COMPETITION LEADERS FORCED TO WORK

HARD FOR WIN OVER SCOTCH BOYS

Confronting the undefeated Caulfield on their home ground to bring our APS sea-son to a close was always gong to be a big challenge. After taking all before them this season Caulfield had virtually secured the premiership, a win over the Scotch boys would confirm this outcome. To the great credit of the Scotch First XVIII however, the boys were clearly de-termined to make this a contest from the outset. They chased hard and tackled with genuine intent ensuring that Caul-field enjoyed few uncontested posses-sions. The boys managed to stay with their more highly fancied opponents for most of the match and could collectively hold their heads high at the final siren. Many of Caulfield’s scoring opportunities came under significant Scotch pressure contributing to their 23 behinds for the match. Play maker and Captain Finn Maginness again lead from the front as he has done all season picking up many effective possessions around the ground and bringing teammates into the play. Richie Johnson was very solid in the last line of defence and made life difficult for Caulfield forwards throughout the con-test. Tom Furphy, James Braddy and Scott Bielby were also standout contribu-tors in what was ultimately a good finish to the team’s APS season.

So the Scotch boys concluded their 2019 APS campaign with a 3-6-1 record from their 10 matches placing them mid table. Having only tasted victory on three occa-sions was disappointing however, there were a number of close losses. There was significant improvement during the season and the boys should be acknowl-edged for the level of desire and commit-ment that has been characteristic of their approach. The highlight was no doubt the triumphant win over Melbourne Grammar in the annual Cordner/Eggleston Cup match. The other wins came against Geelong College and Brighton while the draw was against Geelong Grammar back in round two. This Saturday the boys take on a visiting team from Prince Alfred College from Adelaide. In the last game of their home season PAC kicked a massive score of 28.14 which suggests that they are in sparkling form and will be a tough oppo-sition. No doubt the visitors will be keen to demonstrate just how good a team they are by taking the points against the Scotch boys on the Main Oval this week-end. The Scotch boys will however, be just as determined to make this a contest and prove hard to beat! It shapes as a ripper match to bring down the curtain on the 2019 footy year!

No. 11 2 Aug 2019

MATCH REPORTS… 1sts Scotch 5.3.33 Def by Caulfield 9.23.77

2nds Scotch 10.5:65 Def Caulfield 7.11:53 Caulfield’s Mills Oval was in good condition and so were their team, looking to finish a strong season in fine style on their home turf. Scotch 2’s relished the chance to continue our undefeated run and to wel-come Michael Tassiopoulos in for a well-deserved debut game. Jem Murchie goaled in the first minute to get Scotch off to a flying start but the opening quarter was very competitive, both sides running hard and tackling fiercely. Tom Sennitt and Charlie Phillips showed form in and under the stoppages, while down back Angus Wells and Harry Bahr continued their dominance in one-on-one contests. Scotch moved the ball well but didn’t really take advantage of the breeze, Sennitt kick-ing our only other goal. Scotch 2.1:13 to Caulfield 2.3:15 at quarter time. The second quarter saw a well-organised Scotch outfit start to dominate play through the centre, with work that was absolute class from Fred Strong, Ben Shaw and others. Goals were not easy to come by but Scotch kicked four for the quarter, courtesy of Murchie (2), Tyler Sellers who rucked manfully through-out the day against bigger opponents, and skipper Matt West. Sam Potter celebrated his return with cou-rageous work at ground level and Tassiopoulos seemed right at home in the cauldron, making selectors regret they hadn’t played him earlier. Scotch players all over the ground showed their opponents how to win the hard ball and led well at the half, 6.2:38 to 3.5:23. Great ball security was a feature for Scotch, as Caulfield’s running game got them into attack quickly only to be held up by the General Will Steventon, Hugo Boreham whose strength definitely belies his size, the reliable Justin Baumgarten and the classy Callum Ross. Goals to James Montague (2) and Sennitt meant that Scotch led 9.2:56 to 4.6:30 at the final change. Caulfield, though coming home with the wind in the last, faced a daunting task. Caulfield did come home well, getting a bit of a run on and kicking three goals to one for the quarter. Hap-pily there was no sign of panic from Scotch players who continued to play fair, fast attacking football in the face of some intimidating tactics from their opponents. The final siren saw Scotch deserving victors by two goals. Goals: Murchie 4, Sennitt 2, Montague 2, Sellers, West Best: Strong, Sennitt, Murchie, Ross, Baumgarten, Sellers, Boreham

3rds Scotch 4.9.33 Def by Xavier 6.7.43 An early start on a foggy morning playing on a wet ground was not conducive to good ball handling. It was a dour struggle in the mud with boys throwing their bodies in after the ball. Our endeavour was terrific and we matched Xavier for intensity and attack on the footy. It was a tight struggle throughout and we just fell short at the end. It was a very pleasing effort by our boys and a big improvement from the game earlier in the season. Best: Hunt, McAndrew, Bloom, Skinner, Suttle, McLeish, Upjohn Goals: Skinner, Doherty, McLeish, McAndrew

4ths Scotch 19.6 120 Def Caulfield 6.10 46 It was a dominant performance. A strong first quarter, in which Scotch kicked 8 unanswered goals, put the boys on track and although Caulfield fought well throughout the remainder of the match, the damage had been done. Goals: Nicholls, Giuffrida 4, Molony 3, O’Sullivan 2, O’Nians, Reddrop, Howcroft, Hogg, Upjohn, Brown. Best: Nicholls, Giuffrida, Edgerton

10As Scotch 8.14 (62) defeated CGS 5.8 (38) After a 20 point loss in Round 1 against Caulfield at the same venue, the Scotch 10A’s were looking to make a better account of themselves and even the ledger. But things went a bit awry early and it started to look more like a replay than a redemption. Caulfield’s strong bodies and quick ball movement caught our backline napping and under siege and before we knew it we’d coughed up four goals and only man-aged one to quarter time. New coaching panel member Tom Downie made a decisive move at quarter time moving Sam Darcy as a spare in defence. This move helped stabilize the team and nullify Caulfield’s forward forays. It also seemed the catalyst for a lift in intensity across the ground and Scotch suddenly had more aggression and run as we put on two goals to none in the quarter, Harry Robenstone proving to be a great target for our forward entries. Halftime and a point down, four more scoring shots, but a great second term and definitely the momentum with Scotch. The third term exceeded all expectations, going into a slight breeze. The defence were magnificient again keeping Caulfield goalless, Beckworth, Francis, Byrne-Jones and Birks alongside Darcy were proving impenetrable and providing great rebound. The whole team grafted hard, typified by the smothering and tackling of Charlie Johnstone and the hard ball gets and gut running of Hugo Bromell. The forward line were doing their bit as well with great pressure keeping the ball locked in for extended periods. Symons kicked an inspirational goal and we added 2.5 for the term (it probably should have been over but for some poor finishing). In the last term, while we held a 13 point lead the bench were a bit tetchy and nervous, this was exacerbated when Caulfield kicked the first and cut the lead to just seven points. But the boys showed great poise, we answered nearly im-mediately and added two more for the quarter while the defence resumed its miserly service denying Caulfield anymore realistic chances. Mclennan’s first goal for the season, a timely snap and the sealer. A really solid four goal victory the culmination of a fantastic last three quarters of football built on the back of tackling pressure and great intensity. A very satisfying win! Special mentions are difficult in such a won-derful team performance. Bromell was immense for the whole game, Furphy was everywhere early, par-ticularly when the team was struggling. The rucks of Fish and Hutchings were fantastic and often gave us first use. Symons, Henderson, Taylor, Byrne-Jones and Johnstone applied fantastic and fearless pres-sure often against bigger bodied opponents. Goals: Robenstone 5, Bromell, Symons, Mclennan Best: Bromell, Johnstone, Byrne-Jones, Robenstone, Furphy, Fish, Darcy, Symons, (and the rest)  

10Bs Scotch 5.5.35 Def by Wesley College 7.13 .55 Wesley got the jump on the Scotch 10B’s in the first quarter playing far more direct football and put on what could be considered four relatively easy goals. At quarter time the group refocused on the things we had been working on at training and after this started to play some really good football. Leading from the front was the team captain Charlie Ferguson who once again worked tirelessly across the ground as ruck. Royston Roberts provided a clever snap at goal to convert while Hugh Knights and Will Derbyshire chipped in with a goal each. Throughout the second half the 10B’s without doubt played their best football of the season. Hugh Sutton was huge across the half back whilst James Currie, Edward Fyfe, Sam Nan-kervis and Lachlan Western all played extremely well. The boys dug deep in the last quarter with Harry Mounas and James Currie kicking inspirational goals. To Wesley’s credit they hung onto a deserved victory putting together a four quarter effort. Special mentions go to Ben Simon playing a measured and effective role in the backline, Mitchell Chang putting together his best game of the season and Sam Keep pulling in the mark of the year! Best: James Currie, Hugh Sutton, Sam Nankervis, Charlie Ferguson, Ben Simon, Edward Fyfe, Ethan Kunaratnam, Mitchell Chang. Goals: Hugh Knights, Royston Roberts, Will Derbyshire, Harry Mounas, James Currie 1.

9As Scotch 4.1.25 def by Xavier 16.11.107 The 9As had a difficult morning at the office against Xavier, who comprehensively outplayed us in every facet of the game. We were in the game early but Xavier looked more dangerous on transition and up forward. They started to get on top in the second quarter and embarrassed us in the third, with their big-ger bodies and elite kicking and marking skills on full display. To the boys credit they were asked to play with pride, respect and accountability in the final term, and that’s what they did, adding a small degree of dignity to the scoreboard. Will Townsend showed how much his football has developed over the course of the season with an outstanding display at centre half back (and a stint up forward), Sam Vidor is acknowledged for relentless attack on the football, Ollie Iser did an outstanding job under relentless pres-sure at full back, Connor Ferguson continues to blossom across half back, Jake Phillips again showcased the enormous potential he has and Teddy Phillips and Nick Humphreys toiled hard on a difficult day. We now look to take on Melbourne Grammar in the final game of the year and end the year on a high with a winning season. BEST: W Townsend, S Vidor, O Iser, C Ferguson, J Phillips, T Phillips, N Humphreys. GOALS: Hassoun 1, H Wild 1, S Vidor 1, Townsend 1.

9Bs Scotch 14.13.97 Def Xavier 1.5.11 The start of a cracking morning as the 9B’s stepped up to play Xavier at 8AM on the Meares oval. In days gone past it would have been a bog, but the ground staff do an amazing job and kicking the dew was all part of the tactics to beat the Xav’s. Ward bobbed up and Kicked 5, and some really solid performances across the board. Linking the ball with swift hands, angled kicks to space and swift ball movement was a key feature and great to watch. One game to go- lets go out on a high. Goals: Ward 5, Leeton, Dethridge, Kemp, McClusky, Evans, McCaig, Chambers, Davies, Warner 1 Best: Lewis, Ward, Davies, Kemp, Dethridge, Evans, Leeton

8As Scotch 3.3. 21 Def by Xavier 4.4. 28 The game was a low-scoring affair with slippery conditions and lots of stoppages. Xavier started strongly kicking two goals in the first quarter and winning the centre clearances. They also managed to lock the ball in their forward line for long periods of time building pressure on a Scotch defence that defended grimly. In the third quarter Scotch gained the ascendancy by winning the ball from stoppages and keeping Xavier goalless. Scotch’s characteristic exciting running and skilful ball movement created a number of opportunities for the forward line with Scotch capitalising on their dominance by building a six point lead at the start the final quarter. In a tense and congested last quarter, Xavier were able to rally and control pos-session of the ball, eventually holding a 7 point lead at the siren. The Scotch team should be commended for battling manfully to the last seconds of the match in a high pressure, entertaining game. Best: Smith, Maginness, Knights, F. Lawson, A. Lawson, Badr, Francis, Stanley, Searle Goals: Maginness 1, Lord 1, Sutherland 1

8Bs Scotch 1.5.11 Def by Melbourne Grammar 7.0.42 Playing away at Fawkner Park, Cordner Oval, the 8Bs looked to beat Melbourne Grammar for the first time in their Scotch careers. Conditions were slippery as it was an 8:30am game. The large size of the ground suited the way we play, however MGS were able to play the game on their terms, making it a con-gested game and winning the contested ball. The first quarter was close with the ball spending a long time in our forward line, unfortunately we could capitalise, only scoring one goal. In the second term, MGS were able to score a three goals to our zero and held a handy lead at half time. Inaccurate kicking was frustrating, especially when the opposition couldn't miss, however our boys continued to battle hard, try-ing our best to change the angles with our kicking and open the game up for us to be able to run and use our good skills. Lachie MacNeil ran all day in the midfield putting his head over the football and winning the hard ball. He was well supported by captain of the day, Josh Mitchell who rucked all game like he has done all year, his ability to win the taps then follow up and win the ball on the ground was helpful for the team. Louis Cox had a great game coming into the side from the Cs, kicking a goal and providing an op-tion in the forward line. We look to finish our fine season off next week with a win and celebrate another great season of Scotch football Best : Lachie MacNeil, Josh Mitchell, George Strong, Louis Cox, Oliver Buckley, Lachie Gance Goal: Louis Cox

8Cs Scotch 1.6.12 Def by Melbourne Grammar 3.7.25 Everyone arrived to the prime time 10am matchup on the Melville excited to compete against our first true ‘C’ team in quite a few rounds. Although the boys showed great endeavour early, MGS were able to score the first goal and dominate much of the early play thanks to a couple of fairly large and strong on-ballers. The boys responded well after conceding two goals in the first quarter to take control of the territory battle in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Despite this strong play, we failed to capitalise and went into the last quarter 13 points down. To this point Gibbs, Cullen and Nixon had been tremendous across half-back, repelling countless Melbourne Grammar attacks. Hay, Parker and Leeden were strong all day as well, all having being moved onto the ball to try and contain the MGS midfielders. The last quarter was a see-sawing affair. Scotch kicked the first goal through Holuigue to move within 6 points and looked dangerous to level the scores before MGS went down the other end and scrambled a goal of their own from the goal square with 2 minutes left. A terrific effort from the boys and one which could’ve easily resulted in a win. Goal: Holuigue Best: Hay, Parker, Gibbs, Leeden, Nixon, Cullen

7As Scotch 2.0.12 Def by Carey 9.9.63 Greeted by a cold morning at Carey Grammar the 7As looked to get one back on Carey who had previ-ously beaten us earlier in the season. While the result, unfortunately, did not go our way again, this game was more proof of how far the team has come in recent weeks. Carey’s strong run across the ground was met with hard tackling throughout Verge setting the tone in the backline that meant the opposition had to earn their points. Coldwell combined well on the wing, proving to be a valuable linking player and hard defender when Carey had the ball. Perry continued to find himself in the right position and snagged both of Scotch’s goals for the day. First gamer in the As Lachie Macdonald combined with Archie Woods in the backline to be valuable intercept players when the heat was on. Despite the score, the coaches were proud of a four quarter, consistent effort. Best: Farrer, Coldwell, Verge, Perry

STRIVING FOR THE PERFECT SEASON! Before last weekend’s games the 8As (above) coached by former Collingwood legend and Scotch Director of Sport, Barry Price and the 2nd XVIII (below) coached by Rick Castricum and Geoff Wemyss were striving for an unbeaten season. Unfortunately the 8As faltered against Xavier last Saturday in a low scoring contest leaving the mighty 2nds the remaining undefeated team. With one round to go the boys will be striving with all they have to maintain their unblemished record! 

7Bs Scotch 7.1,433 Def Carey 3.7.25 Coming off a huge win against arch rivals Melbourne Grammar the boys were hungry for more success. Carey at home was the task with our boys well and truly up to it from quarter one. The fierce attack on the footy had carried through from last week and the tackling displayed was the best all year. A very even contest right up until deep into the last quarter until our boys ran over the top of them. Another awesome win with everyone playing to their best. Well done boys Best: H. Lodge, H. Aitken, C. Hicks, A. Ross, L. Jones, H. Wettenhall, L. Green, F. Morley Goals: Jones 3, Robenstone, David-Hannah, Morley, Lodge

7Cs Scotch 9.14.68 Def Melbourne Grammar 3.7.25 The 7C’s faced Melbourne Grammar for the 2nd time this season with the game being played on our home ground at Anderson park. Eager to get back onto the winners list after struggling in recent weeks the Scotch boys got the jump on Melbourne Grammar. Tong was selected as captain for the day and stepped up immediately by scoring the first goal with a classy left foot banana from the pocket. As the game progressed it was clear that the scotch boys were getting first access to the footy and using it bet-ter than Melbourne Grammar, sharing the ball around and working effortlessly as a team. The hard work that we had put in at the start of the game started to become apparent on the scoreboard with Gates and Morrison both cashing in with 3 goals each. Changes of positions for Roberts, Davis and Gates proved a master stroke from the coaching panel as they all had a significant impact on the game. All the boys put in their best efforts on the day leading to a one sided affair. We hope to see the same winning form car-ried into their final match as a year 7 footballer next Saturday . The final score for the match was Scotch: 9. 14. 68 to Melbourne Grammar: 3. 7. 25 Goals: Tong, Gates 3, Morrison 3, Nevett, Davis Best: Morrison, Gates, Skewes, Davis, Roberts