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There were many
questions going into Rd 14 of OAFL
action for the Rebels: Could the boys
break the losing streak? Will the Rebels
ever win in the new jumpers? Is Frogger
actually attracted to amphibians?
The Rebels put out
a strong line-up dressing 21 for this
much anticipated match and with the
weather conditions a little damp coach
Monty knew that getting on the board
early would be paramount to obtaining a
victory. The first quarter was a tight
game all across the field and scoring
was proving difficult at both ends of
the ground. Kim playing his first game
in three years was providing a much
needed option in the forward line and he
gave Pete some much needed support. At
the end of the first the Rebels were in
front by a small margin.
In the second some
aggressive play from Rookies Al, Jacko,
and Rock gave the Rebels the ascendancy
and after some great work in the middle
Connie swooped on a loose ball and
threaded a nice goal. With Pete
providing a solid target at full forward
and Bobby collecting possessions at half
forward the Rebs went into the half time
break with a four goal lead.
Coming into a
second half with a lead has been a
foreign occurrence this season and the
boys were wary that the Blues have had a
never say die attitude this season. The
Blues came out strong and within the
first 10 minutes of the second half four
key rebels players were sent to the
bench with serious injuries and for a
large part of the quarter the boys were
down two players. Fortunately the
backline was able to stand tall under
extreme pressure and the four goal lead
was maintained going into the last
change.
With the injured
all bandaged up the last quarter was
always going to be a challenge. The
Blues hit hard again and with the steam
quickly running out of many boys the
lead was being dwindled away quickly.
The ball was constantly in the Rebels
defensive half and it was time for some
individuals to stand tall to ensure a
victory. Sean Duffy was constantly
driving the ball up the field with great
support from Tammer, Dave and Jacko. But
with two minutes left and the Rebels
holding on to only a 2 point lead it was
the heroics of Rookie Chris Behie that
sealed the victory. He took two
courageous marks in the Blues forward
line to repel what could well have been
the game winning forward thrust. The
siren finally sounded to end the game
and the winless drought had been broken
and with that ironically a down pouring
of rain soon followed. It was a hard
fought well deserved win and it may be
the start of a rivalry between the two
clubs. With only one question unanswered
Frog was unavailable after the game for
comment according to Steve….Steve!
After the
match former player and now coach of the
Roo’s, Greg Everett presented
two flags to the club honoring the
premierships the Rebels have won since
their inception in to the league. Thank
you to Greg and we hope to add to the
collection before too long.
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