Two on the trot! Pirates’ storm home in wet weather classic, defeating Ormond at home and keeping Premier C hopes alive.

Andrew Hochegger got us on the board at the 15 minute mark, but the defensive unit were forced to work tirelessly under intense pressure for the rest of the term, leaving us lucky to see out the opening term trailing by just 15 points.

The Pirates responded emphatically in the second term, adapting to the heavy conditions as the ball movement sharpened. Benji Pulsford and Disco found plenty of the footy, while Kurt Thiele and Nelson Forrest were clean at the contests and repeat drivers of the ball inside 50. Pirates 4 to the visitors 2 locked the scores at 39-39 heading into the main break.

The neck-and-neck battle drew more intense in the third as the heavens began to open, turning what was already a heavy slog to a thick mud pit. As the rain grew heavier, the Pirates’ found another gear, visibly lifting when the milestone man himself snuck up forward and found the big sticks, slotting his second crucial major of the afternoon.
It was then the skipper's turn to stand tall. A huge roost from Nelson Forrest found the hands of George Fletcher, clunking a massive grab with just seconds remaining on the clock. He kicked truly from 35 meters out, sending the packed balcony into raptures and the margin out to a more comfortable 8 points.

The final quarter had the game resting on a knife-edge. Bails injected himself up forward immediately with a major, but Ormond returned fire. Soon after Matty Stone was able to find space and deliver on a platter, to the chest of Bails who booted his 4th, putting Ormond severely on the back foot.

The boys continued to dig deep with two consecutive majors, a huge bomb from Luka Tonner on return icing the game. The hard-fought victory sends a definitive message to the rest of the competition that the Pirates are still well and truly here.

Individual brilliance from Nelson Forrest (28 Disp, 152 RP) Disco (43 Disp, 22 Contested), Bails (5 goals), Ned Evans-Brumby (8 tackles), played huge roles in the crucial win.