FROHL’S BIRTHDAY TREAT
Andrew Frohling celebrated his birthday at the Superules match of the season on Sunday against Sacred Heart.
Coach Dave Piro gave “Frohls” an unexpected present by starting the despised defender at full forward.
Previously banned from crossing the centre line to enter the forward half, the birthday boy had a visa to co-exist with some of the “hungriest” footballers in the competition. The other gift came in the form of a team present when the Hills’ Supertigers triumphed over the college boys in the highest standard game in a decade.
Still smarting from their loss to the Hills’ team last year, in a showdown for the unofficial premiership, they fronted with a team of stars. Current Sturt coach Luke Norman led the charge with strong support from former Fremantle star Chris Groom and a host of former SANFL and AFL players.
The first 10 minutes was frenetic with hard bodies at the ball and powerful tackles stopping players in their tracks. Once in the clear, precise kicks and strong marking were features of a game which resembled a Saturday match much more than the sedate endeavours of ageing “has beens” mixed with a few players who really “never were”.
It was only the straight kicking of the Hills team which saw them lead by 4 straight goals to 2 goals 3 behinds at quarter time. New comer Richard Slater and old hand Rob McGregor both slotted classy goals staking claims for much sought after forward spots.
The hectic pace of the game was maintained in the second quarter and had it not been for the fanatical efforts of the Hills’ defence the momentum may have shifted.
Chris “Fritz” Geraghty was supreme as he rebounded fearlessly and Dave “Runt” Wuttke intercepted attacks better than the “Star Wars” missile defence system.
Leading by 17 points at half time coach, Dave Piro, knew that he had to pull something special out of the bag and so told the same joke twice, just so everybody could get it. This worked a treat as a 4 goals to 2 third quarter all but sealed the match.
This period of play was not without incident however, as Chris Hill, having nailed a second quarter goal, now had a taste for it. Marking on an angle at the 30 metre mark he was quickly and wisely advised that Dick Kleemann was on his own in the goal square. Hill kept his head down over the ball, muttered “Stuff him” and proceeded to slot through a minor score.
Many believed Kim Pearce left the ground with a heel injury but he had actually just completed an exhaustive head count. 24 Hills’ players in Tiger uniform, two on the side line and only 22 cans of beer in the esky. It was a “no brainer” for Kim; he just had to get into the change rooms before anyone else.
The eccentric behaviours of the Hill’s players delivered a number of AFL options to the VB march to the Victory Hotel.
Chris Hill joined Gary “Specky” Magee and Troy Snooks behind the “Forwards Who Don’t Like To Pass Off” banner while Chris Geraghty and Wayne Seymour formed the “Balder We Get The Better We Are” cohort.
Dave McGill and Alex Tucker signed up for the “Players Who Others Love To Crunch” team and Dick Kleemann, Mark Jaensch and Simon Kemp were “Men Who Love To Run”. Aleks Bojanic and Tommy formed the “Players who keep their own statics brigade, with Aleks able to articulate the fact that of his 4 touches, 3 resulted in goal assists.
Wuttke, Tom Hancock, McGegor and Paul Zoontjens became “People Who Play In Defiance Of Medical Advice and Common Sense ” but despite their obvious differences the team marched on as one.
Adversity prompts different responses from people. Faced with the prospect of an unsavory defeat, SHOC took the field with 19 players at the start of the final quarter and nailed the first two goals to make it a tight contest. Once normality was restored the Hills’ team regained composure and closed out the game.
For a game played with such intensity, there were no spiteful or aggravated moments, and the match became a triumph for the spirit of Superules.
Alex Tucker did add interest to the next encounter between the two teams by explaining, with great sincerity to the vanquished SHOC foe, that by getting within 4 goals of the Hills’ team they had performed better than any one else this season.
HILLS 13 – 5 SHOC 9 – 6
Best: Geraghty, Wuttke, Thomson, Kleemann, Kemp, Tucker, Seymour
Goals: Kleemann 3, Magee, Ormsby, Snooks 2, Slater, McGregor, Hill, Watt 1
Friday, August 14, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Tigers Maintain Perfect Season
Supertigers Claim Premiership...
The long anticipated match of the year between league heavyweights, Hills Supertigers and the Sacred Heart Old Collegians was played at the home of the Tigers, Lobethal, last Sunday.
Sporting bet agencies around Australia went into meltdown due to a last minute plunge on the Hill's team. Starting as even money favourites SHOC had to withhold an early barrage from the previously unbeaten Tigers outfit who went to an early 4 goal lead half way through the first term before pegging back the margin at quarter time with 2 late goals.
(Luke Norman SHOC)The Hill's centre line players were always going to have to work hard due to the quality of the SHOC opponents. Lining up in the middle for SHOC included, former AFL first round draft pick Chris Groom (ex Adelaide, Fremantle, North Melbourne, Sth Adelaide) together with former West Adelaide captain, Melbourne player and now current Sturt coach Luke Norman.
Undeterred by the classy SHOC lineup, the Hill's engine room continued it's high standard delivery and scintillating run from the stoppages. Mark Jaensch and Simon Kemp showed why the Hill's team has dominated the 2009 season with fine placement and reading of the ball.
Fronting up after a 3 goal performance on the previous day for Kersbrook, Richard Kleemann continued to break lines and deliver to forwards up the ground. Again emulating his hero, Chicken Man', Kleemann was everywhere and finished up with another 3 goals to add to his AFL Masters tally in 2009 and again moved up in the club's Foreman Legal Leading Goal Kicker Award.
Tiger's big man Aleks Bojanic found the going difficult in the early stages losing his footing in the body clashes and being outreached by the taller Groom, but through strong second efforts recorded an assist in the first Hill's goal. His tactic of taking the dominant SHOC ruckman out of the game by attempting to give him a 'corkie' worked with Groom playing the majority of the 2nd half at centre half forward.
The structure of the Hill's forward line was tested by supercoach Dave Piro.
Piro sat regular full back Andrew Frohling at full forward in the first quarter. When quizzed on this in the after match interviews, Piro said it was due to Frohlings ability to lose his man, something which was certainly evident in the last quarter of the game when he found himself back in the defensive half playing unaccountable football.
The continued rock like structure of the Tiger's defence was again a feature of the match. The telepathic abilities of Chris 'Fritz' Geraghty were again on display. Geraghty found himself at the drop of the ball on many occasions foiling a number of SHOC forays into the forward lines.
Super spoiling from the tough Paul Zoontjen and the extra reach of Rob 'Maxy' McGregor gave very few chances to the bullocking ways of the Collegean's forwards. Super run from the lanky athlete Dave 'Runt' Wuttke broke the lines and his delivery to a player up field over 40 metres brought the big Lobethal crowd to it's feet. It also brought the drug stewards to their feet ordering Wuttke to submit a sample after the game. Several tests later it was established that Uraidla water was to blame for this sudden improvement in his kicking.
Water from Uraidla is now being shipped all over the world in an attempt to cure the Swine Flu virus but is now regarded as performance enhancing!
Quarters 2, 3 and 4 were tight in all respects.
Last line defensive actions of Damian 'Dom' Ryde and half back rebound provided by Neil Thomson were very valuable as was the 'frontal pressure' by forwards Sean Watt and 'Snappy' Tom Hancock together with the hard working Wayne 'Chucky' Seymour who succumbed to an ankle injury late in the game.
Returning from injury and registering an early goal was Richie Slater who went back into defence later in the game. Coming into the game with a sore back, Slater was to be given the game off but when challenged with the barbecue duties he made an incredible recovery.
Club CEO / President / Treasurer / Team Manager / Owner Ross Wall, delivered again...Wall won the plaudits of the spectators, not only on the field but in delivering a super barbecue!
Scouting the boundaries again were the super fit wingers Alex Tucker and Dave McGill. Tucker's fierce attack on the ball was again evident whilst McGill's face first plunge saw him having to be dug out of the boggy ground. Both players continually found leading forwards Gary 'Specky' Magee and the youthful Chris Hill who did not let them down with their finishing in front of goal.
However, it was reported in the post match analysis that Hill was berated for his treatment of team mate Kleemann. Hill marking 40 from goal was quickly told that Kleemann was on his own in the goal square to which Hill remarked "F@%! him, he wouldn't pass to me".
Strong marking forward Matt Ormsby had a solid game as did the elusive Troy Snooks on the half forward line. Retiring early with a suspected heel injury was Kim Pearce but subsequent scans showed that it was actually his concern as to the well being of the Tiger's esky due to the PHOS Camden players use of the change rooms.
A strong turnout of 25 Hill's players was welcomed by all, in particular by Bojanic's ruck-partner in crime, the returning Damon Wilson.
Supercoach Piro's rotations worked a treat and resulted in a goal when he sent Wilson galloping down the wing off the bench. Wilson's heavy work around the ground was again evident.
In the end it was victory number 9 for the unbeaten Hills Supertigers. Looking forward to the final 2 rounds, the Tigers will look to tie up the premiership against Fitzroy on the 23rd of August.
Final Score
Hills 13 - 5
SHOC 9 - 6
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