Match Report Monday - The Wrap Up

I will not bore you all to tears by doing a full report on the boys final games. Put aside the fact that I can't possibly remember the details of games that took place over a month ago, but to do a big write up at this late date is really silly. So I'll do a quick summary of the remaining games instead. When we last left our intrepid heroes, they were on the verge of clinching a place in the top four and their first-ever finals berth. Did they make it? Read on:

Round 13 U13s, Div 2
Date: 10 August 2008, 12:00 pm kickoff
Where: Dolphin Oval, Redcliffe
Who: Redcliffe Dolphins v Wests Panthers
Score: 48-18, Wests. Aw yeah, that's more like it!

Redcliffe has had a reversal of fortune this season, not winning a single game. Boy do we know how that feels! I'd have some empathy for them if they weren't such a dirty team. There is really no need to do a Willie Mason and have the big 85 kilo boys target the skinny 45 kilos wingers. It was good to see our boys not be intimidated by that nonsense - flattened perhaps, but not injured - and get a great win. Talent will win out every time.

There was a worrying moment in the game for me when DJ was flung out into touch and collided head-on with the Redcliffe touch judge. DJ got to his feet with his arms up in the air, rock-star style, but he was very wobbly for several minutes. After the game I discovered he was a bit fuzzy on the details of the game post-collision. Can you say concussion? As I recall, the tries were spread around the team so well done! This win kept them in the hunt for a place in the finals.

Round 11 U13s, Div 2
Date: 13 August 2008, 7:00 pm kickoff
Where: Ken Hayward Oval, Deception Bay
Who: Deception Bay Wanderers v Wests Panthers
Score: 32-10, Wests. We're in baby!!!

This was a crucial game for the mighty Panthers. A win would lift them into the top 4, a loss and it would all come down to the final game of the season. The game had been washed out a couple of weeks before, but there were questions as to its fate. The league had decided the game was too important to both teams not play, so they chose the Ekka holiday for a make-up game. Ekka holiday was a Wednesday, and I work on Wednesday. So you guessed it, the most important game of the season and I MISSED IT!!!!! I arranged for DJ to get a lift with Glenn and implored all and sundry to text me updates. God bless 'em they did!

It didn't start well, with the boys conceding first points to find themselves down 10-0. I was getting frantic, but then they did what they've done all season. They dug in and began scoring tries. At one point my phone was constantly buzzing with texts as Wests went on a scoring rampage, and then went silent for the last 10 minutes of the game. I guess Deception Bay tried to stem the tide, but it was too late.

This win clinched 4th spot for the boys and their finals debut, no matter what happened in the final round. I don't know who was happier - the boys, their coach or the parents.

Round 14 U13s, Div 2
Date: 17 August 2008, 1:00 pm kickoff
Where: Purtell Park, Bardon
Who: Wests Panthers v Arana Hills Panthers
Score: 26-20, Arana Hills. Drappaphooey.

Curse word courtesy of Her Majesty. It was not the boys best effort, but given it was their third game in a week it could have been a lot worse. Given the lousy effort by the officials it could have been a lot worse as well. Dear Ref, when a player (Arana Hills) deliberately throws the ball into the body of a tackled player whose head has just been deliberately slammed into the ground (Chris), that is a penalty. Dear Arana Touch Judge, when your player is pushed over the sideline you raise your flag, not wait until he gets across the tryline and gets the ball down. We take our losses when they are our doing, but they are hard to take when dirty play gets rewarded.

That said, I think knowing they had a finals berth locked up took some intensity out of the boys' game. They rallied in the second half, as they did all season, but it just wasn't enough to finish the regular season on a win. Bring on the finals!

Semi Finals Round 1 U13s, Div 2
Date: 24 August 2008, 10:30 am kickoff
Where: Frank Lind Oval, Mitchelton
Who: Brighton Roosters v Wests Panthers
Score: 50-20, Roosters.

The boys were confident going into this game. We had beaten Brighton in all our meetings this year and knew we had a great chance of advancing. Looking at that scoreline you might believe we were delusional, and I can see your point. The boys came out on fire and had a blazing first half, leading 14-4 at one point. Knowing that their second half is usually their better one, we parents were giddy with anticipation.

Yeah, well that didn't work out so well. Brighton ran away with the second half, and the defensive effort from our mighty Panthers was, well, less than mighty. They never gave up though, and a great intercept by Zack in the dying minutes salvaged some dignity. Full credit to Brighton - they played a clean game and simply performed better on the day. They went on to be knocked out in the Preliminary Final the next week by Albany Creek (38-20), who later the Grand Final to Arana Hills (18-4).

PRESENTATION DAY:

The club had their Presentation Day last weekend, and while other teams in the club had greater success - with 3 winning the Premiership in their divisions - much ado was made of our U13s. I don't know how the coaching staff was able to choose the winners for the trophies this year as you could have easily picked 2 or 3 boys for each one. Alas, there can be only one and each was well deserved. The boys were also treated by Coach Thom (who has promised to return next year, negating my threat to hunt him down and drag him back) to totally cool red hoodies with the club Panther on the front; DJ has practically lived in his since Sunday. I will post a picture soon. In the meantime, relive the season with this totally sweet montage that Glenn and Danni put together and was played at Presentation Day:

Thanks to everyone who reads these Match Reports - I know for many of you they make no sense at all, and I suspect a lot of my readers skip them. That's okay (you bastards). My kids are a huge part of me and therefore this blog; you'll just have to put up with it. For those who do read it, thanks for your support. Until next year, when we have both Sparky and Her Majesty playing (Her Majesty will play in the newly formed U6s), we resume our usual blog fodder.