Round 7 Wrap-Ups

DIVISION ONE with JASON BARBIN

Indigenous Round saw plenty of action as one team had their first loss of the season while others made their claim for finals action.

East Brighton got their season back on track with a resounding win against East Malvern at Dunlop Reserve. The Vampire midfield clicked into gear as they started to look like the team that won the flag in 2012. Dean Francis kicked 2 goals in his return game while Toby Mahoney kicked 4 in a best on ground effort. Mitch Ferguson was among the best for East Malvern.

Cheltenham continued in their quest to make finals with a big win over Highett at Jack Barker Oval. The Rosellas were in control from start to finish as the team put in a big effort all over the ground. Chris Graham again dominated up forward with 9 goals while Jack Worrell was displaying his class in the midfield. For the Doggies Beau Jedd was their best.

Clayton solidified their spot in the top 4 with a comfortable win against the ever improving Heatherton outfit. A 33 point half time lead for Clayton was enough to hold onto the win even though Heatherton won the second half. Tim Edwards continued to impress up forward with 3 goals while Michael Collins was Heatherton’s best with 2 goals.

Old rivals St Kilda City and Chelsea Heights locked heads once again at the Peanut Farm in an important game for both sides. It would be Chelsea Heights to continue their good form with an 18 point win. The Saints were looking to fight their way back into the top 5 and while this loss is a step back for them, finals footy is still an achievable goal. Steve Arvanitis was dominant for the Saints with 2 goals and plenty of hit outs while Chris Mouritz had his best game of the year for the Heighters.

The match of the round featured the two remaining unbeaten sides as Dingley took on St Pauls. A tight contest all day saw St Pauls come away with a 12 point win and continue their unbeaten start to the season. Their midfield was just a little too strong for Dingley but the Dingoes can hold their heads high as they never gave up as they kicked 6 goals to 4 in the second half. Without Luke James at full forward, Callum Cathcart stepped in nicely bagging 5 goals while Jackson Peet had 3 for the Dingoes.

 

DIVISION TWO with THE FOOTY TRAGIC

Well my expert status was restored (for one week) - one winner this week! The teams in the Top 5 swapped positions but now have a 2 game break on the teams outside the five. Not impossible but the teams outside of the Top 5 will need to start performing better if they wish to play finals.

The first game saw South Yarra take on Springvale Districts an Fritz Holzer Park.  The Lions finally kicked a decent score, 15 goals 6; unfortunately, Springvale amassed 33 goals 16 behinds to give South Yarra an old fashioned hiding! At least I picked that correctly.

Caulfield played host to Moorabbin, both teams struggling for consistency.  Moorabbin handled Caulfield last year in Division 3 without too much trouble, and that form carried through to Division 2 in 2013. Caulfield are a better team than last year, and I’m not sure if Moorabbin have improved as much, but Moorabbin certainly still had all the answers to everything Caulfield could conjure up. I didn’t tip this!

Hampton inflicted another loss on Oakleigh District, who seem to have a problem on the smaller grounds. Oakleigh led at the first change, but from there on Hampton went from strength to strength to inflict an embarrassing 9 goal hiding to the District, creating question marks on their finals aspirations.  The only good news for Oakleigh is there is plenty of time between now and the finals. Hampton continues to frustrate their supporters with Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde type performances. Their best is finals worthy, their worst isn’t!  Another mistake in my tipping here!

Mordialloc also made me look foolish with my tipping. Bentleigh certainly didn’t turn up to play here and Mordialloc took full advantage. Bentleigh will be hoping it is just a hiccup, while Mordialloc is well and truly back on track in their plans to return to DIvision 1. The only good thing in my tipping was when I said Mordi were more than capable of matching it with Bentleigh, but I tipped Bentleigh anyway! Mordialloc takes top spot on the Ladder.

The last game saw the Murrumbeena Lions take the trip to Skye and performed much better than I ever thought. I didn’t rate the Beena at all last week, thinking that Skye would be all over them like a rash. Obviously they had something to prove, whilst Skye may have counted their chickens before they hatched. Even though they only won by 11 points, Murrumbeena can hold their heads high and their finals dream is still well and truly alive.

 

DIVISION THREE with 'GOOD' WILL HUNTER

Round 7 was Indigenous Round in the SFL, a celebration of Indigenous culture and a chance to acknowledge the contribution of aboriginal footballers in the game.

And it was a big moment for Endeavour Hills, with Robert Cooper featuring in the cover story of the Southern Footy Record. But unfortunately for Cooper and his side that was as far as the celebrations went. The Falcons confronted the might of Mount Waverley at Mayfield Reserve and suffered a 105-point loss.

The Mountain Lions were clinical from start to finish and after booting 13 goals in the first half, the game was just about done and dusted by the main interval. Michael Dennis and Josh Barnetby were pivotal in helping the home side continue their unbeaten start to the season.

Doveton also remain undefeated after eclipsing Ashwood by 62 points at Essex Heights Reserve. The Magpies had just two fewer scoring shots than the Eagles, but wasted opportunities in front of goal early with eight consecutive behinds in the first term. Doveton had no such worries and always looked in control of the match. Corrie Wilson proved the difference with a five-goal best afield display.

Sandown’s up and down season continued with a loss to Dandenong at Edinburg Reserve. Inaccurate kicking by the Redlegs gifted Sandown a narrow lead at half time, but the Cobras couldn’t make the visitors pay. With Warren Kairns leading the charge, Dandenong stormed home to win by 23 points and secure outright third on the ladder.

Carrum Patterson Lakes led from start to finish to record a 77-point win over Black Rock at Roy Dore Reserve. The Lions booted eight goals to two in the third term to establish a commanding lead at the final change before cruising to victory. Jarrod Williams was outstanding for the home side, as was Joel Dalton with his seven-goal haul.

The final game saw Lyndale get the points over Hallam at Hallam Reserve. The Hawks were competitive for the first half and led by a point at the long break, but an eight-goal third term provided the catalyst for the Pumas’ stirring 37-point win. Trevor Kumetaitis dominated up forward for the victors with six goals, while up the other end Bryce Neve bagged seven majors for Hallam.

 

UNDER 19’S with 'GOOD' WILL HUNTER

Skye remain unbeaten after a gritty 41-point win over Chelsea Heights at the Hangar. The Heighters clung to a one-point lead at the main break, but the Bombers booted eight goals to two after half time to run away with the game. Dylan McNamara played a blinder and Ryan McConville slotted seven majors for the winners.

Dingley and St Pauls played out an absolute epic at the Den, with the home side prevailing by just one goal. Little separated the two teams all day in a hard-fought and riveting contest. Jordan Baker and Jack Lloyd were sublime for the Dingoes while Tim Roberts starred for St Pauls.

At Ben Kavanagh Reserve, Bentleigh were too good for Carrum Patterson Lakes. Liam Hogton-Hewish was the most prolific of the Demons’ 13 individual goalkickers with a dominant 10-goal haul. But another solid performance around the stoppages saw Carrum Patterson Lakes’ Alex Bollen earn this week’s Leader Shooting Star nomination.

Murrumbeena’s seven goals in the opening term provided the catalyst for their convincing win over Hampton at home. Sam Rogers and Alaster Bradley booted nine goals between them in a sparkling display for the home side. The Hammers gave it their all and found avenues to goal in the second half, with Carl-Oskar Beer putting in a commendable performance.