It was an afternoon of football Princes Park arguably hasn’t seen since the good old days.
A good old-fashioned slog in the mud, with water levels almost matching nearby Lake Victoria, and at the end of it all, it was Carisbrook who relished it the most, taking a 26-point victory over Maldon.
It was a wild start to the afternoon’s play, with the game getting underway as scheduled, and Dean Chester was able to waltz into an open goal in the opening minute to give the Redbacks the dream start.
However, both teams were marched back into the dressing room just a minute later as the ferocious storm that dominated Sunday hit the area.
An hour’s wait followed, and upon resumption, it was a surprisingly high-scoring game for a game in such conditions.
Goals were clearly going to come at a premium, and it was Cody Gunn who slotted through the opener for Maldon upon resumption.
Opportunities would also come from mistakes — with Ricky Pearson doing exactly that, tackling a Maldon opponent who slipped, won a free kick, and converted a brilliant set shot goal from a tight angle.
Maldon were still very much in the game, and Matthew Gray struck back to allow the Dons back in front.
But Carisbrook would ensure they would end the first term in front.
First, it was Thomas Gardam who interrupted a Maldon switch, snapping through the Redbacks’ third, before Matt Bilton put through another one to ensure the Redbacks led by 11 points at the first change.
Bilton was in the thick of everything, and in the second quarter, he opened up with a classic poacher’s goal from close range.
Maldon would do well to close the gap as the quarter drew on, however, and goals to Tanner Bishop and Gunn helped the Dons keep in touch at the main break, trailing by eight points.
The third quarter was a slog as both teams started to tire, but it was the Redbacks who had more in reserve.
Bilton’s third goal of his game-breaking afternoon ensured the Redbacks would have control, even if the finishing blow wasn’t quite landed yet, with the Redbacks leading by 17 points at the last change.
Carisbrook would soon get their chance to finish off the game, and it was Pearson, followed by Todd Bryant, who did the job.
A late goal to Brodie Leonard-Shannon would give Maldon their only goal of the second half, but it was Carisbrook’s day as they move on to a battle with Harcourt next week.
Bilton was comfortably best on ground, while Dillan Treacy was also in the thick of things around the contest. The big man battle was won by Brady Neill and Jackson Bowen, while Bryant and Gardam were also good performers.
For Maldon, who now go into 2025 mode, Patrick Long, Adam Robinson, Billy Miller, Gray, Alex Farrow and Bradley Evans were all named in the best.
It might not have been the most glamorous game as a result of the conditions, but that didn’t faze Carisbrook coach Luke Treacy, who was thrilled with their performance.
“We took a bit too long to adjust to the conditions, and we were a bit sloppy on occasion around the ball and the stoppages. Once we tidied up a couple of areas, we had a really good second half,” he said.
While Carisbrook were able to kick four goals in the opening term, Luke believed they had to work hard to get the game on their terms.
“Maldon were really good in the first half, they were the better team in patches for sure, so credit to them. It’s been a year where we haven’t had a lot of continuity and player injuries, so it was good to get some time together and see improved effort,” he said.
“They were better at the contest and winning the contested ball and ground ball game in the first half. But we were able to identify that at half time, make some adjustments and some positional changes.
The thought of another matchup with the Lions excites Luke.
“They are a champion. It’s a term that’s often used loosely, but they are back-to-back premiers for a reason,” he said.
“We’re meeting at a different point of the finals this time around, but we have a huge amount of respect, and beware of the wounded dog so to speak, so we have to front up and come to play, apply a bit of pressure and hang in there.”