By Gary Stocks
We all know that no game is worth any more than another; that there is no such thing as an eight-point game. Right?
If you look on the premiership table, each victory carries four qualifying points and if you look at the far side of the ladder, the number of wins in a season, multiplied by four, gives you the total points. Ok?
Those are the clinical facts. The pure mathematical equation.
But let us just ignore the numbers for a moment. The North Beach victory against Trinity-Aquinas was worth more than just four points. It means the season is still alive, that percentage only separates the sixth-placed Beach from the conquered TAs and Kalamunda, above them.
There is a pulse! Indeed more than just a pulse, a pounding heart and genuine belief that from here anything is possible. It was that kind of win!
The stakes were obviously high and the Beach responded. From the outset. They kicked the first four goals of the game, led all day, until Trinity Aquinas, who had chipped away throughoiut, finally clawed to a nine-point advantage by the middle stages of the last term.
With the game – and potentially the season – slipping away, the Beach responded with Kyle Cranley and Aaron Jarvis stepping up to finish off the work of a hard-working midfield, led by Cody Enders, Louis Davis and Steve Bandy.
Combined with the defensive efforts of Michael Taylor, Kyle Holden and Ben Sweeny, the Beach scored a momentum-building victory which hopefully results in an appearance in the finals series.
It was a memorable 150th game for stalwart Jackson Harwood and might be just a game that everyone remembers when an audit of the 2014 season is performed.
Over the last six or seven weeks the club’s depth has been sorely tested and as a result the Credent Financial Services A-Reserves have been weakened significantly.
The result was that despite a committed performance they were no match for Trinity Aquinas and were beaten by close enough to eight goals. With a number of injured players on the brink of a return, hopefully they can come to the rescue before their season slips away.
On Saturday, defender Ben DeRosa was outstanding in his attack on the ball, Ross Holdman enjoyed his elevation from the D1-Grade, Rob McComiskie was typically working away feverishly in the contest and Aran O’Connell tried to impose his will on the game.
The colts squad continues to blossom with both teams entrenched in the top three and will be well placed for a serious assault on the premiership.
The Coast to Coast Imports Phil Scott Colts scored an emphatic victory over top three rival Trinity Aquinas, scoring a 33-point triumph which puts them a game and 60 percent clear of the vanquished in second position.
With centre half-forward Liam Ellis stamping his authority on the contest by kicking four goals and Mitch Cameron also providing a target deeper in attack, the Beach was in control from the outset and could have won by more had they converted better in the opening term.
A return of 3.6 was not a true reflection of their dominance, but fortunately they were still able to hold sway courtesy of a solid team effort and other strong individual performances from Jamie Rudrum, Conor McGuire, Ryan Ekert and Tom DeCourtenay.
The Brett Jones Colts scored another brilliant victory which has ensured they will finish top three as they now sit in third position and hold a 10 point cushion over fourth-placed North Fremantle.
They completely dominated Trinity Aquinas on the way to a 75-point win Jordon Mesiti, Richard Nguyen, Matt Botica and Luke Spies leading the way in a team-oriented display which sees them continue to build their confidence.
The Cabling Network Solutions D1-Grade posted their first loss of the season when they could not match the effort or intensity of Trinity Aquinas, eventually succumbing by 43 points.
It was a disappointing effort from a team that had not faltered to this stage of the season and had it not been for the efforts of Dean Wilson, Jake Robinson, Chris Perkin and Ryan Clapham it would have been an even heavier loss.
Coach Bill Duckworth lamented basic skills and decision making errors.
After a disappointing fortnight, the Hybrid Linings North Beach D1-Reserves needed to lift. And lift they did.
With Mike Bramley being cast into the role of ruckman – in an effort to quell the influence of a man who inflicted some pain on the Beach first time around – and Jordan Kickett ubiquitous up forward, the Tigers were “on” from the outset.
Bramley proved a winner of his personal task, Kickett booted nine goals and in conjunction with midfielders Blake Hurley, Tim Cavanagh and Cam Alco they ensured the Beach scored an impressive 107-point victory.
The Express Bins E2-Grade scored a thumping 100-point win over Ballajura, with victory being built around a sublime eight-goal first quarter.
With a tough month of fixtures in the offing, the big percentage booster was important and the boys will be looking to carry momentum forward.
This result was built around a dominant team performance, with a few individuals like Steve Jopson, Peter Panagopolous, Tony Mirabile, Andrew Padgett and Daniel Korpinczac all in exceptional touch.
O’Rourke Realty A-Grade
North Beach 4.2 6.9 6.12 10.13 73
Trinity Aquinas 2.3 5.5 7.8 9.10 64
Goals – North Beach: Cranley 5; Jarvis 2; Enders, Goddard-Nash, Harwood 1.
Best – North Beach: Cranley, Taylor, Enders, Jarvis, Davis, Holden, Bandy.
Credent Financial Services A-Reserves
Trinity Aquinas 4.2 5.2 7.9 10.11 71
North Beach 0.1 1.2 2.2 3.6 24
Goals – North Beach: Dwyer, Fullarton, Scantlebury 1.
Best – North Beach: Holdman, DeRosa, McComiskie, O’Connell.
Coast to Coast Imports Phil Scott Colts
North Beach 3.6 4.9 8.9 11.11 77
Trinity Aquinas 1.0 2.4 5.4 6.8 44
Goals – North Beach: Ellis 4; Cameron 3; Lynch 2; Higgins, Hoskins 1.
Best – North Beach: Ellis, Hoskins, Rudrum, McGuire, Ekert, DeCourtenay.
Brett Jones Colts
North Beach 4.4 10.7 15.7 16.9 105
Trinity Aquinas 0.1 2.2 3.6 4.6 30
Goals – North Beach: Evans 4; Bryce 3; Rollo 2; Premici, Plakakis, Green, E Cuzens, Collins, T Carmody, Botica.
Best – North Beach: Mesiti, Nguyen, Botica, Spies.
Cabling Network Solutions D1-Grade
Trinity Aquinas 3.1 5.1 9.2 14.4 88
North Beach 3.1 5.2 6.2 7.3 45
Goals – North Beach: Robinson, Graham 2; Spiccia, Wilson, Galvin 1.
Best – North Beach: Wilson, Robinson, Perkin, Clapham.
Hybrid Linings D1-Reserves
North Beach 6.4 9.7 14.10 21.14 140
Trinity Aquinas 1.0 2.1 4.1 5.3 33
Goals – North Beach: Kickett 9; Bramley 3; Boys, Anthony 2; Alco, Barry, T Cavanagh, Hurley, Morgan 1.
Best – North Beach: Kickett, Bramley, Hurley, Alco, T Cavangh.
Express Bins E2-Grade
North Beach 8.1 13.5 18.9 21.12 138
Ballajura 1.1 3.1 5.1 6.2 38
Goals – North Beach: Jopson 6; Smith 4; Missikos 3; P Cavanagh, Grpiglia, Mirabile, Padgett, Kuenen, Quartermaine, Retomal, Heintze 1.
Best – North Beach: Jopson, Panagopolous, Mirabile, Padgett, Korpinczac.
