By Frank Seal
The final game of the 2022 home & away season saw the Bloods facing a red-hot Wandin side in the hostile environment of Clegg Rd. Although the result would have no influence on ladder position for the finals, the Bloods had planned for an intense contest against a fellow finals contender on compact ground.
Wandin’s midfielders jumped out of the gates early, quickly exposing some lacklustre defensive effort and accountability from their Olinda opposition. The Bloods could not get their hands on the footy. Defenders, under immediate pressure, were caught out on multiple occasions as Wandin notched early goals and established a commanding lead. With their forwards forced to help high up the ground, Olinda was unable to create any contests inside 50. Any forward entries simply ended up in open space and were quickly rebounded by Bulldog defenders. Tom Millwood was able to dribble through a late major, but the Bloods trailed by 7 goals entering the first break.
Needing to respond, the Bloods lifted their intensity for the second quarter. The defensive midfield effort improved, halting Wandin’s clearance dominance. The forwards were able to get their hands on the ball in more damaging positions. Although Olinda was playing with more intent, the Dogs responded with their own gameplay, matching the territory battle through sheer will at the contest. Despite being tasked with a more accountable role, Matt Scharenberg was still finding ways to intercept and launch Olinda’s attacks. Pete Lucas toiled hard in the heat of battle. With majors to Jonty Scott, Josh Wallis and Lachy Taylor, Olinda was able to bring the margin back to 37 points at halftime.
Olinda displayed some intermittent attack on the footy in the third quarter but Wandin continued to dominate with skill and ruthless intent all around the ground. Making the most of limited opportunities, the Bloods were able to capitalise on three forward entries with goals to tall forwards: Taylor, Wallis and Seymour. But Wandin showed no sign of releasing the pressure and had extended their lead to an 8-goal margin at the final break.
The ¾ time emphasis was honesty and pride. Down back, Dale Rohrmann was handling his matchup under intense pressure while Dan Toma was accountable. Percy Hyett was typically competitive in his forward 50 attack. Seymour and Scott managed to finish off some positive passages of play, adding two goals to the score line. But all in all, it was a disappointing day for Olinda which couldn’t match Wandin’s hardness, skill and intent. Going down 122-65 in the final round, there’s plenty to ponder going into the finals. The Bloods now face Monbulk in an Elimination Final.
