Jackas heartbreak in overtime thriller
THE AJAX Football Club’s under-19 side fell agonisingly close to winning the Section 3 premiership, going down to Whitefriars 14.6 (90) to 11.16 (82) in a dramatic grand final at Trevor Barker Oval on the weekend.
THE AJAX Football Club’s under-19 side fell agonisingly close to winning the Section 3 premiership, going down to Whitefriars 14.6 (90) to 11.16 (82) in a dramatic grand final at Trevor Barker Oval on the weekend.
Both sides battled out a terrific contest that saw them level at halftime and at the final whistle.
But despite the brave Jackas digging deep against a taller opposition, they were denied their first under-19 premiership since 2001.
Jake Kalmus got AJAX off to a flyer, slotting the opening goal after defender Steven Lustig laid a bonecrunching tackle at the other end.
Jordan Bade-Boon and Jayden Yarrow led a dominant midfield, but AJAX still conceded twice within minutes.
Daniel Klotnick was able to convert from his set shot to put the side two points ahead on the stroke of quarter time.
The two teams went all out in the second term, kicking 11 goals between them in a free-flowing affair. AJ Thurin, Daniel Cohen, Yarrow, Bade-Boon and Tom Rogers all traded majors with their opposition, as the sides went into the main break level.
The Jackas came out with great intensity after half-time, with Thurin again kicking off the scoring in the third quarter.
Whitefriars hit back not long after, but the midfield continued to work incredibly hard to see Ben Schwartz finish coolly from his set shot.
AJAX missed several opportunities to extend its lead, with the side holding only a five-point advantage at the last change.
Whitefriars challenged the Jackas in the final stanza, putting an early major on the board to take the lead, before Klotnick was able to take a huge grab and slot his shot to regain the upper hand.
AJAX conceded twice in quick succession to go behind again, but with less than two minutes to play, Schwartz ran onto a loose ball to tie the scores at 80-all and send the game into extra time.
The Jackas put in a gallant effort in the two extra periods, but ran out of legs and were eventually overrun.
ASH SHENKER
PHOTO: AJAX’s Jayden Yarrow dishes off the ball before he gets tackled. Photo: Peter Haskin
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