By Frank Seal
A dry, windy day in Woori-Yallock saw the Bloods face their second test against the Tigers this year, with Olinda looking to make amends for their 1-point defeat in round one. New blood was added to the Olinda line-up, as debutant Peter Lucas was presented his jumper and warmly welcomed by the whole team before the match.
After a dismal performance last week against Wandin, the emphasis for the Bloods pregame was on the contested ball and aiming to be harder for longer, an aim that would be put to the test for the next 2 hours.
Kicking with the wind in the opening term, Olinda started well. The midfielders were having an immediate impact at stoppages and getting the forwards involved early. The backs were using the width of the ground well, establishing their defensive wall high up the ground and taking early intercept marks. Lachy Taylor kicked one early and a boundary line set shot from Jonty Scott gave the Bloods 3 goals in the term. It only took a few contested marks from the tigers, however, to surge the ball forward and run into an open forward line to kick 2 goals themselves.
Woori Yallock had the wind in the second and took advantage by exclusively kicking long and high, feeding their forwards with deep inside 50 entries. Olinda’s defenders were under the pump, conceding contested marks and being forced to rush their rebound 50s. Young gun Noah Desta tried to steady the flow with a skilful snap and goal, but the Tigers were kicking straight. 6 goals for the term ensured a strong Woori Yallock lead at half-time and meant Olinda had work to do.
The third quarter was an even contest with both teams matching each other on the scoreboard; not ideal for the trailing Bloods. A long-distance set shoot roost from Matt Rosier provided a spark, but with each Olinda effort, a tiger was ready to pounce next. Trailing by five goals and with little time left in the quarter, debutant Pete Lucas stepped up, took two bounces and willed his way to a goal of the year contender on the run, keeping his team in the game in spectacular fashion. With a four-goal game heading into the last, the Bloods were in for a major fourth-quarter fight.
It was a contested battle in the final quarter, and the tigers were well on top. Every groundball scrimmage was crowded in yellow and black, leaving the red and white chasing. Once again the Olinda’s backs were under intense pressure, being forced to win defensive groundballs through charging tigers. The final siren sounded, and the Bloods had been outplayed by a hungrier Woori-Yallock outfit. The scoreboard read 93-58, leaving Olinda at 4-5 for the year and with plenty of room for improvement.
