Graceful Swans Shot Down By Shorthanded Wildcats in Ottawa

Round four saw the Wildcats head on a road trip up the 401 to take on equal bottom placed, and OAFL first year team, the Ottawa Swans.
With Hamilton losing their first three opening games their season was really on the line. With only 15 men able to make it up for the game, and weather pushing well into the mid to high 30's it looked like being a tough Game.
For the opening first one and a half quarters the Swans played with 18 on the field, leaving the 'Cats three men down. In his first game for the year Paul Lawson (BOG) returned to the ruck position and immediately made his impact, continuing to win every ruck tap for the day against the undersized Swans. The first half of the game was hard fought, but the 'Cats failing to capatilise on a heavy breeze in the term only kicking three majors. Hamilton still went in at the first break up by a couple of kicks, with Chuck and Waughy presenting well in the forward half. With quite a few handy Aussies carving the 'Cats up through the midfield with extra numbers, Waughy was moved down into defence by Bulldog "Assistant Assistant Coach for a Quarter" Wilson to help stop the flood of play, a move that proved handy.
Again in only his third game with the Wildcats rookie Chris "Frodo" Frey played a great hard game off the back flank with a few handfuls of reboun 50's, and ended the day with the hard hat award. On the other back flank Craig "Watto" Watt applied hids usual presence knocking the Swans all over the field, with one hit that has been said to be one of the hardest ever seen in the OAFL.
The entire second half was a hard slog. With many Hamilton players begining to cramp up, Derek Rutten and Brett "Hilly" Hill continued to bust their guts in the center and fought hard through the heat. Hilly playing his best game for the year, kickinh 3.1 on the day from the center, was easily one of the best player on the field for either club; while Luke "Maino" Main presented well on the wing and also playing his best game in '08, fighting off 2 or 3 Swans players in almost every contest. Hamilton eventually ran out five goal winners, with a good six goal performance from Charles Thompson at full forward, as the visiting 'Cats picked up their first win for 2008.
This week the 'Cats look to knock off top of the ladder Eagles at Mohawk park. A tough task, but with the heart the 'Cats showed in Ottawa anything could be possible!


HAMILTON GOALS:
Thompson (6), Hill (3), Waugh (1), Lawson (1)

HAMILTON BEST:
Hill, Main, Lawson, Thompson, Frey, Wilson

BOG:
Paul Lawson

HARD HAT:
Chris "Frodo" Frey

INJURIES:
Team (cramps)

OAFL Round 4 Results

Date Game Location Duty 6-Jun Dingos 34 v Roos 86 Humber S 6:45pm Dingos & Roos 7-Jun Hawks 42 v Eagles 64 Humber N 10 am Demons & Blues Demons 25 v Blues 102 Humber N 12pm Rec footy Rec footy Humber N 2pm Hawks & Eagles Guelph 79 v Rebels 42 Guelph 2pm Guelph & Rebels  Hamilton 80 v Swans 49 Ottawa 2pm Hamilton & Swans