Occasionally, as a collective, you just have to dip your lid and say ‘too good.’

That was the case when the O’Rourke Realty A-Grade team tackled the other undefeated team in the competition at Charles Riley Reserve last Saturday.

Curtin University-Wesley, who won the 2019 B-Grade premiership after dominating all season, have brought that quality of football to the next level and are unconquered. We saw why.

They were clean with their skills, organised with their system and completely committed to the assignment. The result was a 34-point victory, set up to a large extent by a polished first quarter when they established a four-goal lead.

The Beach tried to claw back the deficit, but Wesley had all of the answers and the hosts had too many players marginally off their best.

They never really pushed back to the point where they were a serious threat, despite the efforts of players like midfielders Joey Deegan and Blake Piggott, forwards Adam Cockie and Mitch Holbrook and the classy James Garcia.

The Lifenet A-Reserves looked set for a comfortable victory, having held sway in the balance of play, but the door was left slightly ajar and the last few minutes were a little more anxious than they deserved to be.

Despite the little heart flutter, the Beach endured, winning 5.6 (36) to 4.8 (32) thanks largely to the efforts of experienced defenders Christian Bottechia and Ben Sweeny, who proved resolute in the face of an onslaught that saw Wesley kick three of their four goals in the last 10 minutes of the game.

Liam Pardini and Matt Murray were also strong and consistent while Nic Bowe and Jordan Webster were good through the middle and Jordan Brooks was dangerous, kicking one miraculous check-side goal from the boundary in the third term.

The Beach deserved the victory, regardless of the tense final moments, and remain at the top of the table after four rounds.

The Plasterwise Phil Scott Colts had earlier provided the mirror image of the A-Reserves match, perhaps add to the nerves on the bench.

Seemingly headed for a routine victory in a competitive match, the North Beach colts wilted, conceded two goals in the last three minutes – the last of them on the death knell – that saw the win dissipate and manifest itself in a four point loss – 9.4I (58) to 8.6 (54).

It was a similar outcome, albeit by a different story line, that saw the Indian Ocean Hotel Brett Jones Colts slipped to defeat against Wesley.

In another absorbing contest, the visitors were better in key moments and won by nine points. The endeavour and commitment of the North Beach colts was unquestionable but it came down to just a moment or two where the opposition was better.

Results, August 1
O’Rourke Realty A-Grade
Curtin-Wesley   5.2          7.5          9.7          11.8        74
North Beach       1.2          3.6          3.7          5.10       40
Goals – North Beach: Holbrook 2; Cockie, Garcia, Ekert.
Best – North Beach: Deegan, Cockie, Garcia, Piggott.

Lifenet A-Reserves
North Beach       2.1          3.2          5.4          5.6          36
Curtin-Wesley   0.1          1.2          1.6          4.8          32
Goals – North Beach: Boylan, Brooks, Corbett, Power, Webster.
Best – North Beach: Botecchia, Sweeny, Pardini, Murray, Bowe, Brooks, Webster.

Plasterwise Phil Scott Colts
Curtin University-Wesley 9.4 (58) def North Beach 8.6 (54)

Indian Ocean Hotel Brett Jones Colts
Curtin University-Wesley 6.7 (43) def North Beach 5.2 (32)