Sam Charlton looks to boot the ball long.
The Yass Roos delivered a resounding message to the AFL Canberra Community Men’s Division 1 competition this past Saturday, dismantling the Eastlake Demons with a colossal 23.10.148 to 1.3.9 victory. It was a performance that showcased the Roos’ burgeoning strength and their unwavering commitment to a finals berth.
From the opening siren, the Roos were in full flight, overwhelming an Eastlake side that, as Yass Roos President Jarrad Forlonge noted, faced a tough challenge.
“Our team had a lot more available players than Eastlake. I think a few boys had to double up and play some minutes against Murrumbateman in that grade to ensure their team had a full team on the field. We played against full numbers, but a few tired bodies that had to play two games,” Forlonge remarked, acknowledging the Demons’ difficult circumstances. Despite this, the Roos remained focused on their objective.
The scoreboard told a story of sheer dominance, with Toby Serafin leading the charge with an incredible seven goals, earning him the players’ player award. Not far behind was Captain Sam Williams, who slotted five majors, while Jarrad Forlonge and Ben O’Connor each added three. Single goals from Malual Aleer,Jacob Collins, Ryan Forlonge (C), Calum McCann, and Ryan Ulrich underscored the team’s widespread offensive power. For Eastlake, Ryan Fitzgerald’s goal was the only highlight on a challenging day.
While the margin was immense, Forlonge emphasised the strategic importance of the victory. “It was a pretty good win, sometimes it’s nice to win big, but other times it doesn’t always feel that great, you get a bit of a sense that you’re running the score up on the opposition, unfortunately, we’ve got a job to do, we need to make finals and one way to ensure that we can give ourselves the best chance to making finals was to win big on the weekend. We stayed pretty consistent for the full four quarters and the result kind of took care of itself.”
The win was a testament to the Roos’ consistency and their ability to execute for the entire four quarters. Best players on the day, alongside the prolific Serafin and Williams, included Ryan Ulrich, Max Shadbolt, Joven May, and Malual Aleer, all contributing significantly to the team’s comprehensive performance. For Eastlake, despite the tough outcome, Tom Briody, Rali Divett-Moro, Riley Hawke, Max Grazziadelli, Jack Applebee, and Adam Hambly were recognised for their unwavering effort.
With confidence soaring, the Roos are now bracing for what promises to be a defining fortnight.
“It’s a massive couple of weeks for us moving forward,” Forlonge stated, eyeing upcoming clashes against formidable opponents. “We beat ANU earlier in the year, but looking at results and how that has been going, it seems like they’ve gotten stronger as the year has gone on. We lost to ADFA earlier in the year as well, but it’s been a bit all over the shop with their numbers and results lately. Coming to the pointy end of the year, we would fully expect them to be fully fit again.”
The Roos are keen to prove their growth since earlier in the season. “We feel like we’ve come a long way since we played both of these teams earlier in the year. We are looking forward to testing ourselves against these guys as well,” Forlonge continued, echoing the team’s ambition to compete with Division 1’s established sides. “We want to beat some of these teams up in Div one, not just beat the teams that came up with us. We want to be able to beat these teams up in Div one as well. We did that last week with Googong, and we’ve got two more chances this year to do it, and if we do it, we are in the finals.”
The equation for finals is clear, according to Forlonge: “The way we worked it out, if we lose two, we are pretty much done. ANU and ADFA have winnable games, and Goulburn have winnable games as well. I think if we lose two, we definitely can’t make it; if we win one, we need some favours, and if we win two, I think we’re pretty much guaranteed a spot. It’s pretty simple, it’s pretty clear, and I guess that takes the stress out of it in a way, because we just need to win.”
The mood around the club is palpably positive. “Confidence is as high as it’s been this year. I think we are playing the best we have all season. We had a little dip there earlier in the year, but we’ve played pretty well the past few weeks, and we are pretty happy with where our game is at and just the way it’s a real team effort every week, which is a pleasing thing to have at this time of the year.”
Individual brilliance is certainly a factor, with Forlonge singling out Toby Serafin’s incredible seven-goal haul, especially impressive given he wasn’t initially slated to play. He also lauded the midfield prowess of Ryan Ulrich and Ryan Forlonge, who are both in career-best form.
“It’s pretty impressive to watch those two go about their work at the moment,” he added. Crucially, the team emerged from the dominant win unscathed in terms of injuries, a significant advantage heading into the crucial rounds.
Beyond the men’s team, the Yass Roos women’s team continues to impress, even enjoying a well-deserved bye this past weekend. “They have amazed and impressed the whole club, and I think the whole community about how well they’ve gone,” Forlonge proudly stated.
With no finals pressure, they can now focus on enjoying their final two games and potentially adding another win to their remarkable debut season.
The future looks incredibly bright for the Yass Roos Football Club.
“I think everything’s positive around the Club,” Forlonge enthused.
“75% of our current team at the moment is 22 years or younger, so if we can retain and keep these guys with us, the men’s team is set up for years and years to come, and we are only going to get better playing against the higher level of competition week in and week out.”
The addition of the women’s team has brought a vibrant energy to the club, with increased numbers at training and a strong sense of community.
“The environment of having the two teams and more numbers at training, more numbers of pumpkins and things like that, it’s always been a real vibe around the club all year, and everyone has loved it, and we are looking forward to building on that,” Forlonge concluded.
With over 35 women pulling on a Roos jersey in their inaugural season, the growth of AFL in Yass, particularly women’s AFL, is truly incredible. The club is building something special, aiming for sustained success on the field and a thriving community off it.
The Yass Roos will now carry their winning momentum to Canberra this weekend to face ANU, followed by a clash against ADFA the following week at Murrumbateman, where they hope for strong local support. The road to finals is clear: win, and they’re in.
Tully Potts SWST Sports Editor
The South West Slopes Times covers an area approximately the size of Fiji in country NSW. We look after a population of more than 50,000 people with our staff servicing 7 major towns and dozens of villages with our story telling footprint.We offer weekly print editions at $3 a copy and we also offer digital subscriptions across 3 months $30, 6 months $60 and 12 months $120.We are one of the last truly local independent family run newspaper businesses in the state.Contact us today to find out how we can promote your business or organisation across our huge network by emailing ads@thetimes.net.au or by calling 0413 763 216.If you have a news tip, lead or scoop for us please make contact as we love celebrating our communities. You can contribute articles via our South West Slopes Times website.