HIGH MARKS AND FUMBLES

By Neil Griggs

Coach Peter Morris, when the Griffith team in a slump lost consecutive games to Leeton and Narrandera told the Club committee it was just a temporary lapse of form and he predicted the team would finish in 1st or 2nd place and would, too, contest and win the Grand Final. Peter was right on the first two counts of his forecast and if he gets the hat-trick with a Grand Final win the Club may consider setting him up in business as a seer. After last Sunday's good win, Griffith are strongly fancied to win the premiership but Peter is too experienced in the vagaries of football to be over confident and you can bet no one will be trying harder than he at Narrandera to achieve a Griffith victory.

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A "High Mark" this week to Les Collis for his outstanding performance in the semi-final at Whitton last Sunday. As a rover, Les was in the play a lot and he certainly used every opportunity to the best advantage of the team. Seldom beaten around packs he also marks well and each of his four goals came just when they were needed most and there is little doubt that he was Griffith's best player.

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There were quite a few spectacular marks taken last Sunday at Whitton and up amongst the best was one taken by Mal Brauman late in the final quarter. Griffith were leading by 13 points and another goal would just about clinch victory. Mal was close in but on a sharp angle and with plenty of pressure on him he also had to contend with an opponent encroaching over his mark, another pulling his guernsey as he ran in to kick and a third swaying the goal post in an out. The kick went into the man coming over the mark but the umpire was equal to the occasion and awarded Mal an advantage penalty almost on the goal line in the centre of the posts and this time there was no mistake and the game was Griffith's.

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The game at Whitton had barely started last Sunday when, in Melbourne style a new ball was needed. This however was not a case of souveniring but of a long kick by Tom Carroll landing the ball in a well filled channel. This ball was recovered and used again for the last few minutes of the game after the one in use had been booted into the channel by Mal Brauman and which undoubtedly ended up as the proud souvenir of some venturesome youngster.

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Although Ganmain started off in the semi-final with a great burst they spoilt a lot of good effort by too muuch manhandling and Griffith players were awarded the first four frees of the game. Later it was 7-1 and the first quarter ended 14-7 in Griffith's favor. The game continued in this fashion Griffith getting 9 and 16 free kicks in the second and third qiuarters to Ganmain's 8 and 8 but the pendulum swung in the last quarter in which Ganmain received 11 to Griffith's 3, making the game totals Griffith 41, Ganmain 34. Marks were very evenly sharded Ganmain holding 56 (14, 16, 13, 13) to Griffith's 55 (12, 14, 23, 6).

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Stocks of red and white balloons, ribbons and streamers were depleted in Griffith last week with club members and supporters gaily decorating their persons and their cars in Club colours. The bright cheer squads banners and decorated cars certainly provided a colourful spectacle at Whitton but it is anticipated everything will be bigger, brighter and better on Sunday week at Narrandera when every supporter in the town will be in attendance to encourage the players as they strive to win Griffith's first premiership since 1952.

Riverina Advocate - Wednesday September 16, 1964