November 19, 2024
RALPH'S NEW ROLE
O'Shaughnessy is Xavs' Footy GM
A Century of the Red & Black
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Three days of football produced two excellent results for the Red 'n' Blacks. On Friday night, Matt Handley's U19 team had a big win at Brindisi Street, and on Saturday morning, Paul Connors' U23 Twos beat Old Ivanhoe to advance to the GF. Unfortunately, the WOX 2s were beaten in their second semi, but have another chance next week. The U19 Twos and Threes both ran into slick outdfits and couldn't get the chocolates.
A week ago, Old Xavs was a convincing winner over Fitzroy, but today the tables were turned in the 2nd semi-final as the Lions blasted their way into the grand final, leaving the WOX to negotiate a preliminary final clash.
This week's Fitzroy team featured just eleven of those Lions who played against the Red 'n' Blacks last week.
Katta Mullins was best for the WOX, who couldn't match the firepower of the minor premier. It was a good day for Elizas: Hynes kicked the Xavs' only goal and Burnes and Forrest joined her in the best players.
The road to the Grand Final sees Westbourne sitting in the path of the Xavs. The Red 'n' Blacks have beaten them twice and would love to repeat that next week.
Paul Connors’ team saddled up at Basil Reserve in their Qualifying Final and found Old Ivanhoe a worthy opponent. The teams had met just once previously, in their last home and away round, and the X-Men had shut them out from top position after quite a struggle.
In a final, teams start even. And so it looked in the early stages.
Ethan Browne kicked the first goal seven minutes in after the teams had traded minor scores.The Browns responded with two of their own just a couple of minutes later to lead by four points. That advantage was short-lived as Nick McGrath goaled for the Red ‘n Blacks at 12 minutes. Again, that lead was evanescent – the Hoes' third goal restoring a five-point ascendancy at 15 minutes. And it stayed that way for the final ten minutes of the term as the defences held sway.
Frank O’Callaghan put the X-Men back in front early in the second stanza, but the response from the Browns was again swift. Xavs levelled itat 27 each when Jack Shirley slotted his team’s second for the period at 8 minutes. O’Callaghan goaled again at 12 minutes after Xavs had missed twice. Four minutes on, Conor O’Brien drew twin calicos and the Claret and Stout were up by 14 points. O’Callaghan goaled for third time in the stanza, and then missed his fourth opportunity. But not his fifth, and the X-Men led 54-27. With two minutes to travel, Ivanhoe finally replied. But Shirley kicked his second and the Red ‘n’ Blacks went to half-time leading by 27 points. It should be noted that the O’Callaghan had booted 26 of those himself in that second stanza.
The teams traded goals in the third term, with the Browns scoring first mid-term and then McGrath adding his second four minutes later. Then Phil Goatcher goaled and the minor premier led by a game-high 33 points at the lemons.
A goal early in the last gave Ivanhoe a glimmer of hope, but Matt Robinson threaded twice and the Xavs finished 39 points to the good. They join their three Xaverian Thirds stablemates at the big dance, though this team will need to wait a fortnight to play for the silverware.
The Red 'n' Blacks opened well with four first-quarter goals to one, but not surprisingly the Seasiders hit back in the second term. They reappeared from the rooms just a goal apart, but the X-Men added six more goals in the third stanza, leaving the Tigers a big ask in the final term. They managed five goals, but the Claret and Stout kicked another two majors to keep things calm.
Alby Hewitt was named best, but he had plenty of assistance from Bird, Dalton and Visentini. Gorman was again effective and Christopher booted four.
Old Xaverians went to Mentone on Friday night to negotiate the first of a three legged parlay, namely, a victory over fifth-placed St Bede's Mentone Tigers. They nailed that one.
The second leg of the treble was an Old Scotch loss to Old Brighton, and on Saturday morning, the Tonners obliged.
To collect, and to secure a spot in the final four, the Red 'n' Blacks must themselves defeat Scotch at Camberwell on Saturday.
Despite a fast start, the X-Men went down to Glen Eira/McKinnon at Packer Park on Friday night.
The visitors' output fell throughout the game, and the home team was on top as early as the second term, and untroubled thereafter.
Despite a six-goal BOG performance from Andrew Trewavas, Caulfield was too strong for the Red 'n' Blacks in their R17 clash at Stradbroke Park.
The Blue and Whites had a strong first and backed it up in the second term to take a 46 point lead to the rooms at the long break. It must be said theat the X-Men never gave in, and on their line of the scoreboard, acquitted themselves quite well in each quarter. However, they were incapable of stopping the Fields, who rolled away to a 79 point win.
