On the back of great home victories vs Hong Kong and Singapore and a spluttering few attempts to get the 2023 SAFL underway Saturday 13th of May saw the league take flight in earnest. New teams were formed, new rivalries created in insane heat. The match served as a perfect tune up to our biggest test for the year coming on the 20th of May in Hanoi vs the powerful Indonesian Volcanoes heading for the capital with a stacked touring squad.
Q1 – Bears/Crocs 3.1-19 leading Vipers/Tigers 1.0-6
Midday in Saigon amidst Vietnam’s worst heatwave on record may not have been the best time to kick off a 4 quarter game of footy but when you’ve got RMIT’s lush deck you take it. The open spaces enabled a fast end to end game with both teams getting plenty of looks. Pretty quickly it became clear that Crocs skipper Rusty’s whole knee injury had been an elaborate hoax to get his team a leg up in this year’s SAFL with his knee brace distracting opponents while he provided a threat in the air, on the ground and had a hand in 3 quick goals to open his teams season.
Q2 – Bears/Crocs 4.1-25 leading Vipers/Tigers 2.4-16
The Vipers and Crocs hit back in the 2nd stopping the Bears/Crocs ball movement and managing to keep them scoreless. Some wasteful attacking play was all that stopped them from getting right back into the game. Tigers skipper Ryano lifted all over the field and found himself in plenty of great scoring positions but couldn’t convert leaving his team well and truly in the contest but trailing at the half.
Q3 – Bears/Crocs 8.2-50 leading Vipers/Tigers 4.5-29
A 4 goal quarter put the Bears and Crocs put the game almost out of reach of the Vipers and Tigers heading into the last. Bears got the mid field ascendency with Cam Pirret charging hard and ring-in Carl, fresh from some footy in Melbourne on his way to travel the world had too much quality and fitness around the ball. Little Vinh almost single handedly kept the Tigers/Vipers in the game taking on multiple players over and over again winning a
The Vipers and Tigers were punished late in the quarter for skill lapses with 3 minor mistakes costing them with the ball going straight to the other end. These types of mistakes are why we play these games giving players things to learn from and train on ahead of upcoming major games.
Final Scores – Bears/Crocs 8.4-50 defeated Vipers/Tigers 4.5-29
Despite late and spirited fight from the Vipers and Tigers the Bears are back on top of the SAFL ladder side by side with the Crocs with both looking hard to beat going forward. Look for the remaining SAFL Rounds to be scheduled shortly and let’s keep the momentum going throughout the season!
Goalkickers
Rusty was held quieter in the 2nd half but took the early lead alongside Flapper who in his 65th year of competitive footy is showing no signs of slowing down.
MVP Votes
