Sport / Football
NOBs’ finals aspirations suffer blow after home loss
Brunswick NOBs 6.6 (42) lost to UHS-VU 10.17 (77) at Gillon Oval
Tim Purdey
BRUNSWICK’S hopes of playing finals in their first season back in Division 1 of the VAFA appear to be over as they slumped to their fourth loss in five outings at the hands of a more desperate UHS-VU under sunny skies at Gillon Oval on Saturday.
Perhaps it was a case of mid-season blues, or just the absence of too many key players, but the NOBs were unusually flat and uncompetitive after quarter time against an opponent sitting below them on the ladder and whom they were expected to defeat on home turf.
The highlights for the NOBs came in the first quarter in the form of 17-year-old debutant Max Varley, playing on match permit from the Brunswick Junior Football Club, scoring a goal with his first kick – after roving the pack nicely – then following it up instantly from the next centre bounce with a classy major on the run from 35. Before that, Joe Gale had slotted the opening goal of the game and late in the term Paul Scamporlino extended Brunswick’s lead to 17 points as they looked the more assured side.
With the wind in Brunswick’s favour in the second term, it was expected that they would build a match-winning advantage, but UHS had other ideas as they took control of the midfield, and the NOBs couldn’t get their hands on the ball. With four straight behinds to start the quarter it looked like the visitors might be wasting their dominance, but they finally straightened themselves up to snag three majors and take a six-point lead. Daniel Mott tied the scores with Brunswick’s first score of the term after 21 minutes, then a couple of late behinds gave them an unconvincing lead at halftime.
UHS really put their stamp on the game in the third term, getting out to a three-goal lead with the breeze and depriving the NOBs of any scoring opportunities until they managed a single behind in the 24th minute.
With Brunswick’s final four prospects on the line, a big response was expected in the last quarter, and they started promisingly to drag it back to a 12-point margin in the fourth minute through a third goal for the day to Varley, this time from a well-taken set shot. But that was it for the NOBs, as they failed to score thereafter and conceded 3.5 to lose by 35 points in a thoroughly disappointing display.
The bright spot of the day was undoubtedly the debutant Max Varley who showed he is a player of real promise, with class and polish. Fletcher Banfield and Ben Wison battled hard against an opposition midfield that took the honours on the day. The defence also tried hard under heavy pressure, led by the returning Tahj Haddock, Whitlam Bishop and Ben Griffin.
The July bye comes at a good time for Brunswick as they look to pick themselves back up to face the big challenge of Old Peninsula away.
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