St. Joseph's v West London Wildcats Challenge Match 2014
5th April 2014

As we were given a walkover by Harlesden Harps in our Murphy Cup match, which was scheduled for Saturday, 5th April, we played the West London Wildcats in our annual challenge match instead. Many thanks to Wildcats' coaches, Dan Prigmore and Nathan Costley, for pulling together 30 players with less than 24 hours' notice, which was really impressive, and a credit to how organised the Wildcats and, indeed, the Australian rules football code, are.

For the third consecutive year, last Saturday, saw this much-anticipated annual compromised-rules match take place in Perivale Park. Two teams from entirely different codes, once again, met as strangers and left as friends. The Wildcats, the 2013 AFL London Premier Champions and the biggest and most successful Aussie Rules Football club outside Australia, made the journey from Fulham to Perivale. The order of the day comprised of four twenty-minute quarters; the first half with a round ball and the second half with an oval ball, with a few small compromises on the rules thrown in for good measure.

The 'cats started off well with the round ball, showing some very impressive skills from the off. The Joe's were on the back foot for most of the first quarter, with the 'cats dominating possession. Goalkeepers are an unknown entity in Aussie rules, but the Aussies from West London picked a good one, with an unreal save from the Joe's first real attack, to leave the scoreboard blank, mid-way through the first quarter. However, the Joe's soon got into their rhythm, and notched up a couple of impressive points off the back of hard-won possession and slick passing. The 'cats responded with two well-taken points of their own, but the quarter ended with a Joe's goal, to leave the scores 1:02 to 2 points at the mid-half interval.

After a quick turnaround, it was game on and the Joe's were beginning to stamp their authority. As in previous years, the 'cats were feeling the pace of the game. With no 'mark' to call, there were few stoppages, so the pace was telling on the 'cats. The Joe's notched up 6 goals and 7 points in a very one-sided quarter. The 'cats did reduce the deficit with a well-taken goal and a few points of their own, to leave the score 7:08 to 1:04 at the end of the Gaelic half.

Half-time saw Wildcats' coach, Nathan Costley, deliver a few of the basic rules of Aussie rules to the Joe's, before they came back onto the pitch to deal with the oval ball. In previous years, this quarter was usually where we saw the Aussies stamp their authority. This was not to be the case this time round. The Joes's started off the brighter side, with possession from the start. A beautiful pass to Kyle Mongan saw the young Galway lad slot in a super goal from 35 metres out to put the Joe's one up inside 2 minutes. That was the border of the 3rd quarter, with the Joe's dominating the loose ball from the ruck, impressively finding their men and calling their mark. The 'cats were struggling to respond, but soon got in and around the ball and began establishing themselves, scoring 3 without reply. That left the scores at 3 to 2 with 10 to go in the quarter. The Joe's had the best of the last 10 minutes, with an unanswerable purple patch, notching up two great goals, to leave them one up with only a quarter to play.

The final quarter was pretty much honours even. There was nothing between the two teams, with both battling hard to retain the ball. There were a number of great marks called from both teams, lovely hand passing moves out of trouble and crunching tackles. The quarter finished level at 3 goals apiece, leaving the Joe's the victors at 7 goals to 6.

Both teams did themselves proud in the respective codes and, ultimately, this was a well-contested, competitive affair with hard, but fair, hits and good spirits. The good spirits spilled over to Flynn's Bar & Diner, West Ealing, where the Aussies showed the Irish who the masters of the 'Foster's boat race' are!

Well done to all involved. Special mention must go to the new players who togged out for both teams; the future looks bright. Many thanks to Shane McCauley, Dan Prigmore and Nathan Costley for organising the match, the three referees, and to Una and the staff at Flynn's Bar & Diner, West Ealing, for their hospitality and buffet after the game.

'Mon the Joes, 'mon the 'cats!! Tweet

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