1st XVIII report (May 27, 2015) SPC d BCC

Lusby, Weelahan Shine in Gutsy Win

Score: St Patrick’s College 3.12 (30) d Ballarat Clarendon College 2.6 (18)

Goal Kickers: Daniel Rioli, Jacob Weelahan, Ezekiel Frank 1

Best Players: Ben Lusby, Jacob Weelahan, Jake McQueen, Hasker Dawborn, Tom Williamson

St Patrick’s College has emerged triumphant for the second time this year against Ballarat – Clarendon College with a character building two goal win.-

Many current students and Old Collegians gathered to watch the two heavyweights of BAS football go head to head in difficult, windy conditions.-

Members of the 1965 SPC 1st XVIII gave their old school team a pep talk before the game. However the windy conditions made for inaccurate kicking as the home side kicked the first seven behinds of the game.-

Not much went better for St Pat’s in the second quarter. Kicking against the wind they failed to add to their quarter time score while BCC kicked out to a 10-point lead at the main break.-

Jono Benaleck got the first goal of the game for BCC as Clarendon’s spread from stoppages was making the Paddy midfielders look slow.-

Turnovers were also hurting the favourites, as tempers began to flair between the arch rivals.-

Half time could not come soon enough for St Pat’s, as they needed to regather and compose themselves in order to get back to the style of play for which they are known.-

St Patrick’s College finally got their first goal through Daniel Rioli who cleverly snuck out the back and kicked truly on the run.-

It was clear that the Paddy Boys had lifted their intensity, however this seemed to make College lift as well as they held on to keep a two-point buffer heading into the final quarter.-

The game again stepped up to another level in the last term. Despite kicking against the wind it was the boys in the green, white and blue who stood up when it mattered most.-

Ben Lusby was the catalyst in the comeback, willing himself to every contest possible to gain momentum for his side. Jacob Weelahan was gathering plenty of the football playing off a forward flank and it was he who got his side in front after a clever kick from teammate Hamish Coulton. Hasker Dawborn and Ben Hurley were just as vital stopping just about everything that came their way down back.- As the clock ran down, BCC looked more and more unlikely to score and it was Ezekiel Frank who sealed the gutsy win for the Paddy Boys.-

Coach of St Patrick’s College, Mr Howard Clark praised the way Ballarat Clarendon College went about the game.-

-It just seems to be the nature of the game when we play these guys,- he said.-

-Stoppage after stoppage and today they just didn’t allow us to run and play our normal style of play.–

He was extremely proud of the way Ben Lusby and Jacob Weelahan drove his team to victory.-

-Ben was just in contest after contest and was pretty sore so it was an amazing effort for him to really be the catalyst for the win.–

-Weels (Weelahan) was really good today, he just has to learn to back his own body again and he’ll be back to his best again.–

St Patrick’s College remain undefeated this season while BCC suffer their second loss, both to St Pat’s.-

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