Tag: Under 18 Boys

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

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