Round 8: Men's Football Review
by Sam Doyle
Division 1:
This week's round of Division 1 football saw a number of comfortable victories and produced a thrilling game between Bentleigh and Mordialloc.
To kick off the round, St Paul’s McKinnon recorded a strong 4 goal win over a spirited Dingley outfit.
In what was a fairly even contest all day but it was St Paul’s McKinnon's strong first half which saw them lead by 21 points at the main break which proved the difference with the second being even at 5 goals apiece.
Although Dingley had more of the ball in their hands with +66 disposal count and a considerable amount of more marks they struggled in the forward half to turn their dominance with the ball into scores.
Matthew Kreymborg booted 5 majors and recorded 19 disposals to go with 9 marks in what was a best on ground performance which proved the difference between the two sides.
St Kilda city took care of East Malvern in a commanding 62 point victory away from home which has them on the verge of a top two spot.
With the saints going into the main break leading with a slim two goal margin it was their second half which saw them kick 9 goals to 2 to come away with a convincing win.
Tom Preece impressed for the losing side racking up 37 disposals and also hitting the scoreboard with a goal.
Aaron Edwards booted 6 goals for the visitors whilst midfielder Madison Andrews ran hot with 39 disposals and 8 clearances in a game breaking performance.
East Malvern will gain some belief off the back of this spirited performance and will look to record their first win of the season next week whilst the Saints will be looking to climb into the top two with a win next week.
Top of the Ladder Cranbourne continued their fantastic start to the season with another victory this time taking care of Port Melbourne Colts by 40 points away from home.
The Colts who came into this clash as underdogs fought hard all day and almost pulled off a memorable win. The colts were right in the mix of this clash for the first three quarters only trailing by two goals at the final break.
But it was an impressive last quarter by the Eagles who kicked 7 goals to 3 to come away with the four points in a challenging game for the visitors.
Port Melbourne had more of the ball (+51) and 7 more inside 50’s than the Eagles but failed to convert their opportunities into goals which proved costly. Stephan Brewer and Justin Taylor racked up 40 and 38 disposals respectively in a dynamic midfield performance from the duo which gave their side a major chance of winning.
For the Visitors, Marc Holt continued his brilliant form with 5 majors giving the Colts defenders a headache all day. Zak Roscoe was best afield by a long way kicking 4 goals and amassing 31 disposals in a match winning display.
Cheltenham stormed to a thumping 122 point victory over Springvale Districts in a dominating performance right from the first bounce where they kicked 6 goals to none in the first term to set up the game.
Austin Johnson and Josh Fox proved too much up forward with the pair kicking a bag of 6 goals each to blow away the districts. It was a fantastic all round team display from Cheltenham which inspired them to a big win.
For the losing side Tyrone Vickery stood up tall booting 5 majors whilst Jamie Nguyen also impressed in just his second game for the season.
Cheltenham's Coach highlighted the performance of a number of his players “Even performance by the entire team. Captain Jack Worrell (22) was good as well Tom Turner (7) and Jack Barclay (99) all played their roles well restricting opponents”
Springvale Coach summarised his team's loss stating “Chelt jumped Springy in the first quarter and it didn't stop. Whilst Springy were undermanned, Chelt's performance was close to flawless.”
In what was the game of the round in the top division, Mordialloc recorded a 9 point win over Bentleigh in a thriller at Bentleigh reserve.
Bentleigh jumped out of the blocks early with a 5 goal to 0 start to the game in what looked the start of an upset win. But Mordialloc slowly reeled them in over the next 2 quarters to go into the final break only trailing by a single point.
Mordialloc continued their momentum in the last quarter kicking 2 goals to zero to record a stirring 9 point comeback victory.
In what was a high pressure game with each team recording a high tackle count with 60 and 62 a piece which made converting chances the key to winning, which Mordialloc did.
For Mordialloc, it was their forward duo Harrison Edwards and Brett O’Hanlon who kicked 4 goals each to guide their side home to a comeback victory.
James Keighley was a clear best on ground for the Bloods with a game-high 24 disposals to go with 2 goals.
Bentleigh will be disappointed, but will take a great deal of confidence out of this game. Whilst Mordialloc will be aiming to keep their name in the finals conversation with another victory.
Division 2:
To kick off the weeks results in division 4, Chelsea Heights romped to a whopping 147 point demolition of Heatherton
In an extraordinarily one sided affair in which Chelsea Heights amassed 52 to scoring shots to 5 in what could have been an even uglier scoreline.
The most pleasing aspect of the monster win for Chelsea is that they had 11 individual goal scorers with no player scoring more than goals reflecting a great team victory.
For Heatherton, they now sit winless from their first seven games of the year and will be hungry as ever to pick up their first win of the season in next week's clash with Skye.
In what was undoubtedly the game of the round, Caulfied Bears came out 2 point victors on the road in a nailbiter against Hampton Park.
The two sides could hardly be split all day with the scoreline keeping within 2 goals throughout the whole day and in the end it was the bears accurate goalkicking that ultimately got them over the line.
For the Bears, Jacob Buggy and Janes Backway proved a handful for the Hampton defense with the pair kicking 7 goals between them to continue their goalscoring form. Whilst Ryan hillard was named best on for his side to continue his blistering start to the season.
The Bears, who have now jumped into the top four with this win will be now looking to cement their spot in the top four in the coming weeks.
Top of the table Doveton once again displayed their class with a convincing 12 goal win against Highett on the road.
The game started off very evenly with both sides kicking just the two majors each in the first term in what was a tight tussle but it was in the second and third quarters where the doves took control booting 7 goals in each term to break the game open.
Travis Woodfield booted 5 majors and amassed plenty of the ball in a commanding display for the doves whilst receiving plenty of support from his teammates in particular Dylan Chapman and Ashley Brown.
The Doves who have now won 7 games in a row to start the season will be looking to build even more momentum in the coming weeks. For Highett, who now sit 3-4 they will be out to even that win-loss ratio next week in a crucial clash against Keysborough.
In the Matchup between Skye and Keysborough, Skye fought hard all day in a very brave display which ultimately fell short to the better side in Keysborough.
The game saw a number of players stand tall from the losing outfit including the impressive displays of Jordan Thomas and James Bateman who battled all day for the losing side.
For Keysborough it was Geoffrey Humphreys who was once again the star of the show collecting his third best on ground performance in as many weeks to steer his side to a victory.
Skye will certainly take a heap of confidence and belief out of this performance and will be even hungrier to find their first win of the season in the coming weeks whilst Keysborough will be looking to cement their place in the top with another win this week.
Division 3:
South Yarra hosted Ashwood in what looked an intriguing game of football, in what quickly turned into a thumping with Ashwood booting 7 goals in a strong first quarter display.
Ashwood held a 53 point lead at half time and continued on their way in the second half to kick 10 goals to 2 which handed them a 108 point win.
Ashwood forward Jack Purcell slotted 9 majors in a brilliant performance which has now given him an astounding start to the season booting 18 goals in just the four games.
South Yarra who sit bottom of the ladder after eight rounds will be looking to get their second win of the season in the weeks to come.
In what looked like the game of the round in what was a second versus third clash between Black Rock and Carrum Patterson Lakes. Black Rock managed to come out 62 point winners.
Black Rock set the game up in the first term with 4 goals to zero while Carrum Patterson Lakes failed to convert their chances scoring 6 behinds in the first term which proved costly.
Black Rock coach stated “Great four quarter performance. Everyone played their role which was super pleasing.”
He also highlighted a number of his players' performances “Callum Reed kept Giuliano goalless, added another scalp to his growing list, the kid is a pleasure to coach. Ned Fallon and Byron Wright hit the scoreboard and were our best players.”
Black Rock who have now moved into first on the ladder after this victory whilst Carrum Patterson Lakes have dropped down to third and will be looking to respond next week.
Clayton came out 23 point victors against the Narre South Saints in what was a major upset.
Heading into the final break trailing by a goal Clayton produced a magnificent last quarter which saw them kick 5 goals to the Saints’ zero, led them to a fantastic upset victory.
Clayton coach told us “Could not be prouder of the players and the effort they put in on Saturday. We’ve had a rough start to 2022 and to come out and see the ownership taken by the players in their response was inspiring to see. Hopefully, we gain a lot of confidence from that win and now we build on it.”
He also highlighted the performance of best afield Brody Smith. “Brody Smith (number 15) as a 17 year old put the team on his back and had a standout best on ground performance and was everywhere.”
The Saints, will rue their disappointing last quarter but will now turn to next week where they can reaffirm their top four aspirations.
In what turned out to be a thrilling contest and the upset of the year at Barry Simon Reserve, Endeavour Hills came out 5 point victors at home against a spirited Murrumbeena outfit.
Endeavour Hills broke the game open in the second quarter in a 4 goal to 1 term which gave them the lead heading into the main break. They held a 2 goal lead into the final break and held on in the last quarter to come out 5 point winners in a thriller in front of their home crowd.
Coach of Endeavour Hills had this to say “I was very proud of the effort of the boys knocking off the top team. We had been building in previous weeks and we finally put together 4 quarters of good disciplined football. We respect Murrumbeena and knew they would keep coming and it was great to hold on especially as we had a few injuries. The belief is there with the group but we still have plenty of work to do.”
For Murrumbeena, who picked up their first loss of the season are still top of the ladder and in a strong position to start season 2022.
Division 4:
This weekend’s round of fixtures saw a number of high scoring displays and large winning margins with all games being decided by 55 points or more.
South Mornington Tiger powered to a ten goal victory in a vital game against the Moorabbin Kangaroos which has crucially taken the tigers two games clear of the Kangaroos.
The Tigers piled on an impressive 21 goals for the day, with forward duo Leon Grant and Josh Abela booting 5 goals each in what was a nice day to be a Tigers forward.
Whilst Jack Knox was named best afield it was a magnificent team display from the Tigers with many contributors across the board.
Kangaroos forward Zdenek Hostalek snatched 4 goals in the losing side, being one of the few highlights for the Kangaroos on an otherwise bleak outing.
In what turned out to be the closest game this weekend according to the scoreboard saw the Dandenong Redlegs defeat the Hampton Hammers by 55 points.
The game was won in the second term where the Redlegs kicked 5 goals to the Hammers goalless term which gave the Redlegs breathing space and set up their win.
Redlegs coach had this to say about his team's performance “Dandy played a solid game all day, very workman-like. We honored Regan Hall’s 200th game. The team's control and composure with the ball was a stand out.”
He also praised the performances of a number of players “Louise Nicol, Lenny and Rob Witt were all stand outs. Also Luke Dinger and Ashton Brunning provided good runs off the backline.”
The Hammers will be looking to bounce back next week with a home fixture against bottom placed Cerberus.
Lyndhurst have firmly confirmed themselves as a premiership contender after another win this time in the form of a 141 point thumping of Lyndale.
Lyndhurst did the damage in the second half recording an enormous 20 goal second half display to completely blow away their opposition.
Lyndhurst goal kicking machine delivered again this time with a monster 11 goal performance whilst another pleasing aspect of the win was that there were 12 different goal scorers on the day reflecting an impressive display by the whole team.
For Lyndale, their season is hanging on by a thread following another defeat and will need to improve quickly if they want to stay alive in season 2022.
In the battle of the bottom two, it was Cerberus who came out on top with a commanding 66 point win over the Doveton Eagles.
Cerberus produced a fantastic first half which saw them boot 12 goals to 2 before the main break to give them a comfortable lead which they were able to build on in the second half.
Cerberus forward Jake Hinder booted 10 goals in a best on ground display which gave Doveton a massive headache all day. Doveton’s best performer on the day was Jake Carter who kicked half of his teams goals with 5 goals himself.
In what was a top of the table clash in Division 4, Frankston Dolphins stamped their dominance on the competition with a stunning 101 point victory over second placed Hallam Hawks.
The Dolphins produced a fantastic four quarter performance which saw them kick at least 4 goals in each quarter with 7 goals coming in the third quarter.
Dolphins forward Liam O’Donnell kicked a bag of 8 goals whilst Andrew Mathers was named best afield booting 4 goals and racking up plenty of disposals,
The Hawks, who with this loss have now dropped to third on the ladder, will be looking to respond next week in a crucial clash versus the team one spot below them, Dandenong.
