St Patrick’s 2.1 4.2 6.6 8.10 (58)
St Joseph’s 1.7 5.13 6.17 7.17 (59)
A single point was all that separated St Joseph’s College and St Patrick’s College at the MCG on Saturday, as the boys from Geelong bought St Pat’s reign as Herald Sun Shield champions to an end.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Playing for an unprecedented seventh straight title, St Pat’s jumped out of the blocks with Jacob Brown snapping truly from the right pocket to register the first major of the afternoon.
However from there the class and athleticism of the Joey’s side came to the fore, with the challengers running in numbers and proving effective off the fast break. Some poor kicking in front of goal allowed St Pat’s to stay in touch as the two sides went into the first break tied.
From there Joey’s started to put their foot on the pedal, and the lethargic-looking St Pat’s side struggled to keep up as the boys from Geelong dominated the clearances. Joey’s gun Jack Blood was instrumental for the Geelong side as they began to kick away from the reigning champions to take a healthy 17 point lead into the main break.
When Joey’s captain Darby Schilder slotted a clinical goal at the start of the third on the back of some excellent inside work it looked as though the underdogs would run away to a thumping triumph.
However through sheer grit and determination St Pat’s refused to concede defeat, heaping on the pressure in the midfield and causing turnovers before hitting up tall targets Aiden Domic and Jordan Johnston to get within two goals of the lead at the final change.
With the wind in their sails, St Pat’s looked as though they would have the legs to run over Joey’s in the final 20 minutes. Izaac Johnson put it through the big sticks in the opening three minutes to get St Pat’s within a kick of the lead, and while Joey’s were quick to reply, the boys from Ballarat continued to come.
St Pat’s looked determined to again hold the trophy aloft in the final 10 minutes, with Johnston snagging another major to again trim the lead to less-than a goal. While St Pat’s had all of the play in the dying stages, a final goal seemed allusive as a number of set shots went begging.
The loss brings to an end St Pat’s’ reign as the state’s most dominant football school, an era which has seen the school dominate the premier schoolboy’s competition on top of the Ballarat Associated Schools fixtures.
The win means St Joseph’s has now claimed the prestigious title twice, after first taking out the shield in 2006.