Sport
24 June, 2026
Youngsters adapt to wet
Last Sunday in round 10 of the ADJFA, for the first time this season, the boys and girls had to contend with wet and cold conditions. With plenty of water given the heavy rain during the week, the surface of Richardson Oval was wet underfoot. Given that most of the younger players would never have played a match in these conditions, the skill levels were high, with strong marking, good ball handling and disposal by both foot and hand.
Once again, we had a player celebrate his fifty-game milestone. This time, it was Archie Harris, co-captain of the Bombers.
Although small in stature, Archie, a Bombers premiership player, is highly skilled and wins plenty of possessions all over the ground, bringing his teammates into the play. One of his major assets is that he uses the ball so well and never wastes a kick, with pinpoint passes to his forwards.
As expected, the Rovers and Mounties game was a close, highly contested affair. It was only in the third quarter, when Mounties kicked three goals to none, that they skipped away to a winning margin.
The Warriors and Bombers game saw the Warriors, who were missing key players, have no answer to the Bombers’ running, linking up, and long kicking into the position game, and the mercy rule was applied at half-time.
In great sportsmanship, the Bombers lent them two of their leading players, Oliver McDougall and Peter Smith, for a quarter.
Both players went to centre half back, with Oliver, who regularly kicks the ball forty metres, giving them great drive. In the last quarter, Peter Smith would have had fifteen possessions and taken many marks, which restricted the Bombers to one goal after half-time.
The inclusion of both players gave the young Warriors a big lift in confidence and the opportunity to gain a few kicks and enjoy the game, which is what our competition is all about.
Rovers v Mounties
Mounties kicked to the road end in the first quarter and, with the wet conditions and evenness of the sides, goals were hard to come by, with only one goal coming from Mounties’ Zaiden McIntosh from a snap in the goal square.
The second quarter saw only two goals kicked, one to each team, by Emmett Taylor and Archer Reynolds. At half-time, it was still anybody’s game.
The third quarter was when the Mounties won the game. Sam Murnane was moved to full forward and kicked two goals, and Alana Matulick one from a nice snap.
At the last break, Mounties had a handy 28-point lead, which was always going to be hard for Rovers to reduce in the conditions. Both sides kicked one goal each in the last quarter, one to Jhett Alexander and a second for the day to Zaiden McIntosh.
Players to get a special mention from Mounties joint coach Leigh Jeffrey were Levi Wilde, Kye Rimell and Kobe Fratin.
For Rovers, special mentions were given to Roy Brewis, Thomas Gellie and Gout Wiew.
Warriors v Bombers
With Archie Harris in his 50th game, winning plenty of the ball all over the ground and all their players teaming well together, the Bombers were too good for the Warriors in the first half, and the mercy rule was enforced at the main break.
As has happened over a long period of time in the competition, one tall, top-aged player with ability can make a huge difference to a team.
If they go to centre half back or in the ruck on the small ground, making it hard for the opposition to bypass, the nature of the game changes.
This was the case when Oliver McDougall and then Peter Smith went to centre half back in the last half for the Warriors, and each side kicked one goal, making it more enjoyable for the younger players and spectators.
Big thanks to Moyston Willaura for supplying umpires Rhys Cronin, Matt Jerram and Aaron Pianta, who once again did an excellent job.
With our ground having a lot of surface water underfoot, we are now training at Gordon Street Oval to give Richardson Oval a chance to be in excellent condition for the finals, which are fast approaching.
This also gives the squad for the Williamson/Tuckey Cup a chance to get used to the bigger ground.
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