JAMES WOMBWELL – LCFNL – Under 14.5
ON A freezing and windy morning at Island Park our young Cats welcomed another opponent to their home: The top of the ladder Saints.
Missing a few key players, winning was always going to be a tough ask, but the Cats would tackle the contest and give it a crack either way.
The siren sounded and just like that as quick as a flash, Millicent won it out of the centre, went forward and kicked a goal in the first minute.
The story was much the same at the following centre bounce, Millicent winning out of the centre again and although the Cats did manage to bring the ball to ground and force a stoppage, Millicent snapped out of the pack and got their second.
The following centre bounces were all much the same, I’m afraid.
The Cats gave their all throughout the first quarter, but after some ridiculously long set shots for such young men, some turnovers from some risky plays and Millicent finding it impossible to miss, the Cats went into quarter time 61 points in arrears.
Quarter time: Millicent 10.1 (61) to no score.
The second quarter started much better from the Cats.
While Millicent won the tap, the Cats won the ball and burst out of the centre, but sadly, fell victim to a great run-down tackle from the Saints.
Millicent got it forward and peppered away with a few shots, but they had lost their goal kicking skills from the first quarter and missed a few shots in a row.
In this passage, it should also be highlighted the Cats served Millicent a taste of their own medicine, with a couple of great run-down tackles of their own.
The Cats got a period of control from here and with some pin-point passes got the ball out to the wing.
The ball looked, for the second time for the quarter, sure to end up in our forward line, but Millicent took an intercept mark and ran it down for their 11th goal.
Millicent again won out of the centre and went forward, but some great backline marks from George Robbins and Zeb Beaton stopped the rot.
The ball again found its way to the clubroom side wing but was again run forward by Millicent for another goal.
The story of the first quarter followed out of the next few centre bounces, with Millicent taking it forward, sharing it around and goaling, with some misses here and there.
A much better quarter from the Cats, but Millicent went into half time with a mammoth 94-point lead.
Half time: Millicent 15.4 (94) to no score.
The breeze really picked up in the third, Millicent kicking with it for the term.
The ball spent the start of the quarter in the Saints’ forward line, but some great defensive efforts prevented any more goals for Millicent until the 11-minute mark, a few quick handpasses and a snap bringing up their 100 points.
Millicent flowed forward again, where they gave away a free kick and the Cats got the ball out of their defensive half from this, but Millicent intercepted for the umpteenth time and sent the ball towards goal with interest, where they got a mark and the set shot, ending in a miss.
From the kick out, the Cats turned the ball over on the boundary and somehow Millicent got a dribble kick through to kick what looked like to be another goal, but a simply superb effort from Owen Mason on the goal line saved it, over the line for a rushed behind.
The floodgates opened again at this point, Millicent running in a goal from a turnover, winning it out of the centre for a mark and their 18th goal and then flooding it forward after a scramble in the middle from the kick out for their 19th and another incredible set shot like those seen in the first for their 20th.
The Cats were doing everything they could to stop what was happening, but they were outnumbered, outsized and outplayed, evidenced by Millicent winning a one-on-three marking contest on the siren and kicking it through for their 21st major.
Three-quarter-time: Millicent 21.8 (134) to no score.
The Cats managed to hold the ball up in the centre to force multiple ruck contests to start the last, but eventually Millicent got through as they had been all day and got it forward, only for one of their men to miss a run in goal from the top of the square.
Oh dear!
From the kick out, the Cats managed to finally get some link-up and get the ball into our forward half, but alas, the ball was turned over before we could get it into out forward 5, and a sharp kick into the centre circle from Millicent saw them get it forward for a mark in the goal square, banged through for their 22nd and a rather similar result out of the centre for their 23rd.
The Saints went forward again but Casterton won a free kick and launched into the centre.
Surely this time, an inside 50 for the Cats?
Unfortunately not – Millicent using their strength and size to again out-mark the desperate Cats and in a flash, it was forward for their 24th; the speed at which they move the ball is simply breathtaking.
Millicent launched another attack out of the middle but missed a fairly straightforward set shot, but in the old seven-point play way, intercepted the kick out and booted their 25th.
Some late misses from Millicent were followed by a flurry of late goals, the Cats powerless as Millicent rushed through their 26th, 27th and 28th majors.
Finally, some mercy for the Cats as the siren sounded to end one heck of an onslaught from by far the best team in the Under 14.5 grade, the final score having Millicent winning 28.11 (179) to no score.
Some tough lessons learned by the undermanned Cats, but you cannot say they were not trying their hardest to manufacture whatever they could against an unbelievably good side in Millicent.
How about an early start this Saturday, come down and watch our young Cats tackle Penola on our home deck again, in what is a winnable game against a mid-table side?
See you at Island Park, 9.50am Saturday.
