A THICK, pale grey cloud blankets the sky during the afternoon of play today, a decent crowd attends, and the pressing of August seems to have coaxed many semi-retired gentlemen into shorts.
There were some schoolies and some returns from injury for both sides.
Michael Laskey v Jeremy Summers started in the centre ruck to open the game as a sheet of drizzle appears. Sukma Bowling in his return to AFL, gets the first look at a score but only manages a behind. Tyler Smith in front of David Vellakoop brings the ball to ground but Luke Graham mops up with a quick shot on goal and gets the major for North.
Quickly it turns to wet weather football, heavy drops falling straight down with little breeze which is less than ideal conditions for reporting.
Charlie Raff lines up for Currie 40 out in front which had a nice curve on it but edges straight into the post. Bowling and Josh Bellchambers link up for a turn over which they get into Laskey for Currie’s first goal of the game.
Beau Mullins in defence for North saves one but it appears North were not ready for the turnover and unequipped to capitalise which Currie immediately makes them pay for with another goal.
The rain has all but stopped but left the ground and ball slippery making things kind of unsteady that sees bodies sliding into knees, opponents hard to hold on, speed hard to gain and marks near impossible.
Currie are caught snoozing in defence with hardly a man manned up, which gives Luke Graham an easy mark which comes off the side of the boot, he gets another chance a few minutes after from a similar position after a free which he takes quickly and snaps for North’s second.
I’m not sure if it’s the fullness of their beards or the lightness on their feet but the Tyler Smith v Justin Summers make a terribly satisfying physical match up.
Bellchambers continues his second half of the season charge for Keating votes and pops another one through for Currie, and they quickly get a fourth without so much as second glance to see them up by 13 points at quarter time.
The second quarter contest around the ball, perhaps aided by the weather is excellent wet weather football, players in deep and tight, a long period of contested ball in the Currie forward line is well fought and eventually results in a Currie goal.
Luke Morris takes a strong mark on the lead, kicks for goal that is just touched on the line.
But Currie lock it into their 40 and quickly get another shot and behind. Matthew Button is doing some nice ball winning in the centre for North, but Currie continues to push forward. Campbell Keller gets a free just outside the square and capitalises. Riley Badenoch in North’s defence takes a nice intercept mark, out to Ned Hunter who kicks to Bellchambers for a clean intercept mark.
Jak Youd gets a goal and it’s a fiesta for Currie today. North lines up from a free after the half time siren but are unable to capitalize to see them down by 31 points at half time.
North have some work to do in the second half if they fancy staying in this game. But the rain has decided to move in, it’s that pesky house guest who has now purchased a futon from Buy/Swap/Sell, set up camp in your sunroom and doesn’t get your less than subtle hints they’re not welcome.
It’s settled in so I’m sure things are happening out there that I, and therefore you, are not privy to. I open the window and get wet, defog the windows, as is my dedication to this report.
Things are happening, I can see Joel Williams (Mole) take a nice mark (hard to do right now), and kick it forward, where it hits a contest and comes back out. Bodies go to ground and Currie gets a point.
North kick forward to nothing, and you can’t do that around Dillon Beecroft who mops it up swiftly, sends it forward for Currie who immediately makes North pay.
Alex Goldsmith runs nicely from a pack with the ball and gets it into Justin Summers, Brett Noonan is ready for a clean shepard while Justin Summers ensures the last goal of the term to give North something to go into the last break with.
North start the last quarter 31 points down and are immediately hungry to go forward but can only manifest a point.
Alex Goldsmith intercepts for North, back into Hunter, to Jeremy in close to North goals with a contest only to have Bowling and Raff see it come out.
But North have set up the centre wall, Jeremy puts it back forward but cannot capitalise on the scoreboard. The thirst is eventually quenched and North get a goal.
All of the play in the last quarter so far has been played in the North forward line. Youd gets a shot on the run but kicks it short straight into Vellakoop, shortly after he gets his chance to redeem himself and doesn’t miss this opportunity for Currie’s first goal of the final quarter. Jeremy at centre half kicks the ball into the man on the mark, Justin muddles with the ball and eventually gets it in for a behind.
Richard Sutton, in his first appearance on the ground, marks 40 out but isn’t willing to conjure up some magic from his youth and jabs it forward to a contest. Justin takes a mark cleanly and North go forward, they make it look like hard work but eventually find goals. It is completely still, rainless, the noise of the whistle carries across the ground, these are the conditions, perhaps minus the slip that the rain has left, you dream of in winter.
Currie go forward, Jakawenko has a shot from the pocket but centers it, I think it was to Mole but Bowling mops it up and gets a clean shot on for a goal.
Justin Summers gets a shot on from the pocket for North, as the siren goes. He goes back to take it and manages a point, but North win the final quarter. At the conclusion, Currie win by 30 points.
With one game left in July and three games left of the home and away season, here’s the interesting part; any team, at their best, can beat anyone else. August will test who has their ducks lined up; who is able to bring their best in the premiership season, who can have their best players ready and can put their best four quarters together. Each team at their best, is good enough to take out the 2023 premiership.