Category: Match Reports

Cannons respond in style

Written by Jarryd Barca 

The Calder Cannons responded to its only loss of the NAB League season in Round 4 with an impressive victory over the Murray Bushrangers on the weekend.

The Round 5 contest at Highgate Recreation Reserve proved to be the girls’ fourth win in five weeks, placing them in third position on the ladder with just four matches remaining.

The usual slow starts that have been incumbent on the girls’ season to date went out the window, recording the only three goals of the first term to establish a decisive deficit. 

It was six goals to five thereafter, the Cannons keeping the Bushrangers at bay and holding onto a 9.7 (61) to 5.4 (34) result.

The resilience shown by the Cannons will please the coaches after the Bushrangers outscored them in the second term and booted the opening two majors in the final quarter to reel in a reachable margin.

But the leaders stood up when it mattered most to ensure all four points remained with the home side. 

“From the coaches box knowing you’ve got the different leaders – Flick (Felicity Theodore), Georgia (Patrikios) and some of the other girls stepping up in that last quarter – all of a sudden we’re back on top and kicking another goal and it comes from unselfish play like Zoe Hardiman giving a flick over the top just to get someone involved,” Under 18 girls forward coach Luke Russell said.

“That’s leadership and that’s what changes a game. You have so much more confidence in the girls to do the right things.” 

The Cannons recorded 40 more disposals for the game and out-tackled their opponents (48-45) at the same time.

Russell said he was proud of the side’s response to its loss against the Chargers the previous week.

“We spoke a lot about widening the ground and really using our runners,” he said.

“The big thing was it’s just a football game, we lost, we’re still getting to play footy and footy is the fun thing, it’s about making training fun and making the atmosphere fun.

“Wanting to improve is a big thing as well, we keep telling the girls to maximise training time to improve and get better each week, have fun doing it but improve.”

The Cannons are enjoying a solid season in the reformed NAB League Girls competition after celebrating a win on just two occasions during 2018. 

“(Four and one) is a lot better than being one and four I reckon, there’s not as much pressure on us at the moment, but obviously the main thing is the improvement in the girls, one and four and every girl improving would be just as good as being four and one and the girls are improving,” Russell said.

Captain Georgia Patrikios (one goal) and midfield counterpart Alana Barba (two goals) starred with 24 and 21 possessions respectively, while Georgie Prespakis increased her goals tally to 10 for the season. 

Russell sung the praises of some other key performers. 

“Zoe Hardiman was huge, especially her leadership in the forward half,” he said.

“Tahlia Gillard is a 15-year-old 187cm and just getting better and better, they’re not going to be able to go with her, she should have gotten five more free kicks. Down back ‘Flick’ Theodore with that run, Kiara Delia and Kasey Lennox really set us up. 

“Barba and (Laura) Cocomello around the contest really give us something different and you can see the difference between us and other sides having two people that are really contested. Neve Crowley as a 15-year-old playing centre-half forward every week is getting better and Gloria Elarmaly’s attack on the ball was really impressive.”

The Cannons sit third on the table with a healthy percentage of 205.90 heading into their Round six clash against the fifth-placed Eastern Ranges this Sunday. 

Chargers hold off brave Cannons

Calder Cannons vs Oakleigh Chargers – Round 2

Written by Jarryd Barca

The Oakleigh Chargers overcame a half time deficit to record a 23-point win against the Calder Cannons under inclement skies on Sunday.

The overcast conditions – which turned the Round 2 contest at times into a regressive slog – meant champagne football was a far cry to what was required on the day. 

Joshua Kemp looked a match winner up forward kicking three of the team’s seven goals in the 10.9 (69) to 7.4 (46) result at Highgate Recreation Reserve.

Harrison Minton-Connell’s 22 touches was the most for the Cannons on the day, with captain Brodie Newman again impressing for the second successive week in defence. 

The home team will again be left lamenting a slow start after being held scoreless at quarter time.

The Chargers looked a superior outfit and it was their clinical ball use going forward that saw them make the most of their opportunities to head into quarter time with a 28-point buffer.  

But the tide suddenly turned.

Nineteen-year-old Tye Browning converted his set shot in the nine-minute mark to put through the Cannons’ first major, before Kemp asserted himself on the contest to convert two more goals in a three-and-a-half minute span. 

The momentum had shifted the Cannons’ way and the match took an unexpected but deserved turn, Ned Gentile and Sam Ramsay adding themselves to the goal-kickers list and handing their side a one-goal half time advantage.

There was a noticeable increase in intensity in the third quarter as the first half rain soaked the oval, with the four points truly up for grabs.

Finlay Macrae’s goal for the Chargers was cancelled out just seconds later by Cannons forward Jake Sutton, who was awarded a down-the-field free kick from close range. 

Chargers ball-winner Noah Anderson stepped up to the plate and converted from a free kick to wrestle back his side’s two-point lead, before a 12-minute dry patch to end the term meant the scores remained 40-42 heading into the last quarter.

Kemp converted the Cannons’ only goal and scoring shot of a final term that could have gone either way, with his nine-minute snap on the counter-attack sandwiched by two Chargers goals before and after. 

The result puts the Cannons on the bottom of the ladder after two matches, with their chance of kick-starting their season coming this Saturday at Highgate Recreation Reserve against the Western Jets.

Goal kickers: J. Kemp 3, S. Ramsay, N. Gentile, T. Browning, J. Sutton

Best players: H. Minton-Connell, B. Newman, J. Kemp, S. Ramsay, J. Sutton, D. Mott

Stats leaders: H. Minton-Connell (22 disposals), C. Brown (five marks), D. Mott (four tackles), M. Fletcher (five rebound 50s)J

Cannons fall short in late comeback

Calder Cannons vs Oakleigh Chargers – Round 4

Written by Jarryd Barca

The Calder Cannons Under 18 girls lost their first match of the season in their Round 4 clash against the Oakleigh Chargers at Highgate Recreation Reserve.

Another slow start by Calder saw them chasing the Oakleigh tails for the majority of the contest after conceding the opening four goals of the game.

There was no doubting the girls’ effort after successfully outscoring the away team in the second half, but it wasn’t enough as the Chargers held on for a tough 7.2 (44) to 5.4 (34) result. 

Tahlia Gillard was solid up forward booting two majors for the Cannons, while Emelia Yassir, Alana Barba, Kasey Lennox, Mali McLeod and Terira Fry were also named in the best players. 

Gloria Elarmaly can also hold her head high after laying seven tackles in the contest – the equal-most in the game with Chargers’ Nicola Xenos. The 18-year-old half-forward is fifth in the NAB League for total tackles this season. 

The Cannons were held scoreless in the first term and it was the third time this season they have trailed their opponents at quarter time. 

Two more goals to the Chargers in the second quarter before the home side’s first major meant the Cannons had to fight hard to wrestle back the momentum, trailing at the main break by 18 points.

The side re-grouped and came out to play in the third quarter with the Chargers unable to re-stamp their first-half authority. 

The Cannons’ two goals were cancelled by a double from Oakleigh, setting up an exciting fourth term.

A grandstand finish was on the cards in the final stanza with the Cannons firing off four scoring shots to one. 

But the two goals two behinds outcome wasn’t enough as the Chargers hung on for dear life in a hard-fought 10-point contest. 

The result sees the Cannons girls drop to third on the ladder, who’ll look to bounce back this Saturday when they host the Murray Bushrangers at Highgate Recreation Reserve. 

Goal kickers: T. Gillard 2, A. Magri, F. Theodore, G. Elarmaly

Best players: E. Yassir, A. Barba, K. Lennox, M. McLeod, T. Gillard, T. Fry 

Stats leaders: E. Yassir (14 disposals), G. Patrikios (three marks, four inside 50s), G. Elarmaly (seven tackles), M. McLeod (three rebound 50s)

J

Tough start for Cannons

U18 Boys Match Report – Round 1

Written by Jarryd Barca

The Calder Cannons Under 18 Boys went down to a strong Sandringham Dragons side in Round 1 of the NAB League season. 

The Dragons looked a superior outfit from the get-go at RSEA Park, booting the first nine and final 10 goals of the game and flexing their muscles to record a 19.13 (127) to 1.12 (18) victory. 

Cannons gun Sam Ramsay showed his class in the defeat, converting the first and only goal for the away side in the third term among his 19 disposals. 

The hard-running wingman also laid four tackles in the side’s lowly tackle count of 27 for the match. 

Key defender Brodie Newman showed resilience in defence and displayed the very attributes that made him this season’s captain, topping the team for disposals (24), marks (nine) and rebound 50s (six). 

Tye Browning and Daniel Mott can also both hold their heads high collecting 19 disposals each and showing glimpses of footy that will excite Cannons fans over the course of the season, while the left-footed Curtis Brown showed plenty of promise across half-back. 

Cannons midfield coach Brett Gourley said it’s important for the players to remain positive despite the heavy loss. 

“Obviously (it’s) a really disappointing result but we have to take it with a grain of salt,” he said post game.

“It’s Round 1, we know that Sandy is going to be a really good team this year so although it’s disappointing there are going to be some positives for us to take out of the game.”

Sandringham collected 57 more disposals and 18 more inside 50s than Calder in the commanding result, but spirits never wavered.  

“During the game you’ve got to continue to reinforce what we’re all about as a team, as a club and as individuals as well, we’ve got to make sure that we keep them positive otherwise these results keep happening,” Gourley said.  

“I think it’s important to focus on what we’re about as a team, the things that we’ve been talking about as a group and focussed on over the course of the pre-season, not so much the result.

“We know that this competition is not necessarily all about the results so what we want to do is try and focus on the things that we know are going to hold us in good stead come next week.” 

Trailing by 33 points at quarter time, the Cannons defence tightened up in the second term to allow the Dragons just three majors. 

The Cannons weren’t without their chances either recording three behinds for the quarter in an inaccurate display. 

“I thought there were some really good individual performances down back, obviously there was a lot of ball down there so Brodie Newman did some really good work I thought,” Gourley said.

“At times we moved the ball really well, I don’t feel like we ever gave up, obviously goal-scoring accuracy has got to be something that we improve on a little bit but we had opportunities to move it forward, their pressure was just too good around the footy.

“I don’t see too much changing in training, we’ll lift the intensity probably and just make sure that we come with the right attitude and be really positive this week heading into the Oakleigh game.”

The result puts the Cannons momentarily on the bottom of the ladder, but they’ll gear up and look to bounce back this Sunday against the Oakleigh Chargers at Highgate Recreation Reserve. J