OCLife | around the grounds with ANTHONY BARBAGALLO
BARRACKER THE
Luck, witchcraft, and sang-froid, sporting sudden-death play-offs Euphoria over Australia’s last-leg win over highly fancied Peru in its final World Cup Qualifier to see us to our fifth football (soccer) appearance in a row, was understandable. For decades, from our first appearance at the world’s premier football event in 1974 to our next in 2006, we came so agonisingly close on so many occasions, we seemed cursed. In fact, we were! Socceroo legend, Johnny Warren told an infamous story one time where, in a World Cup qualifier against a sub-Saharan Africa team, the Australians employed a local witch doctor to hex the opposition goalkeeper who had thwarted the Socceroos in the first two legs. The witch doctor proposed planting cursed bones at one end that the opposition keeper would be protecting. Sure enough, the keeper had a shocker, and Australia progressed further in the qualifying competition. The witch doctor was never paid by the Australian players, however, and reversed the curse, something which Warren later said, only half-jokingly, had led to the team for more than 30 years not again make the World Cup. Tempering excitement over our win against Peru though was the manner of our victory. The dreaded penalty shoot-out, where individual players must try and put a spot kick from the penalty mark past the keeper into the net. While this does add a sense of excitement and drama to what has often been a deathly-dull 120-minute goalless draw, as many of these matches prove to be, it is in many ways an unsatisfying way to resolve a sporting contest. But resolved, it must be. While competitive sports are one of the few areas still in our lives with clear winners and losers, what do you do when there is no clear result at the end of play? Football, the world’s premier sport and one, due to its traditions and sense of history, is loath to change what has been a winning formula, for years used to have replayed matches to find an eventual winner. They had also trialled in the 1970s, a penalty count-back system to reward teams that played the most fairly during the game and thereby utilised less cynical fouls to slow the impetus of the opposition. While the penalty shoot-out adds a spectacular sense of melodrama to the proceedings, it is quite unfair to the individual players — the goal-shooters and the goalkeepers — who are often blamed
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for their team’s elimination. Fluffing a penalty from the spot, which any reasonably professional soccer player should be able to convert, has destroyed the confidence and reputation of many great footballers over the years. Cricket is another sport prone to deathly dull draws with Test matches now restricted to five full days of play, plus an extra halfsession if a result is in the balance. Before this, a Test match in South Africa in 1939 went for a full nine-and-half-days, without a result! In one-day 50-over matches where part wash-outs of games are quite common due to afternoon and evening showers, a Duckworth-Lewis-Stern system was adopted in the 1990s to calculate batting and run “assets” to recalculate run chases for teams batting second. Rugby league, a brutal, almost gladiatorial sport, has one of the worst methods of deciding drawn matches. At the end of 80-minutes, there is a sudden-death “golden point”: two five-minute halves played until one team scores a point in any form. The same applies to World Cup rugby union, however, due to the even and odd points system in rugby, tries are worth five points, conversions two, penalties and drop-goals three, drawn matches at the highest levels are relatively rare. Football codes toyed with the idea, seemingly logical, of every five minutes of extra time, removing one player from each side from the field. The increasing tiredness of the players and the extra space would eventually lead to a goal, try, or field goal to determine the result. This was apparently rejected due to dutyof-care issues with players suffering heat stroke as they attempted to cover increasing areas of the field. Tennis sets, which are determined by the first player winning six games leading by two, used to sometimes get up to 20 or 30 games before one player was able to “break” the serve of their opponent and win, are now determined by “tie-breaks” mini-games where players swap serves until one player is up by two points after seven. Golf has probably the best system, players keep playing on a hole-by-hole basis, until one player gets in front. But probably the worst-ever tie-break system, was one used at State cricket in Australia in the 1980s, when individual players would attempt to hit the stumps at the batter's end with a legal delivery. The team that first missed the stump, lost the game.
JUNE 23 — 29, 2022
Western Premier League: Round 11 action Barnies clinch famous victory against Dubbo Bulls Barnstoneworth United stunned Dubbo Bulls with a 1-0 victory on Saturday at Apex Oval, Dubbo. It was Barnies’ third consecu�ve round playing in the Orana region, with this recent victory being the most significant in their top-four quest. A�er dropping points to Parkes last weekend, Dubbo Bulls came into this fixture slightly under pressure to maintain their top-four status in the Western Premier League standings. It was a cagey affair from the beginning, se�ng up a classic high-tempo contest. But Barnies found the opener in the first half a�er Grant Koch headed the ball into the net off a free-kick. With the Bulls intensifying their a�ack in the second 45 minutes, the resolute Barnstoneworth defenders managed to neutralise the opposi�on threat. A few vital saves from keeper Brock Logan also prevented the hosts from ge�ng on the scoresheet. This crucial win propels Barnies into fourth spot in the standings, jumping Dubbo Bulls. It will also give the red-and-whites extra mo�va�on before heading into the derby clash with Waratahs this Saturday.
Waratahs cruise past Lithgow Workies Waratahs con�nued their fine form on Saturday with a resounding 4-0 over Lithgow Workies at Marjorie Jackson Oval. With compe��on leaders Panorama FC dropping points in their 2-2 draw with Bathurst ‘75, Waratahs now sit three points behind “the Goats”. This victory against the Workies comes at a great �me as the Tahs prepare for their Round 12 derby clash with Barnies this weekend.
Orange CYMS earn two draws in their double-header weekend Orange CYMS played two games on the weekend, with a round four catch-up Sunday fixture. A�er securing their first point of the season in round 10’s stalemate with Mudgee Wolves, CYMS played with an abundance of confidence in their clash with Orana Spurs. The green-and-gold managed to keep the Spurs a�ack at bay for the en�re 90 minutes, earning them a second consecu�ve nil-all draw on Saturday evening at Victoria Park, Dubbo. CYMS grabbed another draw on Sunday, finishing 1-1 with Macquarie United in their catch-up round. This young side has conceded only one goal in their last three games, a posi�ve sign that things have improved immensely in the backline. CYMS remain in last place with three points, but they are now only one point behind Macquarie and Mudgee.
AFL Central West first-grade action Bathurst Bushrangers run riot against Orange Tigers Bathurst Bushrangers handed Orange Tigers their fi�h-straight loss in Saturday’s 157-52 thumping at George Park. The Tigers were already trialling 44-8 at the
end of the first quarter, se�ng up a long day in the defence. Although Tigers’ a�ack improved in the following quarters, their defence struggled to contain Bushrangers’ onslaught in front of the posts.
Rugby Union: Blowes Cup first-grade action Brave Orange City almost stun Forbes Platypi Orange City came close to causing an upset against the Platypi in their 30-24 loss at the Forbes Rugby Club on Saturday. Orange City’s footy has improved in nearly every department in the last several rounds. The Lions also made greater efforts in defence despite this recent loss, giving Forbes’ playmakers a hard �me. Despite this valiant effort, the orange-and-greens remain winless in eight rounds. But based on recent performances and close results, the win is undoubtedly coming for this young Orange City side.
Rugby League: Peter McDonald Premiership action Orange CYMS storm past Workies Orange CYMS returned to their winning ways a�er thumping Lithgow Workies 56-10 on Saturday at the Tony Luche� Sportsground. With captain-coach Daniel Mor�mer back in the side, it didn’t take long for the visitors to get on the scoreboard when Cooper Monk crossed over for a try in the fourth minute. The green-and-gold scored another three tries in the first half to take a 22-6 lead into the break. During the second half, CYMS showed no mercy on their opposi�on as they scored another six tries in 18 minutes. Nick Murphy scored two of these tries in the last seven minutes of the match. This empha�c victory sees CYMS keep the pressure on Group 10 leaders, Mudgee Dragons.
Orange Hawks fall short against Bathurst Panthers Bathurst Panthers walked away with two points from Orange a�er defea�ng a brave Hawks side 19-12 at Wade Park on Sunday. Despite improving on the performance from the last �me these two sides met, the Hawks s�ll fell short of producing an upset in round nine. But in this �ght arm-wrestle, the Panthers eventually found that extra quality to push them ahead by seven points and claim victory. The Hawks will need to regain their focus ahead of next round’s tricky clash with St Pat’s in Bathurst.
Central West Premier League Hockey Women’s Division: Orange United take down CYMS 4-3 in derby On Saturday a�ernoon, Orange United clinched a 4-3 win over CYMS in a thrilling local derby at the Orange Hockey Complex. It’s United’s second victory of the campaign, which sees them jump into fourth place in the standings. But despite the spirited and improved performance, CYMS s�ll sit in last place with zero points.
sporting life | OCLife
Resilient Emus overcome gritty Dubbo Roos — IMAGES BY HENRY DEROOY — Orange Emus edged out a tough 36-29 victory over Dubbo Roos on Saturday at Endeavour Oval in round eight. While the Roos were missing some key players, the visitors still fought against an Emus side who ran rampant in their previous dominant win against the Platypi before the long weekend. But the Emus attack still found a way to produce the extra quality in tight situations and run home with the crucial victory.
Tiny Tee-ball reps impress in U/10s State Championship The Orange Tee-ball U/10s representative girls and boys teams put in an impressive display at last month’s NSW State Championships in Blacktown. Despite three postponements due to COVID and wet weather, the State Tee-ball tournament finally took place (two months late) at Olympic Park. Regardless of the delay, the Colour City’s U/10s Rep teams put on fantastic performances that caused a few surprises for rival teams from across the state. About seven to eight teams competed in the U/10s girls and boys divisions. President of the Orange District Softball Association (ODSA), Geoff Kelly, said he couldn’t be prouder of the teams’ efforts throughout the
tournament. “I, and the rest of the ODSA, are proud of how both sides played. It was also great to see that they all enjoyed themselves during this experience. The players came home worn-out, proving that they couldn’t put any more effort in their games,” Geoff said. In dramatic circumstances, the girls' team finished third in the State Championship. Coached by Randi Birkin and Maddie Lisle, the girls put on an entertaining spectacle for the crowd in their two-hour marathon semi-final. Geoff explains how the girls' side went down to the wire in their 38-36 battle, as they were just two points away from securing a spot in the grand final.
“Tee-ball is normally an hourlong game, but the U/10s girls played a semi-final game that lasted two hours. Because both teams were batting well and finished 18-all after regular time, this is why the game kept going into a tie-breaker. The opposition clinched the victory in the end, but our girls' team gave it their all in this highscoring affair.” The U/10s boys representative team, coached by Steve Underwood, claimed fifth place in the tournament. They had a strong start in their group after stringing a couple of solid wins but then lost several games by slim margins that prevented them from reaching the finals play-off. “After a great start, our U/10s boys' side lost several games by fine margins during some
close encounters. But it was positive to see that they were competitive in every fixture,” said Geoff. According to Geoff, these current U/10s girls and boys Rep teams probably had one of the most successful runs to date in any state tee-ball events. “These two rep sides, produced some of their best achievements in Blacktown, especially the girls who qualified for the play-offs to gain a spot
JUNE 23 — 29, 2022
in the grand final. The boys have always been competitive at this level, so it's great to see that consistency in their performances.” Orange will also host a State Tee-Ball Championship in November which will provide the opportunity for many of these talented U/10s players, who recently shone at the tournament in Sydney, to try out for the U/12s team.
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OCLife | sporting life with ANTHONY BARBAGALLO
Orange off to good Astley Cup with win over Bathurst It’s one of Australia’s great school sports competitions, and Orange High is looking good coming out on top of Bathurst in the first round of the Astley Cup competition last week. The Astley Cup is a long-standing sporting competition between Bathurst High, Orange High, and Dubbo Senior College. Orange last week hosted Bathurst sides and supporters for the round-robin competition, but head off to Dubbo this week to take on the current Cup holders. Conceived in Dubbo in 1923, the Astley Cup incorporates the three schools competing in a series of team and individual sports and also incorporates a debating competition, the coveted Mulvey Cup. Games involve eight sports: athletics and tennis, which are mixed teams; girls netball, hockey and soccer; and boys rugby league, basketball, and soccer. In the competition’s early days, rugby union took the place of rugby league, with girls soccer having, in recent years, replaced softball. The Cup, children from many local families of which have competed in the fourth and fifth generation, also ran for years as a billeted competition with players staying overnight in the host city with a disco held between the schools. The point scoring system is also unusual. Each sport is worth 100 points and the tie-winner becomes the team with the most points. To win, a team has to win both ties. With draws, the points go to the school with the most points. The event has only been cancelled twice, once in 1940 during the height of World War II, and in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdowns. In the rugby league game last Friday at Wade Park, the stands were full of spectators from both schools cheering excitedly as the game progressed. The Orange high students sang their famous “We’re the Barmy Army” chant after each local try, while the Bathurst High students team song was a bowdlerised and highly-amusing version of Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” sung to the words of “Sweet Bathurst High”. As the game developed, it was the Orange High song that got the best workout, particularly in their dominant first half. Despite scoring in the first few minutes from an Orange High mistake, the superior size and speed of the Orange team, saw them jump to a 24-4 lead just before half-time, with Bathurst coming back to lose by only 30-20 in the final score. Orange did well in all sports without dominating in any, doing just enough to pip the Bathurst team in overall points. In overall competition, for the first round, Orange defeated Bathurst narrowly on Friday by a waferthin 407-393 margin.
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JUNE 23 — 29, 2022
A
new football club has emerged in Orange, and it isn't your typical competitive league side. “Dog FC” is a friendly and non-league football club that plays in its own “Safe Soccer” environment, serving as an alternative to the competitive and physical nature found in most local formal competitions. The founder of Dog FC is Michael Lewis, co-president of the local referee’s association and a member of the ODFA committee. Michael said this unique football project has been floating around in his head for quite some time, and it really started taking shape after last year's COVID lockdown. “I have been thinking about starting
my own initiative for a couple of years, but I wanted to start up a unique project. I owned the ‘dogfc. com’ domain and thought no one would dislike that name. So from this, I ended up creating the club logo and designing the team kits; something that is friendly and isn’t serious,” Michael said.
fun and friendly environment where there are fewer challenges. It also eliminates the emphasis on winning or being competitive, fitting in with Dog FC’s “Playing before Winning” motto.
“As I was getting older and seeing lots of my friends retire due to the fear of injury, I sort of just had this image of, well, what if we played football for fun rather than competing on a league basis? What if we all turned up, grabbed some shirts, and just played.”
But for Michael, securing a fundraising deal with “Seeing Eye Dogs” of Vision Australia is one of the most worthy achievements of the club.
This unorthodox project intends to provide senior and new adult footballers with a platform to play in a
Following its creation, Dog FC struck a sponsorship deal with local “Diesel & Blue Doggie Daycare” to maintain their club mascot theme.
“One of the things I'm most proud of, is we've got a tie-up with Seeing Eye Dogs of Vision Australia. We approached them and said we'd do some fundraising for them if they
ORANGE TIGERS TAKE ON THE DUBBO U14 JUNIORS — PHOTOS BY HENRY DEROOY — Henry DeRooy stopped by Waratah Sports Ground on Satuarday to catch some of the action in the Under 14s AFL, where Orange Tigers took on the Dubbo Junior AFL U14.
sporting life | OCLife
DOG FC putting the focus on sport, not competition By Anthony Barbagallo
could permit us to use their logo. The only other company that can use the logo is Petbarn, so we're moving in a big circle here. Whenever I referee a local match, my earnings go to this fundraiser,” Michael said.
aren’t free to play football on Saturdays. On matchdays, we like to mix things up with the teams and switch players to keep it interesting. One week you can be a dog, and the next you can be a cat,” Michael added.
The rise of Dog FC also saw the birth of “Cat FC”, an affiliated team that plays in the “Safe Soccer” competition every Friday evening. These teams together have attracted local players from the open men's and women's competitions, offering them a relaxed and friendlier version of the game.
With Dog FC still in its infantry, this project is already gaining traction in the area. But for a non-league side, this club’s eye for detail in the social media sphere and jersey design is taking Orange’s footballing community by storm.
“This new format also provides an opportunity for people who
To learn more about Dog FC and their friendly kick-about games at Jack Brabham Park, go to: www.dogfc.com.
JUNE 23 — 29, 2022
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