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Navy
players from left, LSMT John Robertson, LSATA Phillip Norton,
LSET Matthew Holloway combine with Air Force players LAC
Damien Gardiner (N0.9) and FLGOFF Adam Frizell (No.7) in
an attempt to take possession during the ADF national championships
at ADFA.
Photo by Michael Weaver.
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Two
of the Navy’s best players, CPO Jamie Robinson (left)
and vice-captain LS Marc Rogers after the win against Air
Force.
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AWARDS
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Navy:
Player's player: LSMT Marc Rogers
Player of the Carnival: LSMT Marc Rogers
Best Team Man: CPOCIS John Thiele
Umpires:
Best Navy Player: POET Phil Black
ASAFA:
LAC Hudson award (Best Team Man of Carnival: CPOCIS
John Thiele
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SCOREBOARD
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Match
1, March 24:
Navy 1.2(8) 4.5(29) 9.10(64) 13.11(89)
RAAF 5.3(33) 7.4(46) 8.4(52) 10.6(66)
Match 2, March 26:
Army 5.2(32) 12.3(75) 15.7(97) 20.10(130)
RAAF 2.1(13) 2.3(15) 3.5(23) 5.5(35)
Match 3, March 28:
Army 4.5(29) 7.7(49) 13.9(87) 14.14(98)
Navy 1.0(6) 4.0(24) 4.2(26) 7.3(45) |
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By Michael
Weaver
With
high hopes of being the first Navy Australian football team since
1986 to wrest the national ADF title from Army, the 2003 side
had its hopes dashed with a 53-point loss at Queanbeyan on March
28.
Many
touted the side as having the best chance since 1986 to curb Army’s
17-year dominance of the event, without doubt the longest winning
streak in ADF sport.
Navy
opened the championship with a gutsy come-from-behind 23-point
win against Air Force on March 24, setting up the classic finale
against Army.
Note
books came out on March 26 at the Army v Air Force encounter,
with Navy players working out Army’s kicking habits and tactics.
However,
Army did the same during Navy’s game against Air Force and
on the day of the final, Army simply played the smarter football.
Furthermore,
Army played smarter during the first ten minutes of the third
quarter, kicking three goals in three minutes and holding Navy
to just two points.
Apart
from that, the match was on fairly level terms, according to Navy
coach POCIS Jamie McGinley, who has been associated with the Navy
side since 1988.
“They
[Army] have won for the past 17 years and it’s going to take
a good side to play four quarters to knock them off,” said
PO McGinley.
“The
first quarter we were a bit nervous and they got the jump. The
second quarter our skills lifted and we matched them, the third
they played smarter footy and kicked goals and the fourth we outscored
them.
“We’re
all very disappointed as we thought we’d be able to match
them, but if you rule out that third quarter, it was level pegging.”
Trailing
by 61 points at three-quarter time, PO McGinley told his troops
not to give in and have pride in the jumper.
“I
basically said I’ve never heard of a team winning from 11
goals down, but I told them not to give up on their jumper or
you could become just another Navy side that gets beaten by 20
goals by the Army,” he said.
PO
McGinley also praised the entire squad for its attitude during
the initial week of trials and following week of matches.
“Even
when I had to tell blokes they wouldn’t get a game, there
were never any sour grapes.
“Everyone
wants to come back next year and with a few more blokes, hopefully
we’ll have 60 to choose from instead of 44 this year.”.
