Suki
President
Preston Bullants JFC

Tackers White took on both the freezing conditions and the might of the Fitzroy Lions. Both seem to get the better of us early with the Lions dominating play in the first quarter. Afterwards however, the Tackers settled into the match and went goal for goal with the taller and stronger Lions.

It was great to see such impressive sportsmanship throughout the game with Tackers helping the undermanned Lions outfit with a Tacker donning the Lions guernsey each quarter.

On Sunday the Bullant under 13's played Brunswick Park at PCO and it was good to be back on the home ground after a couple of away matches .

TJ was celebrating his 50th club game, congratulations Tom on a great achievement. The team also welcomed Josh Hassall back for his first game in six weeks. Great to have you back Josh!

The Bullants came out determined to put a strong four quarter effort in, to solidify their spot in the top four.
Unfortunately, the Brunswick boys got off to a better start and led 2.3.15 to 1 point at quarter time.

The second quarter was much the same with the bigger and faster Brunswick boys dominating play. The Bullant boys continually battled against stronger opposition with the scores being 6.9.45 to 1.1.7 at half time.

After a chat and a few positional changes the Bullants came out in the third quarter desperate to put in a better half although outclassed. The Preston boys continued to battle away in the second half, running and supporting their team mates eventually going 13.15.93 to 1.1.7

Better players for the day;
Will Hanlon in the centre and half back.
Sunny in the ruck and around the ground.
Tom H who continues his good form holding the backline together.
Caspian and TJ working hard to help their team mates.

Go Bullants.

Yours in footy

Although away in Greece, George had some inspiring words he sent through for the girl’s pre-game to get them revved up and coming out of the blocks firing! We decided, why don’t we start today how we finished last week’s game- strong, hard, attacking footy! The girls had arguably their best first quarter for the year, as they came out firing maintaining possession for the majority of the first. Our backline held strong, one of their best quarters as a collective, with Zara’s clean hands and Ava Meehan’s hard attack at the ball, we were rebounding off our back 50 cleanly, 9 times out of 10. An early goal by Lucy had us up and about, with reward for effort for our multiple entries inside 50. We slipped a tiny bit late in the first just seeming to lack a little cleanliness, slightly missing some tackles, which allowed Heidelberg to run the ball and hit their scoreboard, heading into the first break 5 points up.

In the second, we kept the foot on the pedal charging forward, keeping Heidelberg goalless, only managing a further 3 points before halftime. We had plenty of the ball and plenty of opportunity, but just couldn’t quite convert ourselves. Again, a stellar quarter by all 16 girls, from Gingers breaking lines with her running, to Ella’s strong marks on our defensive goal line, to the twins up forward, linking up smoothly!

With Rose (sick) and Caitlin (injured) out for Sundays game some girls were shuffled around to where we needed them. Lucy played a role forward in the first half, which saw her and Gabby link up nicely on many occasions. In the second half we thought the injection of her speed and agility could help us in rebounding out of the back 50 which proved a good move. Number 7 for Heidelberg was starting to become quite dangerous, so Libby got the role on closing down her space, and pressuring her with ball in hand. She did a great job in nullifying her impact early in the third, and continued into the fourth with that pressure.

Unfortunately, Freya was a bit too battered and bruised to finish the game, with some rough play that saw no free kicks to our team. Nonetheless, we still competed, equally Heidelberg on 15 points early, thanks to a goal from Erin, but unlucky to run out of legs late in the last, to give Heidelberg two easy goals to run away with the win.

To look back on the past couple of weeks, although we haven’t been able to get across the line on the scoreboard, we have definitely developed in other ways as a group. Our tackling pressure and strength is at its best we’ve seen across all 17 players; our ability to break lines, whether that’s through running the ball, or through our link up play or taking players on (I think it’s clear to say Avya has this title with her don’t argues), we are not shy to show the opposition that Preston Bullants are a hard team to contest. For our new girls this season in Lauren, Tahlia, Ginger we saw one of their best games individually on the weekend, as all three show versatility and resilience as we throw them in multiple positions every game, standing up to the challenge and delivering for their teammates. To our senior players in Ella, Freya, Erin, Charlotte and Victoria, week in week out, they are leading by example and bringing their teammates along with them. There are good things to come.

Thanks again to Jules for coaching alongside myself in George’s absence; Bek on first aid duties; Simon as runner; Mark on boundary; Mish as Team manager; Helen for the oranges and of course all our other wonderful helpers on Game day!

Enjoy the break, and we’ll be back soon to finish off the season!

Emma King

Enjoying a fruitful run of form, the Preston Bullants travelled to Whatmough Park on a chilly Sunday afternoon for an away encounter against St Mary’s PC.

Lucas set the tone early with a crunching tackle on the wing, in what would prove to be a bruising contest between the two sides. As has been the case on many occasions this season, the Bullants would surrender an early lead as St Mary’s kicked the first three goals of the match. It seemed like the Bullants would have to work hard to get back into the contest, but evidently, just needed a thawing period before truly getting underway. Cooper followed up a big tackle in the forward line, with a big mark in defence, as all the boys worked hard to be accountable. Phoenix’s run to a contest to spoil a mark, and bring the ball to ground in the corridor, allowed Josh to gather and kick the Bullants’ first, before Phoenix would add another, moments later. In the absence of the usual ruck options, Seb R and Cooper shared ruck duties admirably, creating a chance for Oscar to crumb and kick the Bullants’ third goal for the quarter. The physicality around the ground was a good sign the boys were here to play, Jesse laying a bump in a contest, followed up with a tackle in a successive effort, and Callum bursting out of defence, the Bullants would head into the quarter-time break trailing by only a point.

An enthralling second quarter followed where both teams fought hard, neither able to score a major with the huge pressure applied by both sides. The Bullants worked tirelessly, attacking the ball and following up with second and third efforts. Lucas’ dropped mark was followed up with an immediate tackle to win a free kick, Anthony applied great pressure on the wing, and Daniel, head down and refusing to give up on collecting a disagreeable, wet ball, was rewarded with a free kick in defence. Ben’s chase out to the wing, Jacob’s huge tackle in defence, and Harry working hard the full length of the ground, made it hard for St Mary’s to gain any clean possessions. Two behinds, one rushed, and the Bullants entered the main break having reversed the one-point deficit into a one-point lead.

Josh’s customary hard running and getting his hands on the footy, ensured he would kick his second for the match as play resumed in the third quarter. Once again, the goal would serve as a springboard, as the boys went on to kick four for the quarter. Mahmoud would kick the second, after playing in front and winning a free for being pushed in the back, and Cooper adding two of his own, the first from a mark in the goal square, the result of the hard work applied on the boundary by Nathan, trying to get hold of a loose, contested ball and handballing to Phoenix for the inside 50, and the second from winning a free from a gang tackle applied from a number of Bullants boys. The boys showed late in the third that they intended to finish strongly. Liam was a workhorse throughout, and Phoenix laid a strong bump near a contested ball, in a statement of intent ahead of the final change.

Given how close the contest had been all day, the result was still up for grabs in the last quarter, especially with St Mary’s kicking the first goal. Lachie’s chase and tackle deep in defence and Lucas’ smother helped to make it difficult for St Mary’s to come back. Nathan’s goal from a free paid downfield, and Josh’s third after determined efforts from Caspian mopping up St Mary’s defensive clearances around the wing, and Joel’s hard running in the late stages, ensured victory for the Bullants in what was possibly one of the matches of the season.

Go BULLANTS!

Round 9 Took place at Bulleen’s home ground on a cold and grey 1pm start, with the morning dew still in the air ensuring a tight greasy ball handling affair.

The first quarter was a lack lustre affair by both sides but Bulleen showing a bit more movement of the ball towards the quarters end, with skills the slippery ball made any scoring opportunity a difficult task.

The second quarter proved to be the much the same with our boys a bit out of sorts and mostly out of position as Bulleen showed a slightly more controlled attack on the goal but still proving scoring to be at a minimum and the games winner anyone’s guess.

A good display of some hard running with structural and positional changes allowed the boys to totally dominate the third quarter with the majority of the quarter spent in our attacking 50 but shots on goal at times not as composed which showed on the scoreboard.

The fourth quarter was our best, showing glimpses of great movement of the ball and teamwork with good forward transitional play in the tough greasy conditions, and a reasonable amount of scoring ensuring a fairly convincing win by the boys.

A quick heads up to continue the Theme set at our Salt session last week for the boys who attended. Collectively as a team and also as Bullants we want to set a good standard of behaviour and good sportsmanship with your credibility as a good sportsman being first and foremost before anything else.

Keep up the hard work “how good you train is how well you play” to quote an age old saying, and never forget all the hard work by the coaching staff and club officials and parents alike to make our great game possible.

Holidays are near but we are hoping for the boys to keep the ball rolling with their own personal training objectives, finals aren’t that far away and the end of season will be here before you know it.

Let’s leave nothing in reserve and get the most out of 2019!!!

Strength in numbers, Keep It Up, Go Bullants 2019

Courage, skill, class (voice, pressure, ball use) … do not wait to get involved, just get stuck in. And with Marty and Nick’s instructions, mantra like, pounding in their chests, 23 Bullants Colts headed out onto PCO to take on their latest challenge.

Two hours later they slumped down, beaten, in their change-rooms, having understood the coaches’ instructions but just not being able to deliver. This time. Knowing the job at hand, just not getting the job done. And you know what, that’s the way it goes. What does matter is what each player takes away from this loss. That each player doubles down on what they must deliver next game. And that the team gets the most basic and critical message. A good team will beat a team of good players. Every. Single. Time.

Bullants are a much better team than Surrey Park. In this game when the Bullants ignited their engine and they started to play team footy you could almost sense that it was their game to win. However, the engine didn’t roar long enough for any period in the game. To use an ald adage, Surrey Park wanted it more.

The Bullants are a team of very good players (three players made the YJFL Colts team) but this game showed the Bullants as brutally as it could that they can be beaten and by a team outside the Four. So, take a deep breath, reset, don’t underestimate any team and play to your strengths. The thing that has made you the team to beat this season. Teamwork.

As for the game itself? Scribbled notes and quarter by quarter scores tell the story. At the first break Surrey Park led 1.0 to 0.3. The goal came half way through the quarter after Surrey Park had set the pace and Bullants kept finding themselves out of position. If we were cleaner up forward we might have been 1.2 or 2.1, you get the point (yes, that was a pun, a very dad pun). Or we might have been further behind if not for a solid defence led by the ever reliable Terry (playing his 100th game but it may as well have been his 200th such is his skill, commitment and derring-do). He had great support in Jack E and Max who took terrific marks, put on terrific smothers and tackles and just kept making good decisions.

But Surrey Park would not be denied. They kept pushing hard into their forward line. Or finding space, particularly opening up the Grandstand wing.  Or hassling the hell out of our runners. We had our moments. One good run saw Kingy mark and he moved it to Jackson, to Sam to Billy and on to Jack E. Another neat transition had Punter passing to Johnny (he marked it in a pinch) and on to Josh with a great lead. In these moments you sensed we were finding out rhythm. Anyways...

At the main break Surrey Park led 3.2 to 1.8. And in a nutshell, that was the game. By the final siren Surrey Park had not advanced its lead. The Bullants did not close that six point gap. In fact in the second half both teams scored 2.2 apiece. The scoreboard story is that the Bullants squandered its hard work around the ground in the second quarter with a return of 1.5 for the quarter. A deeper examination would tell us that every kick, every transition, every effort matters.

Terry was again the cornerstone. Brodie looked like he might take the game apart. The Bullants were starting to exert pressure on contests. It is their ace in the pack. So far this season their pressure, went applied consistently through the game, has forced the opposition to make mistakes and turnover the ball. When it was on you could feel Surrey Park start to wilt. But we didn’t apply it long enough or across enough of the field.

And anyway, Surrey Park were on fire; they were playing fast, relentless footy. We just couldn’t break their lines. Billy took a great mark. Johnny attacking on the wing. Then, in one of those moments, the Bullants clicked. Max, reading the ball and play beautifully deep in defence weaved through the contest and sent the ball into the centre. Josh, mind moving like the speed of light sent it quick as to Hamilton down forward and he made no mistake. This was the Bullants as we’ve seen ‘em this year. And we hit the lead. Surrey Park answered immediately. They took it up a gear. Their tackling was ferocious. They goaled again. Johnny found Punter on a lead. Zac to Brodie and he took it forward. Plenty of run. But we weren’t clicking. Did the boys feel that way? Did Surrey Park pick up on this? Heading into the long break a lesser team might have thrown in the towel then and there. But that aint the Bullants way.

In fact we came out of the break ready to rumble. Brodie was on fire. We scored the first goal in the third and levelled the scores. Our runs were gelling. Anton to Terry to Johnny and on to Punter. Anton to Josh to Johnny. Zac was influential. For eight minutes we had the ball forward of the centre line. Something was going to happen. And it did. Surrey Park would not surrender. They found the break, sped the ball forward and goaled.

Jakeb with a great defensive punch. Terry, worked the ball down the line to Zac. But we could not score a goal for love or money. In fact, in four forward attacks we registered out on the full, a point, marked on the line and another point. A note I made late in the Third: Bullants are doing everything right, they have really lifted, but no reward.

Effort needs reward and it must have stung our boys to be thwarted. Surrey Park gained a free very late in the quarter and extended its lead to ten points. On paper it looks like there’s nothing in it and that was the Three quarter break huddle message. But Surrey Park were playing well enough to hold on and Bullants weren’t clicking well enough to take the lead. And Surrey Park had the hunger.

Lucas had the hunger. He always does. He was giving 150% and yes, that is mathematically possible. Hamilton was doing more than his bit. Somewhere in a contest in our 50, Billy with the wobbliest kick of the day sends the ball bouncing past, well everyone, for a goal. That’ll do.

The pressure lifted noticeably as the timeclock counted down. Bullants were playing for pride, Surrey Park for bragging rights. It was a low scoring affair but it wasn’t without intensity and hard at it footy. Our last chance was made when Jackson taking the ball on the back flank kicked the wheaties out of the pig skin and sent it deep into our forward flank. But Surrey Park held their nerve and defended down to the wire.

Learn from the loss, reset and next time, get the job done. And never forget, goal win games.