YOUTH-driven Yarraville-Seddon didn’t cower to the physical demands of Port Melbourne Colts, returning from the graveyard that is Murphy Reserve with its best win since promotion to the Western Region Football League division 1.
The Eagles were crunched at every contest and sprayed verbally by a parochial home crowd but just ploughed away for four tense quarters to record a thrilling four-point win.
Eagles coach David Connell was proud of the level-headed nature of his players in a game that could have spilled over at any point.
“The way our blokes held their heads and focused the whole game was probably the reason we got over the line,” he told the Weekly.
“We spoke about it at half time that the most disciplined side that stuck to the task was going to get over the line.
“I think they gave away six 50-metre penalties on the day and we didn’t give away one.
“Our younger blokes stood up to the physical stuff that Port Colts were dishing up and the verbal stuff the crowd were dishing up was quite telling.”
It was a neck-and-neck encounter with little to separate the sides at every change.
The Colts held leads of seven points at quarter time and three at the half, but the Eagles were with them every step of the way.
The Eagles took control with a four-goal-to-one third term to lead by 15 at the start of the last term.
As expected, the Colts would make one final push, which ultimately came up short.
A key moment was a behind-the-play free kick, compounded by a 50-metre penalty for back chat, which gifted Steven D’Orazio a goal for the Eagles at a crucial time. Connell says it was the first time all season that his team had stuck to the task for the full four quarters.
“There’s periods in games where we’re right up with the good sides, but we’re just not good enough for long enough,” he said.
“It was a pretty big focus for us to put in a four-quarter performance and it was probably the first time for the season that we’ve been able to do that.’’
Jack Collins, still eligible for under-18s, impressed in a run-with role on the dangerous Brad Sutcliffe.
“He was captain of our under-18s last year and won our under-18s best and fairest,” Connell said.
“He’s played from round one, hasn’t missed a game, and that was unexpected at the start of the year.
“The last 10 minutes of the game as a young kid, really standing up under a lot of physical pressure … we thought he was really good.”
Firebrand midfielder Ibrahim Atik produced his most disciplined and effective game of the year.
Jason Harmes and Gareth Newton were superb in defence, while Clint Foreman was dangerous in attack with four goals.
The Eagles’ third win sees them jump up to eighth on the ladder.
