By
FLGOFF Matthew Lee
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Eagles
veteran CPL Milan Kutija runs on to the ground, followed
by LAC Darren Hoare, CPL David Waller and CPL Murry Woodcroft.
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Photos
by LAC Andrew Eddie
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LAC
Lucas Rodman delivers a pass to a teammate despite an attempted
smother from a Robina opponent.
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THE
Ipswich Eagles, with 12 players from RAAF Base Amberley, faded
in the last quarter of their clash with Robina Roos in the South
East Queensland Football Association Division 2 grand final.
Robina seized the opportunity to pour on a late fl urry of goals
to win 15.12.102 to 10.8.68 in the match on September 12.
The fi nal score did not refl ect nor do justice to what was such
a closely fought struggle that only became certain in the fi nal
10 minutes of the encounter.
Best players from the Air Force personnel were Corporal Milan
Kutija, Corporal Murry Woodcroft and Leading Aircraftman James
Albest.
PTI Corporal Mick Rush coached the Eagles, highlighting the contribution
that Air Force provides to the local football community.
Ipswich started the match slowly, allowing a three-goal lead to
occur midway through the fi rst quarter before registering their
fi rst major.
From then the Eagles settled into the tempo of the match and drew
within a goal before the quarter-time interval.
In the second quarter, a few key changes were made, with CPL Kutija
switching from centre half forward into the ruck to provide some
drive through the centre.
LAC Albest was moved into a defensive role which seemed to stem
a few of the attacking raids from the Robina forwards.
These positional changes provided stability to the overall side
and the scoreboard changed on numerous occasions up until three-quarter
time when Ipswich held a fi ve-point advantage.
This continued for about the fi rst 10 minutes of the fi nal term,
when Ipswich tired.
