BRETT MURRELL – LCFNL – Seniors
WELCOME back Cat Fans; season 2025 is set to be a big one as the club celebrates 150 years of football in the town.
The committee has been flat out during the off-season getting some gun recruits to the club and after the hail, fixing up the clubrooms to be the best in the league.
Some of the new recruits were on show in this first round against last year’s premier, West Gambier; Jack Thompson and Michel Krieger were welcomed back and Sam Tooley, Jett Attard, and Colby Munro were able to run onto Island Park for their first time as Cats.
The pre-season games had shown that Jarrod O’Brien and his coaching team have got his players in top condition and the Casterton Sandford supporters were out in force to see how their Cats’ Seniors would go against the Premiership Roos.
West Gambier won the first tap, but Callum Currie held it up in the middle and the Cats cleared forward through Ed Pritchard and Dylan Ayton.
The ball came to Alastair McCrae, who marked strongly and goaled after a pinpoint pass from Currie.
West went forward from the next bounce and were soon able to even-up the score, with a goal to Winterfield.
The ball was played mostly in the middle for the next few minutes until Nick Schembri was able to find Pritchard, who put the ball to the top of full forward where Hamish McCrae was able to read the ball best and kick the Cats’ second goal.
West again went forward from the next bounce and held it in there for a couple of minutes until Gabe Parsons put his head over the ball and cleared for the Cats.
Casterton Sandford moved the ball through Hamish McCrae, Krieger and Thompson.
Thompson got the ball to Attard, who kicked his first goal for the Cats.
The Cats kept the momentum up with Krieger soccerring the ball under pressure through for a goal, after a well-weighted kick by Attard.
Both teams continued to fight hard for possession, West moving the ball the better, but the Cats’ backs held strong.
A couple of points were scored until Alastair McCrae went long to Pritchard, who marked 25 metres out and slotted through the Cats’ fifth with only about a minute left on the clock.
Quarter time: Casterton Sandford 5.3.33 leading West Gambier 1.2.8.
The Casterton Sandford Seniors had put in a well-rounded first quarter.
Adam McKinnon and Archie Lane had both shown dash and a willingness to get to the fall of the ball.
Tom Foster, Tooley and O’Brien had been solid down back and Diarmid Cleary and Matt Mutch had shown leadership in the crunch times.
The Roos won the first centre clearance of the second quarter, Tom Holmes sending the ball long forward, but reliable veteran Ayton was able to gather and got the ball over the scoreboard side boundary.
The Cats cleared from defence through Munro and West did their best to hold the Cats from getting the ball too deep forward.
Casterton Sandford were able to break through with a goal to Krieger after a pass from Currie.
West were getting on top in the middle at the centre bounces despite the best efforts of Matt Thurkle, but the Cats persisted and soon had the ball going in their direction.
The ball was being held up between the Cats’ forward 50 and the middle as West dropped a couple back.
Thompson and Oliver Foster kept the ball from going much further.
It took over 10 minutes for the next goal to come through due to both sides defensive efforts.
Mutch cleared forward through Attard and the ball ended up with Krieger, who kicked the Cats’ seventh goal.
West kicked a late goal through Minuzzo and the half time scores were West 2.4.16 to Cats 7.4.46 – a five-goal lead in Casterton-Sandford’s favour.
A good result against last year’s premiers but still, anything could happen in the second half.
The third quarter started with a bang as the Cats went forward through Cleary, who found Krieger, who kicked the Cats’ eighth goal.
Casterton Sandford went forward again from the next bounce as Lane gathered and pushed along the wing.
The Cats kept it in their half until Alastair McCrae received the ball from Currie and McCrae put the ball through the middle.
This goal was soon followed by another when Munro passed to a leading Currie, who marked and goaled.
West went forward from the next bounce, but Ayton and Jedd Rhook cleared the ball up the changerooms wing.
Munro, Lane, McKinnon and Corey Wombwell were strong in the packs, reading the fall of the ball well.
The boundary was being used by both teams giving the supporters on the changeroom side a close-up view.
West kicked a goal late in the quarter and had another chance a minute later, but the Cats were about to turn the ball around through Tooley.
Ayton got onto the Sherrin and his kick was thoughtfully placed to a leading Munro; Munro then sent the ball long to Alastair McCrae, who marked and goaled on the siren.
Three-quarter-time: Casterton-Sandford 11.5.71 leading West Gambier 3.4.22.
The Cats won the first ball-up of the last quarter, but the West defenders were up to the task and held the Cats at bay.
Wombwell got the ball and sent it long up the wing to Pritchard, who moved the ball quickly to Alastair McCrae, who won a one-on-one contest and goaled.
West went forward, but Hamish McCrae stood tall in the pack and cleared through Tom Foster and Oliver Foster.
West would not be denied though and after several minutes got their fourth on the board.
Casterton-Sandford fired straight back from the next bounce and Munro kicked the Cats 13th goal.
Both sides continued to fight hard for the ball and West finished the game strong with a couple more goals, but it was the Cats’ day and they ran out winners by seven goals.
Final score: Casterton-Sandford 13.5.83 defeated West Gambier 6.5.41
This week we travel to Millicent.
The Saints had a good win over league newcomers over league newcomers, Penola, so will be up and about.
We will need as many Casterton Sandford supporters to get to McLaughlin Park and cheer our teams on.
Carn Cats!
