News — footy

Rhinos Back in Winners Circle 0

The game started with a classic match up where the Rhinos Jacko had the job on the Rhinos McCoombe who was a late move to the dark side of Lincoln Park. Lincoln Park, in the absence of MacGlashan, Roofy, Deri, Haysie et al secured Mustard, Bradice and Oscar to name a few to add a lot of strength. The Rhinos, without several themselves went in with a full Rhino team however and the battlelines were drawn.

In a free flowing first quarter goals were surprisingly hard to come by with both teams using an extra man down back to spring board forward. Drake took a ball out of the centre and hit a wide open OBK who went back and went BANG. The wobbly punt fell short but into the open arms of Rhino dangerman, Scott ‘Osama’ Anderson whose resultant goal was the first and only of the quarter. At the first change, WV led 1.4: 10 to 0.2:2

The second quarter started with Gordo snagging one for the Rhinos, quickly followed by a reply from Dougie Malcolm whose errant hamstring was still intact at this stage. The good run and fierce tackling from both teams was remarkable considering the amount of players. The highlight of the second term was Betty Palmer with a MASSIVE hit on big Wolfey that had the Burgmann Medal favorite seeing stars for a while. McCoombe and Jackson were still having the battle royale but big Scottie finally broke the shackles to score another major for the fighting Piranha. Gordo added a couple of more points to his impressive amount of behinds this season and at the half, Wrigleyville clung to a 2.8: 20 to 2.3: 15 lead.

The premiership quarter promised everything and delivered with Ambrosino taking the game by the scruff of the neck and declaring it his as he put the Rhino on his back and tried to get the fat bastard to the line. McCoombe struck first to even the scores before the little Italian fired up. The Rhinos started to move the ball a bit better and once in the forward line Gordo took over, slamming on two majors to go with his 5 points, electrifying the crowd. The Piranhas saw Betty Palmer go down and then Fenton for the Rhinos got the old ankle tap that didn’t please the big Canadian as he looks forward to a big Canada day full of Molson, Labatts blue and some Moose and possibly French Canadian jerky on July 1st. At the orange break, the Rhinos had increased their lead marginally, 4.10: 34 to 3.4: 22. The Piranhas had to come back and with a pumped up and blood engorged Osacr Meyer, were more than capable.

The Rhinos moved Drake onto McCoombe to let Jacko get a run on the ball and shifted Anderson into the ruck to open the forwardline for Gordo. The Piranhas sent Oscar up forward and Mustard onto the ball with Betty Palmer in an effort to turn the game. They needed to strike first but it was Osama pushing forward and after fumbling in the square, realised he had time and picked up the kangaroo skin and slammed it home for the Rhinos to go up by 3 goals.

McCoombe was the recipient of a lovely Xman pass that he was able to slot through to bring the margin back to two goals. Gordo continued to do as he wanted except for kick straight and his impressive amount of 3 straight points pushed him to 3 goals 7 on the day in a performance that was nothing more than Burgmann-esque.

In the end, the Rhinos outlasted a gallant Piranha outfit that was horribly undermanned and coach kastilahn will be looking for a much improved showing as far as numbers are concerned this Friday night as they try to tame Poncho and his Tigers. Kastilahn however, will be very impressed at the effort his charges put in and the pressure they were able to apply around the ground on the Rhinos who were never able to break away. With MacGlashan back along with many others, it will not surprise this scribe to see the Piranhas jump up and bite the Tigers on the bum. The loss of Roofy though is a huge blow.

The Rhinos were ecstatic with the win and go into the break full of piss and vinegar. The form of Ambrosino and Wolfe is wonderful and the return of Anderson has been a big boost. Couple that with the much improved trio of Fenton, Panek and LeBlanc and the Rhinos aren’t looking as bad as they were this time last week after a melt down against the strong Tiger outfit.

No Blues for United 0

Chicago United took a giant leap towards recapturing the MAAFL crown and returning it to its rightful place atop Burgmann Towers. Lead by a dominating backline and ruthless midfield, Chicago were able to turn the screws on an undermanned Blues outfit that battled hard all day against huge odds.

In 95 degree heat and 100% humidity, the two teams, playing 14 a side, locked horns once more in battle. St Louis were looking to continue their good form after beating Nashville and wanted a little revenge for the licking they received from Chicago in the windy city last year. Chicago, after a good recruiting off season came down with 18 players fit and ready but without their spiritual leaders in big Wazza Burgmann and the Outback Kid himself, both MIA.

St Louis were able to draw first blood when a Chicago turnover found an unmanned Blue forward in between 3 United players who duly slotted one through to get the game rolling. This was the spark the United boys needed and they dominated much of the first quarter but were unable to capitalise where it mattered most. A top heavy forward line wasn’t getting the delivery they craved and repeated forays forward were turned back by a stubborn Blue defence which was being helped by a classic midwestern downpour that made the ball harder to handle than a heated coat hanger bent into a gamma sign and brutally applied to the upper arm. Pat Hoyt was taken from the backline and asked to give the forward line some spark and within seconds he had slotted through a classic crumbers goal to get the scoreboard clicking.

Chicago was getting some great run from the backline with Jacko, Funky Miller and in particular Betty Palmer all having a case of minor leather poisoning. Pat’s brother Brian was popping up in unusual spots and was getting his share of the footy and he was able to make the most of his chances to kick his sides second. On the other flank, Ehlers and his opponent were having a great dual. The big fella was able to get a step on his opponent and before the siren bring up Chicago’s 3rd sending the United boys into the huddle a couple up on the Blues, 3.4: 22 v 1.2: 8.

The rain continued and turned the game into a tough slog. Betty Palmer was revelling in the conditions and between him and Funky Miller, were tormenting the Blue forwards. Big Roofy started to fire for the United forwards as Jagger and the St Louis boys continued to do a wonderful job of harassing Big Al who was unable to break the shackles at full forward. In a quarter of football that will be remembered by very few people, big Roofy was able to snag his first of the game and St. Louis added another to bring the score at half time to 4.8: 32 to 2.4: 16.

Chicago decided to go smaller at half time by sitting Big Aaron and taking a dominant Mustard out of the backline and putting him in the ruck. The move was initially a stinker as St Louis came out all guns blazing and enjoyed several center clearances that put the United backline under constant and sustained pressure. Betty Palmer, now joined by Deri Morgan repelled many but a mark and goal bought the game closer. After a poor goal line clearance from United, StLouis marked and banged on their second in as many minutes and all of a sudden the game took on a whole new demeanour as Chicago clung to a 4 point lead.

Mustard, Wolfe, Oscar and a fresh legged Billy started to lift in the middle and eventually Chicago was able to rest control of the game away from the Blues and back into their own Oscar Meyer, although not having one of his best games, at least by his lofty standards, managed to find himself with the ball in the forward pocket from where he went back and slotted through goal of the day to lift Chicago spirits. Ensuing goals to Roofy and ‘el presidente’ broke the St Louis shackles and in the presidents case, lost the game ball also as she was drilled into the jungle behind the goals. With the game still on the line, Chicago went into the orange break 22 points up, 7.10: 52 to a tiring StLouis 4.6: 30.

In an effort to spark the forward line, Coach Drake moved himself to full forward and dropped Drewbie back to full back. Tiny came into a pocket as the weather improved to do a bit of physical damage and Big Al went to center half forward for a run. The move proved effective as the coach bagged one of his rare goals and sent Chicago further in front. Chicago started to dominate as the heavy track took a toll on the StLouis boys who didn’t have the luxury of a fresh bench with fresh legs. They did manage to kick their fifth of the game to get Chicago fans looking at their watches but when Roofy goaled, the game was Chicagos and they eventually ran out 30 point victors over a very valiant StLouis outfit.

For Chicago, it was a win they deserved although they felt it could have been by more, particularly before the rain came. The most pleasing thing for the United coaching staff was that it was the American boys that led from the front in this one with Palmer, Miller, the brothers Hoyt, Wolfe, Ehlers and many others having wonderful games. The fact that Gordo got through the game was received with a huge sigh of relief from Burgmann Towers as they look confidently to the next all important game against their old foes in Nashville. With a few issues simmering from the last game these two teams played, look for a bruising affair on the shores of Lake Michigan in early August. For St Louis, they take away a great deal of heart from this game. With Jagger back in the line up their backline was a lot stronger but with no interchange and up against a much more experienced team, it was always going to be a struggle for the boys from Bud town. They played a hard, physical game and will walk away from this with heads up.

Next Round: V’s Nashville in Chicago. Playing host to the Great Aussie BBQ and a huge crowd expected.

Best On Ground: Betty Palmer
Best Off Ground: Betty Palmer
Beast On Ground: Brian Hoyt
Beast On Grog: Betty Palmer/ Biggsy/ Roofy
Presidents highlight: Jezza getting a free room but paying $80 to get to the pub in a cab.

Tigers Torment Rhinos 0

With the bad weather looming over the lakefront, numbers were not as good as previous weeks. This turned out to be somewhat of a blessing with some of the most free flowing and effective running play seen for a while at Burgmann Field. The extra space on the field encouraged the teams to lead hard and use the wings a little more than ususal.

The centre bounces were a classic duel between the height of new additions Rohan Ward and big Aaron for the Piranhas against a smaller yet very damaging Mustard for the Square. Tigers Oscar Meyer and Frankie B were getting plenty of the ball while Betty Palmer and triple bouncing Hayes were winning their fair share too. Frankie was playing the role of rover and key position all in one, looking like he was also enjoying himself.

The Lincoln Park forwards were getting a few opportunities but just couldn’t get the score on the board, the Square only slightly more damaging with a couple of goals early on. Byron Galbraith was doing his best presenting himself and creating a contest with Doug chipping in with a goal in assistance. Byron lead all day and with a little more support could have really broken the game open.

Lincoln Square on the other hand had a couple of good targets but inaccurate kicking and great pressure from the Piranhas’ backline kept the contest pretty close. Both backlines worked very hard, pushing out wide using the boundary well.

The Hoyts as always regularly popped up in the play with Brian keeping his head over the ball, OBK chipped in with a goal after some unselfish play from BOG Oscar Meyer. Mustard and Jacko were solid all day, the latter showing some dash with a few inspirational runs up the ground-the former directing play with his settled delivery.

Lincoln Park big men Rohan and Aaron were doing well against a faster yet smaller opposition. Aaron taking some strong grabs while Rohan just kept running and was enjoying the open ground. These two will be a task for any team to match up on.

The Tigers in the end finished up 5 goals ahead, both teams the victim of inaccuracy. The last quarter was shortened slightly due to a huge storm covering the field with the Lincoln Park Piranhas finishing the game with the final major.

Chicago's Big Win a Sign of Things to Come 0

The Cincinnati Dockers once again hosted the team from Chicago in what was near perfect conditions for footy. Chicago unveiled their new jumpers for the first time, a combination of the Sydney Swans and Southport Sharks designs. Looking like a team, the Chicago boys ended up easy winners against a persistent Cinci squad.

United kicked the first goal with Matt Palmer slotting one through early on. The Dockers quickly replied with their first major of the day but it would almost be another 3 quarters before they would score another.

The visiting team was doing well in the middle with ample supply to the forward line. United missed a few opportunities but were still able to open up a handy lead at quarter time, the forwards giving plenty of trouble to the Dockers defence.
Cinci: 1-0 (6) – Chicago 5-8 (38)

The second quarter was more of the same with Chicago starting to control the midfield and forward 50, poor kicking the only problem for United. The Dockers had a couple of chances but the tight Chicago defence did not give an inch. The highlight of the quarter was a great mark by “Best on Ground” Paul Meyer. The little bloke took a tough grab in the goal square with a great leap between 2 Dockers and then kicking truly. Half time had Chicago well in control on the score board.
Cinci: 1-0 (6) – Chicago 9-14(68)

The third quarter saw the Dockers come out strong and were unlucky not to kick a goal on a couple of occasions. The Chicago backline was under a bit more pressure and the running of the first half was starting to show with United legs beginning to tire. Chicago was still able to extend their lead but with many less scoring attempts than in the previous quarters.
Cinci: 1-2 (8) – Chicago 13-19(97)

Cincinnati came out all fired up for the last quarter with the ball spending the first half in their attacking zone. This persistence paid off with a great goal from the boundary line to the Dockers, Chicago looked a little shell shocked by the efforts of their opponents. United still managed to kick a goal but only had 3 scoring shots for the quarter, a far cry from the attempts earlier in the game.

The final result showed the dominance of the United team but as always the Cinci boys never gave up and showed that they could still play great footy with a fantastic effort to the end. Some great matchups were had with the rucks a tight contest and some great efforts on both wings.

MAAFL MVP
Oscar Meyer – 3, Al MacGlashan – 2, J. Dean (Cinci) – 1

Tigers claw their way to victory... 0

With the bad weather looming over the lakefront, numbers were not as good as previous weeks. This turned out to be somewhat of a blessing with some of the most free flowing and effective running play seen for a while at Burgmann Field. The extra space on the field encouraged the teams to lead hard and use the wings a little more than ususal.

The centre bounces were a classic duel between the height of new additions Rohan Ward and big Aaron for the Piranhas against a smaller yet very damaging Mustard for the Square. Tigers Oscar Meyer and Frankie B were getting plenty of the ball while Betty Palmer and triple bouncing Hayes were winning their fair share too. Frankie was playing the role of rover and key position all in one, looking like he was also enjoying himself.

The Lincoln Park forwards were getting a few opportunities but just couldn’t get the score on the board, the Square only slightly more damaging with a couple of goals early on. Byron Galbraith was doing his best presenting himself and creating a contest with Doug chipping in with a goal in assistance. Byron lead all day and with a little more support could have really broken the game open.

Lincoln Square on the other hand had a couple of good targets but inaccurate kicking and great pressure from the Piranhas’ backline kept the contest pretty close. Both backlines worked very hard, pushing out wide using the boundary well.

The Hoyts as always regularly popped up in the play with Brian keeping his head over the ball, OBK chipped in with a goal after some unselfish play from BOG Oscar Meyer. Mustard and Jacko were solid all day, the latter showing some dash with a few inspirational runs up the ground-the former directing play with his settled delivery.

Lincoln Park big men Rohan and Aaron were doing well against a faster yet smaller opposition. Aaron taking some strong grabs while Rohan just kept running and was enjoying the open ground. These two will be a task for any team to match up on.

The Tigers in the end finished up 5 goals ahead, both teams the victim of inaccuracy. The last quarter was shortened slightly due to a huge storm covering the field with the Lincoln Park Piranhas finishing the game with the final major.

Piranhas Take a Bite Out of Rhinos 0

While the Piranhas celebrated, the Rhinos were left to lick their wounds and count the cost of their first loss of the season. In a heart wrenching moment for all Rhino and Chicago fans in general, Gordon Ambrosino went down with an apparent knee injury in the last quarter, effectively killing any chance for a Rhino comeback and putting the United team in disarray as they set themselves to duke it out with a vastly improved Cincinatti in two weeks. While the extent of the injury wont be known for a few days, fingers are being crossed at Burgmann Towers.

From the opening bounce it was obvious this was going to be a cracker of a game. The star studded Piranhas kicked the first two through Hoyt and Beau before the Rhinos hit back through McCoombe who looked to be in terrific form again. The Piranhas dominated the quarter but were unable to convert with some desperate defending from Rhinos Fenton, Pat Hoyt and Case. Deri Morgan popped up late to score a major and at the first break, heads were being scratched in the Rhino huddle. The Piranhas had the momentum and Kastilahn demanded more out of his lads as he sniffed an upset.

At the break, LP 3.1: 19 v WV 1.3: 9

The Rhinos hit back in the second with some lovely passages of play. McClamroch continued his marvellous form on a flank that will one day be named after him. Ambrosino started to get a lot of the ball and managed to have 4 pings at goal, but unluckily for the rhinos, all were minors. Wolfe was starting to dominate both in the ruck and around the ground and it was all of a sudden looking very powder blue. The Piranhas however had other ideas and with Beau having a field day on the flank and the Piranha runners in Oscar Meyer, Deri Morgan, Betty Palmer and Ryan Hayes starting to get more of the ball the tide turned again. A bubbly Mustard was giving the Rhino defenders headaches and Hoyt started to find room in the wide open Piranha forward line. But like the Rhinos, Lincoln Park weren’t able to convert where it mattered most and at the long break it was LP 3.5: 23 v WV 1.8: 14.

The Rhinos sniffed a comeback and they took it right up to the Piranhas. Wolfe continued his domination in the center and Ambrosino was running riot but Kastilahn had a few tricks of his own. He moved a quiet MacGlashan to full forward and Mustard to center half back on first gamer Dave who was playing a great game for the Rhinos. Mustard was able to give the Piranhas the jolt they needed as his constant delivery to Beau, Betty, Oscar and one of the games best in Deri Morgan set up numerous forward thrusts where an overworked Rhino defense struggled to contain the Piranha numbers. Oscar Meyer broke free to kick a long bomb to extend the Piranha lead and Betty Palmer bagged himself one as the Piranhas threatened to blow the game apart before the Rhinos hit back. A busy Jezza Morgan who had his best game of the season started getting a lot of the ball and the ever impressive Ambrosino found a leading McCoombe who finally got the Rhinos second.

At the orange break it was LP 5.9: 39 to a terribly inaccurate WV 2.11: 23

With his charges tiring and the Piranhas threatening, the Rhinos threw an injured Miller up front to see if he could spark a revival but it was all in vain as the Piranhas dominated the last quarter. Against superior numbers, the Rhinos tried to hold out the inevitable but after Oscar Meyer kicked a beauty from 40, the game was over and the only thing that could make it worse was a major injury and low and behold, it came with the shocking knee injury suffered by Gordo. To rub salt into the Rhino wounds, a classic mongrel punt from Big Al fell into the arms of his captain and DK kicked one of his very rare goals, the perfect icing on the victorious cake for the embattled leader who will enjoy this victory for a long time.

Final scores in this one were LP 7.13: 55 to WV 2. 13: 25 meaning an incredible 26 points to 9 goals were kicked, possibly some sort of record.

For the Piranhas it was a well deserved victory as they look to kick start their season. The run they achieved out of the backline and their delivery to their forwards must have pleased Kastilahn. A return to form from Deri Morgan and Betty Palmer and the good form of himself brought a smile to the face of DK. New recruit Rohan played well and will be much better for the trot.

The Rhino hierachy though must be very concerned that their season just went down the toilet with the injury to Ambrosino. Drake will be pleased with the fight shown by his lads but in the end, a loss is a loss and this will be a bitter pill to swallow as the Rhinos go into the bye week.