THE weather gods combined all previous weather, for the semi-final, as if to test the teams on any conditions, and with last week’s contest decided by a point after the siren and the winner of today to meet Grassy in the Grand Final next week, it will be a high-risk high-reward game.
North won the toss and elected to kick against a stiff breeze. North were also wearing black armbands for the passing this week of Brian Crack.
North get the first clearance and goes to Bailey Rainbow near the North bench, who drives it forward, but Jak Youd at full-back takes possession.
He moves it quickly to Tyler Smith and onto Joel Williams (Mole) who escorts Currie out of trouble. In the middle, Ned Hunter gets hold of James Jakawenko and is rewarded, but only as far as Sukma Bowling.
Currie get their first forward entry, but Taylor Cook receives a free and darts a kick that Jeramy Summers marks and continues along the boundary to a contest.
Jack Worral and Keenan Fanning see a lot of ruck contests early. When a Dale Ellis kick finds its way out on the full Currie get possession to go forward, a spearing kick into the wide pocket with Clint Stretton marking and converts into a goal and the first score of the game.
This is quickly followed by another when Stretton and Campbell Keeler link up in close to get Currie’s second.
The contest is finals-worthy today, with no easy possession, very little space to move with the ball and lots of body-on-body contact. Currie have fixed their tackles up from the last couple of weeks, everything sticking, and a tidy backline which Jez Summers finds out when he goes forward with no options but to follow up his own ball.
A light but dense rain begins to fall as an unmanned Tom Graham leads from the point post and takes a mark and easy goal, to give Currie 4 unanswered goals.
Justin Summers lets his presence be felt in the centre with some hard tackles, but the Currie backline cannot be trifled with. Graham, with a mark on the siren gets Currie’s fifth after the quarter-time siren and 30 points up. AT the quarter-time break, the rain stopped, although the clouds still threaten.
Currie get the first clearance but see it over the line on the full on the wing, but the North kick-in is directed straight for Jak Youd, on the opposing team, and goes quickly forward to a contest and a rushed behind.
Jakawenko from the Grassy pocket gets another one for Currie.
The Hunter v Doug Cox contest is a quick and fierce match-up, seeing plenty of run in the middle. Justin Summers effects a turnover and gets it to Jeramy who goes to the boundary line for a behind.
Currie are just thirsty for it, the pressure they’re applying to every North possession is relentless. The North forward line is seeing more of it this quarter but thus far have not been able to convert on the scoreboard. Blaze Mallinson with a free gives off a spearing kick to Mathew Button on the lead, who misses everything and finds the boundary. Jeramy Summers takes the ball out of a throw-up and does the work himself and gets a kick-off and finds North’s first goal of the game. Currie on a turnover take it down the corridor and with little fuss get it into Graham for another Currie goal.
Unfortunately, it appears North have one move, the switch up the canteen wing and it isn’t working today. Button strips Cox of the ball and gets a second chance at a shot he had earlier, and this time does not make a mistake for North’s second. Jeramy goes over the head of Keeler in defence for another one for North, Currie get their right of reply moments later and Graham gets a behind.
Currie are leaving the door open with their accuracy. Currie pass is amongst themselves in the centre waiting for a clean entry and find it with a spearing kick to Bellchambers on the Grassy pocket, it literally hits the post as the half-time siren sounds. At the long break, there are 4 straight kicks in it. THE third quarter starts with a Jack Worral v Jez Summers ruck, and immediately a contested ball ensues, there is no clear clearance which results in a ball up. Currie go forward but Rainbow, Riley Badenock and Cook have themselves organised for the ball’s quick exit. Down at the North end Ellis marks and will get a shot from the pocket and he opens the half with a North goal. Currie go forward for a rushed behind but Bowling marks the kick out and sends it back in quickly to Keeler who has a shot for a behind. North haven’t come up with a new strategy at half time and again continue their move up the canteen wing unsuccessfully and Currie get a turnover.
In the Currie forward line, Bowling has a shot on a sharp angle and finds the post. In a shock turn, North go up the canteen wing where it finds congestion and a throw-in. Tom Graham v Jye Summers in the fierce forward contest that Graham comes out of second best and is escorted to the boundary by a trainer in what could be a knee.
Button, having a blinder, centres to Hunter who goes direct to Tyler Smith of Currie waiting at full forward for a turnover. Riley in defence at the other end uses his speed to tidy up a loose ball and sends it forward. There is a sudden chill in the air, and the rain threatens to fall harder. Jakawenko shoots for goal, not far from his position at the end of last week’s game, maybe a little closer, for the same result, a behind. Stretten is proving to be a handy kick for Currie and treats himself to one from 40 out on a strong angle. Stretton marks and runs himself into a stationary Button but bounces off lively. Currie switches it and gets it to Bowling on the run who scores another for Currie.
Cook takes a nice defensive mark and North go forward, slowly, but the Currie defence is robotic and return it forward. At the final break Currie are up by 35 points, you would think, considering the conditions they may have this one stitched up, but anything can happen in a finals series. NORTH get the first clearance at the start of the last quarter through Ellis, Youd takes possession momentarily until he’s stripped of it by Luke Graham for a free, and moments later Rainbow is going for goal and this would be a quick start for North. He executes. Pressure is on immediately at the bounce of the ball, no one takes it cleanly and several ball ups later, North go forward only to find Tyler Smith. Currie inches it forward, until it spills from the pack to Luke Morris who turns on his heels and kicks one for Currie.
A sore-looking Luke Graham gets a 50 and takes a sure thing for North. The rain sheets in, vertical blankets from the North across the ground and Currie begin to try and slow things down, with still another 8 minutes to go. It’s a long time to chip it around but they slowly move it forward and get a behind.
The ball goes forward for Currie, and Jeramy in a ruck contest boots it out, Bowling chases it down and drives it forward but Hunter intercepts and sees it back out. Currie regain possession in North’s forward and begin to chip it amongst themselves again, the congestion continues in what, compared to last weekend, is a lacklustre finish to a semi-final. At 4.25, the siren sounds, and Currie convincingly get themselves into the 2023 Grand Final. If Currie brings this level of pressure and athleticism, it will definitely give Grassy something to think about next week. They may need to spend some time on target practice this week because 11 goals from 22 shots will not likely win Grand Finals.
Will Grassy’s two weeks off give them the advantage of fresh legs or the staleness of limited game time for their chance at a threepeat?
Or will Currie become a surprise smokey for the flag? King Island Football
Association Scores
19-08-2023 Juniors
(last
roster
game) North Grassy
5-4-34 1-2-8
8-5-53 2-4-16
13-9-87 4-4-28
14-10-94 7-6-48 North
Goals: Harrison Lincoln 6, M. Button 4, O. Martin 3, G. Freeman
Best: M. Button, M. Poulsen, T. Button, S. Bell, G. Freeman, Harrison Lincoln, O. Martin
Grassy
Goals: T. Berkin 2, G. Freeman 2, Cruz Osborne, G. Smith, S. Bell
Best: C. Osborne, T. Berkin, R. Esquerra, H. Harvey, C. Harding, T. Payne, S. Bell Seniors
(semifinal) North Currie
0-1-1 5-1-31
3-3-21 7-5-47
4-4-28 10-9-69
6-5-41 11-11-77 North
Goals: Jeramy Summers 2, M. Button, D. Ellis, B. Rainbow, L. Graham
Best: N. Hunter, M. Button, Jeramy Summers, Jye Summers, K. Fanning, D. Ellis
Currie
Goals: T. Graham 3, C. Stretton 2, J. Jakowenko 2, L. Morris 2, C. Keeler, S. Bowling
Best: Joel Williams, S. Bowling, J. Bellchambers, D. Cox, C. Stretton, J. Youd, T. Smith, J. Worral, D. Beecroft