« Lonergan Recovering As Otto Gets Blotto | Main | Cats To Dip Toe In The Bradshaw Pool Again? »
September 11, 2006
Semi Final - VFL Cats Vs. North Ballarat
While this game was going on I was one of the 84,000 people watching the Bulldogs absolutely pump the Pies so I'll leave Jay Clark to tell us what went on:
A new wave of exciting young Cats signalled their arrival as players in the VFL team's remarkable six-point semi-final win over North Ballarat yesterday.No less than eight first and second-year draftees played their best game in the hoops in a dramatic comeback from 36 points down in the second quarter.
Midfielders Mathew Stokes, 21, and Brent Prismall, 20, were brilliant, sharing in nearly 70 possessions between them, while Nathan Ablett, 20, starred across half-forward kicking four goals, including three which turned the game just prior to half-time.
But it was maligned forward Kent Kingsley who proved the hero in a heart-stopping-final quarter, kicking two goals from superbly-judged marks in the dying minutes to claim a memorable victory at Port Melbourne.
Down by 12 points with five minutes left, explosive wingman Jason Davenport kicked a 50m gem on the run before Kingsley's two goals, which gave him five for the match, set up a preliminary final showdown against Collingwood affiliate Williamstown at TEAC Oval on Sunday.
Leigh Tudor described the victory as his greatest as VFL coach and paid tribute to his troops, some injured and completely exhausted, for their courageous final-quarter rally.
``It was a great win, I thought it was a brave win, a hard win and win that the players scrounged out themselves,'' Tudor said.
``They proved again today that they want to play, they want to play football for Geelong and I was really happy their sprit is in the right place.''
Tim Callan and Paul Koulouriotis were both inspirational, particularly in the second half when Callan again risked serious injury taking two of the marks of the year flying across the pack.
While Koulouriotis gathered 36 possessions in just three quarters playing with a badly bruised hip and a broken thumb injured five weeks ago.
The Cats looked out of the contest midway through the second term when 18-year-old back-up ruckman Trent West swung the ascendancy Geelong's way.
For the first time in the match, West gave the Cats first use in the middle often through Prismall and Stokes, who together also shared in a massive 26 hard ball gets and 14 clearances.
Ryan Gamble, 18, also had a day out snagging four goals, including the sealer, sparking jubilant scenes in the coaches box and on the field.
Great news. Prismall is a class act, while it sounds like we'll be seeing more of Stokes, Gamble & Ablett next year. I'd include Callan in that but Thompson obviously has a problem with him.
What the hey, I might even watch next week...
Posted by Sammy D at September 11, 2006 01:34 PM
Comments
Sammy, could we have THIS team play next year?
Posted by: Alison at September 16, 2006 12:49 AM