Hampton Rovers (2.1.13) v East Sandringham (13.8.80)
On a perfect sunny Autumn Sunday, we had the final game of the afternoon at Castlefield, facing East Sandy Zebbies.
We got the boys to wear black arm bands as a sign of respect for the fallen soldiers of the Anzacs, following the tradition embraced for this round by the AFL. We talked about the Anzac spirit, the importance of team work and being there for your mates. We discussed fighting hard, finding courage and never giving up.
The captains for the day were chosen based on this spirit. The selection also proved that being small is no barrier. Jed Marshall and Tom Westerbeek lead us out due to their hard efforts last week under tough conditions and opponents.
East Sandy proved to be a very competitive team. Our tall, fast and skilled opponents lead all day and provided a very tough challenge. Our second half was stronger than the first. The boys lifted, raised the intensity and the pressure to try and contain the Zebbies forward flow and momementum.
In true Rovers spirit, they never gave up. There were efforts of bravery and desperation right til the final siren. And even with numerous injuries, our weary boys finished with their heads held high.
We were all very proud of our ‘brothers in arms’. Don’t worry boys, we’ll be singing that song soon.
Awards: Player of the day Joe Weber, Guts and Determination Taj Hotton and Achievement Award Orlando Lynch.
Tim Sutherland
Coach
