MD1 PENNO Vs Camden

MD1 -R3 18 Apr 2026 Sat - 14:20 pm - Fairfax Reserve
G B Score PENNO 11 6 72 Camden 12 9 81					G B QT ST 2 1 13 13 4 2 26 26					G B QT ST 1 2 8 21 3 6 24 50					G B QT ST 5 2 32 53 4 0 24 74					G B QT ST 3 1 19 72 1 1 7 81
Best Players Zac Morris Matthew Carey Benjamin Lamb Harvey Barrett Damian Ballard Jy Windle
Goal Scorers Lachlan Boyd - 3 Zac Morris - 2 Harvey Barrett - 1 Matthew Carey - 1 Jack Kinnane - 1 Benjamin Lamb - 1 Kalan Murray - 1 Jy Windle - 1

From a coaching point of view, this match was a clear reflection of where we are building towards — and what still needs tightening up.

We were slow out of the blocks, and in the first half we didn’t help ourselves. At ground level we were hesitant to put our head over the ball and the ball seemed like a cake of soap, we lacked composure at our feet, and our turnovers coming out of contest and half forward hurt us badly. Camden capitalised on those mistakes and were able to control territory and tempo early, which saw us head into the main break well behind on the scoreboard.

At the level, those basics matter — and for the first two quarters we simply didn’t execute them consistently enough.
However, what was most pleasing was the response.

At half time the hard questions were asked by the coaches around intent, accountability, and belief in our process. The second half was a strong answer to those questions. Our pressure lifted noticeably, our contest work became far more reliable, and we began to value the ball when it mattered most. That allowed us to get the game back on our terms and turn momentum significantly.

The third quarter was particularly encouraging, as we played with purpose, won territory, and put Camden under genuine stress. We backed that up in the final quarter, continuing to chip away and closing the margin back to single digits. While we couldn’t quite complete the comeback, the fight, belief and connection shown after halftime were exactly what this group needs to take confidence from.

The final quarter’s centre structure and discipline returned. It’s the little things that count in there and our on ball crew knuckled down and switched to single cogs in a bigger gear box. Even the little things count in here and when the boys 1%ters engaged the machine ran at 100%.

Importantly, this match showed our progress year on year. Last season, Pennant Hills didn’t have the quality or consistency to genuinely run with a side that went on to be 2025 Grand Finalists. This time around, we were far more competitive, matched them for long periods, and showed that we belong at this level when we commit to our process.

Individually, there were strong contributions across the group. Zac Morris (who received the cash for BOG) led from the front with his competitiveness and work rate. Matt Carey (Coaches $50 recipient) provided calm leadership and composure when the game was there to be wrestled back. Ben Lamb (Flex Logistics player) was instrumental in the second half surge, while Harvey Barrett continues to develop and give us consistent effort around the ground. Damian Ballard was disciplined and dependable in his role, and Jy Windle brought energy and fight that lifted those around him.

There are lots of positives to take out of this match. We proved that we are better than where we were, that we can challenge high quality opposition, and that when we trust the process and execute our fundamentals, we can put ourselves in positions to win.

The challenge now is to start games the way we finish them. If we do that, and if we stick to the process we are building, the results will come — including against teams like Camden.