GEELONG Falcons have broken through for their first win of the NAB League Boys season with a 31-point win over the Sydney Swans Academy at Sandringham’s Trevor Barker Beach Oval, 12.12 (84) to 7.11 (53).
First-year coach Luke Daffy was pleased to get the monkey off the back after a draw and two losses by single-figure margins in the opening four rounds.
“The boys have been super positive for the last six weeks, and they’ve been thereabouts in three of the four games,” he said.
“So, I think it’s a really good reward for them and the hard work that they’ve done, and, more importantly, for the hard work they’ve done over the last month despite being in some tight situations and not being able to walk away with a win.”
Co-captain Jesse Clark was again impressive in defence, while big man Henry Walsh also drew praise from Daffy,
“He’s just super reliable,” Daffy said of Clark. “He had some really big one-on-one (contests) that he held up in.
“And not only halved the contest, but actually won it and ended up in an offensive chain for us to be able to go and score.”
“Henry Walsh was really competitive for us today in the ruck; I thought that was his best game of the season.
“He’s developing every week, so he’s an exciting prospect for the future, but I thought he played a really mature game.”
Charlie Harris, Chas Karpala and Ollie Henry, who finished with four goals, were also critical.
The Falcons will look to make it consecutive wins when they host the Murray Bushrangers at Werribee’s Avalon Airport Oval on Saturday.
Meanwhile, coach Jason Armistead has accepted full responsibility for the Geelong Falcons Girls first loss since 2017.
The Falcons, who had strung together 18 consecutive wins, including last year’s grand final victory, surrendered top spot with one round remaining to NAB League Girls premiership favourites Northern Knights after suffering a 36-point loss at Deakin University, 6.7 (43) to 0.7 (7).
“We think we’ve got the game style that can beat anybody, but my messaging probably went away from that a little bit today,” Armistead admitted.
“I was trying to create something I didn’t really need to at times.
“I take responsibility in us not being able to get back into the game.”
Paige Sheppard, Laura Gardiner, Lucy McEvoy, Abbey Chapman, Luka Lesosky-Hay and Mia Skinner all battled hard for the Falcons, who complete their home-and-away season with a match-up against Murray Bushrangers, also at Avalon Airport Oval on Saturday.
Armistead will be hoping to have the talented Poppy Schaap, who suffered an arm injury early in the second half and sat out the rest of the match.
Twitter: @tom_king79
NAB LEAGUE BOYS
GEELONG FALCONS 2.2, 6.5, 8.8, 12.12 (84)
SWANS ACADEMY 1.3, 3.4, 6.9, 7.11 (53)
Goals: Geelong Falcons: O. Henry 4, W. Batson 2, C. Brauer 2, S. Ham, W. Kilpatrick, C. Seymour, J. Makuey
Swans Academy: K. McGrath 2, E. Gulden, L. Swaney, B. Campbell, H. Ellem, S. Gaden
Best: Geelong Falcons: J. Clark, C. Harris, C. Karpala, L. Smith, S. Bourke, O. Henry
Swans Academy: A. Watling, E. Gulden, R. van Huisstede, M. Geddes, L. Parks, B. Campbell
NAB LEAGUE GIRLS
NORTHERN KNIGHTS 3.1, 3.3, 4.5, 6.7 (43)
GEELONG FALCONS 0.1, 0.6, 0.7, 0.7
Goals: Northern Knights: A. Bannan 2, N. Morris-Dalton, J. Fitzgerald, C. Linssen, M. Appleby
Best: Northern Knights: E. McKenzie, G. Newton, S. Sansonetti, A. Bannan, T. Smart, J. Nelson
Geelong Falcons: P. Sheppard, L. Gardiner, L. McEvoy, A. Chapman, L. Lesosky-Hay, M. Skinner
