Two Blues topple ladder leader Old Camberwell
SEVEN days after folding meekly to surrender a match it should have won Prahran Assumption produced its best performance of the year to upset previously undefeated Old Camberwell at Toorak Park on Saturday.
The 14 point win came against the odds after playing coach Matthew Boland and small forward Tim Maya were ruled out by injury by quarter time.
The win proved two things to be true, the Two Blues are a much better team on its home ground at Toorak Park, and in racing parlance they are ‘dry trackers.’
A week earlier the Two Blues struggled in heavy, muddy conditions away from home v Therry Penola but on Saturday conditions were more September like.
Early in the match the Two Blues matched the Wellers in the physical stakes then the match began to turn in the second quarter.
First teenager Ethan Plaza goaled from a well earned free kick, then Callum Wilson sprang to life with two quick goals.
Old Camberwell’s inaccuracy in front of goal began to be telling with at one stage totting up 0-12, several rushed but also several gettable goals.
Combined with some bewildering umpiring decisions it made for a bizarre tone to a match played at high tempo.
The Two Blues stepped up a gear after Old Camberwell finally goaled to produce a scoreline of 4-15 and narrow to the margin to two points.
The Two Blues upped the ante and kicked five successive goals including two from Clifford who twice goaled on the run, the second a banana from deep in the forward pocket.
At three quarter-time the Two Blues had seemingly established a match winning 33 point lead.
But Old Camberwell showed why it had been unbeaten slamming on four unanswered goals in the first 14 minutes reducing the margin to a mere five points.
The turning point started with a toe poke from ruckman Rory Brodie which set the ball in motion for Aaron Jory to charge through a pack of players and slot a long goal on the run.
When Clifford found Wilson who took a superb mark in the goal square and goaled at the 25 minute mark the game was safe.
This was a true team performance with Daniel Price’s blanketing role on the dangerous Riley Verdi after quarter-time significant. But the man who set the tone was ruckman Rory Brodie who dominated his much taller opponent and toiled away almost unchanged for four quarters.
PRAHRAN ASSUMPTION 3-1. 6-4. 11-7. 13-8 (84)
OLD CAMBERWELL. 3-4. 3-11. 4-15. 8-22 (70)
Goals. Wilson 5, Clifford, Plaza, J Boland 2, Adams , Jory.
Best. Brodie, Wilson, Jory, Plaza, Musster, Price,
RESERVES
PRAHRAN ASSUMPTION 0-3. 1-9. 2-11 3-14 (32) lost to OLD CAMBERWELL 0-8 1-10. 5-14. 9-14 (68).
Goals. N Costin, Heatley, Woods, Best, Bowes, Mahains, Rhodes, Dempsey, Noonan, Martin.
THIRDS
PRAHRAN ASSUMPTION 3-4 5-5 8-8 14-9 (93) d MHSOB 0-1 2-2 3-5 5-9 (38)
Goals. Davis 5, Klouda, Greaves 3, Beddison, Haeusler, Scott.
Best. Tettero, Andrews, Greaves, Klouda, Davis, Beddison.