ROUND 14 has a mostly sunny, light smattering of cloud, slightly breezy, but otherwise bright August day for local footy. And to prove it, cars are sardined in around the oval with a big turnout for the second last round of the season.
Currie takes on Grassy and both teams are able to fill out team sheets of 16 for today’s game – which is a nice change. Brandon Blomfield v Michael Laskey go up at the centre bounce, and Currie are the first to go forward through Doug Cox into Tom Graham who puts it to the top of the goal square to a Campbell Keeler v Ryan Frosi contest; it spills out the back and Bradey Rhodes collects it but is a little wayward with the kick, kicking it out on the full in the Currie forward line.
Keeler capitalises from the free and opens with Currie’s first.
Moments later, Tyler Rhodes in the Grassy forward line, marks on the lead and takes his shot at a 60-degree angle and comes away with the chocolates.
Keeler with a snap kick from the boundary line finds a minor score for Currie,
Aaron Wardlaw whirls out of the contest in defence for Grassy, but his kick is errant and out on the full. Currie get their second goal through James Jakawenko.
Josh Bellchambers marks in defence, and centres to Jakawenko, who marks and kicks to a good contest in the middle of the field with plenty of bodies in tight. Doug Cox looks like he’s struggling after a bit of a run (someone run him out a vape!)
Jack Noseda back in for Grassy makes himself known, taking an intercept mark close to centre, and delivers the kick cleanly into T Rhodes for his second shot at goal which is just offline. Tyler Smith is relentless in the Currie backline, and there is plenty of play in the Grassy forward line to test him.
Jackson Taylor gets a free and misses, Grassy’s accuracy might be something to discuss at quarter time. Grassy’s backline are organised and efficient, easily beating the two Currie forwards. Dale Reed (Reedy) then lines up from the Grassy pocket, bombing it in for a behind.
The Grassy play seems to be big kicks from long and wide which is not paying off as often as they’d like, but getting close to goal is a luxury not afforded often by either team in the first quarter.
A Keeler v Frosi match up in the Currie forward line sees Frosi end up with the free. Grassy get another unfashionable goal from a contest just in front of their goal and go into the first break 8 points up, but there has been some delicious even contests on the field.
Tyler Husdon opens the second quarter with a Grassy goal. Tyler Rhodes can’t miss a mark, taking one low, 30 metres out, and he’s got his eye in after the first quarter warm up and gets the goal.
Currie strings a set of marks together to get down the field but is interrupted by a Grassy spoil. T Rhodes marks again almost straight in front about 40 out, has a punt, and goals as Grassy starts to take control of the game.
Currie go forward with a free for Graham, and Clint Stretten takes a mark on the lead and boots it into a contest where Bellchambers takes a strong mark and will line up straight in front 20 or so out, but the kick drifts for a behind.
Brady Rhodes gives off after a free right in front to T Rhodes for a goal.
They have obviously keenly read the leading goal kicker stats on the Facebook page and are looking to lock down a speech at Keating Medal night. Reedy to Noseda who snap another Grassy goal.
Laskey with a free in the centre kicks into Stretten up forward to see the ball go to ground with Sukma Bowling kicking it off for a goal.
T Rhodes ends up with the ball again taking a shot from a long way out for a behind. Moments later, the half time siren sounds to see Grassy up by 31 points.
Grassy open the third with another goal to T. Rhodes. Stretten marks and has a shot but misses, but Stretten hits his stride as he and Joel Williams (Mole) go to work against Marty Monson in their forward line and Clint soccers through a Currie goal.
Grassy replies quickly through J Taylor with a nice running goal. Freddy Tatawaqua kicks the ball forward for Grassy to J Taylor who marks on a slight angle, and the kick is good for a goal. Blomfield tackles Ben Doherty to get the ball and drives it forward, where Dylan Beecroft intercepts, sends it back forward for Currie, Jakawenko marks, but no one is back for Grassy and he chips it into a waiting Jak Youd for an easy goal.
Reedy has a chance from the Grassy pocket, but only a behind results. Arnie Stellmaker marks right in front for a sure goal. Graham marks going back with the flight of the ball, but his kick can only manage a behind.
Currie are struggling with effective tackles and have suffered a couple of friendly-fire collisions, particularly in their own forward line, a little something for coach Joel Williams to work on for next week. Reed to Tyler Rhodes in front, for another Grassy goal, to see them go in at lemons, 54 points up.
All the play initially is in the Grassy forward line and after some time they get their shot on and hit the post. Currie executes their kick-in well and head directly to the other end for a goal. The contest in the last quarter is competitive. Bowling and Williams team up in defence for an exit to Youd, but it goes forward into deeply contested play. Grassy attack again and get a nice little bullet into B Rhodes who pops it through for a short goal.
Currie goes forward and Stretten employs some fancy footwork around a Grassy defender and secures a goal. Craig Constable wraps up Youd for a free and goes forward.
Loki Bell gets it out to Doherty, before Noseda gains control and shrugs off a couple of attacks, goes forward and T Rhodes marks in in the pocket, for another goal. Noseda v Beecroft sees Beecroft come away with it and drives it forward, but Currie can only muster a behind.
Wardlaw kicked in with a long kick to B Rhodes who gets it forward to a T Rhodes who ends up with a free. He short passes into Tyler Hudson who is all alone in the goal square for an easy goal. Currie gets the last goal of the match but finds themselves with a 56-point deficit at the final siren. Next week North and Currie will battle out our last roster game of the season and then they will meet again the following week in the semifinal, so it will be interesting to see how both teams will tackle this game.