By Gary Stocks
Pressure comes in myriad shapes and forms. It comes inside games, it comes outside of the playing arena too.
It can be created by those least inclined to do so. It can come from a ladder position, whether that be at the top of the table or at the bottom.
It can be a powerful motivator, or it can bring on the jitters.
The North Beach O’Rourke Realty A-Grade team has, in the first month of the WA Amateur Football League season, been hand in glove with pressure in all of its various forms. On Saturday when it plays Kelmscott it will meet the pressure of expectation.
It is a situation coach David Hynes and his team would like to embrace.
After being 0-2 after two rounds and the second of those defeats coming via an insipid display against West Coast, the Beach has squared the leger with consecutive victories against highly-regarded opponents Fremantle CBC and Curtin Wesley.
And a key to those triumphs over quality outfits has been the pressure that the Beach has taken into the contest.
Their collective ferocity at the coal face has been outstanding. The midfield has worked as one, the defence has been stingy and the forwards have found cohesion and multiple goal-scoring options on the way to kicking winning scores.
If you look at the results of the first four rounds, North Beach should win. That creates the pressure of expectation, but they know that victory will not come without following process. They must again bring a level of aggression for the contest, play selfless, committed team football to get the job done.
Kelmscott has shown in the past season and four games that at its best, with its best available talent, it can play irresistible football. There is a vast array of talent at its disposal and the Beach will be preparing for them to play at their optimum. Failure to pay due respect for that talent could have dire consequences.
The Beach clearly has some top end talent of its own and with the opportunity to play at Charles Riley Reserve, they should get the job done.
With the depth of talent within the Beach ranks, the Lifenet A-Reserves should carry too much class for the Bulldogs while the Plasterwise Phil Scott Colts should start the day in a positive manner.
The colts have continued where they left off last year – when both teams played in grand finals – and they are an exciting bunch of youngsters. It would be well worth an early visit to Charles Riley Reserve to watch them display their wares.
The Red Hill Brett Jones Colts will kick off proceedings at South Oval when they confront Curtin Wesley in what looms as another exciting challenge. The Brett Jones team has not been beaten this season, winning last week’s encounter against the other previously undefeated team, Fremantle CBC, by a solitary point.
That is compelling evidence of the depth within the group.
Following their opening salvo, the Coast to Coast Imports D1-Reserves and the Hybrid Linings D1-Grade, another team in exceptional form, will take on the Tigers of Curtin.
This week the Express Bins D2-Grade and the Fusion D2-Reserves will both have a bye, but there remains plenty of opportunities for the Beach faithful to support teams from the Beach.
Fixtures, Round 5
O’Rourke Realty A-Grade
North Beach v Kelmscott, Charles Riley Reserve, 2.30pm
Lifenet A-Reserves
North Beach v Kelmscott, Charles Riley Reserve, 12.35pm
Plasterwise Phil Scott Colts
North Beach v Kelmscott, Charles Riley Reserve, 10.40am
Hybrid Linings D1-Grade
Curtin Wesley v North Beach, South Oval, 2.30pm
Coast to Coast Imports D1-Reserves
Curtin Wesley v North Beach, South Oval, 12.35pm
Red Hill Brett Jones Colts
Curtin Wesley v North Beach, South Oval, 10.40am
Express Bins D2-Grade
North Beach – Bye
Fusion D2-Reserves
North Beach – Bye
