Two Blues Farewell Coach Ash Mills in Style

Seniors:

Prahran Assumption players farewelled coach Ash Mills with a season best win 93 point win over finalist North Old Boys St Pat’s  at Toorak Park on Saturday.

Mills, in his third season as coach,  told the club on Wednesday he had accepted an assistant coach role with a TAC Cup club.

Emotion is a powerful influence in sport and the Two Blues were hellbent on delivering an inspired effort as a thank you to a coach who was the ultimate professional, loved and respected by his players.

How else can you explain the turnaround from an abysmal 121 point defeat seven days earlier to a 93 point win thrashing on Saturday?

Granted North Old Boys St Pat’s lost some key players pre match, but the Two Blues were irresistible.

Their attack on the ball was relentless, but even more emphatic was their running power as they ran in waves and continually swept the ball downfield with a chain of handpasses.

At half-time the Two Blues led by 15 points despite having 10 more scoring shots.

But any fear that they had squandered the chance for a bigger lead and may not be able to sustain the effort was quickly put to rest.

Kicking into a slight breeze, the Two Blues slammed on four unanswered goals in the first 10 minutes.

That spelt game over and NOBS went into survival mode for next week’s first semi-final as the Two Blues turned the game into a rout adding 9-6 to 2-3 for the quarter.

A five goals to nil final quarter was more of the same and further gladdened the hearts of Two Blues supporters but also left them wondering what might have been.

The Two Blues defeated three finalists during the season, all at Toorak Park, but won just one match away from home which explains why Prahran Assumption finished sixth on the ladder.

In contrast to the previous week when the Two Blues did not have a winner in any position, on Saturday star performers abounded.

First gamer Hunter Watkin, a product of the Prahan juniors, showed aplomb to belie his age of 17 in an impressive debut.

Up forward Jamie Robbins was irrepressible with seven goals, speedy Tim Maya played his best game for

the season, Adam Sleight reigned supreme in the ruck , Matt Wall returned to some of his best and fairest form from last season and Trent Rogers and James Musster headed a dominant on ball unit.

In defence Blayne Dempsey, ‘Junior’ Vuli,  Jack Matherson, Liam Hunt and Tim Webb were impassable and launched attack after attack.

PRAHRAN ASSUMPTION  4-6  7-11 16-16  21-22 (148)

NOBS                                   5-0  6-3    8-4     8-7    (55)

Goals: Robbins 7, Wall 3, Grigg, Simonetta 2, J Hogarth, Rogers, Sleight, Pascoe, Kenny, Hunt, Maya.

Best: Robbins, Rogers, Maya, Anglin, Hunt, Webb.

Reserves:  

While the season is over for the seniors, the Two Blues Reserves will play Old Geelong in the first semi-final at Northcote on Sunday.

The Reserves ended the home and away season with a regulation 40 point win over lowly NOBS.

With the addition of up to four players who were in the seniors on Saturday , the Reserves are well placed for a finals campaign under co coaches Josh Ancrum and Ash Parsons.

PRAHRAN ASSUMPTION  2-5   6-6  8-9   11-12 (78)

NOBS                                  0-1   2-4  3-5    4-8     (32)

Goals: Rice 4, Field 2, Ellis, Giofre, Hall, Radywonik, T Matherson.

Best: Durnan, Laverty, Hall, Field, Rice, Radywonik