by Gary Stocks | May 7, 2021
Lachlan Scurria will make his first senior appearance against Scarborough.
Rewards for commitment and form continued at the selection table last night when another emerging youngster, Lachlan Scurria, was selected to make his debut for the O’Rourke Realty A-Grade against Scarborough tomorrow.
The re-match of last year’s grand finalists will see a bumper crowd at Charles Riley Reserve and it promises to be an enthralling battle.
Scurria is one of a handful of club debutants, coming in to replace another rookie who has had his first taste of senior football, Caolan O’Connell, who was not available for this match against our nearest and most fierce competitor.
True rivalries cannot be manufactured, they evolve organically.
Sometimes the genesis is a specific moment in time, but generally it grows and builds. The North Beach-Scarborough rivalry has existed for decades, more than half of the life time of our football club.
There is nothing false or contrived in how one club feels about the other and it’s why the home game against the Sea Eagles is one of the biggest days every season.
Having had the misfortune of the annual ANZAC Day being cancelled because of a COVID lock-down imposed the Premier, this match should comfortably attract the biggest crowd of the season to date.
The extra mayonnaise on this mouth-watering contest is that the last time the two clubs met it was in last year’s grand final. Unfortunately that result went the way of the opposition, so the Beach will be keen to reverse the outcome.
There is never atonement for a grand final loss. That premiership has been and gone; you don’t get to exact revenge.
What you do get, is the opportunity in a game like this, to set your club for another serious tilt. If victory can be achieved against a major contender, then it is possible to take a quantum leap forward on the premiership table.
While Scarborough won the 2020 grand final, this O’Rourke Realty A-Grade North Beach team will have a vastly different look to it than the one that played at Steel Blue Oval last season.
Tom Hooper and Nic Reid have returned, a few emerging players have been elevated to senior ranks and there are a several other fresh faces in the line-up – including Hamish Coulton, James Canty, Shannon Lucassen and Dylan Brockbernd.
The club is looking forward to testing itself against the reigning premier.
At this stage the North Beach outfit is unbeaten, but Scarborough does represent a more significant challenge than the Tigers have encountered in the three matches played to date.
The Lifenet A-Reserves are also unbeaten and look likely to be even stronger with a number of senior players poised to return after injuries during the pre-season build-up. A feature of this game will be the 100th game for popular midfielder Nic Bowe.
The Plasterwise Phil Scott Colts will be looking to rebound after being overwhelmed in the second half by Fremantle CBC last Saturday.
On a big day for the club the undefeated third and fourth grade teams – the Hybrid Linings C5-Grade and the Beast Carpet Cleaning C5-Reserves – will play Wanneroo on the northern oval.
In addition, the Project Ceilings A-Grade women will kick off proceedings at 9.30am on the main oval while the Grange Residential Integrated Rules will begin the action on the northern oval at 11am.
So the club will have seven teams playing at homes with the exceptions being the Indian Ocean Hotel Brett Jones Colts playing at Wanneroo, the Peak Body C4-Grade women venturing to Warnbro, the Beyond Tools E2-Grade playing in Melville and the GJ Osplumb E3-Grade playing at Ballajura.
Fixtures
Round 5 – Saturday, May 8
O’Rourke Realty A-Grade
North Beach v Scarborough, Charles Riley Reserve, 2.40pm
Lifenet A Reserves
North Beach v Scarborough, Charles Riley Reserve, 12.50pm
Plasterwise Phil Scott Colts
North Beach v Scarborough, Charles Riley Reserve, 11am
Hybrid Linings C5-Grade
North Beach v Wanneroo, Charles Riley Reserve, 2.40pm
Beast Carpet Cleaning C5 Reserves
North Beach v Scarborough, Charles Riley Reserve, 2.40pm
Indian Ocean Hotel Brett Jones Colts
Wanneroo v North Beach, Wanneroo Showgrounds, 10am
Beyond Tools E2-Grade
Melville v North Beach, Melville Reserve 2pm
GJ Osplumb E3 Grade
Ballajura v North Beach, Kingfisher Oval, 5.50pm
Project Ceilings A-Grade women
North Beach v Piara Waters, Charles Riley Reserve, 9.30am
Peak Body C-Grade women
Warnbro Swans v North Beach, Warnbro Sporting Complex (2), 12.30pm
Grange Residential Integrated Rules
North Beach v Coolbinia, Charles Riley Reserve (2), 11am
by Gary Stocks | May 6, 2021
Jordan Brooks…another strong effort up forward for the Hybrid Linings C5-Grade
Venturing into the unknown proved a stimulant for the Hybrid Lings C5-Grade when they drove to unfamiliar territory south of the river last Saturday.
Generally North Beach is acutely aware of their opponents, confronting regular teams from one year to the next. But Baldivis at Baldivis was a new experience.
And they relished it.
Taking no time to adjust to a narrow and short ground, the Beach went on a goal-scoring rollick, on their way to a 118-point triumph – 24.11 (155) to 6.1 (37).
Sam Zehnder was outstanding at full-forward with 8.1, while Jordan Brooks was also dangerous every time the ball went forward and he kicked five goals.
The speed of Callum Corbett was a factor in his four goals while through the midfield Riley Hinkley and Tom DeCourtenay controlled the ruck and fed the young midfield in Jayden Black, Jack Stevens, Connor Pollard and Mitch Tobin.
Craig Hall led from the front as always and Isaac Seidner was eye-catching on his wing. Luke Hopkins was swung on to one of the big forwards and did a very good job in shutting him down, after he had been threatening early.
The Beast Carpet Cleaning C5-Reserves enjoyed an even more dominant performance, winning by a whopping 165 points 18.15 (183) to 3.0 (18).
Clearly, with that scoreline, the Beach won every position on the ground and with a flood of football inside the attacking 50 metre arc, the likes of Mitch Cameron (eight goals), Conor Hingston and Vaughan Quinlan, who also kicked nine between them, were always going to punish the opposition.
Sam Cahill, Alex Luck and Brendan Bowden also wielded a strong influence with Nathan Torre and Mason Lawrence.
Meanwhile, back in the northern suburbs, the Indian Ocean Hotel Brett Jones Colts did as much damage to their own cause as University when the Scholars scored an important 15-point victory.
The Beach were highly competitive against the competition benchmark but conceded an inordinately high level of 50 metre penalties and paid the price. After starting well, the Tigers hindered their quest for victory on the way to a 6.10 (46) to 9.7 (51) loss.
Charlie Cortese took a great “hanga” while Conor Ougan, Josh Murphy and Cale Vladich were strong contributors.
The Beyond Tools E2-Grade engaged in an absorbing battle at Charles Riley Reserve, but a poor third quarter made their task challenging. They had momentum in the final term, but fell a goal short against Lynwood-Ferndale.
Players like Callan Dunjey, Daniel Ball and Donal Ryan set a high bench mark early in the contest and they were just a goal down at the main break.
Scoring just one behind in the third quarter proved decisive, while Aaron Franklin and Fletcher Cook were also working hard. The Beach came home hard, but could not bridge the gap, losing by six points – 7.7 (49) to 6.7 (43).
Earlier the GJ Osplumb E3-Grade gave a spirited display against Ocean Ridge, the final margin of 29 points in no way reflecting the competitive nature of the game.
The Beach paid a price for goal-front inaccuracy, losing 12.2 (74) to 4.11 (35).
Once the result was settled it also blew out a little with Ocean Ridge kicking a few goals in the dying minutes.
Jack Lazenby and Mark Kouroulis were lively through the midfield while athletic big man Brandon Ingleby was constantly under notice and defensively Mason Procak, Braydon O’Connell and Cameron Emery provided strong rebound.
Results
Hybrid Linings C5-Grade
North Beach 5.3 8.5 15.10 24.11 155
Baldivis 1.1 4.1 4.1 6.1 37
Goals – North Beach: Zehnder 8; Brooks 5; Corbett 4; Hall 2; Tobin, Pollard, Stevens, Rollo, Dolling.
Best – North Beach: Zehnder, Brooks, Corbett, Hall, Seidner, Stevens.
Beast Carpet Cleaning C5-Reserves
North Beach 7.1 15.6 22.10 28.15 183
Baldivis 2.0 2.0 3.0 3.0 18
Goals – North Beach: M Cameron 7; Hingston 5; Quinlan 4; Bowden, Cahill 3; Persichitti, McAuliffe 2; Luck, Raynor, Lawrence.
Best – North Beach: M Cameron, Cahill, Hingston, Lawrence, Torre, Quinlan.
Indian Ocean Hotel Brett Jones Colts
University 1.3 5.5 8.7 9.7 61
North Beach 3.1 3.3 6.8 6.10 46
Goals – North Beach: McLeod 2; Craig, Cameron, Mortimer.
Best – North Beach: Murphy, Ougan, Vladich.
Beyond Tools E2-Grade
Lyn-Ferndale 3.1 4.4 6.6 7.7 49
North Beach 1.2 3.4 3.5 6.7 43
Goals – North Beach: Wickstein 2; Smith, Dunjey, Ryan, Fullarton.
Best – North Beach: Dunjey, Franklin, Ryan, Cooke, Ferguson, Ball
GJ Osplumb E3-Grade
Ocean Ridge 3.2 5.2 7.2 12.2 74
North Beach 2.2 2.2 4.5 4.11 35
Goals – North Beach: Martland 2; O’Connell, Dunkley.
Best – North Beach: Lazenby, M Kouroulis, Ingleby, O’Connell, Procak, Clarke.
by Gary Stocks | May 5, 2021
Craig Hoskins…continued his bright start to the season
One of the great challenges in the Perth Football League is confronting Fremantle CBC at Morris Buzzacott Reserve.
It was the assignment that was set for the North Beach O’Rourke Realty A-Grade last Saturday and one which they answered with authority.
The Beach asserted their superiority with a five-goal second term, skipping out to a 29-point advantage and they were never again under serious threat on the way to a 19-point victory – 9.13 (67) to 7.6 (48).
Victory was set up by a dominant midfield led by Mitch Gill and Sam Lamont, while Craig Hoskins also exerted some influence and Kyle Cranley generally gave those players first use.
In defence Ned Halley was resolute and emerging half-back Conor Boylan enjoyed his best game of senior football.
With the Beach presenting opportunities up forward, the expertise of Ryan Ekert and Nic Reid proved a handful for the CBC defence, kicking five goals between them.
It was a similar story for the Lifenet A-Reserves – playing strongly early in the game to create a gap between themselves and CBC and then maintaining focus to ensure they were never under genuine risk of allowing their grip to slip.
Up by 23 points at half-time, the final margin was 28 in another quality performance that was punctuated by a series of strong individual contributors by both emerging and established stars.
Chris Wells, George McColgan and Matt Raynor were the youngsters who imposed themselves on the game, while Josh and Jarrod Chapman maintained their stellar early season form, Ben Johnson made a noteworthy return and Dion Cownie had an impact through the midfield.
While the two senior teams met their challenge head on, the Plasterwise Phil Scott Colts lost their first game of the season against an accomplished CBC outfit.
After a competitive first half, the Beach could not run with the opposition who kicked eight goals to two, going down 11.10 (76) to 4.4 (28).
Chris Papadopolous, Matthew Coleman and Corey Bellouard were strong contributors for the Beach.
Results
O’Rourke Realty A-Grade
North Beach 2.4 7.9 8.11 9.13 67
Fremantle CBC 1.4 3.4 6.6 7.6 48
Goals – North Beach: Ekert 3; Reid 2; Hoskins, Cranley, Bottechia, Garcia.
Best – North Beach: Gill, Lamont, Cranley, Halley, Boylan, Ekert, Reid.
Lifenet A-Reserves
North Beach 1.4 6.6 8.7 9.9 63
Fremantle CBC 0.3 2.3 3.5 5.5 35
Goals – North Beach: Cownie 2; Edwards, Webster, Johnson, McColgan, C Wells.
Best – North Beach: C Wells, Josh Chapman, Jarrod Chapman, Cownie, Johnson, McColgan, Raynor, N Wells.
Plasterwise Phil Scott Colts
Fremantle CBC 1.1 3.4 8.7 11.10 76
North Beach 2.0 2.2 2.3 4.4 28
Goals – North Beach: Rose, Perry, Bothe, Brooks.
Best – North Beach: Papadopolous, Coleman, Bellouard, Martin, Orr-Young, Naylor.
by Gary Stocks | May 4, 2021
The North Beach women launched into the 2021 footy season with a great opportunity to build on what had seemed an eternity of pre-season with stop start lockdowns.
The C4-Grade Peak Body Fitness were uncompromising with their attack on the footy and took the game on, adding to their ever increasing level of game sense against Swan Athletic on Saturday. This led to keeping their more seasoned opponents at bay for more than a half of footy.
Outstanding performances from Anna Laycock, Lauren Hutton, Chelsea Cowling, Zoe Bain and Kaitlin Koh, but what was pleasing was the newbies added to the Ressies roster of Kassie Tyers, Bec Mirchef and Lorry Plummer to name a few.
Beach captain Mel Plant played her role perfectly as she repelled centres clearances at will. The team also celebrated its first ever ‘double falcon’ mark by Laura “Irish” Kelleher. Not to be outdone Laura also had a wardrobe malfunction and was sighted on the far wing taking off her shorts and skins and giving them to an unsuspecting North Beach supporter.
She returned to the field shorts back on after asking the umpire to wait and had some great touches.
As we say ‘we’ve got a plan’ we’re not measuring the wins but how we play our brand of footy. Massive shout out to Sas, Alice and Jesus for making it all flow easily and to the bus loads of North Beach ladies and friends who hit the valley and owned the day.
Details
Peak Body Fitness C4 women
Swan Athletic 4.12 defeated North Beach 0.0
Best – North Beach: Laycock, Huttoin, Cowling, Plant, Bain, Koh.
by Gary Stocks | Apr 22, 2021
Young coach Will Hooper has the GJ Osplumb E3-Grade humming.
Through recent seasons, in fact as far as one’s memory can trace, University has been the benchmark in the third and fourth grades of the PFL.
So, after solid round one victories, the Hybrid Linings C5 and Beast Carpet Cleaning C5-Reserves viewed last Saturday’s games as something of an early season litmus test.
It proved a test they both aced, the C5-grade winning 13.12 (90) to 7.3 (45) and the C5-Reserves dismantling the opposition to win by 15 goals.
A blistering start by the C5-Grade, with complete domination in the middle, blew the Scholars out of the water and they never recovered.
Ruckman Riley Hinkley again gave his mids silver service and the likes of Tim Edwards, Jayden Black and Kahlil Campbell took full toll of the dominance, continually pumping the ball forward.
By quarter time the Beach enjoyed a four-goal buffer, never relented and by game’s end had doubled the score of the 2020 premiers.
The back six were again very good and constantly repelled Uni’s best efforts. Jamie Bennett continued his strong start to the season and took a lot of intercept marks while Shane Duckworth kept the big forwards quiet all game and Matt Seaton did a terrific stopping job on a key University play-maker.
Up forward, Sam Zehnder and Jordan Brooks were dangerous all day and Callum Corbett caught the crowd’s eye with some blistering solo runs that set up shots at goal.
Earlier the C5-Reserves were even more commanding, holding University goal-less on the way to a whopping 14.11 (95) to 0.5 (5) victory.
With the Cameron brothers – Mitch and Josh conducting the orchestra and kicking seven goals between them – the Beach had a dual-pronged attack that caused University all manner of issues.
They capitalised on the work of experienced work horses Trevor Lang, Cam Alco and Alex Luck while the influence of younger players like Conor Hingston and Mitch Tobin was pleasing.
The Indian Ocean Hotel Brett Jones Colts also notched up a strong win against a respected foe, despatching Fremantle CBC 13.8 (86) to 5.5 (35).
Rhys Irvine and Jonas Rocke kicked seven goals between them while Josh Murphy and Tom Emes were important contributors.
The Beach were always in control, building on an eight-point advantage at quarter time to increase the lead at every change on the way to an emphatic 51-point victory.
Despite going down to Bassendean, the Beyond Tools E2-Grade played with great purpose and resolve, leaving coach Novak Smith in a positive frame of mind in the face of the defeat.
The foundations are strong, there were good signs in terms of commitment and cohesion against a team that was premiers last year.
Unfortunately for the GJ Osplumb E3-Grade they found Kalamunda a little too classy and lost by 76 points.
The Grange Residential Integrated Rules team confronted competition standard-bearer CBC Fremantle in their opening game of the season and also found them insurmountable.
Results
Hybrid Linings C5-Grade
North Beach 5.4 7.7 11.9 13.12 90
University 1.0 4.0 6.2 7.3 45
Goals – North Beach: Brooks, Zehnder 3; Hall 2; Corbett. Seidner, Cuzens, Dolling, Edwards.
Best – North Beach: Bennett, Edwards, Corbett, Black, Seaton, Campbell.
Beast Carpet Cleaning C5-Reserves
North Beach 2.3 5.5 10.8 14.11 95
University 0.1 0.2 0.5 0.5 5
Goals – North Beach: M Cameron 4; J Cameron 3; Cahill, Tobin 2; Hunt, McAuliffe, Rollo.
Best – North Beach:
Indian Ocean Hotel Brett Jones Colts
North Beach 3.4 7.4 9.5 13.8 86
Fremantle CBC 2.2 2.3 5.3 5.5 35
Goals – North Beach: Irvine 4; Rocke 3; Smith 2; Greaves, Jones, Male, Orr-Young.
Best – North Beach: Murphy, Emes, Irving.
Beyond Tools E2-Grade
Bassendean 2.4 5.6 9.9 11.9 75
North Beach 1.3 3.4 6.5 8.9 57
Goals – North Beach: Kuppens, Bryce 2; Williamson, Wilson, Bowden, Fullerton.
Best – North Beach: Cooke, Williamson, Sadler, Bryce, Wilson, Njegich.
GJ Osplumb E3-Grade
Kalamunda 13.19 (97) def North Beach 3.3 (21)
Grange Residential I-Grade
Fremantle CBC 3.2 6.3 8.3 9.4 58
North Beach 1.0 1.0 3.1 3.1 19
by Gary Stocks | Apr 21, 2021
Shannon Lucassen…one of the young players to shine for the Beach.
An irresistible surge of brilliance, capitalised upon by forwards Andrew McGuinness and Ryan Ekert, effectively locked away the result against Wembley at Pat Goodridge Reserve last Saturday.
After a wasteful first term, when the O’Rourke Realty A-Grade failed to get the desired outcome on the scoreboard, kicking 1.5, they finished off their work with a seven-goal second quarter.
In that term both McGuinness and Ekert kicked three goals as the Beach dominated in the midfield, rebounded off half-back, with the work of veteran Dan Leishman integral to the opportunities that were generated.
By half-time the Beach had a 53-point lead, the opposition did not kick a goal and the platform had been laid for a 73-point triumph – 15.13 (103) to 4.6 (30).
In addition to the aforementioned catalysts for the victory, the energy of James Garcia through the midfield, in conjunction with Mitch Gill, as well as the defensive effort co-ordinated by the likes of Ned Halley, Luke Symonds and Christian Bottechia, was too much for Wembley to overcome.
Nic Reid also made a highly-anticipated and productive return to amateur football, building through the game in his first hit-out for the year.
Pleasing, also, were the efforts of a number of young players who have elevated to the team this season including Shannon Lucassen, Dylan Brockbern, Jack McIntosh and Caolan O’Connell.
Similarly, the Lifenet A-Reserves showed a diverse range of mature and emerging players who combined to produce and emphatic 50-point victory – 12.8 (80) to 4.6 (30).
With Simon Tunbridge moving from defence to the midfield and combining with ruckman Josh Chapman and Nick Bowe, the match was played to a large extent in the Beach’s attacking half – particularly after the main break.
North Beach led by just 11 points at the half, but kicked seven goals to one thereafter, with Nathan Adler providing a strong target up forward and finishing with three goals.
A stingy defence was again led brilliantly by seasoned half-back Jarrod Chapman, in unison with Sean Foley and Jackson Martino, while Adam Swain was also lively in the middle and both Jordan Webster and Travis Burton generated opportunities forward of centre.
The Plasterwise Phil Scott Colts were always in control against the Magpies and coasted to a 98-point victory.
They dominated every facet of the game, with Tai Kirkpatrick continuing an exceptional start to the season with a six-goal bag, while Justin Prior and Blair Wilson followed suit.
Results
Round 2
O’Rourke Realty A-Grade
North Beach 1.5 8.8 11.9 15.13 103
Wembley 0.1 0.3 1.6 4.6 30
Goals – North Beach: Ekert 6; McGuinness 3; Reid, Lucassen 2; Cranley, O’Connell.
Best – North Beach: Leishman, Garcia, Ekert, McGuinness, Lucassen, Gill, Halley.
Lifenet A-Reserves
North Beach 3.2 5.3 9.6 12.8 80
Wembley 1.2 3.4 4.4 4.6 30
Goals – North Beach: Adler 3; Swain, Josh Chapman 2; Webster, Scurria, Della-Vedova, Burton, McColgan.
Best – North Beach: Tunbridge, Jarrod Chapman, Bowe, Webster, Raynor, Foley, Josh Chapman, Burton, Adler.
Plasterwise Phil Scott Colts
North Beach 3.4 6.4 10.9 17.12 114
Wembley 0.0 1.3 1.4 2.4 16
Goals – North Beach: Kirkpatrick 6; O’Shea, Perry, Brooks 2; Bothe, Connell, Martin, Quayle, Marshall.
Best – North Beach: Prior, Kirkpatrick, Wilson, Bothe, Connell, Naylor.
