The winter season kicked off this week with many players not having played since last summer and with plenty of new faces across all Vipers teams it was always going to take sometime for the cobwebs and new combinations to take affect.
The Men’s team played the experience Monash side in the opener on Tuesday night in some what dark conditions due to some light towers yet to be put into operation. The game was one of fast pace attack and some sloppy defence from both teams as they each tried to find the edge but at the end of 40 minutes it ended up 6 all and a true reflection of the game. The Vipers team displayed some exciting attack and ball movement throughout the game and came back from 2 TD’s down to claw in front on the back of the ageless Johnny Moore’s length of the field intercept in which he out paced “Ritchie” one of the games speedsters showing that he may indeed still have what it takes to push for a Men’s Open spot in 2009.
The Wednesday Mixed teams really did have plenty of new faces with one entire team meeting each other on the night and the other having half a dozen players also brand new. This game was timed as Vipers very own grudge match for bragging rights but it took 27mins for the first TD as both sides struggled with the darkness, similar playing tops and not really knowing each other. But once the first TD went down from last years MVP Amy Lewicki, a very confident Tommy announced that was from the “Real Vipers” which won last years title at Fawkner park. However the heavily NTL experienced Harcourt Vipers hit straight back with some blistering pace from Brooke to score and draw level. As the clock wound down a suspiciously offside JP took a intercept and ran to the line to push the Harcourt team ahead by 1. The Bayside Vipers however looked to there regular playmakers in Jimmy, Tommy & Beau Dogg fresh from his stay in the “Gong” for the last 3 years, combined to put the ever alert Amy into another hole to level the match at 2 all. This is how it stayed for the remainder of the match leaving neither team satisfied. Both these teams will improve as they establish combinations and learn each others names as the season continues, as the Fawkner team did last year.
Thursday Night Mixed team report by Flick
Last Thursday we won 8-4. All I can say is that it was a good start to the season…
Our newbie to the touch team Amber Gillanders made a great debut. She defended well on the line and held her defensive wing the entire game and took some good catches from a couple of dodgy passes!!
Due to all the refs being in teams that played that particular time slot we had to sacrifice Mat Gilbertson and make him referee the game! He had a good return to refereeing after about 3 years off he said! He was not biased at all, as Flick (his sister) in true fashion had a go at him for a dodgy touch and pass call against her (which he later admitted was slightly dodgy!) but all in all it was great to get back into the season!!
Brent Davidson was back into usual fashion after the break.. in the right place at the right time on the defensive 5 meter line for the ball to fall into his hands accidently. Big mistake for the attacking team because he proceeded to step the girl that gave it to him, the guy next to her, then take off up the field from our left hand defensive corner. He was then chased from a guy mid field so ran towards the middle for a bit, before stepping right past him. He then turned to realise he was being chased by the 3rd guy in the team, who was coming up the right hand side of the field, he put his foot down as the guy got close, the defender realised he was getting away and made a last mad attempt to catch him by diving only to miss by a few inches as Brent proceeded to score in the top right hand corner of the field!!
All who were there played well and it was a nice way to end the first game of the season!!
