R10 2023 | Seniors vs Aquinas

In the inaugural Tackle Your Feelings round, the Seniors welcomed Aquinas in turbulent conditions at the Woodfull-Miller Oval. For the home side, two debutants with quite possibly the largest age gap ever, as Bryce Dowling and former Richmond Junior Football Club player Matthew Giarracca were presented with their jerseys in front of the seniors and reserves, the former given his by 200 gamer Kris McDonald.

The first quarter was played at the whim of the wind and the ensuing rains, as some first quarter dominance by the Unicorns was not resultant on the scoreboard, kicking a frustrating 0.7. For Aquinas, they kicked with some parity to their credit, and ended up with 2.2, a seven-point buffer to the visitors. For the Unicorns, midfielder Nathan Volk started brightly in what would ensue as his best game for the club, as did defender Bryce Dowling.

Debutant Matt Giarracca celebrates his first senior goal. Image courtesy of Jim Wilson.

The second quarter brought a downpour from the heavens and in front of the Unicorns’ goal as they vied for ascendancy. Midfielder Petro Pirozek displayed classy hands, as did Charles Pearson. The end of the second quarter brought a brief respite for the players, and a 23-point margin to the home side, 5.13-43 to 3.2-20.

The relatively one-way traffic of the second quarter was dampened in the third term, as Aquinas sought to break back into the contest. This failed to materialize, the saving grace for the away side being the wayward kicking of their opponents, with a whopping 19 behinds at the end of the period. Still, the Unicorns led 6.19-55, to 5.3-33.

The last quarter was the highest scoring for the term, as the conditions cleared up, however the crowning moment would undoubtedly be the debut goal of young gun Matthew Giarracca, much to the delight of his team and the supporters around the ground. The final score, whilst not truly representative of the dominance exhibited at times, was a sound 32-point win for the home side.

MHSOBFC and Aquinas celebrating the inaugural Tackle Your Feelings round (from left to right: Aquinas Head Coach Craig Glennie, Aquinas medalist Blake Gray, MHSOB medalist Nathan Volk, MHSOB Head Coach Bernie Pretty). Image courtesy of Jim Wilson.

Final Scores: MHSOB: 10.24-84 defeated Aquinas: 8.4-52

Goal Kickers: L. Hanly 2, N. Volk, M. Giarracca, J. Radcliffe-Smith, P. Pirozek, A. Tran, M. Pereira, J. Gauci, A. Mourtikas

Best Players: N. Volk, B. Dowling, P. Pirozek, W. Hellier, C. Pearson, M. Wilson