Saturday afternoon in Victoria Park saw a perfect spectacle of what the game of Australian Rules Football has to offer. The Glasgow Sharks and the Glasgow Redbacks met for the second time this season in the Scottish Australian Rules Football League (SARFL) and the game ended in a fitting 9.7 (61) to 8.13 (61) draw, a rarity in the game.

The Redbacks entered the game sitting joint second on the ladder, while the more experienced Sharks were struggling with form and only one win so far to be propping up the ladder. As expected, the Redbacks started brightly, with strong running from midfielder Anthony Mercuri producing 2 goals. The Sharks replied eventually through Andy Butler, but didn't have enough to stop the Redbacks leading at quarter time by 1 goal.

The Redbacks exploded in the second quarter as well, moving the ball better than the Sharks, but being forced to shoot from distance due to the tight marking of Sharks full backs Paul Guckian and Luke Russell. Shark Ross Thomson did his best to raise his midfield with some surging runs, but the Sharks were unable to take the lead. Butler and Patrick Levi goaled for the Sharks, but Mercuri and Nick Flecknoe goals helped the Redbacks hang on. But bad luck hit the Sharks when key forward Patrick Levi, who had goaled with a spectacular mark earlier in the quarter, went down injured with a recurrence of a calf strain. He would miss the rest of the game.

Stung by a heated halftime team talk from captain Luke Maguire, the Sharks totally dominated the third quarter. 5 goals from Butler, Thomson, Steve Connor (2) and Maguire shook the Redbacks. The Sharks defence played solid, tough football and the midfield moved the ball around with some ease. To boost them even further, Connor was again in sparkling form in from of the posts. For the Redbacks, Mercuri and captain Andrew Dubojski ran tirelessly from defence to forward line, but the Men In Black wasted a number of easy chances to break back. An off day from gun Redback full forward Simon Richter saw him notch up only 2 behind in this quarter, his only scores of the game, letting down the superb movement he was offering to the midfield kickers. But the Sharks pressed home with superb movement of the ball and walked into a 3 quarter time lead.

Entering the final quarter the Sharks held a narrow 8 point advantage. However, the Redbacks started positively and picked up 2 goals through Mercuri and ruckman Dougie Hunter, who goaled from distance following a break from midfield. The Sharks bit back though and a goal from Brett Jarrett gave them a 1 point lead with moments to spare. High drama was to unfold however. With seconds remaining and the Sharks clinging to their one point lead, they kicked the ball out of play from their defence on the Redbacks left flank. As it went out the final siren sounded, but under the rules the Redbacks were entitled to take their kick-in. Facing a near 50 metre line to goal, Redback Mercuri lined up his shot and launched a torpedo punt towards the goal. His shot missed to the left, but went through for a behind (1 point) to tie the game with its last kick. It was a fitting end to an incredibly even game that see-sawed throughout the day.

The Glasgow Redbacks pulled off an against the odds win on Saturday against the table-topping Edinburgh Old Town Bloods in the Scottish Australian Rules Football League. The win leaves the Redbacks one win away from the top of the ladder going into the Glasgow derby against the Glasgow Sharks on 24th June.

The Redbacks led from the start, when captain Andrew Dubojski scored a remarkable goal from a tight angle 20 metres from goal. The lead was extended by Scottish internationalist Ross Thomson, who made a darting run from the centre after collecting the ball from a clearance by Redbacks defender Matt Denne. Edinburgh fought back with two quick goals, but a goal from distance by Eddie McAvinchey extended the lead and the Redbacks took a narrow 3.4 (22) to 3.3 (21) advantage at quarter time.

The Redbacks totally dominated in the second quarter and new Redbacks Andrew Flecknoe started off the scoring with a well-taken goal. Further goals from forwards Dougie Hunter and Simon Richter only served to strengthen the Redback's dominance, especially in midfield where Dubojski and Thomson were in inspired form. At half-time the scores stood at 6.7 (43) to 3.6 (24) to the Redbacks).

The Bloods took the initiative in a third quarter as the Redbacks started to suffer in the searing conditions at the height of the afternoon heatwave. However, sensible use of interchanges in the ruck position between Cam Cossart and Mark Howell helped the Redbacks keep some momentum. The Bloods notched up 3 fortuitous goals for the quarter, with the Redbacks only able to produce one major score, otherwise registering three behinds (worth 1 point). By the three quarter time the scoreboard read 7.11 (53) to 6.6 (42) to the Redbacks.

Redbacks captain Dubojski had a tough task to raise the heads of his team for the final quarter, faced team that were clearly finding the 30 degree temperatures difficult to handle in such a quick match. However the side responded in the best possible way and stormed through the final quarter with quick unanswered goals from Richter, Hunter and Dubojski, while at the other end Snedden, Trethewey and Flecknoe kept the Bloods scoreless. Final scores were 10.17 (77) to 6.8 (44) to the Redbacks.

Both the Edinburgh Bodysnatchers and Middlesborough came away with win against Glasgow opposition this weekend in Scotland’s first Aussie Rules double-header.

The Glasgow Redbacks were up first at Victoria Park against a shotgun Edinburgh Bodysnatchers side.  Edinburgh took an early 2 goal lead, making the most of their extra pace out of the midfield, especially with Irishman Noel Flynn in hot form.  But Redbacks captain Andrew Dubojski was in commanding form for the Glasgow side and his solid distribution of the ball to the forward line brought 2 Redbacks goal.  Edinburgh pulled one back however and took a narrow 3.1 (19) to 2.4 (17) lead at quarter time.  The second quarter was all Edinburgh however, and they exploited each one of Glasgow’s failed efforts in front of goal on the rebound, producing effective, fluid football that Glasgow could not match Jarrod Mizzi’s introduction helping them on their way.  At half time the scores stood at 6.3 (39) to 2.7 (19).  The third quarter started well for the Redbacks, and forward Dougie Hunter got onto the end of a great forward pass from Troy Lorimer to sneak a goal.  However, Edinburgh responded with 3 unanswered goals to further extend their lead.  Disappointingly for the Redbacks, who had completely dominated the previous week against Middlesbrough, they could not establish themselves on the game and the final quarter produced more of the same.  A further 3 Edinburgh goals ended the game as a contest and the match finished 12.8 (80) to 3.9 (27).

However the final quarter saw the Sharks resistance finally broken when the Hawks goaled early on, and key Shark Andy Butler then left the field with a hamstring injury.  The midfield now opened up for the fledgling Middlesbrough side who took their opportunities and ultimately recorded an amazing shock win over the Sharks.  Final scores were 9.10 (64) to 14.10 (94).

But the Sharks start was less than confidence inspiring when star forward Patrick Levi went down with a calf injury in the first two minutes, in the first meaninful attack of the game. However, an early goal from Callum McKichan settled the nerves for the Sharks, and a second from Andy Butler gave them a twelve point lead in the first five minutes. However, the Redbacks fought back with a fantastic goal from the midfield by captain Andrew Dubojski. That gave the Redbacks confidence, and a further six-pointer from forward Simon Richter boosted them even further. However, the Sharks bit back and by quarter time held a 4.2 (26) to 2.1 (13) lead.

The Redbacks controlled the second quater however, and a further two Dubojski goals and a long range effort from forty metres by Eddie McAvinchey was evidence of the Redbacks ability to move the ball well into space and create opportunities. However, the Sharks held on and by half-time the scores stood at Sharks 6.3 (39) to Redbacks 5.3 (33).

The Redbacks again dominated the third quarter, this time Matt Denne and Colin Alexander producing six-point efforts, with the Sharks only able to answer with a single goal from Callum McKichan. But for some poor finishing in front of goal (four behinds, each worth one point and of little value in scoring terms, were registered) the Redbacks would have gone into the final quater with a greater cushion than the 7.7 (49) to 7.6 (48) scoreline afforded them. But the newcomers had done well to establish themselves against the more experienced Sharks side.

The final quarter was a nail-biting 15 minutes of frantic football by both sides. The teams traded goals throughout the half, and with 3 minutes remaining the Redbacks had managed to hold onto their one point lead. However, the ball broke to Sharks player Steve Connor from a throw-in near the Redbacks goal and a snap shot from 15 metres saw the ball sail between the posts for another goal, giving the Sharks a seven point advantage with no more than two minutes to play. The Redbacks attempted to push the ball forward but only conceded possession to Sharks captain Luke Maguire in the midfield. He kicked long to the unmarked Connor, who calmly slotted his free kick in for another goal and his fourth of the game. That proved to be the final action of the game and the Sharks recorded a thrilling 11.7 (73) to 9.8 (62) win to get their season off to the best possible start.

In other SARFL action, defending champions the Edinburgh Bloods defeated the Edinburgh University Bodysnatchers 10.6 (66) to 8.6 (54).

This weekend the Sharks travel to Edinbrugh to meet the Bodysnatchers, while the Redbacks face a testing trip to take on the Middlesborough Hawks.

Teams: Sharks - Maguire, Butler, Tonner, Guckian, Levi, McKichan, Macfarlane, Connor, Russell;
Redbacks - Dubojski, McAvinchey, Hunter, Alexander, Green, Denne, Austria, Snedden, Richter.