The Yass Roos could not have dreamt of a better way to kick off their 2023 AFL Canberra Community Cup competition. (Photo at top: Jordan Hudson gets a kick away – Andrew Hennell photography)
Playing at home in Round One of the 2023 season, the Roos piled on the points and the pain as they dismantled the Belconnen Magpies 19.22 (136) to 1.2 (8) at Joe O’Connor Park.
If anything, the score line could have been a lot worse for the Magpies, with Yass kicking 22 behinds, but the result was a telling one as the Roos look to go one better in 2023.
The Roos entered the match following trial matches against Narooma and Ainsley, and Club President and player Jarrad Forlonge believes it made all the difference in the season opener.
“For the first game of the season, we were in good form, and they played like a team playing their first game,” Forlonge said.
The Yass Roos unearthed seven new players on Saturday, with Joven May, Geordan Whitton, Ryan Ulrich, Ben
O’Connor, Lachlan Cossins, Max Shadbolt, and Taylor Doyle all donning the blue and white strip. PHOTO Andrew Hennell
“We didn’t know what Belconnen would be like, but they won the Grand Final the last time they were in this regional competition.
“We weren’t going to be taking them lightly, and I’m really impressed for us to play the way we did.
“We had those two practice matches a couple of weeks ago, and that helped us, as we are essentially three games into the season.”
Belconnen is expected to be a competition powerhouse, and Forlonge has yet to write the Magpies off.
“It’s always tricky in Round One. They turned up with a complete list of players, and there were whispers that they had a few under-18s filling in for them, but I don’t know if that was the case.
“They were still hard at it, and it was a physical game, and they had some good patches of play.”
The Roos, who fell to the Murrumbateman Eagles in the 2022 decider, were keen to kick-start their 2023 campaign in good fashion, and Forlonge was happy with the team effort, with eight players combining to kick 19 majors, with the Roos led by Fraser Cloney (5), Ryan Ulrich (4), and Darcy Paine (3).
“It really was a team effort, and it was a bit of a luxury with the players we had up front,” Forlonge said.
“Sam (Williams), who kicked two goals, was the league-leading goal kicker last year, and Darcy (Paine) was our star midfielder last year, and we pushed him into a forward role, and he kicked three.
“Ryan (Ulrich) and Geordie (Whitton), who are both new players to the club, they played well, and for them to hit the score sheet in their first game, it is an excellent start to the year for them.
“There was a lot of good footy leading up to those goals, and we kept finding ourselves in the right spot, but they shared it around, and everyone had a good time.”
Yass had seven new faces turning out in Round One, with Joven May, Geordan Whitton, Ryan Ulrich, Ben O’Connor, Lachlan Cossins, Max Shadbolt, and Taylor Doyle all donning the fabled blue and white strip, and Forlonge is thrilled to see a youthfully exuberant Roos ready and raring for the new season.
“We had seven first-gamers, and the exciting thing is that all seven are under the age of 20 or 21,” Forlonge said.
“It’s one thing to have a lot of new players, but with these younger players, it’s reinvigorated the club.
As one of the more experienced players, I know it’s good to play with these young boys, who are itching to get out there and have a go.”
Yass has been a competition powerhouse, and that won’t change in 2023.
However, Forlonge believes there is an air of anticipation around the club following the injection of these new players and coach Andrew Ferrell and assistant coach Tom Lemmon.
“For the past four or five years, we have had a playing coach, but this year, we’ve got a sideline coach and a bloke that has done a lot of coaching in Canberra, and he’s come in with a different game plan and an influx of new players,” Forlonge said.
“We’ve got a good mix of old and new, mixed in with a new and clear coaching direction, and it’s all building really nicely.”
Yass will take on arch-rivals the Southern Cats in Round Two when playing at Joe O’Connor Park on Saturday, and the Roos will be up for the highly-anticipated contest.
“It’s always a good game against the Cats, and we could be coming last and second lass on the table, and it would still be the game of the round,” Forlonge laughed.
“It’s been a pretty good rivalry with them over the last five or more years, and we both play a similar style of footy, which is tough and hard at it, and it will be another really good game.
In the remaining Round One fixtures played on Saturday, Southern Cast thrashed Eastlake Demons 13.15 (93) to 2.10 (22).
Playing at Kambah, Cats skipper Taylor Lee kicked five majors, Michael Johnston booted three, and Luke Condon was best on ground.
Cootamundra were also big winners, with the Blues belting Tuggeranong Valley 13.11 (89) to 9.5 (59).
Also playing at Kambah, Sandy Maskell-Knight kicked five for the winners and best on ground was Ollie Speldewinde.
Auskick set for kick-off
The Yass Roos Auskick season for 2023 is just around the corner and parents and players are asked to sign up now and join the next crop of junior Roos.
The club is still looking for some parents to assist with the delivery of the program.
AFL Canberra will be on hand in the early weeks to provide assistance with the training. Please get in contact with the club if you have any questions.
