Geelong and District got away to a better start than our boys and it wasn’t long before they were able to post their first major score and kick out to a handy lead. The pace and fierce tackling in the opening period had all players under pressure with very little time to dispatch the ball to a team mate and this continued for a larger part of the game. North Central defender were under pressure but were able to combine well to stem the attacking moves from the Geelong & District forwards. Late in the term our players appeared to find their legs and got the team game flowing and by the end of the first quarter they had reduced the lead back to just ten points.
It was the Geelong side who started the second term better and they looked like they were just hitting their straps as the moved the ball freely into their attacking zone to extend their lead out to twenty eight points by midway through the quarter. The North Central team felt the game getting away from them and rallied the troops and that’s when the cream rose to the top, with precision ball movement into their forward line for major returns two of these being kicked by Robbie Tonkin who had lifted his game marginally and by the half time break the North Central had levelled the scores. North Central had many good players in this term with Donald’s Luke Fisher, Daniel Hinkley (BWFC), Luke Hammond (Wedderburn) Luke Mulquiny(Charlton) and Brett Strange (Wedderburn) being among our best for the first half.
North Central continued on from their first half revival and continued to drive the ball forward on many occasions with Joe McGrath being the focal point to finish the term with two goals. Fisher was again the dominant player on the ground gaining many possessions and putting them to good use. With the signs reading the North Central gaining the upper hand all players again lifted their workrate to again increase their lead out to twenty eight points in the final minutes of the third quarter with the Geelong side hitting back with a late goal to make the margin at the final change twenty two points.
Could the North Central hold onto their lead in the last quarter to repeat the effort of the representative side of two years ago, that was the question being frequently asked around the group of North Central supporters who had gathered as a group near the North Central Coaches box, but there was a positive spin on the outcome as many had felt that our boys had taken charge of the game and had proved superior in that third term. Geelong were first to send the ball forward only to see DeAraugo send the ball deep into our attacking zone where Ricky Allan extended our lead and we were getting closer to obtaining another piece of silverware. Geelong then posted their only goal for the term and it gave them a slim chance again this was soon dashed when Castellano steadied the ship.
Geelong from the bounce down sent the ball forward but Thompson who was solid all day turned their forward move away and from there the North Central put the sealer on the game when Hammond split the big sticks to post our thirteenth goal and as we headed to full time. Fittingly the North Centrals final goal came from the boot of McGrath who had been our focal point for the day to finish the game with four goals. Luke Fisher was named our best player to win the Worksafe AFL Victoria Country Medal, Dale Hinkley, Luke Hammond, Nick Garner, Jordan Hargreaves and Sam O’Loughlan being other better players in a great team effort. Credit must go to Mark Lloyd and his coaching staff for their effort to jell a side together that had only two training runs with some members in the final squad unable to attend either of those trainings. Well done to all, you have again produced the high quality players in the North Central to victory and again broadcast the strength of our league to those who may cross our pathway in future years as eight of the final team was twenty-one or younger.
Final scores North Central 14-14=98 def Geelong & District 10-6=66
Click Here for Photo's from the Senior Interleague clash with GDFL
Goals for North Central, Joe McGrath 4, Daniel Castellano 3, Ricky Allan 3, Robbie Tonkin 2, Luke Hammond and Sam O’Loughlan 1 each.
Last Modified on 25/05/2015 16:37