They say a week is a long time in football.
Olinda was walking on air all week after their best game in a year defeating reigning premiers Upwey last round.
The team solved The Davinci Code and somehow found their way to the elusive Berwick Springs ground, but near cyclonic conditions awaited them. A fierce gale was blowing diagonally across the ground to the southern end and it was clear that straight kicks were going to be almost impossible. As has been the case for most of the season, Olinda also went into the game missing key personnel, and more tellingly some bigger bodies.
The Berwick Springs team were on average 50 games more experienced, and much older and bigger than Olinda’s group of young small speedsters, and thus the opposition and the conditions were always likely to be a challenge.
Olinda started the game in spectacular fashion, similarly to last week Young Blood Kaesha Christie was able to pump the football forward, and a clever handball from Amalija(Mars) Kostich Angerson to Olivia (The Weapon!) Edwards resulted in a quick snap from Liv, and a goal within the first 30 seconds. Olinda was kicking with the wind, but the diagonal nature of the breeze meant that time after time the ball was getting kicked across goals and out of bounds in the left forward pocket, and it could almost be said that they peppered the boundary line all quarter. The Goose was on the loose, Lucy (Goose) Hilton started her return game in fine fashion and would continue to be Olinda’s best all game, her tackling, kicking and overhead marking a standout.
Berwick Springs were vicious from the outset, both physically and verbally, and continually slung their smaller opponents or drove them into the hard turf. Olinda’s bench looked more like a triage tent most of the game, and there was a steady procession of wounded players coming on and off the ground. Olinda limped into the quarter time huddle six points in front, but under the circumstances the coaches wondered whether they wound be able to repel the attacks against the breeze in the following quarter.
The coaches have learnt by now never to doubt these plucky Olinda girls, and the team came out and played one of their most impressive quarters of the year. Olinda’s slickest ball movement was on display, and the ball pinged around all quarter, barely touching the ground. A great piece of play saw Captain Courageous Claire Hyett swoop on a loose ball deep in the right forward pocket and deliver a bullet right into the clutches of full forward (DJ)Ness Curnow (nee Bateman) who slotted the classy goal.
While Berwick Springs continued to harass the Olinda players at every opportunity, the side stood firm and kept the home to a solitary point for the quarter, going into half time 11 points ahead.
With all the hard work done, Olinda looked to consolidate their lead into the breeze in the third quarter, but although having most of the play for much of the quarter, the ball continued to evade the goals. It all began to unravel with four minutes left in the quarter, and like the movie Scream it became part horror, part comedy. Berwick Springs would pile on three goals in those last four minutes, effectively ending the contest. The first saw a Berwick Springs player take a mark deep in their forward line. With one of Olinda’s smallest players standing the mark, six of Olinda’s taller players stood on the goal line, bunched towards the right hand goal post. As the ball sailed through the air, it ridiculously swung left against strong breeze and the six Olinda players watched it bounce through for a goal. It was never to be Olinda’s night after that, and Berwick Springs’ last quarter with the wind brought a flood of goals, and an array of trick shots and long bombs.
The final margin of 29 points was disappointing against a lower ranked opponent, but Olinda should be proud of the skill, spirit, resilience and courage they displayed during the most brutal game they had ever encountered.
As they continue to grow and mature, losses like this should become much less frequent.
Olinda looks forward to a marquee game Friday night at home against 2023’s nemesis Pakenham, and will be fighting to avenge the previous two losses to their opponent earlier in the season.
