Coaches Notes: First Week of Finals

U16 Team Tankey

No regrets. When our heads were to hit the pillow on Sunday night following our elimination final battle with Point Cook, we didn't want to have any. We didn't want those thoughts plaguing our sleep, could I have run harder, could I have spoiled that mark, forced a stoppage, manned up quicker, played my role better.

I don't remember much from my inglorious playing days. Words from coaches good and bad, all mostly lost, did they ever sink in at all, I am well aware my job as coach is overstated!

I do remember a particular day at Old Ivanhoe when senior Coach Peter Nicholson challenged our group with exactly these thoughts. Regrets eat you up, don't have any, give your all, win or lose, no regrets. It was the motto for the day, hopefully the whole finals series. 

We went into our contest with almost a full squad. 21 available was a luxury we had rarely been afforded throughout the season. With 3 players starting on the bench, I wanted those players to know they were the heroes of our team. It was a team of 21, not 18. We would feel every blow as 21, celebrate every goal as 21, only move into a prelim with all 21 on board. No regrets.

We split our two battles with Point Cook during the season, a 4 goal win at the Snakepit offset by a 21 point loss at their western frontier. Ironically Point Cook had scored 8.11.59 in both of those games. We had scored highly at home, but inaccuracy 
plagued our most recent meeting, let's take our opportunities, no regrets.

There was spite in the contest from the beginning. Despite hosting the game we were the lower ranked team and the fiesty Point Cook team manager was hell bent on claiming the home team coaches box. We were banished to the Buckley Street end, a new perspective, anywhere, anytime, any bench will do. 

It was a frantic opening stanza, befitting a division 1 under 16 elimination final. Tackling was ferocious, second efforts rolled into third and fourths. Liam "Baz" Barry pulled off a miraculous back heel soccer style goal to the raptures of the strong crowd. 4 points in it at the first change. No regrets.

The second stanza played out much the same as the first. Neither team giving an inch, finals footy at its best. Alex Moretti's marking was mesmerising, our goalkicking not quite as much, 5 extra behinds our half time lead. 

We drew a breath. Football parlance calls it the premiership quarter, after trading blows for a half, which team would still have the will to go again. From the outset after half time, it was a text book premiership quarter performance from our team. Our pressure rating was off the chart, we took the game on with run and carry, denied access to their marking players and hit the scoreboard constantly. Another miracle conjured from the boundary by "Bazza", our cult hero announcing himself, a team of 21, five goals up with a quarter to go.

"Put it to bed early" was the consensus amongst the group. A comeback was improbable, but footy can be a funny game. Score early, sap the final gasps they might have. Lachie Jones came into the game with a suspect tight calf. His words pre-game were "I can't kick, and I can't run"

He accepted the offer to play full forward, a long way from his comfortable habitat at half back. Noticing he was moving freely enough we sent him back for the second half, the suspect calf seemingly well disguised.

Ironically, it would be his run and kicking that would land the first blow minutes into the final quarter as he slammed home a gem of a goal from the back flank. It was a mortal wound for  Point Cook. They would have preferred the solitude of the Buckley Street end coaches box I am sure of it. The chorus of Bernard's fans revelling in the rush of late goals, a comprehensive 42 point victory.

Most impressively, the boys who had started on the bench, our heroes, would all contribute heroic deeds, instrumental in many of our late goals. 21 strong, and that's how they sung the song.

There were tired bodies in the rooms following the game. Blood had been spilled, bones bruised, muscles ached. But hearts and minds were buzzing. Preliminary Final week, here we come. No regrets.

U12G Team Zucco