Eastern Eyre Football
A Grade
CLEVE v COWELL…I’ve heard of people hoarding their lunch money but Jonesy has taken it to the extreme. It’s common for one of the goal umpires to supply the lira for the toss of the coin – and this time round Jonesy has produced the coin – no ordinary coin – a 1930 penny that he carries around amongst his fob pocket loose change.
Cowell won the toss and lost the match.
A bit did happen in between.
Having won the toss and elected to kick towards Japan, Cowell did most of the early attacking but had difficulty breaching the cohesive Bomber defensive unit of Kane Schubert, Elliott Claxton, Rowdy Leonard, Jake Stutley and Trent Duncan.
They were combining well and playing disciplined football, taking every opportunity to transfer the ball to the attacking side of the ground which rewarded the forwards.
Jess Kenny, Dylan Jenner (2) and Jason Perkins all snagged first quarter goals – at the other end of the ground only Nick Gale kicked truly.
The second quarter belonged to the Cats; they booted five for the quarter kick-started by a nice goal to ‘Tuffers’ who converted from the wrong pocket for a left legger.
Nick Franklin followed suite kicking one from further out on a similar line and later added another two (three for him for the quarter) and when Tyler Franklin kicked truly from 45 out on the run the Cats had closed to within a point at the long break.
But there wasn’t much celebrating on the mound – in fact the mound was deserted, much like a closely guarded North Korean launch site – just a lonesome rocket ready to launch; and not a cat within cooee.
Cleve had wasted their second quarter opportunities with some ‘worm-burners’ and a few other mongrel punts that don’t appear in any of the standard text coaching manuals.
Jess Kenny took his personal goal tally to two from a relayed free kick and Percy Butterfield added the only other Cleve goal for the quarter when he swooped on a loose ball inside the goal square.
The third quarter mirrored the second; five goals (all singles) to two in favour of the Cats and they would take a handy three goal lead into the last quarter.
Steve Wildman who had sat out the first half replaced Mick Edwards who came off injured and was one of the individual goalkickers, the others were Marc Mercer, Tuffers, Rhett Sims, and Nick Franklin who kicked his fourth after taking 147 bounces down the clubhouse side of the oval.
Goals to Jess Kenny and Digger Donahue (who took the kick for a wounded Dylan Jenner) kept the Bombers in touch and I had it on good authority that the Cats hadn’t been eating their whiskas and might well run out of puff.
That info was on the money.
For, most of the last quarter Cowell played without their customary attacking flair, they were happy to stay on the dead side of the ground and were kicking around corners – subsequently they missed targets and the Cleve defenders, led sublimely by Kane Schubert took control.
Cleve’s midfielders/on-ballers were getting plenty of the ball, Jason Perkins topped off a vote-winning game with a fantastic slips mark at full stretch and along with Jess Kenny they set-up many attacking moves.
Matthew Quinn came into the game with a couple of important marks inside 50 and at one point found himself in Pagans Paddock and strolled in for the easiest of goals.
Cleve tried hard to lose the game but in the end it was one of their nine last quarter points that got them over the line - by the barest of margins 10-16 (76) to 11-9 (75).
For my money the Bombers best over four quarters were Jess Kenny and Jason Perkins followed by defenders Kane Schubert and Elliott Claxton.
Rowdy Leonard looks like he has fully recovered from his ‘hammy’ and Trent Duncan continues to impress with some important one per centers off the ball. Stalwarts Wayne Piggott and Buzz Fiegert led the way for the Cats and Nick Franklin was clearly their most potent forward.
Based on Saturday’s results, it would seem the A Grade competition is alive and well, I’d doubt there’s ever been a round in Eastern Eyre football history where both matches have been decided by a point!
Cleve 10-16 (76) d Cowell 11-9 (75)
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