World Footy News

Match report taken from the Glasgow Sharks website and written by "the Great White".

Hello and welcome Sharks; fans. Saturday saw round 2 of the Caledonian AFL with a hotly contested match between the Tigers and the Makos. The Tigers were looking to start their season off in style while the Makos were looking to redeem themselves after going down heavily to the Cards in round 1. The Makos welcomed back utility Alexander Clark and Captain Adam Jack while the Tigers were having to deal with the significant loss of Andy Dubojski. The day was cold but dry under threatening skies. The Tigers won the toss and elected to kick to the city end of Victoria Park leaving the Makos heading to the stadium end. 

The first quarter got underway with both teams attacking the ball with ferocity. Jamie Christy copped a high one and was awarded a free kick on half back. The ball was driven long into the tigers' forward 40 but failed to hit its target. The makos' Steve O Kelly pounced on the loose ball and quickly got it moving forward. The makos collected the ball at half forward through marc cummaudo and Dan Connor who combined with a one two manoeuvre to drive the ball deep into the makos forward 40. Andy Butler was on hand for the tigers and cooly delivered to Mark Cadman at half back. The makos managed to stop the tigers progress at half way and Dan Connor was spotted up with a pass at the traditional centre half forward position. Connor passed to Paul Sweeney who had made his way to the forward line from half back the pass went to ground but Sweeney was good enough to recover and shoot out a handball to Marc cummaudo who snapped truly for the game’s opening score.

The makos were quickly back in attack when John McIntyre won the centre bounce and a quick kick forward trickled out deep in the forward pocket. The tigers won the stoppage with Andy Butler putting Derek Smith into space. Smith found Mark Cadman open on the wing but the move came to an end as the makos picked off the next kick at half back. Andy Butler intercepted the makos kick forward and chipped wide to the run of Colin Brandsma who was ran down but managed to get his handball away. 

The tigers continued forward with a kick off the ground and when Mark Cadman swooped on the loose ball looked certain to score until Alexander Clark tackled him in an excellent chase down. The makos quickly went forward from the free kick where Hazel Stevenson earned herself a free kick for kicking in danger her shot hit the post registering a behind. The next phase of the game became congested until the tigers drove forward from a free kick for too high. Alexander Clark was pinged for running too far and the tigers looked to attack from centre wing. The ball was bouncing from half back to half back until Alex Young opened the tigers account with a behind from a long range shot. The tigers were able to build pressure on the makos defence by locking the ball in their forward line but could only manage another behind for the term. The makos finished the scoring for the quarter with a behind to take a narrow lead into the first change 1-2-8 v 0-2-2

The second stanza started with a makos free kick. Dan Connor played on with a handball then a long kick to the pocket. Les burke then won himself a free kick deep in the pocket and confidently went back and slotted his first for the day. Back in the middle the makos ruckman John McIntyre won another tap to get the makos moving forward again but Andy Butler was again there to quell the attack winning and kicking the ball back to centre wing. The game was becoming a little scrappy but the tigers through persistence were edging forward. Both teams' back lines were sticking fat determined not to be scored against.

Alexander Clark won a free kick on half back and sent the makos on a promising attack kicking to Hazel Stevenson in the middle. The ball spilled from the contest and a quick kick forward from the makos seemed to have put Les Burke into space but Andy Butler of the tigers showed excellent closing speed to shut down Burke and make a contest. The ball found its way into Hazel Stevenson’s hands and she snapped at goal. Stevenson’s shot didn’t have the carry and was marked on the last line of defence by Andy Butler who hit Alex Young with a pass on the tigers half back line. Young sent a long ball down the wing to a contest but the ball went out of play and the move broke down. The Makos looked to go on the offensive as they switched the play across their half back line and then went forward into their forward 40 but the tigers Colin Brandsma stopped the movement and sent the ball wide and out of bounds on the wing to set up a stoppage. The makos went forward from the stoppage but Brandsma again intervened combining with Mark Cadman to get out of defence. In what was a low scoring quarter that saw both teams’ backlines standing strong the makos just managed to shade the tigers setting up an interesting second half. 2-2-14 v 0-2-2

The tigers won the tap to start the third quarter but the makos won the clearance through Alexander Clark. Adam Jack marked Clark’s quick kick and kicked long to the goal square where Marc Cummaudo spilt the mark but was good enough to recover and kick a scrambling goal. The ball squirted out to the wing from the restart and the makos won a free kick in the congestion. The makos went forward with the kick but Andy Butler chopped off the move after reading the play. Butler went long and direct and a pack formed at centre half forward for the tigers. Alexander Clark received a handball and was able to run out of defence. Clark passed to Cummaudo who marked strongly at half forward. With the forward line open Cummaudo kicked to the advantage of Dan Connor. Connor was beaten to the ball but he laid a terrific tackle to earn himself a free kick 15 meters out from goal. He was then awarded a 25 meter penalty as the ball was not given back to him correctly taking him to the goal line. Connor popped home the goal and extended the makos lead.

Back in the middle Hazel Stevenson got the makos going forward again after roving some good John McIntyre ruck work. Stevenson kicked into the pocket where Marc cummaudo won a free kick for in the back. Cummaudos shot slipped across the face of goal and was marked by Adam Jack. Jacks shot missed its target to only register a behind. The tigers kick in was to the advantage of Andy Butler who ran onto the bouncing ball and out of defence. Butler kicked long to centre half forward but the makos were able to create a stoppage. The tigers won the clearance from the stoppage with a quick kick from Derek Smith but his kick was marked by the makos Steve O Kelly who cleared his lines kicking to the middle where Hazel Stevenson made a contest and the ball spilled out to Les Burke. Burke kicked long to the advantage of Adam Jack who dropped the mark but was able to soccer the ball off the deck for the makos third major of the term.

The makos won a free kick from a secondary bounce in the middle and were quickly attacking again. Adam Jack marked at half forward and went long to Les Burke who marked in the goal square and played on to slam home another makos goal. The makos won the clearance from the restart and went forward. Mr reliable Andy Butler again read the play and shut down the makos movement and kicked to the wing. The makos intercepted Butlers pass and switched the play to the other wing where they won a free kick and looked to go forward. The tigers were able to repel the attack and the ball spent the next few minutes rebounding from half back to half back. The tigers managed to get forward and locked the ball in putting pressure on the makos defence. As a result of the pressure Derek Smith was able to spin out of a pack and snap the tiger’s first goal for the term. The makos answered straight back with a goal to Alexander Clark after another clearance from Hazel Stevenson. There was no more scoring in the quarter as the makos opened up a handy lead going into the final stanza. 7-3-45 v 1-2-8

The final Stanza got underway with the tigers getting the centre clearance. A strong tackle from Adam Jack stopped the tiger’s movement and a free kick was awarded. Jack passed to Alexander Clark who played on ran inside 40 and kicked a long range goal. The tigers went forward from the restart. Alex Young showed his fleet footedness evading two would be tacklers and having a shot on goal but his shot was off line and went through for a behind. The makos got to the wing from the kick in but the tigers rebounded and moved the ball forward through Derek Smith handballing over the top to Alex Young and another handball put Paul Dalziel clear in on goal. Dalziel’s shot hit the post registering another minor score. The tigers kept the pressure on the makos from the kick in and were rewarded with a free kick to Alex Young. Young’s kick went to the goal line and was rushed through by the mako defence for a behind. The makos went long with the kick in and Stacey Hughes ran onto the bouncing ball in the middle. Hughes drove the makos inside 40 with a kick off the ground but the tigers Andy Butler was there to chop it off and deliver nicely to Mark Cadman on the wing. Cadman came inboard to find Derek Smith who combined with Colin Brandsma and the tigers looked to be away through the middle until John McIntyre put on a crunching tackle on Brandsma and won a free kick. McIntyre sent the makos into attack but the tigers were able to shut them down and cause a stoppage. The tigers went forward from the stoppage but the makos were able to rebound again.

The game entered a phase of free flowing end to end football but neither team were able to score until Alex Young sent a long ball inside 40 and the smith brothers combined well resulting in David kicking a behind. The makos went wide to the pocket with the kick in where Adam Jack took possession and set off on a long run that included 7 bounces. Jack handballed to Marc Cummaudo in the goal square who fumbled, the makos had a two on one though and Gus Thomson kicked the goal. The tigers went forward from the ball up and after getting on the end of a handball Mark Cadman had a shot that went out on the full. The tigers then won the ball back at half forward and David Smith marked in the forward pocket. Smith passed off but his pass was dropped and went out of play. Keeping the pressure on the tiger forwards caused a stoppage and scrambled the ball to Mark Cadman who squeezed through a goal while under pressure. The tigers got the clearance from the ball up and forced the ball forward where Alex Young snapped truly to narrow the margin. That was as close as they got though as the game came to an end shortly after the restart leaving the makos to run out comfortable winners. 9-3-57 v 3-6-24

See ya on the boundary line next time

Cheer cheer the blue and the white

The Great White

Watch the full game here.