The AFL grand final day never fails to disappoints to inspire some good footy action in the CAFL and today was no different. With Collingwood upsetting the favourites Richmond the week before and the Weagles looking to prove their abilities on the wide wings of the MCG it was going to be anyone’s race. As with CAFL the Eastern Blues had been playing some dominant footy choking opposition supply out of their forward line and had won 4 on the trot so they decided to pull out a McWhinnies funding special -THE GOLD STRIP. Meanwhile, the Maroon and Gold University Cougars had 2 close recent defeats but were pressing hard for a win.
With the Cougars coach Mints flying high in Melbourne with his Black and White army the coaching role fell to recent retiree Humey to take over the white board. A slight breeze blew from the East which the captains are starting to work out the advantage of and the Cougars decided to kick into it in the first quarter. Young Layton has really grown into his role as a 6ft 4 ruckman and was tapping the ball well to the advantage of the long-haired Blues combination of Johnson and young Pullyblank.
Courty was swallowing most of the Cougars high bombs coming into the breeze and sending them back downtown with interest. One long accurate kick saw Pully pulling a great speccy on the 50 and he went back and slotted it truly. Jays work rate was 200% and he seemed to be everywhere all of the time. While the Cougars Jinxy, Rhodesy and Nates worked hard to keep their team in the hunt. The Cougars made good use of the breeze but kept the Blues in the game with inaccurate kicking and by the half time break scores were close 5 7 37 and 5 2 32.
Second half the Blues got fired up with the breeze and piled on 4 goals. None better than a Fisher combination of great pack mark from Johnny who chipped sideways to Nick who sidestepped and drilled a long-range goal from 50. Rhodesy read the ball well at half back and took an absolute screamer from the heavens when he climbed onto his team mate Henry who hit the hard ground hard and popped his shoulder. Even with recent rain this new field is a lot harder than the old Northwood. Three-quarter time right after the siren saw J Fisher undo his earlier skilful performance with a gutless shove of a Cougar over the boundary line into some unsuspecting supporters and carry on with it by pushing him into the ground. Totally uncalled for and he let his team down with a yellow card for half of the last quarter. Blues were four goals up kicking into the breeze with 17.
Once the dust had settled and Henry popped his shoulder back in the Cougars had work to do with the breeze being 4 goals. Once upon a time the Blues dominated with the Blue Wall across the middle but this game it turned into a Marron and Gold Wall with the likes of Brooksy, Williams and Cargill all cutting off the defensive kicks and supplying clean ball to Mavor and Champs who both produced some terrific marks and goal truly to nudge the Cougars ahead. With a minute remaining the ball was in Courty’s hands deep in the back pocket, they were 2 points down, the bench were yelling to kick long into the breeze but all he could see in front of him was a sea of Maroon and Gold who were hungrier for longer and desperate for a win – the siren blast went and the cheers of rapture could be heard all over the Hagley Carlton Corner.
by Steve Langridge
Last Modified on 08/12/2020 20:16