Ironbank vs Torrens Valley A Grade Match Report 1.06.2013
On a blustery, cold and wet afternoon at Thunder Park, a fascinating tussle between Ironbank and Torrens Valley was played out in what was a rematch between the 2012 Elimination Finalists. In an important game for both sides, the game was not a great spectacle, understandable in the poor conditions but unfolded as a very tight encounter over the four quarters. Each side fielded a near best combination, so once the first ball was bounced, it became a matter of will and hardness at the ball. Nick Vandenberg led in ruck for Ironbank, supported by on-ballers Will Muirden, Ryan McGahey and Brad Yeomans and commenced the battle in the middle against Mountain Lions ruck Brad James and the experience of Tom Eichner, John Pratt and Captain Dane Thompson. The conditions dictated a congested start, with the first few minutes of play in the Thunderers forward line. Early scoring opportunities at that end were wasted while the Lions began to settle into a more systematic style of play. At the five minute mark, a crisp delivery into the forward line from Brock Montgomery to full forward Luke Ellis, who was held in the marking attempt, resulted in the first goal of the game. A scrappy contest ensued but Torrens Valley seemed more able to make progress toward goal in the rain-drenched action and snatched another goal from a great pick-up and snap by Scott Mazzone in pack work near the top of the Lions goal square. For Ironbank, a defensive error at the 11 minute mark by an otherwise reliable visitors outfit allowed new call-up Ryan Monaghan to open the home side's account. This fortune was short lived, with a quick six point reply from Ellis, posting his second after another classy feed from Montgomery. Sensing the danger of Ellis' returns near the goalfront, Chris Schneider was switched to Ellis to stem the flow. Another long period of hard slog football followed, with no reward for either side. Notable features in the defensive structures for each side in this period were the characteristic overhead marking of Geoff Munn for Ironbank and the run of Aaron Kite out of defence for the Lions. Eventually, the Lions advantage was increased further with a sharply-angled snapshot from Braedon Renshaw in heavy traffic in the right forward pocket. With the score at four goals to only one, Ironbank had to answer and increased their work rate at the stoppages. Chris Ladhams started playing out of the centre square and this provided quick dividends. A goal to full forward Matt Smith raised the Thunderers spirits and was followed by another to Ladhams from half forward. However, not done for the quarter, Torrens Valley managed yet another goal, with Mazzone capitalising on a successful centre clearance. In the opening quarter, the honours were with the visitors due to better decision making and superior ball handling in the greasy conditions and they went into the first change with a handy 2 goal lead (3.5 to 5.5).
Typical of a hills football game in winter, the weather did not improve in the second quarter and dealt the players on both sides a drenching, while they struggled to move the ball from end to end. From the opening of the quarter, Ladhams played on the ball and supported ably by Yeomans, McGahey and Muirden, Ironbank began to have the better of the contest. Despite this and with the game being played forward of the Ironbank centre line for the first seven minutes, no goals were scored. Pratt and Eichner continued to be menacing in the pack work and the faultless defensive work of Kite and Tyrone Price spoiled many forward forays by Ironbank. Tiring of the scoreboard impasse, the frustration of the locals was overcome in an inspiring three minute spree of goals to Ladhams. The first came from a centre-line free kick and 50m penalty, the second and third from centre clearances executed by Mark Farmer and skilfully gathered at half forward and converted by Ladhams to majors that gave the Thunderers a narrow lead. Ironbank supporters around the ground could have been excused for thinking their side had turned the corner and would rule the day, as their team had dominated play for the first 15 minutes of the quarter and looked a far better side. Torrens Valley had other ideas and in a complete about face, started to apply strong pressure all over again. Among many brilliant runs, Kite soon brought the ball from deep in the Lions defence, found Tate Giadresco who forced the ball forwards and provided an opportunistic goal off the slippery turf for Ellis. Ellis backed up with his fourth for the day, kicking truly when supplied with a ball worked forward around the boundary. To finish scoring for the quarter, the ball was carried from full back by Matthew Press through Cameron Dunn and Renshaw to Giadresco who goaled on the run. After such a promising start to the quarter, these answering goals from Torrens Valley presented a new issue to be solved by the Ironbank brains trust at the half time break. For most of the half, the Lions had made much better use of the ball and their opportunities, finding more ways to move the ball to the outside of the congestion and more running players to sweep the ball forwards from the outlet passes. Although a relatively even quarter, Ironbank still had some ground to make up at the restart (6.7 to 8.6).
The second half began with Vandenberg, Muirden, Yeomans and McGahey battling in the centre against Lions ruck Craig Jamar and Mazzone, Eichner and Pratt. A short break in the weather meant little on the ground and players from both sides continued to fight desperately to clear the ball cleanly to their teammates. The quarter started badly for Ironbank when Eichner goaled from a kicking in danger free earned at the bottom of a pack on the Lions half forward line. To extend the lead further, Ellis added to the defenders' nightmare with another quick soccer goal from a ball off the hands of a pack in the goal square. Although the game now seemed to be slipping from reach, Ironbank exercised a new resolve for the remainder of the quarter and with the defence of Schneider, Scott Walter and Rhys Van Paridon holding firm, continued to force the ball goalwards. Throughout the quarter, Muirden, Ladhams and Yeomans carried the load in clearance work for the home side, with good contributions also from Nick Vandenberg, Adam Shearwood and Simon Hulme around the ground. As the quarter progressed, a goal earned by Jarrod Tagliaferri who caught Kite with the ball 20m from the Thunderers goalfront was followed by another when Ladhams cleared from a throw-in contest to McGahey, who handballed to goal-sneak Smith. Ladhams chimed in with his fifth for the day after taking a strong contested mark. Soon after, Muirden moved the ball through Will Vandenberg to Smith for another major and Daniel Batson then made the most of free given in a ruck contest to kick Ironbank's last goal for the term. With a register of five goals to only two from Torrens Valley for the quarter, the Thunderers had claimed the lead going into the final change (11.10 to 10.9).
With very little separating the sides on the scoreboard, an early break to either could swing the momentum of the game. And so it was, when Torrens Valley notched another goal from Ellis, his sixth from a left foot snap when the ball came forwards from Dunn in the first minute. The remainder of the quarter was an epic struggle between the teams, played for the last 17 minutes with the lights on to overcome a dark sky and very heavy rain. Ironbank clung tightly to the narrowest of leads for as long as it could, while a series of behinds to each side eventually levelled the score. Fearsome tackling and desperation from both sides kept the ball in the packs and on the ground for the majority of the quarter, with very few passages of play in open space and only minor scores added. In a one man show at half back for the Lions, Price played a pivotal role in defence taking two strong contested marks at critical stages to stop the Thunderers surge towards goal. At the other end, Renshaw was adjudged to be infringed in a marking contest with Munn and added another six points to put the Torrens Valley total two straight kicks clear of Ironbank. With nearly all players hunting the ball for a long period, no more goals came until Ladhams marked from a Muirden entry and posted his sixth and the last major for the day. Frantic attempts to repeat the effort in the last two minutes of the quarter were thwarted by a very good Lions defensive unit and the Thunderers were left agonisingly short at siren time (12.12 to 12.16). With the rematch completed, and with a similar outcome to the 2012 finals series, the Ironbank team were left to ponder what will be required in the coming weeks for them to remain in the top five.
Simon Bawden 1.06.2013
Last Modified on 03/06/2013 14:12