Coachy's Corner: Finals 2005
21/12/2005

Hi everyone!

For The Bullets second ever finals match, we were up against The Travellers at 7:15pm. Asher returned for the club's last game of the year as did Lucy, who very kindly came out of retirement for one week. The Bullets again started the half in scintillating style with Dean and Andrew posting six goals between them. Our defence wasn't really overworked, but Luke took many fine marks around the ground. At halftime, the score was 37-16, The Bullets in front.

In warm conditions, The Bullets kicked on in the second half. Our defence was terrific with Asher, Lucy and myself holding firm. Asher took a couple of very nice marks during the game, while Lucy stuck to her opponent all day. Most of our possessions out of defence hit targets, which was a big plus.

Luke played another great game. His marking was sensational. On four occasions, his very hard running saw him brilliantly intercept marks that opponents were about to take. Luke's kicking also was back to it's best over the past couple of weeks and the forwards have benefited greatly. Narelle was also busy around the packs, picking up kicks and taking a couple of marks. She played a full game in the midfield and the run in there will be of benefit for next season.

Andrew finished with a career best of nine goals for the game. His marking was extremely good, as a couple of grabs were taken while being double teamed. Dean also played extremely well. His marking and kicking were a feature. He finished with four goals.

It was great to finish off the year winning our final game. We had set ourselves to win this game and we did.At the start of the season, we set ourselves to win as many games as possible, and to win four matches was a great effort by all. I'll be back in the new year to submit my report card on all players and analyse our season. Thanks to everyone (yes, even Luke) and a Merry Christmas to all.


Coachy's Corner: Round 9, 2005
14/12/2005

Hi everyone!

In this, the second last week, The Bullets were up against Top Guns at 8pm. The team were without Asher and Rob from last week, but hope to have them both back for our final. We were privileged by the presence of June and Jeff Henderson on the sidelines. The match started in great fashion for The Bullets. The first half rained goals for our team as we produced some of our very best football for the year. Andrew finished the half with seven goals, Dean one and another nine pointer to Narelle following a terrific mark. It was the finishing touch on a freakish piece of play that began with Luke smothering an opponent’s kick, the ball then deflecting from Dean into the lap of Andrew who then pinpointed the ball to Narelle.

Luke and Margit played very well out of the centre, both players were using the ball very efficiently. Cath, Stuart and myself didn’t have a great deal to do in defence, but the three of us played well when our opportunities presented. Top Guns kicked two goals just before halftime, one being a nine pointer, to have the scores, 58-15.

After the break, Top Guns came out firing. They quickly scored goals to have us a little bit worried. It turned out to be a very competitive game with a few skill errors creeping into The Bullets game. As the half went on, we steadied the ship. Dean and Andrew kicked a few goals between them to put the match out of Top Guns reach. Luke played one of his best games for the club, his kicking and very effective centre knockouts to Margit a feature. Margit, in unfortunately her last game, played her best game for the season. Her marking in space and kicking to teammates was great to watch. She got better as the game went on. She will be sorely missed next week. Both her and Luke provided a great link.

Stu and Catherine were very serviceable down back. They tried hard and collected some kicks that really helped us.

Andrew finished with a career-best eight goals in a sensational effort and Dean was ever consistent with four goals. His marking and playing on was a feature, while Narelle impressed with a goal and a couple of exceptional marks.

Winning our second game in a row was a wonderful effort against good opposition. Winning that game has given us real momentum heading into our big final next week. Our players have been fantastic and I’m sure we will give our best in our club’s final next week.
Coachy's Corner: Round 8, 2005
07/12/2005

Hi everyone!

The Bullets this week were up against Dumbalk in the 7:15pm fixture. The team welcomed back Catherine and Rob, plus Asher returned from his ankle injury.

The weather started off overcast but, five minutes in, the rain and hail appeared and lasted for the entire half. Our players needed to settle in these different conditions. Dumbalk seemed to cope very well, kicking 2.1 to no score at halftime. Stuart, Cath, and Asher were strong contributors for us down back.

Due to the heavy rain, players went straight into the second half without a break. The Bullets started very well. Everyone in our side lifted. Dean added to his goals tally with three and Andrew one. Both players took strong marks in the wet and kicked well around the ground. Stuart came off five minutes in and Rob slotted into defence and instantly had an impact with a couple of valuable possessions. Cath joined Luke in the midfield and Margit shifted into defence.

Narelle found space on the end of a Dean pass in the forward line, lined it up, and put it through for a great nine pointer. Victory was looking on the cards for us all of a sudden. Dumbalk were making mistakes in the wet conditions, while we were using the ball well and making the most of our scoring opportunities. In the end, our side ran out victors by seven points, 36-29. It was a much needed win and everyone was extremely happy. We look forward to the next two weeks with new confidence.
Coachy's Corner: Round 7, 2005
30/11/2005

Hi everyone!

This week The Bullets fronted up against The Gnomes in the early 6:30pm slot. The team introduced Narelle Jones to the side for her first game. Her first kick came early with a shot at goal, but she had to be moved into defence halfway through the first half.

The opposition were looking very good, but The Bullets fought on, getting our fair share of the ball. We kept our player positions from last week with everyone trying hard. We scored two goals for the half through myself after some neat forward play from Luke.

The team made a few changes for the second half. Dean and Andrew went forward, Luke to the centre, and me to defence to join Stuart and Narelle. Dean took six or seven marks for one goal. Margit was good clearing the ball from the centre from Luke's ruck work, while Narelle, Stuart and myself got a few kicks across the backline.

We wasted the football a bit, but we were up against terrific opposition who ran extremely well. The final score was 60-23. I'm still very confident we will win another game before the season is out.

Coachy's Corner: Round 6, 2005
23/11/2005

Hi everyone!

This week The Bullets played The Travellers at 7:15pm. The side welcomed back Catherine for only her second game of the year, while Asher missed with an ankle injury.

The first half saw us down 39 to 7. Luke, who was playing up forward, kicked our only goal for the half. The team again struggled against the wind, but understood we also wasted a couple of opportunities. The second half was a different story with The Bullets coming out firing. I kicked the first goal of the half and then Luke piled on three more (two from marks) to be down by only one goal.

Unfortunately, mistakes and inaccurate kicking for goal took over a bit and the opposition edged away. Dean, who played the game in defence, was terrific in the second half, taking marks and pumping the football downfield. Andrew played the second half in the centre and showed he could easily play there in the future. Stuart worked well with Dean and stood firm, continuing his good form. Lucy kept very tight on her opponent all day and did a good job. Catherine made a successful return, taking marks up forward and getting plenty of kicks, while Margit was busy in the midfield.

The team tried something new this week, moving Luke from the centre and playing him forward. He was a real target and could improve in that role. He kicked four goals and contested everything that was delivered to him.

In the end, we lost 54-36, although we did outscore them in the second half. It goes without saying that the team needs a win. We are not getting thrashed and have improved from last season. We look good when we control the game and kick goals, but in saying that, we still need to win another game.

Coachy's Corner: Rounds 4 & 5, 2005
16/11/2005

Hi everyone!

(Round 4)

The Bullets played Manhands in Round 4 in the 6:30pm timeslot. Lucy and Dean returned to the side. The first half wasn't a great one kicking against a strong breeze, with The Bullets posting just one goal. Manhands used the wind really well and we knew in the second half that we had to make the most of our opportunities with the breeze. At halftime, it was 43-6.

The second half was a lot better for us. We started to use the ball well and piled on six goals for the half. Luke and Margit started to work very well in the middle, getting the footy out of the centre numerous times and resulting in a few goals for the team. Stuart and Asher were strong in defence, winning plenty of the ball.Dean came back strongly in the second half after a quiet start to kick two goals and Andrew finished with five for the game. The Bullets went down 71-42, but outscored Manhands six goals to five in the second half.

(Round 5)

After our loss to Manhands earlier in the night, we had to front up to last season's premiers, Meeniyan, at 8:00pm. The team carried on from our last half to play good footy in the first half of this game. Dean kicked three goals and Andrew one for a good contribution. Luke marked everything that came his way and Nicole (replacing Margit in the side) played well in the centre for our team. Stuart kicked well out of defence finding teammates upfield. At half time, we were two points down, 27-25.

On a sour note, Asher rolled his ankle in the second second half after moving forward and had to leave the field. We lost convincingly in the end to a very good side. On the upside, Luke marked very strongly in both games, Stuart played some of his best footy, Lucy closely checked her opponents, Andrew and Dean fought on, and Margit and Nicole were very impressive in the midfield.

Our side was up against two of the best teams in the comp last night. To outscore Manhands in the second half and to be within two points of Meeniyan at half time were positive signs. We need a bit more work, but I'm sure our players will rise to the challenge.
Coachy's Corner: Round 3, 2005
09/11/2005

Hi everyone,

This week, The Bullets played the Hampton hacks in the 6:30pm slot. The side welcomed back Rob Rizzo for his first game of the season.

The first half was a very good one for The Bullets. Rob fitted back in very nicely. He kicked and marked well, and presented himself well to teammates upfield. Stuart had a good half sending the ball out of defence, with Asher also getting kicks when was needed. Nicole played her first full game in the midfield with Luke and impressed, getting plenty of the ball. Andrew kicked four goals in a strong first half display. Rob also kicked a goal and Margit scored her second goal (9 pointer) of the season, marking a lovely pass from Rob. We were in a fairly good position at halftime leading 39 to 18, although Hampton kicked three of the last four goals of the half.

The second half opened with Hampton scoring the first four goals. Andrew then moved to the back line and Asher went up forward to join myself, who had replaced Rob. As Hampton continued to peg The Bullets back, we made more mistakes and costly decisions with the ball. Even though Asher kicked a much needed goal, our forward line struggled to find space. I was too slow to feed the ball off productively and our team eventually lost the lead and the game with a final 9 pointer to Hampton before the final siren to lose by seven points, 53-46.

On a positive note, Andrew continued to get kicks, Margit's second half was good as she took a couple of good marks and got the ball moving at times. Jane and Nicole contributed well in their respective roles, while Luke, along with taking two or three marks in the second half, never gave up - his chasing, contesting and determination in the midfield was terrific.

The loss was a missed opportunity for The Bullets, but every player tried their guts out and worked hard. We will front up again next week knowing we are a very competitive football side...and we're not far away.
Coachy's Corner: Round 2, 2005
26/10/2005

Hi everyone,

Round 2 saw The Bullets take on The Pencils in a 6:30pm game. The Bullets welcomed first-gamer Lucy into the team for the match.

The Pencils got off to a very good start, kicking the first four goals of the game before The Bullets could get a clean possession in our forward half. In a character building end to the first half, we fought our way into the contest with an impressive four goal half of footy. Luke started taking marks all over the ground, while Dean and Andrew led very well up the ground and marked everything that came their way. They found each other well and shared the four goals. Meanwhile, Asher took a couple of terrific marks and used the ball well out of defence. The Pencils held a 25 point lead at half time with The Bullets challenging.

In the second half, The Bullets continued to be very competitive. Luke continued to take strong marks and his kicking skills were excellent. He and Margit were a very handy combination in our midfield and it is an area in our team that will develop. Asher and Stuart kept up their good play in defence throughout the second half, while Lucy saw off three opponents.

Our forward line continued on its way, scoring nine goals for the day (Andrew scoring six and Dean three) in a very polished display. It was great to see them both take risks with their long kicking, positioning, and marking to get the score on the board. Margit got a few handy touches of the football as the whole team used the ball extremely well.

We went down by 11 points (55 to 66), but outscored the opposition in the second half with five goals to three. Look forward to next time.
Coachy's Corner: Round 1, 2005
19/10/2005

Hi there everyone!

Our new season kicked off with a great win on Tuesday the 18th of October. We welcomed Andrew, Margit, Nicole and Jane to our team and all four gave us a big lift for our first win.

In the first half, Andrew and Dean were magnificent putting the score on the board kicking multiple goals between them. Luke and Jane were dominant in the midfield and, along with Asher in defence, sent the ball down beautifully to our waiting forwards. Our defence was terrific with Stuart, Catherine, and Asher providing rebound and taking advantage of situations where The Bullets could clear the ball out.

The second half was also good with Margit starting to find plenty of space, which resulted in her taking some good marks. She got plenty of the ball and kicked a goal right before the final siren. Nicole replaced the rested Jane in the midfield and was also a solid contributor. A great win for everyone concerned and we look forward to the next nine weeks.