By Gary Stocks
It sounds so simple in theory.
If every man plays his role within the team structure, commits to the contest and supports the mate alongside him, the result will look after itself.
Yes, so simple in theory yet so challenging in practice.
Yesterday, when the O’Rourke Realty North Beach A-Grade team pieced together a neat 37-point victory over Curtin Wesley, that was how it unfolded. There was not a player in the line-up who did not perform his role and the result was a complete team performance.
So good was the effort that selecting six players for best and fairest voting was challenging.
The Beach controlled the game virtually from the outset, although a late goal on the stroke of quarter-time allowed Curtin to be closer than they deserved to be, with the visitors holding the narrowest advantage.
The pressure all over the ground was intense, the defensive group was outstanding and the midfield was winning enough contests to send the ball forward relentlessly, offering plenty of scoring opportunities.
Captain Beau Witheridge, Michael Italiano and Cody Enders were dominant through the middle of the ground, young wingmen Rhys Holdman and Brennen Irvine, in an outstanding debut, were also providing plenty of drive and the likes of Kyle Cranley, Louis Davies and Nick Reid were dangerous in attack.
In defence another youngster, Jay Allison-Green, did a terrific job on a couple of key Curtin forwards, while Dan Leishman, Nathan Dwyer, Michael Taylor, Luke Symonds and Jamie Sajich made it tough for the opposition to score and also rebounded efficiently.
It was far removed from the performance of a fortnight ago when well beaten by West Coast and they are playing with renewed confidence and belief.
The Lifenet A-Reserves also produced a solid team display that resulted in a comfortable 44-point victory.
Jack O’Gorman led the way down back along with Adam Duff, while the work rate of Adam Swain, Nick Bowe and Jordan Gray was outstanding. As always ruckman Tom DeCourtenay played with plenty of grunt and Nathan Adler capped off the work of those ahead of him, kicking three goals.
In conjunction with other young forwards Ryan Ekert and Mitch Cameron they were always dangerous when the ball ventured inside attacking 50.
The Plasterwise Phil Scott Colts were never genuinely under threat against Curtin Wesley, but they were not as clinical as they have been in recent weeks, eeking out a solid 16-point win – 8.9 (57) to 6.5 (41).
Aside from the second term, when they followed structures and reaped the benefits, they were a little off key.
Todd Hoffman and Nick Marsh were strong contributors throughout, while Liam Catalfamo was brilliant at times and finished with four goals.
The Red Hill Brett Jones Colts scored a thrilling one-point victory against the other undefeated team in the competition, Fremantle CBC. But the result did not become apparent until minutes after the final siren.
The scoreboard had the teams locked together at 5.8 apiece, but the goal umpires conferred and determined that CBC had been granted one behind too many, handing the Beach a precious victory.
Matt Seaton set the standard with his will for the contest, while Caleb Gill and Brayden Quinn, who kicked three goals, were also outstanding.
The Hybrid Linings D1-Grade were comfortable winners over Fremantle CBC – 10.14 (74) to 7.2 (44) – with Chris Cranley and Matt Whitbread leading the charge.
The Coast to Coast Imports D1-Reserves produced a gutsy last quarter effort to over-run CBC, turning a three-point three-quarter time deficit into a stunning 19-point win.
Luke Spies, Jacob Copley and Michael Duckworth led the way with solid four-quarter contributions.
The Express Bins D2-Grade faced a tough challenge against Scarborough – the North Beach fifths coming up against the opposition’s thirds and could not match them, eventually losing 3.6 (24) to 13.23 (101).
Kahlil Campbell, Nelson Kennedy, Shaheed Duke and Tony Mirabile did their best against overwhelming odds, but ultimately Scarborough carried too much firepower.
The Fusion D2-Reserves held off a determined Scarborough to win by six points – 7.11 (53) to 7.5 (47), with the Beach producing an impressive brand of team football.
They paid attention to team structures and focuses with Phil Pedley, Mark Langsford and Tom MacDonald setting the standard.
Results
O’Rourke Realty A-Grade
North Beach 3.2 6.5 7.8 12.12 84
Curtin Wesley 3.1 4.1 6.4 7.5 47
Goals – North Beach: Cranley 3; Schofield, Reid, Davies 2; B Irvine, Bottechia, Edwards.
Best – North Beach: Leishman, Witheridge, Holdman, Italiano, Sajich, Enders, Taylor, Allison-Green.
Lifenet A-Reserves
North Beach 3.2 6.3 10.4 12.7 79
Curtin Wesley 1.2 3.3 4.3 5.5 35
Goals – North Beach: Adler 3; Cameron, Ekert, Swain 2; Cownie, Griffiths, Gray.
Best – North Beach: O’Gorman, Duff, Swain, Bowe, DeCourtenay, Gray.
Plasterwise Phil Scott Colts
North Beach 1.2 5.4 6.6 8.9 57
Curtin Wesley 0.3 1.3 4.3 6.5 41
Goals – North Beach: Catalfamo 4; O’Connell 2; Campbell, Howie.
Best – North Beach: Hoffman, Catalfamo, Marsh, Deagon.
Red Hill Brett Jones Colts
North Beach 1.1 2.4 3.6 5.8 38
Frem CBC 2.3 2.4 5.4 5.7 37
Goals – North Beach: Quinn; Cameron 2.
Best – North Beach: Seaton, Gill, Quinn, Lazenby.
Hybrid Lings D1-Grade
North Beach 10.14 (74) def Fremantle CBC 7.2 (44)
Goals – North Beach: Not Available.
Best – North Beach: C Cranley, M Whitbread
Coast to Coast Imports D1-Reserves
North Beach 0.2 3.3 4.4 7.8 50
Frem CBC 1.1 3.1 5.1 5.1 31
Goals – North Beach: Not Available.
Best – North Beach: Spies, Copley, M Duckworth.
Express Bins D2-Grade
Scarborough 4.5 6.7 8.18 13.23 101
North Beach 1.0 1.4 3.5 3.6 24
Goals – North Beach: Padget 2; Campbell.
Best – North Beach: Campbell, Kennedy, Duke, Mirabile, Gelle.
Fusion D2-Reserves
North Beach 1.2 2.2 6.3 7.11 53
Scarborough 0.2 3.3 3.3 7.5 47
Goals – North Beach: Pedley 2; Fereri, Gardiner, MacDonald, Rollo, Walsh.
Best – North Beach: Pedley, M Langsford, Fazz, MacDonald, Austin.
