IN what could have been a perfectly still, sunny, warm winter’s day, moments before the opening siren, the oval was coated in a gentle white blanket of drizzle – just enough to whet the appetite for what was to come.
Craig Constable, Arnold Stellmaker, and Jackson Taylor from Grassy topped up for Currie, and with Tyler Smith back from suspension, Currie had just enough players to get on the ground.
With the dew, the ground was heavy, making running and roving hard work. It was on and Beau Mullin to Luke Graham inside North’s forward line kicked it just short. A nice bit of running from Michael Laskey saw him run clear of the contest, kicking into Tom Graham, who had a shot, but it fell short on the heavy track for a behind. Luke Graham snapped around the body for North’s second. Keenan Fanning under pressure got the ball to Dale Ellis but the play then became congested.
Currie’s pressure in the middle had been strong, and they forced the free to Brodie Milgate. Jak Youd kicked out after a point directly to North’s Luke Graham, and North got a free shot and goal.
The rain before the game and the thick wet, dead air had made a flat, heavy ball with no bounce. Several kicks fell shorter than intended and bouncing the ball on the run had seen it fall flat every time. If North had been more accurate, they would have really kicked away in the first quarter, however, at quarter time, they were still 27 points up.
There was certainly no wind advantage on Saturday, and the second quarter had Jackson Taylor open the quarter for Currie with a poster.
Jye Summers took a lovely grab on the wing as North went forward into Luke Graham, then in short to Jeramy Summers, who was going to line up… and goal. Clint Stretton had a shot on for another Currie behind. Jackson was rewarded for a run-down tackle and quickly kicked it into Constable, who kicked Currie’s first goal.
Justin Summers sat on top of Jack Worral’s shoulder to take a nice mark and took it into North’s forward line with a quick reply to Currie’s goal. Another behind for Currie. Their end saw plenty of action in the quarter and was about to see some more with Youd out of defence into Milgate for Currie, who drove it forward before Ned Hunter ran it back out.
The competition felt more even in the second quarter, the ball was lighter, and kicking was more accurate with both teams seeing plenty of it and using their running players through the centre really well.
Keenan kicked nicely for North. Justin Summers seemed to be playing unmanned in the centre of the ground. He took an easy mark and got a 50 but missed slightly to the left, to see North go in at halftime 49 points up.
Justin Summers opened the third quarter with a North goal. Currie, through Milgate to Tom Graham and Taylor, combined well in Currie’s back line.
Stellmaker marked for Currie up forward but couldn’t hit Clint cleanly with Smith taking a big shot for Currie, which was marked on the goal line by Mullins. Currie did not squander the opportunity and locked the ball in their forward line.
Youd got a behind, but the strong forward pressure gave Clint a crack, and this time he didn’t miss. Matthew Button into Jeramy Summers about 30 out, with Jeramy on target with a goal for North. Jeramy shared the next opportunity around when he passed it to Jye Summers for another one.
Jye had another go but scored only a behind, quickly followed by Jeramy slotting it through for another goal. The weather might have been cooling off, but it was a hot Summers’ day on the field with Jeramy, Justin, and Jye.
Currie clawed one back late in the third, as a dark cloud cover descended. Currie was missing a few of their key position players, and this was not the Currie outfit of last week as North went into the last break 78 points up.
The start of the last quarter saw Currie go forward through a 50-meter penalty, but it only resulted in a Currie behind. Bailey Rainbow with a big kick out to Ned with clean hands. He drove it forward to a contest where it spilled out into the pocket.
Luke Graham gathered from Justin Summers, which saw a bit more contested play before North found the goals. Mullins, who was looking sore after a knock to the crown jewels, pulled himself up and scored another North goal. Ned with a fruitless punch in the centre gave a free to Tom Graham, who was accurate with his kick to the steady hands of Clint, who found another point.
Brett Noonan took a mark in front for North and kicked his first-ever goal, surrounded by his teammates congratulating him. Constable from the pocket centred in for Currie, and Tom Graham took a big mark and finished it off nicely. Currie immediately went forward again, Taylor to Laskey, Taylor again into Milgate, but the centring kick was intercepted by David Vellekoop.
Ellis kicked forward from an intercept and had to chase his own work with no one home in the pocket. His hard work was rewarded with a shot on goal that missed to the right. Luke Graham, who had a standout game, lined up another shot in front for North and scored. Tom Graham took the ball out of the centre bounce, into Milgate, to Taylor, who was caught by Mallinson right on the final siren, ending an eerily windless, still game as the afternoon blackened around the ground with North running out a comfortable winner by 86 points.
Next week is the mid-season long weekend break, so we will be back on June 17 for the Grassy v North.