2004 Season - Cougars v Fraser Valley Eagles June

Eagles get plucked by Cougars

It was yet another beautiful sunny day in Vancouver as round 3 of the Vancouver Cougars vrs. Fraser Valley Eagles game kicked off. This was a game the Cougars had to win to keep the series alive. A loss would have seen the Cougars with no chance of winning the best of 5 series. Going into the game RookieCoach Freeman felt quietly confident that this time would be the Cougars time.

Eagles coach Handyman Hilton went into the game a little concerned with his number one goalsneak incarcerated in a Sydney cell and unable to attend the match.

As the game began, within the first 5 minutes, the Cougars had put on the first two goals of the game, and were looking slick. The Eagles were delt a blow when Locks Paquin had to leave the game after sustaining a dislocated finger. However despite this, the tide quickly turned, and for the rest of the quarter things went the Eagles way. Whilst not dominating the centrebounces, the Eagles centreline players were providing great movement into their forward line and proceeded to slot home the next 4 goals. Becks, Hilton and Taylor were gathering touches all around the ground, whilst Randy was proving a strong marking target up forward. Campo was actually sighted, and managed to post a couple of early majors which were quickly recorded on the scorer’s sheet so as to not be missed later on.

Q1 – Cougars 2.2.14 to Eagles 4.5.29.

As the temperature rose, so did the intensity of the Cougars who were desperate to get back into the game. The combination of the Happy, Craigo the Glamour and Punter Mitchell started to dominate the centre bounces. Delving deep into their matchbook of set ruck formations they were playing havoc with the minds of the Eagles centreman who were constantly bamboozled and had to watch the ball being sent time and time again into the Cougars forwardline. There the Pretty Boy’s locks were soon flowing in the wind as he started to shake the close checking of new boy Matty. He rose to take a number of telling grabs and slotted home a couple of goals. The Glamour Boy drifted down during the quarter for a magnificent snap from the boundary that will surely make the end of season highlight reels and would have made Goalsneak Stratford pround. The tally from both players however, could have been signifcantly higher if not for a few telling misses. Angry was solid in his position as the loose backman for the Cougars and constantly tagged onto any Eagle that snuck down into their forwardline. For the Eagles, Coops was playing a similar role to the same effect and repelled a number of Cougar drives. Mike was constantly putting his body in front at full forward for the Cougars and was rewarded with a nice goal out in front.

For the Eagles, Pete Taylor was trying hard to maintain a pressence around the ground, as to were Becks and the Handyman. Although the later was shaken a bit off his game after a questionable late hit from Ash “Crash and Bash” Bushell who was once again solid for the Cougars in defence. Johnny Klump as always was a war horse in the backline and was making life difficult for Campo and Randy Dick. New boys Stewy and Matty were getting amonst it for the Eagles and Randy was still taking some solid grabs up forward. However, by half time, it was the Cougars who were on top.

Q2. Cougars 7.6.48 to Eagles 5.5.35

Despite a couple of early goals to Becks and the Handyman for the Eagles to make the game close, the Cougars could smell a weakness as the Eagles were showing signs of fatigue. Craigo and Punter Mitchell were coming into their elements and started to dominate through the centre. As the Cougars piled on the goals, the Eagles began to self destruct to the point of taking their frustrations out on each other. The Cougars were bouyant, and a pair of goals from the “Calendar Boys – Glamour and Pretty”, Punter Mitchell and Craigo began to put the nail in the coffin. Happy Freeman was racking up the possessions as well and during one passage of play he took the ball from the backline, had about 5 bounces, lined up from about 20 out on a slight angle……and proceeded to barely sneak the ball in for a point. An incident that really had no bearing on the game, it just had to be mentioned again.

Q3. Cougars 11.10.76 to Eagles 8.8.56

After some soul searching at three quarter time, the Eagles managed to pull themselves together and go out once more as a team. However, within a few minutes the game was all but over. Pretty Boy slotted a great running goal (his first from about 5 attempts for the day) and proceeded to put on one of the biggest displays of “show-pony-manship” by proceeding to do “the chainsaw”. A celebratory move that we surely haven’t seen the last of this season. Mike slotted his second after a great grab and the Cougars were home. To their credit, the Eagles refused to give up, with all 9 players still going hard to the end. With only minutes left in the game, and the game beyond doubt, new boy Stewy decided to do what he could to make a name for himself by delivering a dubious and questionable blow on the Glamour Boy’s snoz that got the blood flowing. Despite concerns of a potentail future modelling deal may have been blown, thankfully the only real damage was when Happy stepped up to take the free kick, only to slot through his 5th point for the day. He was later heard to comment, that his main contribution for the day was not his goal kicking, but all of his assists (a number that varied between 5-14 as the night wore on).

In the end, the Cougars ran out comfortable winners, and broke the 100 point barrier for the first time in these games.

Q4. Cougars 15.13.103 to Eagles 10.11.71

Major Goal kickers
Eagles - Becks 3,Campo 2,Handyman 2, Matt 1
Cougars – The Calendar Boys – 8, Mike 2,Craigo 2, Punter 2, Happy 1 (and around 14 assists).