VAFA ROUND 21_Col.indd - Victorian Amateur Football Association

PREMIER C
THEN THERE WERE THREE, UMPIRES ARE HUMAN TOO
Di Langton
So much love between Premier C and the
Umpires last week. During both semi finals at
Trevor Barker there was a lot of discussion all
around the sunny seaside oval; maybe it was the
euphoria of finals footy, the salty sea air, or the
fact that there seemed to be umpires everywhere.
There were three of them running around on the
field, and plenty sprinkled throughout the crowd;
those unlucky to score a final showed up to watch
their mates. Surely they’re not so different from
the rest of us? Dan Lawlor (correctly and bravely
) reversed a free to Old Camberwell right in front
of their bench. Both games saw some highly
controversial decisions that were received with
understandable passion and parochialism. At
the VAFAUA annual dinner on Monday night,
umpires were honoured with numerous awards,
just as coveted and revered amongst their
number as any footy club gong. Winner of this
year’s Golden Whistle award, Dave Anselmi,
is enjoying the heady heights of Premier and
Representative footy these days, but he talked
with terrific passion about his time in C Grade,
the quality of football and the great interaction he
enjoyed with our clubs.
Second Semi Review
Beaumaris and Caulfield Grammarians got down
to an arm-wrestle from the first bounce. Dean
Scheetz’s strength across the Caulfield backline
and the versatile Gav Winter’s clearing kicks
from half back flank and through the middle
were particularly punishing. For the Sharks,
Chris Langdon’s second and third efforts were
impressive and Luke McNicholas (3) was a focus
up forward in only his fourth senior game this
year. The half time margin was ten points and the
crowd was on tenterhooks. Dougie Ensor’s big
heart continues to underpin the Beauy backline,
while Sean Coote brings an impact at both ends
of the ground, but it was Tom Dean who kicked
two of his three goals to get the Sharks within
4 points in an inspiring display after teammate
Atkins was red-carded midway through the
third. The Field’s Justin Perkins answered the
challenge with a monster on the run from fifty,
and Brett Sinclair nailed two in quick succession
then hobbled off just before three quarter time. At
the huddle Jason Mifsud dismissed any minor
premier smugness, “it’s performance you get
measured by,” he said.
That’s something Steve Lawrence knows all
about following Caulfield’s disappointment last
year. He may well have echoed Mifsud’s exact
same words at the Caulfield huddle, their 21
point lead handy but not comfortable enough.
Beaumaris came out determined and unrelenting,
scoring the first goal and refusing to lie down.
The pivotal moment came from Widjaja on
centre wing at around the 17 minute mark. With
silky skills he got the ball over to Hyland who
handballed to Slevison running through to nail
his fourth goal and a twenty point buffer. It
was a thing of beauty; the teamwork, class and
instinctive play admired by every supporter.
Beauy didn’t stop though, they fought on to the
end, a four goal loss.
First Semi Review
Much less an arm-wrestle and more a shot-to-thearm
for AJAX in their 66-point destruction of Old
Camberwell who bow out in a respectable fourth
finish for the year. Still without spearhead David
Fayman, Ajax certainly didn’t lack scoring
options with reliable youngster Jake Lew, highflying
Jason Seidl and the enigmatic Eugeni
Routman breaking the lines and providing the
impetus with his long ranging kicks into the
forward line. Ben Hart and Phil Bennett were
very good but the Weller midfield was literally
swamped by the ferocious Jacka tackling, their
backline a fortress with evergreen Danny
‘Wisey’ Weislitzer superb, as was Warren
6 THE AMATEUR FOOTBALLER 2010