VFL ROUND 5 MATCH REPORT – FOOTSCRAY V SOUTHPORT

Tom Fields was the hero at Whitten Oval on Saturday Night.

Tom Fields was the hero at Whitten Oval on Saturday Night.

With less than a minute to go, he picked up the ball 50 metres out from goal, ran through two Footscray players and kicked the winning goal for the Sharks from about 30 metres out on a 45-degree angle.

Footscray had the opportunity to take back the lead with a kick after the siren; however, it did not make the distance. Southport victorious 13.11. (89) to 12.12 (84).

Southport trailed by 15 points at three quarter time, and Footscray was well in truly in control.

The message from Daniel at the huddle was simple, though, take the game on, and that is exactly what the Sharks did.

“When you are trailing at three quarter time and start kicking a couple of goals, the opposition can panic, and that’s where you can win.

“So, the plan in the last quarter was to take risks, play on at all times and move the ball quickly, and make Footscray panic.”

Footscray actually kicked the first goal of the quarter which extended the margin to 21 points, one minute into the last quarter.

Ruckman Fraser Thurlow, the Sharks best player on the night, kicked the first of Southport’s seven last quarter goals nine minutes into the last quarter.

Five minutes later, the Dogs kicked another to lead by 20 points. It looked doubtful that the Sharks would win at this stage, but they didn’t give up.

Zac Foot kicked the next goal for the Sharks. The margin was cut to 13 points halfway through the last quarter.

Against his old side, Billy Gowers kicked the next goal for Southport three minutes later. The margin was now 8 points. Game On!

The Dogs steadied straight away, but then Thurlow kicked one of the most amazing Ruckman’s goals you will ever see to make the margin less than two goals again.

Zac Foot, who was also amongst the Shark’s best, kicked his third for the match twenty-six minutes into the last quarter to bring it back to 1 point before Tom Fields kicked the winner.

It was a memorable victory for the Sharks. On Saturday Morning, Southport’s team flight was cancelled, which meant the 3:05pm start time became a 7:35pm start.

Daniel said, “Of course, the situation was not ideal, but we just had to stay focussed on winning. We are a resilient group, and coming away with the win is special.”

It was far from Southport’s best game, and Daniel is the first to admit that.

“Footscray were terrific. They came and hunted us right from the start. Their pressure was elite, and the intensity that they brought was fantastic.”

“You can’t play good football week in, week out. We did not play our best, but we could still win. That is what good teams do, and that is what we are aiming to be.”

Rhys Clark, also played well down back in his 50th game for the club.

Southport, sitting fourth, with four wins and one loss, has the bye this week.

Their next two games are against Casey (1st) and Giants (2nd), so the bye will be an excellent opportunity for the players to reset ahead of two big games.

VFL Round 4 Footscray v Southport

Footscray 3.4 7.8 9.10 12.12 (84)

Southport 3.2 6.4 7.7 13.11 (89)

Goal Kickers: Z. Foot 3, B. Gowers 2, F. Thurlow 2, D. Charlesworth, T. Fields, R. Gilmore, J. Heron, R. King, M. Manteit

Best Players: F. Thurlow, Z. Foot, R. Clark, J. Dawson, B. Woodcock, R. Gilmore

To watch the match replay, highlights and stats click here

Click here for fixtures/results/ladder

Similar Articles

These articles are similar to the one you are reading.

The Southport Sharks would like to congratulate Darcie Davies who has been added to the Gold Coast Suns AFLW Primary List. 

Southport Sharks Unveils Vision for Premier Sport, Leisure, and Entertainment Precinct

Southport remains on top on top of the VFL ladder, after defeating the Brisbane Lions by 107 points at Fankhauser Reserve on Saturday.

Southport trailed Essendon’s VFL team for the majority of the day on Sunday Afternoon. However, they led when it mattered most. On the final scoreboard.

The Southport Sharks are back on top of the QAFLW after solid victories over Yeronga and Wilston Grange.

The Southport Sharks travelled to South Brisbane to take on Coorparoo in Round 6 of the QAFLW at Giffin Park on Saturday Afternoon, as part of Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round.

The Southport QFAW team have won their fifth consecutive game, easily accounting for Mt. Gravatt at Fankhauser Reserve.

The Southport Sharks are pleased to announce that Lexus of Southport is the new VFL major sponsor for 2023.

In Sir Doug Nicholls Round, the Southport Sharks travelled to Box Hill City Oval, which is situated on Wurundjeri country, to play the Box Hill Hawks.

The Southport Sharks hosted the Bond University Bull Sharks at Fankhauser Reserve on Saturday Afternoon for the first week of QAFLW Finals.   Seniors    Bond University is through to the 2023 QAFLW Grand Final after defeating Southport by 22 points in the Qualifying Final. Southport’s 4.5 ...

The Southport Sharks were unable to beat the top of the ladder Casey Demons on Sunday afternoon, going down by 30 points at Casey Fields.

The Southport Sharks are back on the winner’s list after defeating North Melbourne’s VFL team by 107-points at Fankhauser Reserve on Saturday afternoon.