Division 1 - Gambling's Not A Game Round 13 Review
With Good Will Hunter
@Will_Hunter89
East Brighton solidified its position in the top three with a hard-fought 22-point victory over East Malvern at Hurlingham Park. Neither side was able to gain the upper hand in a high-pressure first half that was characterised by low scores, plenty of stoppages and fumbles galore. But the home side finished the game full of run, streaking away with four unanswered last quarter goals to seal the win. Damien Rayson stood out for the winners with his clean ball use while Phil Smith dominated up forward with five goals. Matt Terech was again among the Panthers’ best with another solid outing in the ruck.
Cheltenham served it right up to Dingley for three quarters in their clash at Jack Barker Oval but ultimately didn’t have the firepower to cause what would have been the boilover of the season. There was less than a kick in it when Andy Dewar goalled at the 21-minute mark of the third term, but the Dingoes then found another gear, slamming on eight of the last nine majors to storm home by 50 points. Jake Davis led the way for the brave Rosellas, booting three goals in his best game of the year, but it was the usual suspects in Dan Farmer and Luke Bartholomew doing the damage for the Dingoes with eight majors between them.
After breaking through for their maiden win of 2015 a fortnight ago, Chelsea Heights suffered a bruising reality check with a 33-point defeat to the Clays at Meade Reserve. Two quick Clayton goals broke the deadlock halfway through the first term and they held the visitors at bay for the rest of the afternoon. Rory Naylor and Gaby Irons were the chief architects in the home side’s victory, which keeps their finals chances alive. Phil Matheson was the Heighters’ best.
Mordialloc continued its impressive form with a comprehensive 40-point win over Bentleigh at Ben Kavanagh Reserve. The Demons were solid early and emerged as worthy leaders after a low-scoring opening stanza. But the Bloods flicked the switch after quarter time, pulling away to open up an unassailable lead by the final change with Todd Bastion in the thick of the action. Mordialloc’s Matt Ravenall was again dominant up forward while Jackson Meredith again found plenty of the pill for the losing side.
The final game was one-way traffic all afternoon with St Pauls demolishing St Kilda City by 85 points at Peanut Farm. A six-goal-to-one first quarter set the tone for the day as the Saints had no answer to the Dogs’ dominance through the middle. Harley Ambrose simply did what he liked and finished with three goals to cap a scintillating performance for the winners. Harrison Hunt was also among the goalkickers with four – one more goal than the Saints could manage.
Divison 2 - Gambling's Not A Game Round 13 Review
With Jason Barbin
@JBarbin10
The surprises keep coming in the Southern Football Netball League but it did come at a cost for one prominent ladder leader.
Keysborough got a hard-fought victory against Caulfield to maintain second spot on the ladder. But it came at a price with the devastating injury to key forward Tyson King who suffered a knee injury and may be out the rest of the year. King’s injury hit the Burra early and they trailed Caulfield at half time. But they turned it around in the second half, kicking an inspired nine goals to win by 34 points. Scott Chamberlain was named best on ground for the winners.
The now not so underrated Murrumbeena has propelled itself to top three contention with a come from behind win against Skye. The Bombers led at every change but weren’t able to break away from a Beena side who threw everything they had at them. A final quarter surge from Murrumbeena kept the pressure on Skye until midfielder Dean Spanos (three majors) kicked the winning goal inside the last minute to give his side the win. Promising forward Anthony Ekberg-Weiss (two goals) was best on ground for Murrumbeena.
Doveton Eagles has withstood a final quarter flurry from Springvale Districts to record its second win of the season and lift itself off the bottom of the ladder. The Eagles have been in good form lately and looked very good in to opening half as they opened up five-goal half time lead. The game evened up in the third quarter before Springvale hit back in the final term to bring the margin back to within 10 points. But Doveton held on thanks to superb play from Cameron Ross and coach Daniel Macklin.
Four goals from Oakleigh Districts livewire Marty Gurry has spurred the ladder leaders to victory against a reeling Hampton side. The Hammers were simply no match for the Oaks who kicked 11 goals in the second half to record the 90-point win and maintain top spot on the ladder. While Gurry was impressive up forward, the midfield and defence piled on the pressure and only gave up three goals all afternoon. Dan Kiellerup continued his impressive season down back for Oakleigh.
A seven goal final quarter has helped Highett to victory over a brave Heatherton outfit at Ross Street Reserve. Jess Elms starred for the Dogs while Tom Brown kicked four goals in an impressive effort that helped Highett move within a game of the top five and a legitimate chance to play finals. The Tonners took it right up to Highett for three quarters of the match before the Dogs flashed their teeth and ran Heatherton off their feet to record the 39-point win.
Division 3 - Gambling's Not A Game Round 14 Review
With Andrew Paloczi
@Apaloczi
Gambling’s Not A Game Round 14 offered plenty of excitement for fans with three games decided by a goal or less, including an upset at Edinburgh Reserve.
Ashwood was the visiting team, taking on Sandown. The Magpies went into the contest sitting second on the ladder and were expected to continue their strong form. The contest was tight throughout and the Cobras kept in touch, being just seven points behind entering the final term. Sandown finished strongly, winning by one straight kick, and bumping the Magpies down to fifth spot. Luke Newton has been a consistent performer for the Cobras this season and was recognised as their best on this occasion.
Four goals to Trevor March and a couple more from its player of the day, James Dent, helped to edge Carrum Patterson Lakes over the line by a solitary behind against Endeavour Hills. Although the visiting Falcons trailed at each break, they remained close. The Lions’ 11-point advantage at three quarter time proved just enough, as the Falcons added 4.0 in the final stanza to the Lions’ 2.2.
Playing at home and starting the match six wins clear of opponent Dandenong, South Yarra was forecast to win convincingly. The Redlegs had other ideas and at half time the scores were locked at 40 apiece. Up to that point, the Lions managed a poor 5.10 compared to Dandenong’s 6.4. Both sides then produced a spectacularly unproductive second half, adding one goal each, but the Lions managed to scrape home by four points. Daniel Russell booted two of South Yarra’s six goals for the day and was named the winner’s best.
Chris Jeffries booted six goals for Mount Waverley, and his teammate Christopher Filer five, in a 28-point victory over Lyndale. Lachlan Rose was named the Mountain Lions’ best. The Pumas can take heart that they were able to win the second half, after trailing by six goals at the main break.
An impressive four goals to one in the second quarter gave Hallam hope of causing a dramatic upset against visiting Moorabbin. The Hawks stormed back from a five-goal quarter time deficit to trail by 10 points at the long break. Just as the home side started to dream, the Kangaroos launched a powerful assault, ramming through eleven second half goals to four to triumph by 56 points.
