At Home With the Makos

A home fixture in AFL Masters is a gruelling task. It takes the combined efforts of players and their partners to ensure that the day runs smoothly. On Sunday the 21st of May, the Mandurah Makos played host to 15 teams from across the metropolitan area. A total of 18 games were played on three ovals and the club worked tirelessly to ensure that all visiting players and supporters felt welcome and had access to food and drinks.

Fortunately, the weather was much better than early predictions. Rain had made the ground heavy underfoot and game balls soon became waterlogged but players managed to get through the day without getting soaked. Light showers came and went but the sun broke through the clouds regularly enough to provide some relief.

For the Makos players themselves, the Seniors took the field first against the highly skilled Eastern Hills Cats. Taking advantage of their early ruck dominance, the Mako midfield pumped the ball into their forward line where their fleet of small forwards kept the scoreboard ticking over. As the game wore on, the Cats worked their way into the contest. The veteran backline had their hands full, especially in the last quarter, as the opposition came home with a head full of steam.

For the Masters, also against the Cats, the game was almost the complete opposite to the one previous. Here the Mandurah players started sloppy but finished strong. After wasting the ball initially, the Makos lowered their eyes and started looking for lateral options. Brad Smith looked good off the back flank, drifting forward at one point to kick a goal, while Steve Thomson was dominant up front with three majors.

The Supers ran out last and their game against the Western Whalers was spiteful at best. The two teams pride themselves on their competitive nature and their attack on the ball which threatened to spill over on occasion. Fortunately, the players managed to keep level heads and let their football do the talking. The Makos were slick and speedy when given time and space but were too often hurt on the rebound. The Whalers ran in waves all day and seemed to have more numbers at the contest.

Footy was the winner at the end of the day, however, with players from all teams leaving with smiles on their faces.