By Gary Stocks

When a team is on the end of a 15-goal flogging, the execution can be long and painful. It’s rare that the defining moment is a brief lapse.

On Saturday at McGillivray Oval, when the O’Rourke Realty A-Grade team copped a thumping at the hands of University, the precise minute that the slaughter began is easily identifiable.

It was the last 60 seconds of the second quarter. The Beach had competed bravely to that stage of the game and looked capable of matching it with one of the premiership favourites. But that final minute produced two soft goals for the Scholars and from there, sadly, the Beach folded.

Indeed, the youthful Beach could muster just one more score for the day – a behind in the last quarter as they slipped to a 5.4 (34) to 19.10 (124) defeat. It turned a day of hope into one of despair, where the best that could be taken away was a few individual positives.

Jordan Webster, who is developing a healthy habit of performing well in adverse team circumstances, was lively up forward, Nick Reid worked hard both ways, Matt Irvine and Michael Taylor were good in defence and Kyle Holden was a strong contributor in defence and the ruck.

But other than that, it was a team of two contrasts, with University unaffected by the wintry conditions, handling the slippery conditions with nonchalance and making smart decisions with ball in hand.

The Beach fumbled, put themselves under pressure because of it and then gifted the footy back to the opposition. It was a day when the gulf between the two teams was broad and now it is a matter of how the players respond.

While the A-Grade game produced a day to forget, across the club more broadly it was a day of notable achievements.

The Credent Financial Services A-Reserves produced a polished performance against University, in what proved to be a mirror image of the senior contest. After and even first half, the Beach bounded away when they lifted their intensity, tackling pressure and efficiency with the ball.

Peter Harvey, Joel Fishlock and Jacob Griffiths were always dangerous up forward while Andrew Nunan, Jacob Cooper, Kris Hackett and Tom DeCourtenay were solid throughout.

The result was a comfortable 10-goal victory, where University kicked just one point in the second half.

The most remarkable (team) effort of the day was produced by the Coast to Coast Imports Phil Scott Colts. In the opening game of the season they were monstered by University, set themselves for the re-match and dominated after quarter time to win by 35 points.

Their ferocity at the contest, ball use and penchant for the challenge was irresistible with a near flawless display.

The Beach had winners all over the ground, but Josh Tickner and Todd Hoffman, who kicked four goals, were exceptional. They had willing allies in teammates like Ned Halley, Brad Waters, Jacob Desmond and Ben McAuliffe as the colts notched up an outstanding victory.

The Cabling Network Solutions D1-Grade, dominated against Scarborough at Charles Riley Reserve on something of an empty day at home base.

This game was never under threat, with the Beach coasting to a 13-goal win on the back of a dominant team performance. Individuals to shine included Shaheed Duke, James Foley, Tim Elphick, Shane Duckworth and Jamie Tonus, while Brennen Irvine was lively in front of goal and kicked four majors.

Unfortunately, the club was informed a couple of days in advance that Scarborough would forfeit against the Hybrid Linings D1-reserves and things were only marginally better for the Red Hill Brett Jones Colts.

Playing against Wanneroo, this game was abandoned at half time when the opposition, who turned up with just 15 players, were forced to concede after receiving a few injuries.

The other outstanding effort of the day came from an individual – Steve Jopson bagging 13 goals in a comprehensive victory by the Express Bins E1-Grade against Ocean Ridge.

His haul came in an impressive team performance which marked the 100th game of Tony Mirable, while Jordan Dye, Jerome Orr-Young and Michael Missikos were also significant contributors.

O’Rourke Realty A-Grade
University           6.1          11.4        14.6        19.10     124
North Beach       2.2          5.3          5.3           5.4          34
Goals – North Beach: Webster 2; Reid, Bottechia, Foreman.
Best – North Beach: Webster, Irvine, Taylor, Holden, Reid, Witheridge.

Credent Financial Services A-Reserves
North Beach       3.2          6.3          10.5        14.7        91
University           2.1          4.4          4.4         4.5         29
Goals – North Beach: Griffiths 4; Harvey 3; Davis, Wilson 2; Ekert, Fishlock, Pardini.
Best – North Beach: Harvey, Fishlock, Nunan, Griffiths, Cooper, Hackett, DeCourtenay.

Coast to Coast Imports Phil Scott Colts
North Beach       3.1          6.4          8.9          11.11     77
University           3.0          3.2          4.4            6.6        42
Goals – North Beach: Hoffman 4; Gerrand, McAuliffe 2; Adler, Marsh, Waters.
Best – North Beach: Tickner, Hoffman, Halley, Waters, Desmond, Dalton, McAuliffe.

Cabling Network Solutions D1-Grade
North Beach       5.3          8.6          13.6        15.7        97
Scarborough      1.0          1.3          1.4         2.7         19
Goals – North Beach: B Irvine 4; S Duckworth 3; Campbell, Csar, Tonus, Belcher, Tonus.
Best – North Beach: Duke, Foley, Elphick, S Duckworth Tonus.

Hybrid Linings D1-Grade
North Beach def Scarborough on forfeit.

Red Hill Brett Jones Colts
North Beach       5.7          10.13     10.13     10.13     73
Wanneroo          0.1            0.1          0.1          0.1          1
Goals – North Beach: Hinkley, Brooks 2; Ash, Carson, Hamilton, Lazenby, Marcoux, Warner.

Express Bins E1-Grade
North Beach       4.2          9.7          12.9        18.10     118
Ocean Ridge       4.0          5.0          7.2           8.3          51
Goals – North Beach: Jopson 13; Holdman, Oxborrow, Vry, Botica, Missikos.
Best – North Beach: Jopson, Dye, Orr-Young. Missikos.