There were very few winners in the green and gold on Saturday. After two good performances against Brighton and Scotch, Old Trinity was exposed by a University Blue side that was faster, more skilled, more committed and better organised.

The first quarter seemed even enough – and it was on the field and in terms of endeavour. However by quarter time University Blues were ahead by 22 points, a margin that was virtually doubled, then trebled, in each stanza to the final margin of 83 points.
 

Though University was on top all over the ground, OT still played like a team with self belief. It was winning its share of the ball across the back half, but looked under pressure when they had it. And under pressure, the skills started to look very shaky, untidy, rushed. It was still trying to generate run, use the handball to break the lines, the kind of things it had done well in previous weeks, but nothing was coming off. By contrast University looked very clean, setting up many scoring opportunities with quick accurate handballs out of the stoppages. Matty Jessup, busy in the back half, was one of the few with clean skills.
The pattern did not change with the change of ends: Trinity had share of play but couldn’t produce clean, efficient football. Gradually, University’s dominance began to tell, and Trinity’s resolve began to wilt. The second half of the quarter was all Uni as they piled on the goals.
The long break gave the team a moment to regroup and for the coach to set some new goals. The belief still seemed to be that the game was not beyond redemption, as Trinity had yet to play to its demonstrated ability. The harsh reality of the day was made plain when University goaled within 30 seconds of the resumption, with a clean break from the middle, quick-fire handballs and an accurate pass to a leading forward. It set the tone for the quarter. The majority of play was played on Trinity’s half forward line. And while it showed more endeavour and intensity around the ball, all the hard work done in the middle of the ground would be undone by sloppy hand balls, rushed kicks, and no structure heading forward.
By comparison, University kicked four goals for the quarter where they moved the ball from their backline through the middle and to a leading forward coming up at the ball or a small running into the 50 (Pagans paddock style) without Trinity touching it. The lift in effort was not matched on the scoreboard as Trinity was outplayed, and out muscled all over the ground.
Taking up Chandler’s challenge, Andrew “Dipper” Bourke moved into the ruck from full back and provided some fight and started to take some contested marks around ground. Tim Chivers also had been one of the most consistent for the day, and had continually put his head over the ball. One of few who looked determined to not give Uni an easy run, he kicked a good goal from the boundary before getting a hit and having to come off.
The last quarter was a very ordinary, not to put too fine a point to it. Having implored the players for a big effort, coach Chandler moved everyone up the ground leaving Andrew “Rambo” Ramsden one out. However University continually had more numbers, as Trinity had no run. If Trinity had numbers at one end of the ground, they’d inevitably be thin at the other and turn the ball over uncontested. They didn’t spread – one seemed to be watching a game of tackers, a mass of players following the ball. By contrast, University set up behind the ball and whipped it out with a string of handballs to be running free through the middle. Long bombs into the forward fifty became the strategy though Rambo often had to battle against three or four. Meanwhile University continued on its merry way.
Tim Walsh, Joel Aitken and Kristian Butler, together with Chivers and Bourke, were among the better players, while Tim Howell, who continues to come on as a player, deserves a special mention. He took some strong marks against the flow and mopped up well in a dispiriting team performance.