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Crocodiles Advance Impressively to Grand Final
Saturday, September 3, the Preliminary Final was at hand. Copenhagen’s Coleman, Ravenarki, Properzi and Keene scurried to set up the ground - the idea being to simulate Grand Final conditions as much as possible.
Pitch marking was ordered for the centre square and goal areas, however the parks attendant didn’t show up, so in a last ditch effort to provide the necessary boundaries, Clayton’s brilliant idea to use flour sufficed.
Fifty old-fashioned Danish sausages, forty pork loins and ten cases of Danish ale and soda were bought and made ready to enjoy after the game. Thus, the Crocs were prepared to kick some Aalborg ass, and afterwards dine with them. But it was not to be ...
The Aalborg Kangaroos showed up with what was undoubtedly their strongest line-up ever: the Copenhagen Crocodiles in similar fashion for the first time this year were also in full force.
Both teams fielded 16 players to start the game which dwindled moderately to 14 by the end. It was now a question of skill, determination and desire as to who would advance to challenge the Tigers in the Grand Final.
The crowd of perhaps 50 people, disappointingly few of whom were DAFL players, were split in their support of the teams. Many were vying for the Roos as they thought a new team in the Grand Final would be "good for the game". The remainder, die-hard Croc fans, were hoping for a long awaited premiership to atone for previous disappointments.
The recent Round 14 match-up in Aalborg was no indication as to who might emerge the winner as a meagre seven points separated the two at the end. It was anybody’s game!
The game opened with a rapid attack in which Jeppe Jensen, the Crocs’ ruckman, smacked the ball to Aaron Ravenarki who slid through three pairs of hands and delivered a perfect drop-punt into the hands of Martyn Aynge who thereafter easily stabbed the first knife in Aalborg’s back. This was the pace-setting play and the speed didn’t get any slower, as play-maker, Jim Campion, chipped in with two outrageous goals.
With Brendon Casey back from a chronic shoulder injury, Scott Properzi back from his flirt with a redhead, and Mike Keene from a twisted ankle, the Crocs’ defence was well reinforced. And it showed as the Kangaroo attack was heavily hindered and frustrated after a first quarter 6.0, to 1.4, whipping by the Crocs.
Abel Kiegstad’s relentless checking skunked Craig Salamone, and Properzi’s coverage of Steve Ciach kept him to a minimal two goals, while Paul Blyth with his push-shove-threaten style made him the Kangas’ best (and fairest?) player on the day, outscoring Copenhagen’s Kym Modra, eight goals to seven. Blyth, however, was the only big scorer for the Kangas whereas the Crocs also scored six goals each through Ravenarki and John Woodward, who played an outstanding game in attack after being away for over five weeks.
Fantastic give-and-gos by Morten Gammelgaard, Keene and Rasmus Nøttrup added to the fast paced ground game in the third quarter, with the two newcomers adding a goal each on the scoreboard. Individual efforts by Mick Frencham and Jesper Gjørup paved the way for an even quarter, with each adding to the Aalborg total.
The final quarter saw both teams tire defensively under the marathon pace, while still maintaining a potent attack. However, with the Crocs leading by 42, the Roos' goose was pretty well cooked.
Unfortunately, to end the game on an even sadder note for Aalborg, Birger Andersen, while shepherding Modra’s last goal, gave a stupendous hip-and-shoulder to Gjørup, sending him to hospital for the evening with a concussion.
Despite the hard-fought competition, the Crocs emerged victorious by 47 points. For Aalborg, a disappointing end to a season which had promised much, but nevertheless a proud achievement to reach the finals in only their second season. For Copenhagen, a chance to avenge two Grand Final defeats by Amager.
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