Yass Roos
Match Reports

Semi-Final - Cootamundra @ Football Park Phillip

The 2011 season came to an early end for the Roos when Cootamundra won the knockout semi-final last Sunday. Many were confident the Aussie Hotel Yass Roos could go further in the finals than last year but it wasn’t to be and the Roos finish the season in fourth place again.

The match was played in fine but blustery conditions and the first quarter saw a tight contest. Cootamundra kicked the first goal but the Roos fought back to lead at quarter time, 3-4-22 to 2-4-16. It looked like it was going to be a similar game to the last match against Coota; a close, hard battle.

The Blues had other ideas though and in the second quarter began to show their dominance. Six goals to two had Cootamundra leading by three goals at half time 8-8-56 to 5-8-38. The Roos couldn’t seem to win a contest and the windy conditions made accurate kicking for goal difficult. They looked a little lost on the big Football Park ground. The game certainly wasn’t over but the Roos needed to step up in the third and apply some scoreboard pressure.

To their credit the Roos had more scoring shots in the third quarter but couldn’t convert these to goals. Cootamundra got one goal as the Roos struggled to hold on and led 9-9-63 to Yass 5-12-42. It was beginning to look too much with Cootamundra playing better footy than the Roos. Yass just looked out of sorts and not up for the contest.

In the worst possible start for the Roos, Cootamundra opened the scoring in the last quarter with a goal in the first minute. From then on it was pretty much over. A six goal quarter by Coota and some frustrated discipline lapses by the Roos gave Cootamundra a ticket to the Preliminary Final this Sunday against ANU. The final score was Cootamundra 15-11-101 to Yass 5-14-44. It was a very disappointing finish to a season that promised more. To add to the disappointment three Roos may be missing the first game or two next season due to being reported.

Best players for the Roos were Steve O’Callaghan, Henry Paton, Shane Lees, Cian Ebert, Daniel Smith and Darren Pfeiffer. Leigh French kicked two goals and Darren Pfeiffer, Cian Ebert and Russell Watchorn had one apiece.

Even though the Roos have struggled to get a full side each week they have still been a quality top four side and deserved to be in the finals race. The Roos are known as a hard, tough team but in this match that needed to be tempered with some better skills. Cootamundra had those skills on the day and were deserving winners.

Round 15 - Harman @ Harman 30 July 2011

The Aussie Hotel Yass Roos have put extra pressure on themselves after losing to the Harman Hogs on the weekend. In the coach’s words the Roos only played one decent quarter of footy and it wasn’t enough against a Harman side determined to spoil the party for any finals contenders. This loss has probably cost a top two spot for the Roos and with pressure from Goulburn the top four is still not locked in with only three home and away games left.

The first quarter saw both teams struggle to get any rhythm. Yass had more opportunity but failed to apply any scoreboard pressure with quarter time scores at 1-5-11 to 1-2-7. Harman had the better of the second quarter and went to the main break 4-4-28 to 2-7-19. It looked like this was going to be an arm wrestle match with a close finish.

Coach Shane Lees half time address got the team fired up and playing much more like the Roos can. They came out and blitzed Harman with 5 unanswered goals to go to the last 7-9-51 to 4-5-29. The Roos looked home but Harman had other ideas. They started the last with all guns blazing and the Roos just seemed to stand and watch as the deficit was ground away. Despite Yass getting a further three goals the Hogs ran them down with seven of their own to finish winners 11-6-72 to 10-9-69.

The Roos were missing some key players and again, more new players graced the field. Nick Pollack played a great cameo picking up four goals and Dom O’Malley enjoyed a run. Best players were Brendan Foran, Darren Pfeiffer, Shane Lees, Marc Brooks, Doug Watchorn and Daniel Smith but in the end there were not enough good players to match Harman’s desperation to win. It was good to see Mick Hadley out there enjoying his footy. Hopefully the body will hold together for some more matches this season.

The loss was compounded by two reports in a bizarre last quarter that saw both the assistant coach, Terry Lemon, and player Jason Anderson reported for dissension of an umpire’s decision. Both were sent from the field (or bench in Terry’s case) along with a Harman player and will front the tribunal this week.

I’m not going to get into a debate on umpiring but I think the league needs to address the club umpire approach as it has led to some very inconsistent efforts during the season. There have only been a handful of games where the umpires have not featured and to my mind a good umpiring performance means that they should not be noticed.

Round 12 - Cootamundra @ Joe O'Connor Park 9 July 2011

It was an intense battle but the ActewAGL Yass Roos prevailed to balance the ledger with the Cootamundra Blues for 2011. A strong rivalry has developed between the Roos and Cootamundra which added spice to what was already the match of the round. Coota in third place and the Roos in fourth and both teams looking to establish a strong hold on a finals berth, this game certainly delivered a tense and tough contest and an exciting spectacle.

In a game that slowly turned, Coota started the stronger and looked like having enough to hold out the Roos. At quarter time Coota led 4-1-25 to 3-4-22. More scoring shots to Yass gave them hope and a small deficit saw the second quarter again evenly split. Half time had Coota still with a slender lead 5-7-37 to 4-5- 29 but not able to shut the Roos down. It was bitterly cold conditions but both teams were feeling the heat of a furious competition.

The relentless pressure from the Roos started to wear the Blues down in the second half and three quarter time had the Roos in front by the smallest margin 7-10-52 to 7-9-51. It all came down to the last quarter and an inspirational tackle by Player’s Player Damian Phillipa that resulted in a goal drove the Roos to push that bit more. This final surge snuffed out any comeback by Cootamundra and the Roos went on to record a superb victory 11-12-78 to 9-11-65.

The Roos claimed sweet justice in beating not only Cootamundra but probably one of the worst displays of biased umpiring it has been my misfortune to see. The first half was appalling and it was only the strong discipline of the Roos that prevented this game turning into a riot. Things did improve in the second half and I can only think the second umpire had words at half time.

This was an awesome effort by the Roos. Best players were Damian Phillipa, Dave Brown, Cian Ebert, Shane Lees, Kim Boyle and Darren Pfeiffer. Adrian Paull also had a strong second half in the back line. Goals came from Leigh French (3), Jason Aanderson and Jesse Boyle (2 each), Daniel Poidevin , Russell Watchorn , Shane Lees and Brendan Foran (1 each).

Round 10 - Cooma @ Snowy Oval 25 June 2011

It all came down to the last kick of the game. The Cooma Cats needed a goal but missed and the Aussie Hotel Yass Roos took the win 11-12-78 to 11-11-77. There was a confusing end to the match with a free kick to Cooma in front of goal but after conferring with the second umpire it was deemed the siren had gone before the free kick and the result stood as a win by the narrowest margin. The match was a real edge of the seat thriller with the lead changing regularly from about mid-way through the third quarter. Neither team could establish a match winning break.

The win was even more impressive given the Roos only had 18 players against a full 22 from Cooma. In what has become the norm, the Roos could not find enough players and another first gamer, Patrick McDonald, was also called in at short notice. With Brendan Foran, Leigh French and Daniel Poidevin all out, the forward line was completely re-structured. Jason Anderson bagged 4 goals, Ben McCallum 3, Cian Ebert 2 and Russell Watchorn and Damian Phillipa scored 1 each.

The first quarter saw the Cats get the first couple of goals but the Roos fought back and actually had more scoring shots. The Cats just got better value to lead 4-1-25 to 2-5-17 at quarter time. The Roos turned things around in the second but could not break clear. Half time saw the Roos in front 6-6-42 to 5-5-35.

What seemed like the scoring end gave the Cats a chance to get their noses in front and the same margin 9-9-63 to 8-8-56 set the last quarter up to be a thriller. The Roos were feeling the strain with Rob Walker hobbling after a knock to the knee. No interchange meant he just had to soldier on. It was a mighty effort by the Yass boys to claw their way back in front and then tough it out for the win. Both teams retired to the pub knowing it had been an exciting, entertaining match, played hard but fair.

Best players for the Roos were Marc Brooks (player’s player), Daniel Smith, Cian Ebert, Damian Phillipa, Ben McCallum, Jason Anderson and Kim Boyle.

Round 9 - ADFA @ O'Connor Park 18 June 2011

In miserably cold and damp conditions at Joe O’Connor Park the Aussie Hotel Yass Roos won a very physical encounter against ADFA Rams. Despite trailing at quarter time the Roos powered back in the second quarter to set up a lead that was never headed by ADFA. The Roos went on to win 8-12-60 to 5-8-38.

The low scores were indicative of the conditions as much as the knock down drag-em-out nature of the match. This was a real battle with plenty of scuffles throughout the match. A few times it threatened to get out of control but thankfully the footy won the most attention.

A typical slow start by the Roos saw the score at quarter time 3-3-21 to 1-2-8 with ADFA holding the advantage. It was a different story in the second quarter as Yass kicked six unanswered goals to take a comfortable 24 point lead to the half time break.
The Roos held ADFA to one goal at what was the scoring end in the third quarter with some fierce tackling pressure. The frustration was showing with emotions running high. Yass finished well with the majority of possession in the last but unable to score a goal from eight shots. It didn’t matter as they already had enough to seal the win.

Two goals to Russell Watchorn and singles to Marc Brooks, Daniel Poidevin, Jesse Boyle, Dave Brown, Damian Phillipa and Jason Anderson once again illustrated the Roos options up forward. Best players on the day were Jesse Boyle, Dave Brown, Brendan Foran, Shane Lees (Player’s Player winner), Russell Watchorn, Daniel Smith and Andrew Morgan. Brendan Foran was moved to Centre Half Forward and provided good delivery out of the centre. It did blunt his goal scoring tally though. Leigh French rolled an ankle in the first quarter and may be out for a week or two. Daniel Poidevin also injured his shoulder and will probably miss this week’s match.

It was a good win to start this critical part of the season where the Roos really need to string four wins together to stake a serious hold on a top four spot. The Roos moved to fifth place on the ladder and a win this weekend will see them move back into the top four.

Round 7 - ANU @ O'Connor Park 21 May 2011

The Yass Roos gave ANU too much of a start in the first quarter. Despite going on to outscore ANU in the next three quarters the Roos went down 14-7-91 to ANU 15-10-100. If the last quarter had gone another five minutes the Roos might have snagged a win as they were finishing strongly.

In a first quarter blitz ANU had plenty of scoring opportunities while the stunned Roos seemed to just stand back and watch. ANU led 7-6-48 to 2-1-13 at the first break.

From there on, the Roos got into the contest. Better tackling pressure from the Roos slowed ANU. The Roos used the ball better and Brendan Foran was getting on top of his tagger. Brendan finished with five goals, Daniel Poidevin and Jesse Boyle got two each and Shane Lees, Dave Brown, Damian Phillipa, Marc Brooks, and Russell Watchorn contributed one each. Andrew Morgan had a good game with some strong defensive work and once again Daniel Smith was prominent with his strong work ethic and second efforts around the packs. Good performances also from Dave Brown, Jesse Boyle.

The game was a solid test for the Roos and although a loss, there was indication the Roos are not far off where they need to be for finals footy. The comeback for the last three quarters was excellent. We just need to be on our game from the outset. Also at times the Roos tended to go the man rather than get the ball, resulting in some missed opportunities for easy possession.

Yass clings to 4th spot on the ladder by percentage over Cooma with Tuggeranong, ANU and Harman holding the top three rungs.

Round 6 - Goulburn @ Kenmore 14 May 2011

Despite doubling the number of scoring shots of Goulburn the Aussie Hotel Yass Roos failed to outscore the Swans and came away instead with a drawn game. Yass 4-16-40 drew with Goulburn 6-4-40. This is the first time Yass has played a drawn match in its ten year history.

The game was played in blustery conditions at Kenmore Oval. This contributed to the poor return on the scoreboard for the Roos as much as the pressure from Goulburn. Neither team could open a clear advantage in a scrappy, tightly contested, low scoring game.

Frustration and the historic rivalry between the teams led to several low-key dust ups and exchanges of pleasantries. For the Roos another full team dwindled on the day to just enough. After a heavy collision, Darren Pfeiffer was sidelined at the end of the first quarter and the Roos played out the game with only 17 players.

Goulburn were in front at half time 3-2-20 to Yass 0-8-8. With the low scores the Roos were still in with a chance despite not scoring a goal in the first half. Yass came out hard in the third quarter to turn the game around and at the last break were in front 3-10-28 to 4-3-27. The last quarter was a nail-biter with Goulburn missing two late shots for goal (one after the siren) that would have won the game.

Player numbers were again the difference between the draw and a win for the Roos. Seventeen against 22 just made it more difficult than it should have been. The draw was a good result considering the handicap.

Leigh French played his 100th game for the Roos. He has come back to the Roos this year after a couple of seasons at Temora. Best for the Roos were Daniel Smith, Doug Watchorn, Marc Brooks, Jesse Boyle, Damian Phillipa and Shane Lees.

Round 5 - Murrumbidgee @ Stirling Oval 7 May 2011

Despite selecting a full team the Yass Roos could only field 19 players for the Mother’s Day clash with Murrumbidgee. It was enough however, to keep the Juggernauts winless this season when the Roos took the game 17-9-111 to 6-8-48.

The final score was not quite indicative of the game. A strong opening quarter saw the Roos stamp their authority on the game. New player Andrew Evans made his first kick for the Roos count by scoring the opening goal and the Roos led 7-3-45 to 1-2-8 at quarter time.

Murrumbidgee fought back well in the second quarter outscoring the Roos. It wasn’t enough to make significant inroads into the Roos lead but it did highlight that the Roos cannot afford to let any opposition get a toe hold. Yass were only marking time instead of pressing home the advantage. Better teams will definitely make the Roos pay if this attitude persists.

The final score would suggest an easy win to the Roos but Murrumbidgee has improved over the last couple of years. The second and third quarters were fairly even and entertaining tussles. Leigh French was well marked for the game and restricted to only two goals. Dave Brown was equally well tagged which limited his contribution even though he did still manage two goals. The Murrumbidgee coach had obviously done some homework.

Part of the Roos strength in this game was the optional avenues to goal. Ten goal scorers for this match! The Roos will be a hard team to tag out of a game with that many players able to stand up and kick goals when required. Goal scorers were Leigh French 2, Dave Brown 2, Daniel Poidevin 2, Daniel Smith 2, Russell Watchorn 2, Brendan Foran 2, Ben McCallum 2, Jason Anderson , Andrew Evans , Jesse Boyle 1 each. Best players were Daniel Smith, Damian Phillipa, Doug Watchorn, Marc Brooks, Ben McCallum and Shane Lees.

It was a good win for the Roos but I suspect they were expecting an easier game and a bit bigger margin. The Roos need to stick to the plan and have each player be accountable to ensure consistent wins. It has been a good start for season 2011; a full team one week would be even better.

Round 4 - Harman @ Joe O'Connor Park 30 Apr 2011

After a 2 week break the Aussie Hotel sponsored Yass Roos were back at O’Connor Park to take on the Harman Hogs. The Roos in fourth place against Harman in third place promised a tense and exciting game and the match certainly didn’t disappoint. The Yass Roos took the points with a second half comeback to win 16-10-106 to 13-7-85.

Harman showed dash early and led at quarter time by 4-2-26 to 3-3 21. Both teams displayed good skills and it was clear there was not going to be a big margin in this game.

The second quarter was more of the same with neither team managing to create a winning break. At 8-6-54 to 7-4-46 with Harman leading you still got the feeling the game could go either way but the Roos needed to dig deep to make it happen.

Whatever inspiration the Yass coaching staff came up with at half time was gold. The third quarter saw several positional changes and they all seemed to work. More possession in the middle meant more chances for the forwards. Leigh French moved to Full Forward and took plenty of contested marks. Not all resulted in goals but he did kick 6 for the match. The Roos scored 5 goals to 2 in the third quarter to lead 12-7-79 to 10-7-67 going into the last.

Harman were by no means out of it but the momentum had shifted in the Roos’ favour. With the pressure on, both teams showed signs of frustration but Yass held firm to again outscore Harman in the last quarter and take the win in a quality game of footy.
Along with Leigh’s 6 goals, Daniel Poidevin bagged 3, Brendan Foran 2 and Shane Lees, Adrian Paull, Dave Brown, Cian Ebert and Jesse Boyle each scored one. Best players were Leigh French, Daniel Poidevin, Marc Brooks, Brendan Foran, Daniel Smith and Damian Phillipa.

The win moves Yass to third on the ladder ahead of Harman. ANU are top of the ladder after a big win over Gungahlin and Tuggeranong Hawks are in second spot after accounting for Eastlake.

Forgive me if this report is a little sketchy but I was boundary umpire for this game and I couldn't concentrate on all details. It was enough to keep my legs going in the right direction. Poido: The next time you kick it that bloody far from the end of the goal square you can get the ball yourself!! :-|

Round 2 - Eastlake @ Joe O'Connor Park 9 Apr 2011

Round 2 and the Roos at home on picturesque Joe O’Connor Park were too strong for Eastlake. The final score was Yass 15-16-106 to Eastlake 7-12-54. The Roos maintained a lead for the whole game and were getting stronger as the game went on with ten second half goals.

Once again the forward line looked strong and with a full defence this week, Eastlake found it difficult to penetrate. Strong delivery from the likes of Ben McCallum, Doug Watchorn and Shane Lees gave plenty of opportunity up front. Marc Brooks (2 goals and Player's Player) and Cian Ebert (1 goal) also had plenty of ball from the centre.

A good opening quarter by the Roos put scoreboard pressure on Eastlake from the outset with quarter time scores 4-4-28 to 1-3-9. Eastlake were always playing catch-up but applied good pressure in the second quarter to restrict the scoring (5-9-39 to 2-5-17 at half time).

The Roos shut the gate in the second half with a solid attack. Daniel Poidevin had the ball on a string in the third quarter kicking four goals from the half forward flank. Brendan Foran scored 2 goals even though he was well marked by Eastlake’s defenders and had a quiet game by his standards.

The win was well deserved and still without a full bench of interchange players.

Round 1 - Coota @ Clarke Oval 2 Apr 2011

A game that was always going to be tough even with a full team got tougher when several players were unable to make the journey to Cootamundra for the Round 1 clash. The Roos could only field 16 players instead of the usual 18 on the field and had no interchange players to call on. This number was reduced to 15 when Troy Scanes had to leave the field after a heavy knock to the face at the end of the third quarter. He went to hospital to get checked out and hopefully his injuries are not too severe and he is available again soon.

It was very disheartening to see such a depleted side run out against quality opposition. Despite the lack of numbers the Roos played their hearts out to stay in touch with Cootamundra throughout the game. It was only exhaustion and sheer weight of numbers that enabled Coota to run out winners 15-13-103 to 10-10-70.
The whole team gave it a red hot go and this scribe definitely believes a full Roos side would have taken this game easily. The final score in no way reflected the commitment and skill of the Roos. It is just not possible for 15 players to defeat a full team. The warm conditions added to the disadvantage of being short of players.

Every player for the Roos should hold their heads high after this game. It is difficult to single out any stars but Leigh French, Daniel Smith, James Bray, David Brown and Damian Phillipa all had strong games with Leigh French named Player’s Player. Coach Shane Lees opted for full back line but despite being short of players the forward line showed the promise of things to come  with Brendan Foran and Leigh French both getting marks and goals. Russell Watchorn in his debut game played well and Daniel Poidevin back from a couple of seasons off showed he hadn’t forgotten how to find the footy.

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