Well after much deliberation, consultation and plenty of conversation, the Coaches/Players shelters at HP Zwar Reserve are finally up and bolted in once and for all!! It has been a project over a period of time that we can all now benefit from and while the finishing touches are in the process of being completed, it would be remiss of me to again highlight the individual efforts of Mr Alan Turner (of AA Turner Builders) who has again generously donated his time and resources into bringing this project together for us.

With the kind help of our wonderful Colts one and two boys who were warming up for training before we hijacked their warm up and really good their blood pumping with some heavy team lifting (as per the pictures here below), they then, along with Alan himself, got the opportunity to be the first to sit in them too! A bit of “lift” for reward if you like! So thank you again boys, your efforts are appreciated as was the supervising efforts by our Colts 1 coach Marty Fitzpatrick!

Volunteers are where it’s at:

In past reports I have always written about the efforts of many individuals who are simply selfless in their time, efforts and never say never attitude which is the absolute back bone and core of our wonderful club.
Many roles need to filled weekly from canteen helper, to BBQ, goal umpire, boundary umpire, umpire escort, runner, water carriers, trainer and the list goes on and on and on…

Now put yourself in the shoes of a team manager for just 10 mins where they sit down during the week and prepare “your” team for the weekend match ahead. Who can be boundary? Who did goal umpire last week? Oh no I can’t ask Joe to do the scoreboard as he and his family did water carrier last week and so it goes. So the best thing you can do is do what I have seen many teams do. Have permanent roles for those only who request them. For example, I have seen teams with permanent umpire escort and even water carriers and some are physically able to do so and really enjoy being out on the ground amongst the action, so if there is a role you do enjoy doing, please approach your team manager and own it for the season, it is both comforting and relieving for your team manager who are absolute back bones of every team that takes to the field.
Instead of waiting to be asked, ask. Ask what can I do for you this week? Put the shoe on the other foot and step up. Worst case scenario you are called on 3 times for the entire season provided everyone in the team steps up when called on. You get the idea; you know what to do.

*** SAVE THE DATE *** Friday June 29, 2018 ***

Indeed, save the date! A similar model to last year however with the opportunity to choose a package that suits you. Final details are being put together however this is one event you need to put into your diary!
You said you wanted more music? You got it, not only will we have a funked up DJ spinning the latest and some of the greatest from the 80’s and 90’s but we have a live band too!
You wanted less talk and more time to dance? You got it! 3 live auction items and that’s it! Silent auction all night long against the back wall, freeing up more dance floor space.

Team Photos!

Wash your jumpers and polish your boots!  Team photos will be taken on Friday 1st June and Tuesday 5th June.  Download the photo order form for further details.

That’s it for now, well done on a successful round 6 and as always,


Go The Mighty Preston Bullants!

Whitlam Malkoun
President
Preston Bullants JFC

Tackers White were fresh off a bye and the keenness to get back on track was clearly evident at training and out at MacLeod’s home ground on Sunday morning.  Another big ground for us to tackle and hard running was required. We’d had word that MacLeod were a good outfit and that proved to be the case. None the less, our first quarter was arguably our best of the year as what we’re practicing at training becomes second nature. The backline were manning up, and I even saw Luca checking his opponents number…perfect work. We’re also running and leading when we get the ball which is really exciting.

One thing we continue to work on is kicking. Often, we got the back and kicked it back to them, so we need to cut that out!

MacLeod were getting repeat entries into their forward line and our backline fought hard. Harry was down the back this week and he was great, gathering loose balls and kicking it long and wide. Sammy Heffernan was relentless with his tackling and Mitch was running it out of there. Asher continues to show real talent to and Zach H is improving every week.

The midfield didn’t do a lot wrong, with Remi getting better at rucking every week, tapping it to Jayden and Louis who did well to break tackles and get it into our forward line. Jonah has done really well in the middle the last two weeks as well. But unfortunately, our forward forays were rare.

This week we saw a few new faces in the midfield, with Thomas Corovic having his first run. He was terrific, picking up his man and winning a couple of kicks including following one memorable mark. Ollie also had a run in the midfield and did really well.

It’s great to see the guys getting used to new positions and learning the game.

During the last quarter, the big oval started to take its toll and our guys ran out of legs. We did have one excellent late forward entry that came tantalisingly close to a major score, but we just lacked a little polish in the end.

This week is the round robin. A big day, and the boys who were in the forward line last week who didn’t see a lot of action will get a good run in the midfield.

As per usual the smiles were there when we sang the song and we reminded the guys that they really are improving. The coach was super proud of the guys this week. They never give up. We’ll come up against teams that are older and have been playing for longer, but that’s OK, as long as we stick together, support each other and train hard we’ll improve each week.

See you Friday boys

Go Bullants

Back to training on Friday and we introduced a few new drills to keep the team motivated with our focus on moving the ball out of the backline through the wings, to centre half forward then full forward.  We also focussed on pressure footy and second efforts through a keeping off game and the team were ready to go for Sunday against Brunswick at Brunswick.

This week we welcomed back Jack, Lucas and Lachlan and were without Michael and Assistant Coach Shane.  Thankfully Lorenzo picked up the assistant duties this week and was busy with the magnets.

Coach Dave even arrived with a smile on his face after the Bombers win against the Cats, which was timely as we reinforced that alot of footy is played above the shoulders and between your ears!

We all got behind captain Patrick and got to our positions. Brunswick got off to flyer with 2 quick goals out of the centre in a matter of 2 minutes, but that was it, our boys and girls seemed to wake up and hit top gear with a sensational 4 quarter effort.

The Brains Trust rotated backs to forwards and forwards to backs in the second half to ensure everyone got involved in the game.

A fantastic team effort. Everyone got involved.

Adam was lively in the centre dashing around his opponents taking a bounce here and there. Alberto up forward provided great height and led with perfection and a lovely long goal. Daniel up forward was creating havoc with multiple goals and constant running.

Best game of the year for Dylan his tackling and second efforts were magnificent and earned him the medal. Eddy Spark again awesome. Don’t get in Ed’s way, once he has you insight – you aint going anywhere! Eduardo’s game was sensational. At the foot of every contest, putting his body on the line. Ella, another week where her attack on the footy inspired her team mates to new levels.

Ned, the Corey Enright of the side – easy going, but once the footy is in range he transforms into a footy hard man; hard at the footy, at the bottom of every pack. Ellery’s game was fantastic leading and making space, then following up to create more opportunities.  Jack Thomas another Jack Riewoldt performance. I’m sure Damien Hardwick has him on his radar.

Fantastic game by Kirk. The Brains Trust were impressed with his attack on the footy and putting himself in the play. Lachlan back after injury scored a couple (he reckons 6 in the car on the way home) and played another solid game. Leon again, under packs, first to the ball, darting around the ground with speed – inspirational. Leroy, a super effort, he was with his player all game and made sure he was creating space.

Liam again focused, created space, determined and straight at it. He enabled a number of opportunities. The best game of the year for Lucas. He made space, created opportunities and took a number of terrific marks – you could see his confidence grow. Oscar in the thick of it, breaking free from tackles and kicking long to our advantage.

Matilda again does everything asked of her. She made a couple of great smothers and made lots of space in the forward line (and she let her brother Lachlan know in the car on the way home that he could have passed to her twice!). Patrick the captain, leading from the front. Dominant in the centre clearing the ball out to his teammates. William again reliable and solid. His player wasn’t going anywhere and stuck to him like glue!

The song was sung loudly and proudly at the end of the game with the team setting up a circle and our captain Patrick and medal winner Dylan in the middle of the circle.

Thanks to everyone who assisted on the day its much appreciated by all.

Cheers

Coach Dave

Wow... What a fantastic team effort. Not one bad word can be used for ANY player this week. The boys are really gelling as a group.

We had a brilliant first quarter with 4 goals. Adams second goal was a pearler from the boundary line. He hasn’t been known for his goal kicking, but he says the team around him are making him better.

In the third, Ufouk moved Aiden into the ruck and he just excelled. He was a little timid at his first bounce, but after that, he relished his opportunity. He got every tap and then ran and ran. He even got into the forward line and kicked his first goal of the season.

The final quarter was our best yet. The boys seemed to be running in waves down the ground. Fitzroy were never able to stop them. We piled on 5 last quarter goals and in total we got 13 goals. Adam, Archie, Darcy, Sid and Luca all got 2. Omar, Aiden and Sam got 1 a piece.

The backline was impeccable all day, not allowing Fitzroy to score.

Aiden was awarded The Lindsay Thomas award which is a voucher for Mercadante Pizza in Lygon St... Adam got the Wayne Carey BOG, Luca was awarded The Ben Brown goal trophy for his snap over his shoulder. Jackson got the Glenn Archer Hard Nut for his full game tenacity and captaincy.

A big THANK YOU to Christians dad Matthew, who came down to be the boundary umpire, even though Christian was laid up in bed. You're a gem.

It was a grey and gloomy morning at PCO as we faced the opposition from Kew Rovers. Edwin our trusty machine was away injured and so we called in the help of Oscar Azza and Daniel McCarthy.

First points on the scoreboard went to Kew Rovers and we were wondering if the boys were going to follow the model from last week of a slowish start and come home like a locomotive.

Jack was quick to the ball, Tom and Shep were marking strongly and trying to work the ball from the congestion in Kew’s forward line. Zac was rucking well and managing to tap the ball from the ruck contest beautifully. Alex and Leon and Zac were absorbing much of the pressure as the ball kept entering Kews 50. 1st Quarter ended as we were 2 goals and 4 behinds down. The message at the break was switch on!!

Quarter 2 was a more evenly contested and low scoring affair. Noah S continues to grow in confidence and goes in hard towards the contest. Arch and Jack played well in the midfield. Tom our marking machine went down and was brought from the field …silence fell across the ground. We had our first score on the board and held Kew to 1 goal 1 point in the second. Tom was ok!

At the half time break the coach was imploring his boys – No walking; be hard to the contest and at the contest – bring your A game!!!!

The third quarter we won and we saw the boys working better together being able to break the congestion and take some runs and bounces. Oscar goaled for us early in the quarter – it is always great to see him back with us. Archie, Shep, Leon and Daniel were providing excellent work in defensive roles and through the midfield. Stoj kicked a glorious point and Sonny marked from the kick in. The siren blew and there was an air of quiet confidence that our boys would blow the game open in the last quarter.

The quarter started with a magnificent marking chain starting with Arch to Sonny to Oscar to Arch to Stoj and Tom was unlucky to not score at the end of that. Shep, Jack, Ethan were all working hard as were the whole team. We had the majority of possession but Kew were able to make better use of the opportunities they had. It was a great match and these boys look out for and help each other. The scoreboard was not our friend and the boys know they need to be ready to play from the commencement if the match and play 4 quarters hard.

U11 Round 6

We have seen steady improvements in recent games and the boys had put in great efforts at training this week…. all the signs were positive as we ventured to Banyule to take on our old foes. Recent years have seen some great battles against Banyule with them taking the points on most occasions, the U10 Round Robin Grand Result still etched in our memories. If there was ever a time to seek some redemption, it was today.

With some big outs this week, (Hamish, Woody sitting out) & Ned a late sick call. Coaches scrambled to get the positions & balance right. Power forward Tamer came in as emergency, Dash was asked to do ruck duties for the day, Tommy G and Callum were welcomed back and would fill multiple roles.


Ziggy & Marcus were elected Captains & came back to the huddle to advise they had lost the toss & we were kicking to the “muddy end”. With minimal breeze, there seemed little advantage either way. With one last plea to get out and go hard from the outset, we were underway.


From the outset, our boys showed they were here to play and switched on. Dash provided first use of the ball with deft taps to advantage and our midfield ran the ball forward relentlessly. So much of the play was in our forward 50 (and often just meters from goal), that things quickly got congested. Midfielders snuck forward, keen to score but cramped our big guns in Ziggy and Tamer. In the scramble, multiple behinds were scored until Dash broke out of the packs to slot his first goal for the Bullants! As his teammates got around him, the excitement & joy was palpable. While we had most of the play, #8 for Banyule looked dangerous and was clearly their “go to” player. We remembered him from previous encounters & knew the damage he could do. Tom M was given the task to go to him whenever they had the ball and had immediate effect. After our best start all season we went into the first break 1:4:10 to 0 and the boys jogged off the ground with smiles all round and the bench keen to get into the action.

Plenty of praise for everyone’s work rate, run and attack on the ball along with a warning about overcrowding the forward line. Mids & wings needed to hold back a bit, lock the ball in and let the forwards do their job.


The Bullants hit the second quarter with even more intent. Again, plenty of play in our forward 50 but any attack by Banyule was definitively cut off by Joe at CHB who marked everything in sight. There were impressive efforts by Willo who shepherded players twice his size and allowed team mates time and space. Issy laid great tackles to keep the ball in attack and the Midfield continued to run the ball forward. Despite instructions to the contrary, Carelli & Maddison couldn’t help themselves. Full of run, they followed their own ball into range…Marcus unlucky to hit the post & Tom with some kind of opposite foot soccer move that almost looked like he meant it…. The resulting goal well celebrated by all. Half time score Bullants 2:6:18, Banyule 0.


Plenty to celebrate at the main break but despite being dominant around the ground, it was only an 18 point margin. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Keep the focus, maintain structures & keep the work rate up.


The third term opened with Banyule coming out hard and finding the Bullants a little complacent. Clean possessions and unmarked players saw Banyule hit the scoreboard twice in quick succession, their 2 goals cutting the margin to just 7 points and sending a chill through the coaches. It couldn’t happen…surely! Players clearly had a look at the scoreboard and got themselves going again. Joe was enormous across half back and cut off any serious attack. The rare ball that got past him was well and truly covered by Wato who switched play to our running half-backs. Azza continued to dominate his wing and snuck forward for a behind before the midfield pumped the ball to the top of the square. Just like we had practiced at training, Ziggy stood tall in front of the pack and marked strongly. The resulting goal steadied the ship and Bullants ran to get around him. Bullants 3:8:26 Banyule 2:0:12.


A quarter to go and while Carlo worked some last minute changes on the board, the boys were reminded again that the hard work was not done yet. Did we want to sing the song? YES! Did we want this more? YES! Were we prepared to work hard for it? YES!

Carlo revealed the magic he had worked on the board to the team. He had gone with not one, but both “Power Forwards” in Ziggy and Tamer! Sam and Tommy G to the middle, Venuto to the wing and Callum to LHF. Plenty of options to get it forward but would the big men be able to work together out of the square?


The Bullants jogged out with purpose and from the siren, unleashed all they had. The pace was frenetic & contests hit hard. Pablo and Xavier, relishing their rotation into the forward line saw plenty of the ball, took marks, earned frees and looked deadly. Their defensive work was enormous as they tackled and chased to help us maintain possession. With the ball constantly being pumped forward it was inevitable…. the pack cast aside as Tamer launched forward and marked directly in front. Again, pure joy and excitement as his team gathered around him as he calmly slotted it through. (And a sly “You can thank me later” from Carlo!). The final quarter was a blur as the Bullants went on a 5 goal spree. Fantastic plays were everywhere. Sam with a crunching tackle to turn the ball over and then a long barrel forward. Joe pushing up the ground, marking then hitting Tom lace out for him to convert his second. Then the big men combining with Ziggy marking at CHF and picking out Tamer to convert his second goal who then backed up by laying a shepherd for Tommy G to goal. Callum marked strongly across half forward, unlucky to be rewarded with a minor score. Dom and Sam combined for Sam to goal….the entire team was on a rampage! 8 scoring shots to 0 for the term saw the Bullants close out the game emphatically by 47 points.


Mindful of where our opponents were at, jubilation was held in check while the coaches exchanged compliments to both teams and hands were shaken. We moved off the ground and gathered together to savour the moment and enjoy the win. It wasn’t the perfect game and our opponents winless for the season so far, but we had done well. Very well. We gathered our new players into the middle and apologised for taking so long before they could sing the song. It was sung loud and proud then, and once more in the rooms for good measure!

Great progress has been made on the training track over recent weeks and it showed today. The confidence boost should stand everyone in good stead when we take on Heidelberg next week.


Well done boys. Proud of you as always!

The Preston Bullants Junior Football Club Under 12’s played Bulleen Templestowe on Sunday at Ted Ajani Reserve Lower Templestowe.  A wide ground with the surface in very good condition.  Bulleen Templestowe are an original green division side and based on prior performance the U12 coaching team made the assessment that they would comfortably be a top four contender.  We were all excited by the contest that was ahead of us.  During the week at training, as a team, we talked about our development areas from Round 5 and worked hard to address these during our training sessions.  The team were determined to train well during the week to put ourselves in a positive and confident mindset going into Sunday’s game.  

The PBJFC U12’s were impressive in the first quarter.  On show was their rapid improvement this year in terms of skills, both individual and team, effort and ball movement.  The scoreboard reading of 1 - 0 - 6 a piece was not a reflection of how the game looked as Preston won more of the ball.  The missing part of the equation was the lack of conversion by our forwards from inside 50m entries.

The second quarter was a mirror image of the first quarter and the scoreboard confirmed as much with Preston 2-0-12 to Bulleen Templestowe 2-2-14.  Will was leading the way and dominated play around the footy in the first half.  Jaxsyn gave us an avenue to goal as a key high half forward leading option.  Grady was hard at the ball as usual as a high half forward.  TJ attacked the ball and won possessions from half back.  Caspian was instrumental in the mid-field working hard to achieve centre bounce clearances.  Max played a strong defensive role at centre half back.  Robert and Anthony were our only goal kickers for the game both of which were kicked in the first half.

The PBJFC U12’s let themselves down in the third quarter which was the direct opposite to the first half.  The opposition kicked 3 goals to zero and the scoreboard displayed the sad tale of Preston 2-0-12 to Bulleen Templestowe 5-2-32.  TJ was moved to a run with role on the opposition’s star wingman that was very influential in the first half.  TJ held him to a couple of possessions and won many of his own.  Jaxsyn continued to work hard in the second half to present a tall forward option in an area of our game that was lacking.  A special mention must go to Javier.  Javier is playing his first year of football and has been working hard at training to refine his ball drop and take a clean mark.  He demonstrated on Sunday that his focus and determination at training is translating to game day.  His confidence to attack the ball, take a one grab possession and dispose of the ball effectively was pleasing to watch.   

The last quarter Preston lifted its work rate and showed a much improved attitude however the lack of conversion by our forwards from inside 50 was still a major challenge for the coaching group for future fixtures.  Final score Preston 2-1-13 to Bulleen Templestowe 5-3-33.

The next challenge is Round 7 Canterbury at home at the Preston City Oval on Sunday 27th May 2018 @ 10:00am.  Our first game for the season at PCO, which is exciting for the boys.  The large ground will suit our run and carry style of play.  Let’s get behind the boys this Sunday at home and don the red and white.

Go Bullants!

For the second time in three weeks we faced Kew Rovers. Last time we competed we had a full side and lent them players throughout the day. Today we were missing 7 players due to illness and Confirmation. Bek was also missing as trainer, the first time she hasn’t been alongside me on the bench since the side started last year. We had talked about a few things during the week at training, none more important than a fast start, something that has eluded us all year. We welcomed back Sian with open arms and were looking forward to the contest. We played 14 v 14 with one girl on the bench. Last time we played Kew we didn’t shake them off until the final 10 minutes of the game. On this occasion we came out of the blocks like Black Caviar and never looked back. Gabby and Zoe hit the scoreboard for us in the first term and Ayva B continued her amazing form from the previous week, proving themselves early. Scores at quarter time were Preston 2.2.14 to Kew 0.0.0.

The second quarter saw us play our strong brand of contested football. Victoria was sensational across half back mopping up and playing the quarter back role to perfection. Charlotte and Marianne also ran and carried the footy in the absence of Erin. Lucy and Gabby again teamed up like only twins can. Caitlin and Ayva B have definitely taken their games to a new level this year and work together like professionals, bringing their team mates into the game with their determination and ball-winning abilities. Amelia was virtually on one leg but still able to influence the game with a major of her own. With Charlotte having to do a job across half back and Zara and Erin both unavailable, Olivia was left to carry the ruck duties on her own. We needed a plan at half time to allow us to rest players on the ground while sustaining our forward momentum. We were well in control of the contest by half time.

The third quarter saw us play some of our best football for the year. Lily was moved into the ruck to give Olivia a rest up forward. With Amelia restricted to limping in the goal square we needed to find another avenue to goal. Enter Sian. Her third quarter was simply outstanding. If she wasn’t setting up Gabby, Lucy and Hailey with pin point handballs which turned into goals, she was booting them herself. The girls loved having Sis back and so did the coaches. Freya continued her stellar season with a big third quarter. She is one of the most consistent performers week in week out. Ava M also showed solid form from the week before, gathering the loose football across half forward and setting up her teammates. By three quarter time the game looked over. Scores were Preston 4.5.29 to Kew 0.1.1.

The last quarter saw us continue to dominate the centre square clearances and the ball spent most of its time in our forward half. Olivia moved back into the ruck and Lily to ruck rover, showing great versatility. Caitlin and Ayva B rotated through the midfield from the bench and every other player put in a solid performance. We added a couple of goals in the last quarter and ran out convincing winners on the day. It was easily our best 4 quarter performance for the year. Well done girls, the hard work is definitely paying off.

I am stoked we learned from our loss last week and worked hard on the track to correct our deficiencies. Well done to Caitlin for taking the best afield medal.

Thanks to Leanne, Sofie in the absence of Bek, Marc, Jamie and Mish for taking on the match day roles.

George Cotsonis

Back after a week off due to having a bye, the Preston Bullants travelled to Whatmough Park to face St Marys in what turned out to be an enthralling encounter between the two sides.

From the start, St Marys’ slick ball movement was evident, as the home side was able to dictate play around their forward half, hitting targets and seemingly marking the ball at will. The Bullants were under siege, but the boys held strong around the ground, with the defensive efforts of Callum who lunged to spoil at a marking contest and Lachie, who seemed to be everywhere, smothered, tackled, and attacked the ball, making it hard for St Marys to score. The Bullants’ defensive pressure was enough to limit St Marys to three behinds, before they eventually kicked their first goal, opening up a handy early lead. Late in the quarter, Brody laid a huge tackle in the Bullants’ forward, earning a free kick and converting his shot at goal.

In the second quarter, the Bullants’ defence had to remain steadfast as St Marys continued to probe forward. Jacob and Ben were immense in defence, as was Oscar who stood up in the back and often read the flight of the ball well to provide an intercept. The Bullants would need to make the most of any opportunity when they got the ball forward, and when Jesse, head down attacking the ball, won a free kick, moved the ball quickly which eventually found Phoenix running through the middle. Seeing an open forward line ahead, the Bullants’ skipper kicked into space, allowing Joel to run on to kick the Bullants’ second, and take the lead. Later on, Joel’s outside run would provide another chance for Dion to snap towards goal, and while the shot didn’t have the desired effect, the Bullants would be content having lifted their effort and would head into the main break with a two-point lead.

When St Marys would kick the first goal of the second half to take back the lead, the Bullants seemed intent on an instant reply, moving and sharing the ball well, with Joel and Liam, both up and about in the forward half, and Mahmoud a beacon for his teammates, demanding the ball as he continued to lead and offer a target. When the Bullants kicked forward again, into a crowded pack of taller players, Josh read the ball best and emerged with the ball in hand, and converted his set shot to regain the lead. Both teams weren’t without their chances, and the two sides would kick a goal and two behinds each in the third quarter, maintaining the slim two-point Bullants lead ahead of the last.  

It was anyone’s game before the fourth quarter commenced, but unfortunately for the Bullants, it wasn’t to be. The persistent defensive pressure the Bullants applied during the match seemed to have taken its toll on the team, and the boys seemed just a little more sluggish in getting to the contest. St Marys were able to kick away for a comfortable win in the end, despite a valiant effort from the boys who really kept pace for most of the match.

Go BULLANTS!

This week the boys took on Parkside at their home ground, C.H Smith Reserve. The team have now had a good opportunity to gauge the level they need to play at in order be dangerous in the brown competition. Over all the game was scrappy and low scoring however the boys intensity and ability to defend in the crucial part of game was amazing to watch.

The game started well with a few quick inside 50 entries and a quick goal scored by James Zonta. The game was ultimately low scoring. The intensity was high from the onset of the game with our boys applying great pressure and being really physical which is what we have lacked in previous weeks, especially Mitch Phillips, Xavier Saviane, Lachy Hoo and Luca Camilleri.

The opposition began to get under the skin of several of our players, leading our boys to become frustrated and start to lose sight of our overall goal - playing football our way, as we have been striving to work towards a quote from Gregg Popovich “win or lose we do it with class and we do it our way”.

In the end, we witnessed a nail biting last 5 minutes of the game which felt like an absolute eternity where the boys held their 2 point lead to win the game 22 to 20.

The boys are moving in the right direction creating great bonds and working well together, however we now strive to work on our structures and meeting our goal of playing our games our way with great quality.

On to the next week we finally get to play at the fortress, PCO. It has been a long-awaited match to finally play a home game at the home of the Bullants. See you there Bullen Temp.

Go Bullants!!

This week we played Richmond and it was an odd start to the day; I went from having 20 to 22 players in the space of 30min. However, the two new additions in Jack and Rory were very handy.

There was not much to reflect on this week other than our uncharacteristic start to the game. It was a lack-lustre performance from the first to the third quarter, but somehow, we remained in the game.

For the first three quarters, it was all catch up football with Richmond playing a very basic style of football that proved to be effective. Our boys could not shake them. Essentially, Richmond played from behind and relied of rebounding attack from our poor turnovers. Brilliant defensive efforts from Terence, Ben and Nic ensure we could at least manage some exits out of defence. However, as much as we tried, we remained behind Richmond at every change. Richmond also played with intent - they wanted the ball more than us. This created turnovers, unforced skill errors and an inability to be first to the football for us.

But then it clicked. Coming to the last quarter, the boys turned it on and started playing to their strengths. We played how we wanted to play; shorts kicks, smart leading, good decisions made by foot, and SHEPPARDING!!! Josh and Pantelis linked up perfectly, as well as the other forwards. We eventually hit the lead with two minutes to spare that saw us win the game by eight points. I always had faith the boys would win, it was just a matter of when.

Round 6 had us facing Kew Rovers at PCO for the second time in three weeks. The girls were pumped with Dua Lipa and AC/DC blasting loudly in the rooms before the game. Ruby continued her pregame meal of dim sims and and our two skippers led the side out.

Mia H won the toss and we kicked to the Bell City end. After the first bounce, the game was played in our forward half and Helena almost scored an early goal but was unlucky not to get one but competed at every contest and made the defenders earn their possessions all day! Georgia was super in the middle, dominating the hit outs and providing as a dangerous option in front of goal. Our tackling and harassing created pressure for Kew with continuous inside fifty entries. Mia B was able to finish off with a well deserved team goal and we were fired up.

The second quarter started and the intensity rose significantly with Kew desperate to work their way back in. Darci continued to break through packs like Dangerfield and worked up and down the field all day. Going forward, Amelia continues to improve each week playing as a forward, taking a big mark and laying a huge tackle in the goal square. Mia H dominated, getting plenty of touches and making Kew pay for poor kicks out of their backline. Mia H was well rewarded scoring a vital goal! Kew were able to score quick goals themselves and scores were level at half time.

Despite the scores being even, the girls remained calm, positive and ready for the second half.

The aim of the third quarter was to kick two goals and the girls were able to do so. Esther was really important at providing run on the wing and putting her head over the ball on numerous occasions. Sabrije worked tirelessly all day, not letting her opponent have an easy touch and doing a team-first role. Our girls kept chipping away, trying to increase the margin. Oceane was awesome in the backline, beating her opponent repeatedly and running off half back when she had the chance.

At the final change, we were two goals up. The girls knew the last quarter was going to be tough as our first match against Kew was a Yarra league classic. Isabella performed at her best in the last quarter, running hard to create goal scoring chances for the forwards. Kew were able to kick a goal and the score was now four points. With the pressure high, Angelique did her job as a fullback, tackling the forwards with ferocity and even darting around players. Zoe was instrumental, keeping her opponent to limited touches and taking a big mark deep in their goal square late in the game.

The girls managed to hold on to a four-point win!  The girls deserved to win as they worked hard for their team mates, remained positive through out the entire game and never lost focus.

Big thanks again to Sofie and George for helping out as team manager and assistant, respectively. Thanks to Louise, Brendan, David, Jahn, Anna, Marina, Susi and Danette for their help, always appreciated!

For my girls, make sure you arrive at training ready to learn and improve, as well as a team first attitude as we have a big game against Templestowe this week!

GO BULLANTS

Simon O’Connell

There is an old cliche in football ‘a champion team will always beat a team of champions’.  In a hard contest and a high standard game, the Colts had 23 contributors throughout the 80 minutes against Bundoora.  Coaches Marty and Nick would be pleased to see the full game effort and spread and evenness of the team. As a footy lover, it was just a pleasure to see a contest where both teams did not surrender for the entire game.  

The first quarter was hotly contested with the Colts starting the better of the two teams.  Chambo “Fife” was irrepressible with his intercept marking and movement off half back. With EJ contesting well off half back, Jimmy was dominating the centre and forward thrusts early with a wayward shot before finding redemption and scoring a goal from a set shot.  Rory was lively up forward and kicked a nice ‘snag’. At quarter time the Colts were 2.4 to Bundoora 1.3.

The second quarter intensity lifted further with both teams sensing the moment of ascendancy.  Chicco was a dragon slayer with his tackling opponents and physicality on players twice his size.  Angus worked hard both in the centre hit outs and around the ground. His influence on the game was telling as the game wore on.  Max Gawn eat your heart out! AJ, Kane and JonM were contributing. Bundoora was to be respected as they hit the scoreboard early but to the boys credit, they responded on the scoreboard with Colts 4.4 to Bundoora 2.4 at half time.  

The third quarter, and Bundoora came again with the backline rebounding numerous attacks.  Matty M was the rebound king. The football moment came when JD ran at full pace for 20+ metres, off the back pocket, hit the ball at full speed picking the ball up cleanly from the ground, ran a further 10 metres at full pace to his team mate.  As the ball spilled, JD ran on followed it up taking possession and further moving the ball forward. Superlatives cannot give credit to this play. JD you are a maestro! I often look at the games as how you counter punch. The Colts ability to sustain attack and then hit back was the telling reason for the end result.  Sustained effort by Jimmy resulted in a goal and AJ converted as well. At three quarter time the scoreboard stood: Colts 6.4 to Bundoora 4.7 with the game still in the balance.

The saying goes the big guys get no smaller in the wet.  Nicolo and Stevie Hadj did the hard contested lifting in the last.  Steffen found space and hit up the forwards, eventually finding Rory who kicked his 3rd for the afternoon.  Mr ‘100’ Vangelista sensed the occasion and  contained the ball in the forward 50 allowing the team to setup. Whilst ‘Flash’ Sonza broke the lines and courageously bounced a heavy wet ball whilst being chased in vain by Bundoora defense, eventually earning a free kick for a late head high.  Rhett applied himself and was granted a free kick to kick truly and secure the win.

The win was a great result against a quality team who never surrendered.  Bundoora were a worthy opponent, and its these wins that get you out on the park wanting to do it again.

Preston travelled away this week to play Banyule/Doncaster again after competing against them only 2 weeks ago. Unfortunately, the home side got the jump on our boys in the first quarter.

This left the Bullants chasing Banyule all afternoon. The boys deserve a big round of applause as they never gave up and came within one goal early in the last quarter however, they finally went down by 19 points. Some key highlights are Jacob’s relentless determination in the backline and our rucks were winning most of the hit outs however the opposition were getting most of the clearances.

Tackling from most of the team was ferocious and this showed as the opposition were not keen to pick up the ball on occasions. Jack B, Sammy and Brandon were getting a fair bit of the ball and showing determination to take on the opposition. Three standout moments were Teddy kicking a goal and the whole team got around to congratulate him, Brandon’s tackle close to the boundary although it resulted in a warning from the umpire it showed our boys were certainly going to put their bodies on the line and Jordan’s run down the far wing where the opposition couldn't keep up with him even managing two bounces in the wet conditions.