a goal or two of their own. Adding to the woes of the Panthers, key position players Glen Moriarty (season ending knee injury) and Leigh Howse (pinched nerve) were both carried from the ground on stretchers, although the latter was able to return after the long break.
The endeavor displayed by both sides saw that the ball was largely contained within pack scrimmages for most of the first half. This resulted in a very low scoring game and at the half time break the teams were 3 goals a piece with Cougars an additional 2 points by which they held the lead.
At the halftime break, Willo urged the boys to fight on, although this became increasingly difficult as the Parkers started to get their running game into gear. In a tight 4th quarter battle the Cougars maintained the lead by a slender margin right through until the final siren running out 9 point winners.
The positives for the day were that the Panther boys showed that they could match the more skilled sides when they are physically & mentally prepared. Another positive, was the endeavor shown by under 19 player, Nathan Ritchie, who made the most of his limited playing time in 4th Q and almost helped the Panthers to get over the top.
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SENIOR GRADE SCOREBOARD
| 4-7 |
7-10 |
17-11 |
24-18-162 |
| 5-2 |
10-6 |
12-7 |
18-8-116 |
BEST PLAYERS : Mark Minney, Steven Kilby, Michael Martin, Daniel Irwin, Simon Cox.
GOAL KICKERS : Michael Martin 4, Adam Contessa 3, Brad Fuller 3, Gavan Neville 3, Mark Minney 2, Ryan Webster 2, Steven Kilby, Luke Mc Creery, Justin Orwin, Marcus Pappa, Lachie Richardson, Shannon Strickland, Cameron Waddell.
GAME REPORT : The red & black third quarter blitz once again came to the rescue for the Panthers in their clash against neighbours Lower Plenty. Eltham, struggling to adapt to the small ground and the pressure applied by their hosts, went into the half time break 14 points down and in need of a spark. That came in the M&M duo, club veteran Mark Minney and excitement machine Michael Martin, who captivated the crowd with pure skills under pressure and superb finishing. In the second half Eltham kicked 17 goals, 10-1 in the third quarter.
The highlight in the third quarter was witnessing Martin gather the ball at the same time as dodging around an opponent at half back, take three bounces whilst motoring past two would be tacklers, to finish off with a bullseye 40 metre kick through the big sticks. In the last quarter Minney was not to be outdone. Running with the fight of the ball towards his goals, grabbed a touched kick 30 metres out in traffic, kept running and pieced four Bears players who could only scrag his shorts to his knees, duly kicked the goal from point blank range and celebrated before pulling his shorts up to the regular playing height. These were very entertaining snippets from what was an enjoyable match, which in the written form do not give justice to the thrill of watching live.
Moving third gamer Dan Irwin into the ruck after half time was a big risk which paid off. Irwin started to give Eltham more than even first use out of the centre which is very important on a small ground. The move also released Steven Kilby to try and curb the dangerous Bears full forward Balras Singh who kicked 9. The Panthers shared their 24 goals once again with Martin kicking 4 from the wing to add to his 3 from half back last week. Adam Contessa, Brad Fuller and Gavan Neville all kicked 3 with another nine contributors on the score sheet. Simon Cox was another high possession winner. His fantastic vision and educated use of the ball was great to watch. It was another breathtaking performance by the Eltham Panthers who this season guarantee thrills, skills, spills and pleasure in an action stacked entertainment package.
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RESERVE GRADE SCOREBOARD
BEST PLAYERS : Greg Strickland, Danny Strickland, Lucas Paul, Jayson Mee, Scott Mitchell.
GOAL KICKERS : Greg Strickland 2, Matthew Tallack 2, Joel Hewish, Scott Mitchell, Andrew Moyle.
GAME REPORT : Well a week is a long time in Football. On Saturday, the Panther 2nds ventured to the Para Rd Top ground to take on Lower Plenty. With having been buoyed by the win 7 days earlier to Nth Heidelberg, the Panther boys thought they would be in for picnic against the bottom of the ladder Bears. But along with this false sense of security, the team paid the ultimate price of COMPLACENCY. In fact, the whole team suffered with C – word mentality. That is, it played with a lack of Cohesion, Commitment, Conviction to the Cause, and were Completely out Classed by and large to an opposition team that on paper, it was probably in-Capable of losing to!
Now that all the negativity has been flushed from the system, it is time that we bind together to prove what we all know we are capable of. To achieve this, we must all become more focused on the job at hand. Listen to the simple intructions that Willo sets and follow the team rules. Most importantly, lets all put in the effort to (a) getting a good weeks training under the belt, (b) ensure we mentally prepare for the game on the Friday night prior, and (c) everyone be at the ground early next week (10.45am sharp) prepared, switched on and ready to play.
Whilst a lot of what happened last week can be put down to a distinct lack of preparation and cockiness, we must ensure that we respect all opposition sides irrespective of where they sit on the ladder.
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SENIOR GRADE SCOREBOARD
| 1-2 |
4-6 |
13-14 |
19-19-133 |
| 6-2 |
9-5 |
9-7 |
14-8-92 |
BEST PLAYERS : Luke Mc Creery, Ryan Webster, Cameron Waddell, Ben Spoor, Adam Contessa.
GOAL KICKERS : Michael Martin 3, Marcus Pappa 3, Ryan Webster 3, Justin Orwin 2, Shannon Strickland 2, Adam Contessa, Simon Cox, Brad Fuller, Daniel Irwin, Mark Minney, Brett Strickland.
GAME REPORT : A blistering 9 goals 8 third quarter ensured the Eltham Panthers recorded their second win in a row and kept their unbeaten home record intact. After walking in at half time quiet confident in having Eltham's measure with a 29 point lead, North Heidelberg were simply blown away as Eltham went on a scoring feast in what has to be their best ever quarter of division one football. Eltham finished the game with 19 goals but did not have a dominant forward with 11 players sharing the goals, Marcus Pappa, Ryan Webster and Michael Martin all had the most with three. For the record it was the first time Eltham has put together back to back wins in first division and the first win against the Bulldogs since 1990. Eltham were making fundamental errors in the first half handing North what looked to be a comfortable victory. At half time coach Phil Maylin was quiet composed and talked to his senior charges and asked for better use of the ball.
The significant moves he made was putting captain Lach Richardson into the middle and second gamer Dan Irwin up forward. After two early behinds from North, the Eltham machine slowly started to work. The midfield found space to create play and found forward targets, especially tall Irwin. When he started to take marks and kick goals North found themselves one player short which upset their balance. Eltham had plenty of it and as the goals came the confidence grew and in about a ten minute period the Panthers booted six majors to bust the game wide open. In the last quarter North mounted a last gasp challenge but had a certain goal smothered Chris Brincat which would have put them less than 3 kicks behind. In the end the Panthers kicked 6 goals to 5 in the last to win by 41 points, maintaining its spot in the top 4 and surpassing last years premiership points tally in just 6 rounds.
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RESERVE GRADE SCOREBOARD
BEST PLAYERS : Ashley Dickson, Andrew Willoughby, Joel Hewish, Danny Strickland, Greg Strickland.
GOAL KICKERS : Ashley Dickson 10, Danny Strickland 3, Greg Strickland 2, Brett Maylin, Andrew Moyle.
GAME REPORT : You can be excused for thinking that you had been caught in a ten-year time warp on Saturday, as the Panther reserve side fielded some wise old men from Yesteryear. Yes, the new look Panthers on the back of a huge defeat to WPL in Round 5, added some experienced and well credentialed players who were prominent in the Panther A grade sides of the 1990’s. The inclusions were none other than the Pseudo Legends of “Dicko” (Ash Dickson) back from long-term injury, “The Goose” (Scott Mitchell) back from a stint at Panton Hill and Grant Pittard back from Honeymoon & injury. Nonetheless, names mean nothing to opposition sides that are dedicated to running hard at the football and that are exactly what the North Heidelberg boys did in the first quarter of Saturday’s game. They were first to the ball and used the ball more effectively whilst in possession to gain an early ascendancy.
At Q time, Coach Wilson reassured his troops that they were still every chance as long as they continued to do the 1 per centers and if they could move to within a few goals by the main break. The boys then went out and responded brilliantly, and at the main break it looked to be a match. Traditionally the 3rd Q is often the match winning quarter, the Panthers continued to play good footy, whilst North showed their frustrations by arguing and trying to rough up their determined opponents. In the final quarter, the big crowd was enthralled by a highly skilled and fast paced standard of footy which belied the fact that it was only a B-Grade game. The Panthers then got a taste for blood and with continuous driving of the ball forward, found that man “Dicko” who caught everything and despite his lack of footy in recent seasons put on a show for fans which included six final quarter goals and to bring his tally to 10 for the game.
Team Manager, Mark McCreery said after the match, “It was pleasing to see the boys perform so well particularly “Dicko”. And on remarking on Ash’s 9 goals kicked in the second half Mark said, “How good would it have been if he could have played the entire game out?!” Overall the team performance was magnificent winning the match by 27 points.
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SENIOR GRADE SCOREBOARD
| 2-6 |
5-8 |
10-12 |
14-13-97 |
| 5-2 |
6-7 |
9-10 |
14-12-96 |
BEST PLAYERS : Luke Mc Creery, Christopher Brincat, Mark Minney, Lachie Richardson
GOAL KICKERS : Brad Fuller 2, Steven Kilby 2, Justin Orwin 2, Marcus Pappa 2, Simon Cox, Daniel Irwin, Luke Mc Creery, Lachie Richardson, Shannon Strickland, Ryan Webster.
GAME REPORT : The Eltham Panthers hung on to fourth position on the ladder with a hard fought one point victory against the reigning premiers West Preston Lakeside Roosters. It was a valuable away win for Eltham as they go about having some say in the shape of this year's race for a finals berth. Overall Eltham were competitive all over the ground and refused to finish the game without taking the four points. In the first quarter and kicking to what was perceived as the scoring end, Eltham created many opportunities to score but some very poor kicking saw them get little from their play finishing the quarter with 2 goals 6. Whereas the Roosters capitalised on most of their forward thrusts kicking five majors. The second quarter saw a reversal of fortunes and at the half time break the game was tight and set up for a good contest.
West Preston had some tight tags in operation which were working quiet well and with the big Grainger at full forward the long bomb was working well for them. But the Eltham midfield, chock full of talent and options continued to give their smallish forward line plenty of opportunities and when the game got to crunch time they were taking them. In the final quarter Luke McCreery, Brad Fuller and Justin Orwin kicked sensational goals that had their supporters in raptures. But every time Eltham thought they were home the Roosters hit back. The final siren eventually sounded at the centre bounce just after Grainger's last goal to put West one point back and the team unlucky to be defeated in what was a great contest. Best players for Eltham were Luke Mc Creery, Christopher Brincat, Mark Minney and Lachie Richardson with special mentions to the very serviceable games of Cameron Waddell and Lucas Paul both playing their first games for the season.
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RESERVE GRADE SCOREBOARD
BEST PLAYERS : Greg Strickland, Danny Strickland, Christopher Daw, Keith Davidson, Travis Mee.
GOAL KICKERS : Andrew Moyle 2, Christopher Daw, Greg Strickland, Danny Strickland.
GAME REPORT : On Saturday, the Panther Magoos went over to the Lakeside oval seemingly brimming with confidence. On paper they knew that the selected side was one that could compete against just about any other reserve side in the competition and more importantly, knowing that a win could put them back into the top four.
However the confidence soon whittled away after a number of experienced players had to withdraw from the selected side and the subsequent need to scrounge up a few extras players from Can Hill. This resulted in a somewhat disappointing and lacklustre preparation, which was clearly evident from the onset of the first bounce.
Always give credit where credit is due, and irrespective of the Eltham players preparation, West Preston Lakeside were much more determined to win the footy than the collective bunch (could not call them a team) that represented the Panthers on the day.
For nearly 3 quarters, the Roosters through loose checking were allowed to run freely from their backline through the midfield and well into their forward line. Only when the sting had been completely taken out of the game in the last quarter did the Panthers show what they were capable of, preceding to outscore their opposition on the scoreboard.
It is now time for the boys to take stock and view the few positives that can be taken from the game and move on. As they say work hard on the track this week and ensure more importantly turn up early, switched on with the right attitude to give your best performance. For the senior line up to go forward the push has to come from the reserve group.
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SENIOR GRADE SCOREBOARD
| 4-2 |
5-2 |
6-5 |
6-7-43 |
| 3-3 |
6-8 |
7-10 |
8-11-59 |
BEST PLAYERS : Brett Grant, Adam Contessa, Michael Martin, Simon Cox, Luke Mc Creery.
GOAL KICKERS : Marcus Pappa 2, Simon Cox, Brad Fuller, Brett Grant, Brett Strickland.
GAME REPORT : Eltham went down in muddy conditions at Yulong Reserve against Bundoora in the first wintry clash of the season. The sixteen point margin in the end says that the Panthers were not disgraced and even had the chance during the last quarter to get within a goal, however the Bulls controlled the game and deserved their win. Brett Grant revelled in the conditions hunting under the packs for the slippery ball and led the Panthers gamely. First gamer Ryan Webster showed that he will strengthen Eltham's spine when not playing with the Bendigo Bombers.
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RESERVE GRADE SCOREBOARD
BEST PLAYERS : Cameron Waddell, Daniel Irwin, Jason McPhail, Lucas Paul, Brett Maylin.
GOAL KICKERS : Zennon Eaton 2, Brett Maylin, Lucas Paul.
GAME REPORT : No report from Leaping as yet.
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SENIOR GRADE SCOREBOARD
| 5-5 |
9-7 |
11-15 |
14-17-101 |
| 3-2 |
7-4 |
9-5 |
12-10-82 |
BEST PLAYERS : Adam Contessa, Marcus Pappa, Simon Cox, Mark Minney, Luke McCreery.
GOAL KICKERS : Marcus Pappa 4, Shannon Strickland 3, Mark Minney 2, Adam Burns, Simon Cox, Brad Fuller, Gavan Neville, Ben Spoor.
GAME REPORT : In another entertaining encounter Eltham held off a persistent Epping to record their second win of the season. Eltham could have found themselves with a very comfortable break at quarter time but some inaccurate kicking by the normal sharpshooting forward Gavan Neville, who missed three sets shots, kept the visitors in touch. It was all the Pingers needed as the two teams went goal for goal in the second quarter.
The bigger ground was suiting Eltham more than last week at Para Road, with the team playing more fluently. It was good football to watch, but also frustrating at times when it broke down trying to get a shot on goal. The argument amongst the pundits over the half time eats in the social rooms was "overuse" or "getting to know each other".
Eltham were getting well on top possession wise in the all important third quarter and had suddenly found the space to get that shot on goal. However, to the man organising the highlights reels disgust the racking left feet of Marcus Pappa and Simon Cox failed to pierce the big sticks after many pieces of dynamic Panther play. Not that they were the only culprits as Eltham managed 2 goals 8 for the quarter to the Pingers 2 goals 1.
With a handy 22 point buffer Eltham only needed the first goal in the last to virtually kill off the game. That came at about the ten minute mark and Adam Burns kicked the clincher.
Out of the middle and in the thick of it Adam Contessa was outstanding. The skills and ball winning ability of Marcus Pappa, Mark Minney and Simon Cox made them invaluable players and the inclusion of Luke McCreery for his first game of the season nullified Epping's tall players which made his contribution important.
Shannon Strickland showed maturity under pressure with his ability to slot through telling goals when his team needed them. The no nonsense backline, lead by captain Lach Richardson, with brother Tom, Chris Brincat and Brett Grant, put in a solid performance turning stout defence into aggressive and confident counter attack.
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RESERVE GRADE SCOREBOARD
BEST PLAYERS : Joel Hewish, Nicholas Richardson, Danny Strickland, Cameron Waddell, Charlie Pardo.
GOAL KICKERS : Charlie Pardo 3, Zennon Eaton 2, Daniel Irwin, Andrew Moyle, Daniel Prior, Cameron Waddell, Andrew Willoughby.
GAME REPORT : “Well, what can I say. It was simply the one that got away,” is all that Eltham’s Reserves coach, Greg Wilson, could say when reflecting on Saturday’s reserves match against Epping in which Eltham were narrowly defeated by 2 points.
The Panthers were again quick out the blocks with good long clearances by Strickland and Hewish from the middle into the forward line. This gave the Forwards ample opportunity in one-out contests against their opponents, and thereby helped muster a 20-point lead by the quarter time break.
The quarter time huddle was confident, but knew that a stiff 4-5-goal breeze would assist the Pingers for the second quarter. With this mind, the boys went out and worked hard to get an early 2nd quarter major on the board before letting Epping back with a couple of quick goals to move within striking distance. But late goals by Pardo & Moyle helped to steady the ship by the main break.
Epping seemed a much more spirited side after half time and after key forward Pardo left the ground with a shoulder injury, the Panthers had to reshuffle their line up to seek an effective attacking option. This saw a new recruit in Waddell (only joking Wadsy), move forward to take up where Charlie had left off. However, wayward kicking and a general “stuffing” around with the ball cost the Panthers dearly when they could of really put the result beyond their resurgent opposition.
The first three quarters really had been dominated by the Panthers and brilliantly led by Hewish. H was simply all over the ground, until a nasty head high shot left the leading disposal getter of the day in need of several stitches to the chin. Shaken and dazed he continued to find the ball in last quarter.
Epping began to gather centre clearances at will in the final quarter and put immense pressure on the Eltham back men who were peppered with long attacking kicks. The multitude of attacks saw Epping capitalise on 4 occasions and with barely 3 minutes left on the clock they hit front for the first time all day. A new sense of urgency then saw the ball driven into the forward line to be marked by a renowned back man in Nick Richardson, who with the longest (approx 38metres) and straightest kick of his career had a potentially match winning goal touched on the line. A few moments later saw another quick snap out the pack by Maylin go through the goals but had unfortunately been touched on the line. The Panthers simply let a golden opportunity to win escape them.
Assistant Coach David Street quoted after the game – “Whilst the end result was not what we were looking for, we can take great positives out of the belief that the twos can play and match the top sides. We just have to run out the full game”. Best Players – Brett Maylin, Zennon Eaton, Charlie Pardo, Andrew Moyle, Luke McCeery.
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SENIOR GRADE SCOREBOARD
BEST PLAYERS :
GOAL KICKERS :
GAME REPORT : It was the end of a fairytale start to the year when Eltham tackled seasoned campaigners Montmorency at Para Road on Sunday. In what was a hard hitting encounter Montmorency played in tight and under the packs better with short handballs to get the ball moving their way. Eltham were on top early but squandered a number of good chances to go into quarter time four goals up.
Mont hit back in time on to square the ledger and did this repeatedly at the closing stages of each quarter which effectively cost the Panthers the match. Eltham looked the more dangerous team moving the ball forward but lost out from centre square clearances and were unable to stop Mont clearing their defence from a kick out along the Para Road wing. The Panthers are starting to learn that Mont prefer to move the ball on the fat side.
One of the clear winners of the day was Chris Brincat holding a number of the Mont small forwards to limited chances and getting plenty of ball himself. Michael Martin was best for Eltham playing off half back. Ben Spoor, Steven Kilby and Adam Contessa played hard solid games in the midfield. It was disappointing that full back Ben Verrel suffered a very bad broken jaw during the third quarter. A new player to the team Ben will be surely missed and we wish him a pain free recovery.
At three quarter time it looked like Mont were going to overrun the inexperienced Panthers. As it panned out it was quite the opposite with the forwards having plenty of opportunities of getting their team within a kick of causing an upset. Their poor finishing continued when the game was there to be won, which was a disappointment but was equalled to that of their opposition attack. Final scores 11-16-82 to 14-15-99.
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RESERVE GRADE SCOREBOARD
BEST PLAYERS :
GOAL KICKERS :
GAME REPORT : The Eltham 2nds went into yesterdays clash against Monty, knowing all too well that they were going to have to dig deep to beat the team that has finished top of the ladder in the past two seasons. And dig deep they did. The first quarter showed a typically spirited Panther unit, playing all over the ultra talented Magpies in what looked to be a shock result ready to happen.
Experienced campaigners in McCreery, Burton and Eaton teamed well out of the middle to drive the ball with long direct kicking, and set up opportunities for the tall Forwards in Pardo, Irwin & Willoughby. Anything that the Triple Towers couldn’t catch was swept up by crumbers resulting in the Panthers posting 5 majors to 2 by the quarter time break. Monty went into the huddle knowing full well they had a fight on their hands.
Early in the 2nd quarter, the Panthers again kept to their game plan, before Mont stepped up their stream of attacks and aided by some favourable umpiring were able to erase the quarter time deficit to within a goal. In fact, had it not been for Maylin, playing brilliantly to Coach Wilson's instructions of zoning off and sweeping through the backline, this margin may have well have been entirely erased by the long break.
The 3rd quarter saw the game intensity maintained by both sides. However, the strain of first half was starting to tell on the Panthers with several players succumbing to fatigue and/or injury, which let Monty back into the game and by the last change they held a 9 point lead.
At the final break, the Eltham coaching staff asked for one last big effort from the boys who responded early in launching several forward attacks which were not capitalised on. Unfortunately, an optimistic Panther crowd then saw Montmorency regain momentum to run out the final quarter and stretch the closing margin to 50 points. Final scores 11-6-72 to 18-14-122.
Assistant Coach David Street quoted after the game – “Whilst the end result was not what we were looking for, we can take great positives out of the belief that the twos can play and match the top sides. We just have to run out the full game”. Best Players – Brett Maylin, Zennon Eaton, Charlie Pardo, Andrew Moyle, Luke McCeery.
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SENIOR GRADE SCOREBOARD
BEST PLAYERS :
GOAL KICKERS :
GAME REPORT : The Panthers with seven new players in the team kicked off to a great start with the first four goals of the game within ten minutes. The supporters were very happy with Marcus Pappa busy play around the ground, the general control shown by Simon Cox and the solid defence of Ben Verrall. Lach Richardson played a faultless game across half-back and Mark Minney dangerous in the packs with his handy sidekick Adam Contessa. Finishing with six goals as a small forward was Chris Moyle.
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RESERVE GRADE SCOREBOARD
BEST PLAYERS :
GOAL KICKERS :
GAME REPORT :
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