From sweets to boiled lollies… from 8 goals straight last week to 3.6 this week - and many of the points very gettable. That was the start of a sorry day for Old Trinity who played a skilled and determined Old Haileybury – a side which belied its bottom-half position on the B-Section ladder.

Goals for both sides were concentrated amongst a very few players, with Andy Cultrera and Andrew Ramsden kicking 10 of 12 for the OTs, while Tony Brown and Nathan Holloway snagged 10 of 15 for the opposition.

Luke Pacconi did a sterling job on Robert Harvey, but he was still damaging. The home side got drubbed in the centre, with its prime movers missing - both mentally, and often physically. Stalwarts like Nick Howell, Jack Healy and Brendan Iezzi were mostly silenced on the day, while Tim Howell, Justin Kenna and Heath Banfield tried valiantly and were amongst the best.

Better news from the U19s camp and from the Ressies, who both scored impressive victories over their respective opponents – especially the Unders who won against top-four aspirant University Blues (see separate story).

Full Senior report – “Read More”

OTs Lose in Battle of the Tags

The formula was clear from the start: for OT to win it would have to nullify OH’s known champions. For OH to succeed it would have to curb OT’s rising stars. In the end the visitors did their job better.

Again it was a slow start for Old Trinity, who seemed almost star-struck in their hesitancy. Old Haileybury capitalised and kicked the first 2 goals. Eventually OT settled and had the better of the rest of the quarter, winning the ball consistently out of the middle and at the stoppages. The quarter finished with OT 4 points in front; indeed, it should have been further ahead and would have been had it kicked a little straighter.

The second quarter saw OH steady. Skill was the issue with OT, not endeavour. Andrew Ramsden and Andy Cultrera were both in good form. Ramsden in particular was winning his contests with his opposite number, especially when the ball was getting to him quickly and he found himself 1-on-1. OH was doing a good job blanketing the OT runners, to the extent that Trinity started to look for “smarter” options rather than trusting their first instincts, and this was not working. The shooting at goals was haphazard, and wasteful, not always caused by opposition pressure on the kicker. With 14 scoring shots to 10 at the big break, Trinity should not have been a goal (or rather six gettable points!) down.

But they were close. Would their renowned run in the second half win the day?

OT won the third stanza, the yips affecting OH this quarter rather than the home side. But it did not look convincing. Long bombs to the forward line were never going to prove decisive while one S Lowe roamed loose in defence and repelled repeated OT forays. Luke Pacconi was doing a terrific tagging job on Robert Harvey, but the quality and experience of the former AFL star could not be denied, and his constant clearances – especially from behind the centre square – were frustrating for the home side, and damaging. Two goals to ‘Rambo’ and 1 to ‘Cults’ left the slenderest of margins to be made up in the last quarter – just 2 points.

However, OH started the third quarter better and kicked the first 2 goals to extend the margin; Trinity dug deep and replied, with a goal to Heath Banfield – the margin back to under 2. Haileybury again charged away, with Brett Voss being particularly damaging. Three more goals in succession created a gap that could not be bridged, despite the best efforts of ‘Cults’ and ‘Rambo’ who kicked the last three of the game.

The final margin – 11 points – was a true reflection of the sides on the day, with OH’ own “trinity” of stars (Voss, Lowe, Harvey) being instrumental in the visitor’s victory, but with credit also going to their lesser lights who effectively blanketed most of the OT playmakers more effectively than OT could blanket theirs.

OLD TRINITY                3.6        5.9        8.11      12.14-86

OLD HAILEYBURY        3.2        7.3        9.7        15.7-97

OLD TRINITY

Goal Kickers: A. Cultrera 6, A. Ramsden 4, H. Banfield, W. Bowman

Best Players: L. Pacconi, T. Howell, A. Cultrera, A. Ramsden, H. Banfield, J. Kenna

OLD HAILEYBURY

Goal Kickers: A. Brown 5, N. Holloway 5, B. Voss 2, J. Pitcher, S. Loewe, S. Casey

Best Players: B. Voss, A. Brown, F. Mohammad, N. Holloway, T. Gill, D. MacKenzie