Home of the Central Blues Australian Football Club

It was a controversial Round 5 for the Central Blues as their Div 1s and Div 2s split the honours as the Div 2s lost under some extenuating circumstances (more on this later). For the Div 1s - their form has continued to improve since their loss to the Eagles, with another strong showing against a 2010 top5 side in the Toronto Dingos.

With the rain pelting down in yet another glorious example of the Canadian Summer, the sides lined up in what would be another classic showdown between the two downtown clubs of the OAFL. Both these sides have shared a red-hot rivalry as they each vie to become known as the premier downtown club of the league. The Dingos are obviously the more established club having been in the league since 1996, while the Blues started off 10 years later in 2006. But in the last couple of seasons it seems the Blues have had the better of the Dingos on the field - with the Blues knocking the Dingos out of the finals in their last encounter in 2009. So it was expected that despite the cold and wet weather - the Dingos would be coming out breathing fire.

Blues skipper Jacob Sone  dominated in the centre bounces - giving his merry midfield the first bite of the footy which was quickly resembling a bar of soap in the wet conditions.  However the Dingos defenders were solid in restrictinging the Blues forward moves. The slippery conditions made it difficult for either side to get any free-flowing ball movement - but it was the Blues who seemed to be more willing to get down and dirty in scrapping for the loose ball. Kyle Pinto (the self-proclaimed "Human Microwave" as in instant heat) came on at the 7 minute mark to break through for the opening goal. Before the in-form Sean Goedheer added two goals (including an absolute cracker from the boundary line) to see the Blues go into the first break with a 21 point lead. Goedheer would go onto to bag 5 goals for the day. The Blues defensive pressure was sensational as they held the Dingos scoreless. Dingos stalwart Craig Stewart was winning plenty of the ball for the Dingos, and before he was able to do too much damage Ewan "Obi" Williams was sent to tag the ever-dangerous Dingos leader - Obi went on to play arguably his best game for the season and was duely awarded the Blues Top Contributor award for his blanketing job. Bruce Parker was once again wonderful in his role as the running defender - leading his teammates with his voice and run out of defense. 

The proud Dingos were obviously disappointed with their effort in the first period and came out in the second period with plenty to prove and did so with the opening goal. But missing a few of their key defenders was always going to hurt their chances - and with the Blues midfield pressure and brilliant defense it was only a matter of time before the Blues once again regained the ascendancy. The Blues regained the momentum with their relentless defensive pressure exerted all over the field as the Blues constantly hunted in packs. Sone as usual set up his wall at half back to repel any of the Dingos attacks. While the Blues midfield players of Karl Lombardozzi, Leon "Tex" McConville-Brain, Kien La and Kenny Wong were all sensational in winning the ball and moving it forward, while Matt Dunne enjoying the fruits of their labour with a couple of goals added next to his name as the Central boys went into the half time break a handy 29 points up in wet and slippery conditions.

The 3rd period was much of the same - with the Blues continuing to have the better of the contest as the Blues added another 3 goals for the quarter - while the Dingos broke through for what would be their second and final goal for the day. Rookie Steve "Snorkel" Rutledge continued to show that this Aussie Rules caper is not so tough with another solid effort. Snorkel was given the task of manning up on the Dingos big forward Chris Buczkowski and doing a brilliant job shutting him down - while at the same time being able to run off him and providing plenty of run out of defense. Another Canadian rookie Riley "Vossy" Armstrong put in his best effort for the season with a best on ground performance with his relentless run throughout the day. Vossy starred in a solo-effort in running the ball out of the backline taking a few bounces, before 1-2ing his way with his teammates to move the ball forward for an easy goal for Tex. Like Snorkel, Vossy has shown tremendous ease in picking up the Australian game, as these two young players look set to become a large part of the Blues program in years to come. Another player showing plenty of promise is 17 year old Matt Keane who made his Div 1 debut as relief ruckman under Rob Chapman, who both formed a brilliant ruck tandem. Chapman continued on in his best season to date with another good showing to put himself in the right place at the right time throughout the game. On a side note, Matty Keane was "fresh" from attending his prom-night the night before this game - during which we're sure he did not drink any alcohol at all.

In the final quarter, when people expected the Blues to take their feet off the pedal given their big lead - the Navy Blues jumpers came out with all cylinders firing to maintain the pressure. Jason "Chief" Caissie was solid in defense punching any ball which entered his vicinity. Tex led the midfield rotation of Ivan "Milat" Ouellette, Adam "Hollywood" Martin and Derek "George" MacDonald who was playing his first game for the Div 1s in 2010 to continue the Blues entries into their forward 50s flowing - as the Blues piled on another 3 goals. The Blues defense must get a mention here - as they once again kept the Dingos goalless. Sone and Parker led from the front with their disciplined team of Richard Jenner, Vossy, Snorkel and the Chief simply having the better of their Dingos counterparts. In the end the Dingos just did not have the options enjoyed by the Blues. But the proud club never waivered in their endeavour to continue the fight, and you can bet that the next time these two side meet the Dingos will be ready.

Blues coach Jaye Macumber post match said that a huge part of the Blues dominance was thanks to "the sensational tackling and shepherding efforts of his players". In their last two games, the Blues defense has only allowed 28 points (of which only include 3 goals) scored against them.

Round 6 sees the Blues visit O-Town for another classic clash against the youngest Div 1 club in the OAFL the Ottawa Swans. For the Swans, 2010 has been disappointing after experiencing some solid wins in 2009. Historically the Blues and Swans have always had close games - and this game should be no different. The Blues will be missing a few of their senior players, and it will be left up to the young up and comers to step in and fill the void. Given the success of the Blues DIv 2 side, this should not pose too much of a problem. But as with any encounter in the OAFL, there is not much separating the top sides to the bottom sides.

For all the photos from the game, click HERE.