U15 Boys Division 3 Round 1 – Everton/Ferny v Morningside
Beautiful sunshine and near perfect ground condition for the Everton/Ferny U15 Boys Div 3 first hit out for 2025 against Morningside Panthers. The last time these teams met was Round 9 at Jack Esplan Oval where the visiting Wolves clinched a 32-72 away victory, with Declan (#21) kicking 4 majors with 19 disposals, and Franklin (#11) picking up 15 possessions himself rebounding well off halfback. CJ (#22), Blake (#38), Terwin (#8), and Clarkey (#42) also kicked majors that day, with Liam (#16) and Matty J (#14) also having very strong games up the wings… possible portents of what was to come.
First Quarter got underway with Morningside winning the opening bounce, but Terwin (#8) immediately imposing himself on the contest. The first forward 50 entry came from a hard ball get on the edge of the box from Matty (#14) who found a running Terwin with the handball who cut through the opposition halfback line, and kicked a great running goal to start things off. Morningside responded from the restart, but their forward 50 (F50) entry was cut down by Hayden (#18), who handballed to Oscar (#23), back to Hayden and he handballs to Liam who kicks up the wing… great link-up play from the backs and winger. After a stoppage and clearance to Terwin, he kicked in to Ty (#10) who took a strong grab.. but touched! Play on… Ty was quick to react and won the contested ball, kicks to Blake (#38) who marks truly. Blake’s first attempt was rushed through… but no mistake from his second mark and set shot attempt… GOAL! Terwin added a second goal from a mark inside 50 and it was clear this Morningside team was younger and less experienced compared to last years U15 side. But neither should this diminish Everton/Ferny’s immense forward pressure early on, with captain Declan Lambert (#21) leading the way. He took a ripping contested intercept mark as Morningside attempted a kick-in and immediately spied Clarkey (#42) in the forward pocket…. the forward line was breathing in and out like a lung, as players led, and returned to lead again… it was beautiful! Clarkey just had to wait for Blake to present and mark uncontested straight in front. Easy set shot for Blake and he had his second major! The athletic Ruck work of Franklin (#11) made way for some good old fashioned bash-work from Big Jack (#9) who dominated the hitouts and provided a clearance each for Oscar (#23) and himself. Jacob (#28) came upfield to deliver inside F50 for Declan, who fired it in for CJ (#22). He won a good contested ball from the spoiled mark contest but could not convert, minor score. But Declan won a hard ground ball and handed off to the Terwin, and on the run again, he was able to convert. 5 touches, 2 hard-ball gets, 2 clearances and 3 Goals for the quarter from the Terwinator, with Blake close behind with 4 disposals, 2 goals, and 2 goal assists in the first.
Second Quarter was much the same as the more experienced Wolf/Falcons dominating now the hitouts and the clearances. They could only play what was in front of them and execute their skills to the best of their ability. They did that and then some! Replay action, lets go to the tape… Reid (#11) flies high at the restart… Yoshi Dowe (#31) gathers and handballs to O’Leary (#7), handballs to Terwin (#8) who finds Kelleher (#9) with a handball. He kicks for Lambert to mark uncontested outside the 50m mark. He kick downfield.. the ball is delivered up the wing and Lucas Vecellio (#24) takes a strong overhead mark leading well, his first touch in competition AFL footy and a great grab from the first gamer! Soon after that Franklin and Jack Fully (#26) had a nice handball exchange from a stoppage which reflected the hardwork at training as training instincts kicking in. Addi (#3) won a fierce ground contest and handballed to Ant (#15) who handballed to a running Terwin, allowing him to hit the ball at pace… soon after Ant (#15), who had kept running, popped up in the slot inside F50 and was able to convert for his first Goal in Div 3 footy! A free kick to Terwin for a high tackle was fired forward again… Blake (#38) won the contested ground ball and he finds Ty (#10) on the outside of the pack… Ty weighs his options and decides the grubber running toward the right forward pocket is best option… and by-jingo he was right. He needed to be thread-perfect… and like a Janome 1000 Sewing Machine he threaded a perfect off-breaking grubber which snuck inside the left-hand goal post! Eddy Betts fanday action at the Den!! Big Jack (#9) won the restart hitout, directly down to Terwin (#8) to clear the centre with a laces-out kick to Centre Half-Forward Declan on the lead. Great execution from the clearance there. Declan kicks Everton/Ferny’s 8th Goal from 45m out on a slight angle. Benny Udjur (#13) had been containing well on the wing, and was now getting into the action as well. He won a free kick and kicked nicely for Cormac (#7) to mark upfield. Blake had also been busy and a hard-ball-get and handball to Declan almost saw him get a second (minor score only). The half-time scoreline was not flattering to Morningside, but even though the sides were not well-matched, it was hard to deny Everton/Ferny their due, for executing a near-perfect half of footy from a pressure and ball-use perspective.
Third Quarter action highlights… Jennings (#14) wins a tough contested ball on the wing. Handballs to Lambert (#21), kick is spoiled and returns back from Morningside. Jennings intercept marks! Kicks for O’Leary (#7) to run onto, kicks inboard for Reid (#11). Mark spoiled but wins the ball back to handballs out to Majewski (#10) who hits Pfieffer (#28) running inside forward 50. Jacob Pfieffer… kicks the Goal!… and later… Everton/Ferny applies the screws inside their forward 50, pack forms but the spoil is applied from Morningside, Smith (#22) runs away with the footy and drives it into the netting to grab his first major of the day, great Goal! Later again… Scholten (#15) attacks the footy and runs away with it, kicks to Jennings (#14). Strong contested grab on the wing! Nelson (#38) presents up forward flank… easy mark 35-40m out. Spots Lambert inboard and drills the pass in… fumbles the mark but recovers and kicks around his body… Lambert has his second. And later… Towers (#32) combines with Pfieffer (#28) who kicks for White (#23). Mark spoiled but wins the footy and Big Oscar (#23) kicks to Big Jack (#9). He gathers and fires it inside F50. Jennings the snap… another great Goal! And laters… Lambert (#21) with the intercept mark from the kick-in… he kicks his 5th!… Pfieffer with the hard-ball-get, handballs to Dowe (#31), kicks to the Full-Forward CJ Smith who takes a strong contested mark. Set shot is true, 3 goals for CJ in the 3rd stanza and Everton/Ferny in full control at the Den.
Fourth Quarter saw the coaches push around some magnets and shake up the team dynamic a little. Matty (#14) and Clarkey (#42) had a nice handball exchange providing for Charlie (#32) to fire it into the forward line. Ant (#15) nailed a great tackle, which resulted in a turnover, and Liam (#16) took another intercept mark kicking to Declan for a heavy contested grab, who wheeled and found Charlie (#32) in the danger spot. His snap hit the post, but the forward pressure was in full display again when Clarkey handballed over to Matty who kicked to Franklin who marked and found CJ (#22) 25 metres out on a 30 degree angle. Angle presented no problems for CJ to grab his fourth major for the day! Another long chain of play soon after with Declan h/b to Clarkey, h/b to Blake who kicks to Ant (#15). His kick forward is gathered by Charlie (#32) who handballs back to Ant. He looks over and handballs to Jason with only a few metres space… Jason drop punts with defenders closing in fast… Goal!!! What a chain of play and use of the team mate in the best spot! Jack (#9) and Charlie created a couple of chances for Franklin but his radar was off. Yoshi was also a big last quarter presence with multiple F50 entries. Jack again with a hitout to Jason this time to get the clearance, handballs to Cormac (#7). Cormac kicked to Franklin (#11) in the pocket and he was able to get his first major from the set shot. Jacob forced a turnover on the restart, had a carry and bounce, and then delivered a flat pass into Hayden to mark in the F50 under heavy contact. He went back and slotted it and Everton/Ferny were elated.. the team rushing into congratulate their Centre Half-Back. There were first gamers and first Div 3 gamers, and players got around them to help celebrate. The Everton chant was blasted at 11 within seconds of the boys entering the sheds, rattling the tin roof and shaking the rafters! It was followed by a spirited rendition of the Ferny Grove team song, actually sang pretty well, with the Geelong fans in the Everton group especially happy to belt out the “Toreador”… although the end fell away a little, so something for improvement if they can repeat this performance against the Tigers next week.🙂
