Phantom Files - ELIMINATION FINALS
Sep 22, 2009

 What a big week in Finals Football!

This is the time of the year when 4 clubs in the OAFL are sitting back and thinking two things. Firstly, who the hell this Phantom journalist that has so accurately reported on all of the games played this season, and secondly, why isn't he writing about our team anymore?  Well honest citizens of the OAFL, the answer is simple.  I am the ghost who handballs. The one who ducks in and out of packs seemingly invisible to the opposition who reads the play like Ludwig Van heard music.  The one who has seen more football matches than Tim Hortons stores and who as a humble servant to the community offers his comments for the good of the game each week to improve the competition. And the answer to the second question is simple, the clubs that didn't make the finals simply weren't good enough to take the stage in September.  Next year perhaps with some off field changes and strong recruiting policies they will be there, but this is a season that has passed and they will forever be regretting not giving themselves every chance to take the Conacher in 2009. Until next year...

HAMILITON 7.12.54 def by BROADVIEW 7.17.58

Anyone who was at Mohawk Park on Saturday morning bore witness to a warm up brimming with tension and almost war like attitudes from these two teams who obviously have had a few 'howdoyoudos' in the past, and this time there wasn't a bigger stage to settle the score than the 2nd Elimination final. Heading into the match, the boys from Hamilton were considered slight favorites given the home field advantage, although both sides on paper looked very even.   After being written off a few weeks ago by none other than myself and my good friend Jean, the Broadview Hawks were the surprise packets of the second half o the season since and had been improving in form ever since. From the outset this was as tough and hard a game as you are likely to see played between mortals.  Hard hits and intense play all over the field made this match one for the ages.  After an even first quarter it was only in the second quarter that any team was able to gain any acendency with the Wildcat boys having a 22 point to 4 quarter and looking to extend going into the second half. The third quarter was a battle of the defenses with neither side giving an intch. Smoothers and tackles were the order of the day and the game was turning into a real arm wrestle.  Bulldog and Crouch from the home team were giving their all and getting plenty of touches while the powerhouse Walker was turning into a one man wrecking ball for the Hawks.  The third quarter is the premieship quarter, and in literal terms it was like neither team wanted to win it, kicking innacurately and keeping the game at 2 points difference heading into the final term with the wildcat's whiskers in front and coming home with the slight breeze. The last quarter is one that will be ringing in the memories of the entire Wildcat team as they wasted opportunity after opportunity to get in front kicking 6 points for the quarter, whilst the Hawks were equally nervous in front of goal kicking 2.4. In the end it was the experience of the Hawks that managed to drag the battered and bruised team over the line.  All in all it was a fantastic game of finals footy played in great spirit and while the Hawks move on to next week, the Wildcats will take a lot from this finals experience and be looking to improve for next year.

T. DINGOS 4.7.31 def by CENTRAL 9.7.61

Cometh the hour, cometh the man.  Nothing is truer in finals football.  The blues riding a disgraceful final 5 rounds of the year were expected to go out with barely a whimper against the resurgant Dingos team.  However Canada Post lost the message somewhere because the team that turned up in the navy blue were barely recognizable to the team of previous weeks. They were here to play and in the first 30 seconds of the game the entire team was switched on. Credit must be given to the coaching staff for the pre match preparation because the team had definitely cometh to playeth.  The Dingos on paper looked like the better team and for most of the season most clubs had failed to match up on the multi pronged forward line which had been so effective all season.  However, from the opening bounce it was the Blues who were first to the ball and presenting more often to take a 2 goal lead into the first break.  The second quarter was more of the same with rookie Ouellette outstanding all over the ground . The dingos were shell shocked and worries must have started to go through the coaching staff of Dingoland when the team rules started falling appart and the club started trying to beat the umpire rather than they're opponents.  There are many ways to win or loose a game of football, but one certain way is to let the umpires start getting to you.  Football is a passionate and emotional game, but you will not do yourself or your team any favors by talking back to the umpire regardless of weather you agree with the decisions being handed out (and from where I was sitting the later was the case on numerous occasions - but that's besides the point).  The third quarter reeked of desperation by the dingos who started to turn the ship around won the premiership quarter by 1 point and we set ourselves for the traditional dingo comeback of old. However on this day it wasn't to bee with the spritely Blues not giving up and having it all their own way in the fourth quarter and causing the upset of the season moving through to their first ever Preliminary final.

So what a first week in football we've had.  And to think it is only going to get better from here. Check back on Friday as we analyse the Preliminary finals where the Eagles will be hosting the Hawks while the top seeded Roos will be taking on the Blues and no doubt be double checking they're strategies given the resurgance of the Blues.

Until then, Happy handballing

Ghost who handballs.

Phantom