By Frank Seal
An in-form Olinda seniors side faced another big test against an impressive Monbulk outfit in the Bloods’ 75-year anniversary match on Saturday afternoon. Numerous former premiership players were in attendance for the special occasion, celebrating not only the anniversary but also game 100 for star player Nick Keegan. In freezing, windy conditions at home, Olinda was well and truly pumped up to earn their third win on the trot before going into a bye.
Kicking with the wind in the opening term, the Bloods were looking to take advantage with an early lead, and it was up to the midfielders to set the tone. Kelsey Currie and Pete Lucas were typically dynamic out of the centre, clearing the ball at stoppages, while Cam Horner was assigned a ‘run-with’ role on the damaging Glenn Strachan of Monbulk. Down forward, Lachy Taylor was dangerous, snagging the opening goal and making his presence felt early. Tyler Belloni was challenging Monbulk in the forward line with clean possession and defensive pressure, forcing the Hawks to play an extra defender. James Belli was providing aggressive run off half-back, feeding the forwards with deep entries, while Jay Rankin managed an early goal in his return to the senior group. A long-distance set-shot roost from Jonty Scott gave the Bloods a good 26-8 lead heading into quarter-time.
As expected, the Hawks responded in the second quarter with the wind in their favour. Their midfield began winning the contest at stoppages. It only took one clean kick out of the middle to send the ball deep into their forward line, putting Olinda’s defenders under pressure. But the Bloods were up to the challenge, bringing most aerial balls to the ground and cleanly exiting the defensive 50 for most of the quarter. While Monbulk was able to kick 3 goals for the quarter, Olinda kept applying themselves. Percy Hyett was ferocious around the ball, winning 50/50 contests and putting his side in damaging positions. Noah Desta, as he seems to do every week, found a goal when his side needed it; kicking one to steady the flow and keep the Bloods in front (32-28) at halftime.
Mindful of the conditions and kicking with the wind, Olinda looked to extend its lead before the final term. To Monbulk’s credit, their midfielders, with relentless intensity around the ball, was getting on top. With the Hawks clearing the ball dangerously from the centre, the Olinda defenders were under serious heat. Matt Scharenberg and Daniel Toma took some crucial intercept marks, while Dale Rorhmann was continuing his fine form, spoiling everything, and winning important defensive possessions. Pete Lucas and Lachy Taylor managed to put two more goals on the scoreboard, but the Bloods only held a 7-point lead heading into the fourth quarter and the prospect of a strong headwind in the final term.
The final quarter was similar to the third, with both teams applying intense pressure at the contest, and every clearance hard-earned. Once again, the Hawks were gaining significant territory and putting the Bloods under the pump defensively, surging numbers forward and forcing numerous stoppages inside their forward 50. Olinda, however, were gallant in defence, refusing to concede, rushing minor scores wherever possible and punting the ball quickly out of defensive 50. Monbulk’s second-half score-line (2 goals and 12 behinds) was indicative of Olinda’s defensive efforts. But the Bloods needed to kick goals to put the game away. Almost on cue, with the ball locked inside Olinda’s forward line and players surrounding the contest from all angles, Lachy Taylor somehow put boot to ball and kicked a pivotal goal to make it a two-possession game. With the Hawks kicking several behinds and getting the game back within one kick, Olinda needed to step up once again. Fittingly, it was milestone man Nick Keegan gathering the ball, stepping around multiple defenders and getting a boot to ball with a clean forward entry to Noah Desta who finished with another huge goal for the club. This gave the Bloods a 10-point buffer. In the dying minutes, a crucial pack mark from Lachy Taylor sealed a heroic win for Olinda. To withstand such intense pressure from a desperate and highly skilled Hawks outfit and get the four points (9-6-60 to 6-16-52) was a fitting result on such a special day for the club.
