THERE was only a smattering of clouds in an otherwise soft pastel sky, a gentle westerly breeze that would not provide much favour at last Saturdays footy.
Rainbow, Ellis and Fanning topped up Currie and no Noseda for Grassy.
Graham and Wardlaw encountered the first contested ball just outside the centre with no clear winner. Dylan Keeley laid a nice tackle on statuesque Worrall for the free and got another possession shortly after and made his mark on the game early. Grassy is the first to score. Blomfield soccered the ball off the ground and won a foot race to send it down Grassy way. Currie’s defence looked steady and organised early but came under plenty of pressure and Grassy got another goal from their fourth forward entry.
Doherty to Laskey and Currie almost went forward before they found Wardlaw waiting underneath a high ball who took it cleanly and sent it back forward for Grassy into Tyler Rhodes, who lined up for a big set shot he has been tasked with this year but came out with a minor score. Currie’s forward looked far less organised than their back and after several opportunities were left wanting.
North stand in, Bailey Rainbow, is the first to find a goal for Currie from a nice mark. It was a good hard contest for the first quarter, Grassy was able to capitalise where it mattered and went into the quarter time break with an 11-point lead.
Forrest announced himself at the start of the second quarter winning the contest on the wing to centre it in the goal square where Tyler Rhodes couldn’t take the mark cleanly and it dropped into contest. It was a Tyler duo in Hudson and Rhodes in the Grassy forward, but they struggled to convert into anything meaningful early on. Reeves took a sweeping intercept mark in front of Graham. The sun ducked behind a cloud so it cooled, but still no threat of rain. Hudson received from a throw-in and kicked it, check side which sailed through the centre, Grassy threatened to make a field day out of this. Tristan Forrest was held by Tyler Smith and received a free on the wing which he tried to centre to J Taylor but was inaccurate, contest ensued, and there was a ferocity in that contest which hinted to the simmering tension of finals not too far away.
Peter Cole took the ball from a canteen wing contest and ran towards goal and under the encouragement of Hudson continued for the running shot and executed with accuracy. Currie have so far had only been able to find a lone goal and so far in this quarter had not looked like threatening the other.
Forrest took a quick shot at goal but found the post. The ball found its way into the Currie forward and out of a scrappy contest they located their second goal of the match. On their second attempt forward in as many minutes, Constable was waiting at full back, took the mark and sent it out for Grassy.
But Currie looked more threatening in the second half of this quarter, tidied up some play at the expense of their backline though who were caught out of position, when Dylan Keeley intercepted a kick-in and got an easy one into Tyler Rhodes for a walk-up goal. Dylan Keeley fancied himself down the wing, ran to centre and kicked a behind.
Brady Rhodes, in his 100th game took a nice mark with the sun in his eyes right before half-time siren sounded.
The second half started under a grey cloud but stayed dry. Grassy opened with a long shot and was off target for a behind. Rainbow took a kick in for Currie, played on with a long centring kick to Tyler Smith, who collided with Brady Rhodes, the ball popped over to Bellchambers forward. Laskey went into Ellis, over his head and Reeves for Grassy mopped up but straight back into Laskey who had a shot for goal. The kick was short to a waiting Tom Graham in the goal square who kicked on a sharp angle, straight through goal for Currie to open the second half.
Laskey and Blomfield went up in the ruck, Jackson Taylor took it off the centre with Doug Cox hanging on. Tyler Smith played an electric game for Currie, full of spirit. He got it out of the Grassy backline to Laskey forward where it was marked and goal to Bellchambers. Currie’s defence rallied in the second half and looked slick. Currie went forward and scored another on the run. Currie went forward again and Wardlaw rushed through a behind for Currie. Wardlaw and Graham had an intense physical battle and Graham got the better of this one but converted to a behind. Currie locked it in their forward this quarter.
The pressure around Grassy kick in’s lifted but they continued to get point after point. I wonder what was in Mole’s Motivational words at half time because they must have struck a chord, Currie came out at the long break a new side. Jackawenko had a shot for another behind. Grassy took it forward and goaled with little fuss. Bellchambers took a quick kick from the hand off from Ellis, banged at through for a goal The score line narrowed to just 10 points. It was back in Currie’s forward and Mole ran into an open goal, he didn’t muck around, had a fresh haircut and it said I mean business. Brad Mead marked into Tyler Hudson, but it came back out of Grassy’s forward, Graham into Jakowenko’s mark and Bellchambers ran in the forward but Wardlaw steadied and marked in the back.
Contest contest contest. Jakowenko, alone on the wing, put it forward to a Wardlaw versus Bellchambers contest until it dribbled over the boundary throw in, Freshly tanned Doug sprints from a pack for a goal all the sudden, after a flurry of Currie goals in the third , Currie found themselves in front, and they went forward again. Rainbow leap frogged over Frosi to take possession, Williams versus Reeves in a spicy contest. Currie had a fresh sense of urgency. Mole centred to Graham who used his physicality to fend off Wardlaw and took the mark and played on for the sure goal.
At the last break Currie went in 8 points up. The term started with a fierce contest in the middle, Bellchambers and Brady Rhodes looked like they might make out for a moment but they don’t, it was simply heated. Several players are immediately in the Currie forward. J Taylor and Wardlaw linked up for a nice piece of play which didn’t get far, as the ball remained in Currie’s forward. When Grassy went forward, Dylan Keeley marked, popped it over the top to Sam Reeves who finished the job, a goal for Grassy. Currie felt feisty and lost discipline for it. A free went to Tyler Hudson who popped it across to Peter Cole. He got it forward, Smith versus Rhodes. Smith had a lovely smother of the Rhodes kick, and he was fired up. Tyler Rhodes made the most of his chances and kicked a goal, to even the score. Tyler Hudson then received a free, kicked it into the post. The pressure was fierce in this last quarter, both teams hungry for a win. A menacing dark cloud formed over the oval. Currie tried to take it out of Grassy’s forward, Forrest wasn’t having it though and spoiled with a fist and it goes over the boundary. Jackson Taylor ran up the pocket, got a kick off, seconds before he was mauled by Youd, but was rewarded with the goal.
The crowd was involved. The pressure was high. The shadowy cloud continued in what was easily one of the best finishes we’ve seen this year. The last quarter is a blur of bodies, contests, ball ups, pressure, second efforts. And Jackson Taylor gets his second goal in as many minutes which you think will seal the win for Grassy The first few specks of rain fell as Jakawenko kicked from the pocket and clipped the post for a behind. Rhodes also pressure tested the point post moments later at the other end, in the dying moments of the game.
Grassy got away with this one with a 13-point win. The contest between all three teams coming into the business end of the season is fierce, in tight, convincing an onlooker it could be any team that stands up in August to take the 2023 flag and it will be an exciting run into the final this year.