By Frank Seal
Following a heavy defeat at the hands of Narre Warren, the Olinda seniors were eager to respond and build their confidence heading into the final round of the season. Up against a struggling Mt Evelyn side, the Bloods were focused on executing their brand of fast-paced football and making a statement to the rest of the competition with a dominant win. After some quality U/19 performances in previous weeks, young ruckman Darcy Falkner was selected to make his senior debut. This provided an extra pre-game spark for the group.
The first five minutes were sloppy. Mt Evelyn gained the first few inside 50s and — thanks to some poor Olinda disposal — managed to score two goals early. The Bloods worked their way into the game, however, taking control of the quarter with their midfield craft and defensive prowess. Pat Rosier was welcomed back into the line-up after an extended break and immediately resumed his contested dominance, winning clearances and tackling strongly. Down forward, his brother Matt had his kicking boots on, nailing two set shot opportunities. This put Bloods in a positive quarter-time position, leading 28-15.
From quarter time onwards, it was an avalanche in favour of Olinda. The Bloods piled on 27 goals to 1 for the remainder of the match. Continuing the trend of the first quarter, the Olinda midfield put their stamp on the territory battle, in sync with one another and working the ball forward at will. Key mids Kelsey Currie, Pete Lucas and Tyler Belloni were getting plenty of hands on the ball and kicking it forward with threatening entries, applying a heap of pressure to the Mt Evelyn defenders. Lachy Taylor and Noah Desta were enjoying their time, deep inside forward 50, taking contested marks and kicking truly. The backs were working high up the ground, locking the ball in the front half with contested marks and ground ball wins. The margin had reached 67 points by halftime.
Olinda would not concede a goal for the rest of the match, as they continued to dominate in the second half. Debutant Darcy Falkner was growing in confidence throughout the match, gaining the upper hand in his ruck contests and athletically following up his own hit outs. Star defender Isaac Tonkin showcased his versatility, being thrown forward and kicking majors from two right-foot bananas. Forward Percy Hyett was attacking the ball with typical ferocity in the forward line and earned himself a run through the midfield. Able to get plenty of rest in the backline, Dan Toma made the most of his time with the footy, running, receiving and launching the Bloods into attack with precise ball use. The margin had well exceeded the hundred-point mark by three-quarter time, but the Bloods did not stop there. Defenders Matt Scharenberg and Frank Seal booted their first goals for the season and Matt Rosier increased his tally to 7 goals for the day. When the final siren sounded, Olinda had defeated Mt Evelyn in a whopping 208-27 performance, setting themselves up as a genuine finals contender.
