R7 2024 | U20s at De La Salle

After a brutal loss in their previous game at home, MHSOBFC came up against ladder leaders De La Salle at Waverley Oval in East Malvern. The Unicorns knew they were coming into a tough game but maintained a firm belief in their abilities. 

The first quarter was a rough one for the Unicorns as the home side ran away kicking seven goals to two. However, there were some signs of individual brilliance with ruckman Jude Bachelet providing a real contest partnering up with captain Lachlan O' Halloran in the midfield. Some gut running late in the term from Jude led to an amazing goal kicked under pressure, dribbling its way through to give the Unicorns a much-needed confidence boost. Vice captain Lachie Sharrock also laid some hard hitting tackles and helped soften the blow for our midfield. 

The second quarter was a tricky one for the Unicorns to deal with, but it really showed the resilience of the defensive unit, which continued to fight and contest. Ben Sharrock contested well in the air and Austin Reynolds offered some wonderful run and carry with the ball, laying out some great opportunities for the forwards. De La Salle led at halftime 12.9-81 to 2.1-13.

Unfortunately, the third quarter was very much the same result as MHSOBFC could only muster a solitary goal through Bailey Elder to eight majors from De La Salle. The Unicorns suffered an unfortunate setback with defender Ben Sharrock going down with a serious injury in a marking contest, which was found out later to be a spinal issue which will keep him off the field for the next few weeks. The home side’s lead extended to 111 points at the final change.

Pleasingly, the fourth quarter was something to be proud of, with the Unicorns continuing to fight on in spite of the one-sided scoreboard and undermanned bench. Some great work from Cal Hackman in the midfield continued to create more forward entries, but once more the forwards were unable to capitalise. De La Salle would go on to win by 147 points, and even though it wasn't a game to remember in terms of the final result, the Unicorns showed a big amount of heart and will continue to wrap their arms around each other.

Final Score: MHSOBFC 3.3-21 defeated by De La Salle 25.18-168

Goal Kickers: Ben Sharrock, Bailey Elder, Jude Bachelet

Best Players: Austin Reynolds, Matthew Giarracca, Jude Bachelet, Ferguson Lewis, Jai Raptis