After the Magpies’ upset win over the Hawks, a match that the Redbacks had been tentatively pencilling in as a certain four points suddenly took on a new complexion.
The Magpies’ surprise victory also turned the clash into a virtual elimination final. With only the top two sides playing finals football this year, a win for the Redbacks – with two wins on the board already and a vastly superior percentage – would mean a spot in the Grand Final was practically assured. Likewise a win for the Magpies would mean they would only need to knock off either the Dingoes, or, less probably, the Goannas to guarantee a Grand Final berth.
This was also the Redbacks’ first opportunity to avenge their humiliating defeat to the Magpies after the 2009 Japan Cup. The 53 point margin still stands as the Redbacks’ heaviest ever loss.
Hopes were high the tables would be turned this time around, however. The Redbacks took a strong side up the Tomei Expressway, with the experienced Tim Wilmott, Chris Gifford and Andrew Lau coming back into the side that had narrowly gone down to the Goannas. Newcomers Henry Jones and Mario Long joined club stalwart Brad Manson and a deep Redbacks line up that, on paper, certainly had the quality to come home with the spoils. Altogether, 16 players, the Redbacks’ largest ever contingent for an away game, made the trip up.
The weather conditions were again less than ideal for football, with drizzle and a howling gale blowing to the city end of the ground. Effective use of the breeze looked like it was going to be a crucial factor in the match’s outcome.
The game got under way with cracking intensity, both sides keenly aware of what was at stake. The Redbacks were attacking both the footy and ball-carrier with great ferocity, but the Magpies were generally getting themselves to the ball first. Their numbers around the ball and strings of handballs were rendering the wind advantage the Redbacks had in the first quarter meaningless.
Samurais’ scholarship players Masaya Nakamura and Ken Saito were proving handfuls, with Nakamura chopping off most of the Redbacks’ forward thrusts and Saito providing a strong marking option in attack.
After missing a bunch of gettable shots, the Magpies put on a couple of consecutive majors, with only a desperate goal square tackle from find-of-the-season Phil Rwankole and some strong marking from Xavier Luscombe preventing the damage being far worse.
The Redbacks were able to respond quickly, though, as a long kick to the goal square paid dividends. Full forward Chris Gifford took a strong mark and converted from a very tight angle to keep the Redbacks in touch.
Strong pressure from both sides prevented any further goals from being added and the Redbacks went into quarter time only five points down, but having wasted first use of the breeze.
The Redbacks started the second quarter eager to make amends for their slow start. Their pressure and intensity were much greater and our superior marking skills started to show. The Redbacks got just the start they wanted when captain Dean Dowey read the flight of the ball best and marked directly in front of goal. His swerving shot managed to scrape through and we had our noses in front.
Benny Dillon added another soon after with a great set shot from a tough angle to increase the lead.
The tight nature of the contest and intense physical pressure from both sides saw tempers boil over at times and a few boys are perhaps fortunate the there’s no video review in the JAFL.
The Redbacks withstood some intense pressure from the Magpies with some disciplined defensive work, holding their opposition to just three points for the quarter to go into the halftime break having turned the five point deficit into an eight point advantage.
The talk at halftime was of making sure we took full advantage of the breeze this time around to turn our small buffer into an unassailable lead by three quarter time.
After a scrappy opening couple of minutes two pieces of individual brilliance produced a contender for goal of the year. Rwankole made an outstanding interception at half-back then willed the ball to the Redbacks half-forward line where Gifford took over, deftly controlling the bouncing ball and snapping a seemingly impossible shot over his shoulder from the left full forward pocket.
The Redbacks pressure was starting to tell, with the Magpies beginning to fumble and look over their shoulders and the wet conditions not suiting their handballing strategy.
After Xavier Luscombe got a fingernail to the ball right on the goal line to save a certain goal, a quick kick out of defence from Dowey found Dion McKay unmarked. McKay split the big sticks with his set shot and the lead was out to a game high 18 points.
Then the fireworks really started as the Redbacks slammed on another four goals to put the result beyond doubt. Jenkins went back and nailed a set shot from 55 out and McKay snapped a banana (from directly in front…) immediately after the restart to give the Redbacks two in 10 seconds.
A courageous mark and subsequent conversion from Timmy “can I do a nudie run if we win?” Wilmott made up for an easy miss a few minutes earlier before Jenkins drove the final nail into the coffin, evading three defenders with the aid of a great shepherd from Jones and then booting another contender for goal of the year through from behind the halfway line.
Six goals two while the Redbacks miserly defence of Osboldstone, Luscombe, Molloy, James, et al held the opposition to just two paltry behinds to give the Redbacks an insurmountable 44 point advantage at the final break.
The Magpies were able to close the gap slightly with two goals to one in the final term, but the damage had already been done. Rwankole went ever so close to scoring his first goal in AFL football, denied only by a dubious touch right on the goal line. The effusive celebrations were certainly deserving of a six-pointer.
The Magpies battled hard all day and the lopsided scoreline wasn’t a fair reflection of the tightness of the game. For patches of the game they looked the better side, but ran up against a Redbacks unit that had an extra gear when it counted. The third term was among the best quarters of footy the men from Tokai have produced and the Magpies can count themselves a bit unlucky to have been on the receiving end.
The Redbacks now look to their final regular season clash knowing that a win or draw will see them through to the big one in November for the first time in the JAFL, a fair achievement in only our second season in the league.
As is also all too often the case, the match marked the final time some Redbacks would turn out in the red ‘n black. The Redbacks unfortunately bid farewell to Xavier Luscombe, Phil Rwankole, and Tim Wilmott, three talents that will be missed both on and off the field.
Japan and the Nagoya Redbacks aren’t going anywhere, boys, and we hope to see you back before too long.
Final scores:
Redbacks: 1.4 3.8 9.10 10.14 - 74
Magpies: 2.3 2.6 2.8 4.14 - 38
Goal kickers:
Redbacks: Gifford 3, Mckay 2, Jenkins 2, Dowey, Dillon, Wilmott
Magpies: Matsuhashi, Takahashi, Fukagawa, Nakamura
