Men's Division 1
Division 1 was headlined by the first major shake-up at the top, with Dingley suffering its first loss of the season and Narre Warren making a serious statement against Cheltenham. With the top three tightening and the race for the last finals spots still alive, the division is beginning to take shape.
Cranbourne Eagles Seniors 9.10 (64) def Dingley Seniors 5.13 (43)
The upset of the round came at Souter Reserve, with Cranbourne handing Dingley its first defeat of the season.
Dingley still won plenty of the key territory numbers, finishing ahead in clearances 39-30 and inside 50s 45-40, but Cranbourne’s ball use and control around the ground proved the difference. The Eagles finished with 126 marks to 80 and went at 72 per cent disposal efficiency, compared to Dingley’s 65 per cent.
Trent Marotta was again central forward of the ball with four goals, while Marc Holt added three in a result that keeps Cranbourne firmly in the top-six mix.
Murrumbeena Seniors 14.9 (93) def Hampton Park Seniors 11.9 (75)
Murrumbeena continued to bank important points, moving to 4-3-1 after an 18-point win over Hampton Park.
The Lions had to work through a competitive Hampton Park outfit, but their ability to generate repeat entries became the difference. Murrumbeena won the inside 50 count 54-37 and had 73 marks to Hampton Park’s 53.
Thomas Rigby was excellent with 35 disposals and a goal, while Ollie Bawden had 23 touches and also hit the scoreboard. For Hampton Park, Trent Thomas was a standout with 36 disposals and three goals.
Narre Warren Seniors 12.13 (85) def Cheltenham Seniors 5.7 (37)
Narre Warren produced one of its strongest wins of the season, defeating Cheltenham by 48 points and drawing level with the Rosellas on 24 points.
It was a serious statement from the Magpies, who controlled the ball and the territory battle, winning disposals 311-265, clearances 41-33 and inside 50s 46-29.
Hamish West led the scoring with three goals, while Jett Kearney and Riley Siwes kicked two each. Peter Gentile and Callum Porter were busy with 27 disposals apiece, helping Narre Warren strengthen its grip on second spot by percentage.
Bentleigh Seniors 15.13 (103) def Port Melbourne Colts Seniors 11.11 (77)
Bentleigh kept pace with the top four after a 26-point win over Port Melbourne Colts.
The Demons were challenged, but their forward-half marking and ruck dominance helped them create separation. Bentleigh finished with 20 inside 50 marks to Port Melbourne’s eight, while also recording a huge 78-9 advantage in hit-outs.
Willis Reidy kicked five goals, while Castan Racunica continued his strong season with four. Ben Cavarra was also prolific with 34 disposals, and Caleb Sheahan added 31 touches and a goal.
St Paul’s McKinnon Seniors 16.19 (115) def Springvale Districts Seniors 12.7 (79)
St Paul’s McKinnon is beginning to find stronger form after a slow start to the season, defeating Springvale Districts by 36 points.
The result keeps St Paul’s within reach of the top six, sitting two points behind Cranbourne and four points behind Murrumbeena. Their attacking game looked dangerous, finishing with 53 inside 50s and 25 marks inside 50.
Daniel Plotkin was the key target with five goals, while Liam Purcell was influential with 21 disposals, 28 hit-outs and three goals. Will McCartney also had a major impact through the middle with 33 disposals and nine clearances.
Top 5 players of the round
Liam Purcell - St Paul’s McKinnon
21 disposals, 8 marks, 28 hit-outs, 6 clearances, 3 goals.
Willis Reidy - Bentleigh
20 disposals, 5 marks, 6 clearances, 5 goals.
Thomas Rigby - Murrumbeena
35 disposals, 7 marks, 5 clearances, 8 inside 50s, 1 goal.
Bailey Buntine - Cranbourne
28 disposals, 13 marks, 4 intercept marks in Cranbourne’s upset win over Dingley.
Will McCartney - St Paul’s McKinnon
33 disposals, 19 contested possessions, 9 clearances.
Men's Division 2
In Men’s Division 2, it was a cleaner week for the top sides, with Mordialloc remaining unbeaten, East Malvern strengthening their top-two push and Highett snapping their two-game slide in emphatic fashion.
Highett Seniors 24.22 (166) def East Brighton Seniors 7.6 (48)
Highett responded exactly as they needed to, ending their two-game slide with a dominant 118-point win over East Brighton.
The Bulldogs had the game broken open by half-time, turning a 31-19 quarter-time lead into an 85-27 advantage at the main break. From there, the margin kept growing as Highett piled on 24 goals for the afternoon.
Jordy Letts led the scoring with four goals, while Yael Hoorman and Max Cuddon kicked three each. Max Jackson, Sam Roberts, Jacob Apted and Joshua Gorman were among Highett’s best.
East Malvern Seniors 17.16 (118) def Frankston Dolphins Seniors 9.9 (63)
East Malvern continued to set themselves up for a finals campaign, defeating Frankston by 55 points at Overport Park.
The Dolphins started well and led 27-17 at quarter-time, but East Malvern took control with a huge second term, kicking away to lead 66-36 by half-time. That burst proved decisive, with the Panthers extending the margin again after the main break.
Dylan Thomas kicked four goals, while Nicholas Baltas, Tate Short and Charles Hamilton each finished with three. Isaac Morrisby, Dylan Thomas, Jayden Chrzanowski and Nicholas Baltas were named among East Malvern’s best.
Doveton Doves Seniors 7.10 (52) def Hampton Seniors 5.8 (38)
Doveton edged out Hampton by 14 points in a lower-scoring contest at Robinson Reserve.
The Doves built the win early, leading 26-14 at quarter-time and holding Hampton to just one point in the second term. Hampton kept fighting, but Doveton’s early buffer was enough to protect the result.
Bailey Payne, Matthew Vorbach, Josh Morenhout, Riley Kerr, Zach Dalton and Lachlan Chisholm were named among Doveton’s best.
Chelsea Heights Seniors 13.15 (93) def Keysborough Seniors 9.5 (59)
Chelsea Heights recorded an important 34-point win over Keysborough, strengthening their hold on seventh and staying within reach of the mid-table pack.
The Heighters led by 13 points at half-time before doing the real damage in the third term, jumping from 39-26 to 77-44 by the final change.
Jordan Perry and Nathan Wright kicked three goals each, while Nicholas Lee added two. Tom Jaensch, Zak Bailey, Jack Phillpotts and Kobe Davies were among the best.
Mordialloc Seniors 21.13 (139) def Caulfield Bears Seniors 6.11 (47)
Mordialloc remains the clear team to beat, moving to 8-0 with a 92-point win over Caulfield.
The Bloods trailed by a point at quarter-time, but from there the game turned sharply. Mordialloc kicked away to lead 55-25 at half-time, then blew the match open with a 46-point third term.
Zac O’Neill kicked four goals, while Jack Eastwood, Brayden Chapple and Harvey Nash each kicked three. Adam McGarry, Zac O’Neill, Toby Plant, Jack Eastwood, Luke Barhoorn and Reid Irvine were named Mordialloc’s best.
Top goalkickers - Men’s Division 2 Round 8
- Isaac Morrisby - East Malvern - 6 goals
- Jordy Letts - Highett - 4 goals
- Dylan Thomas - East Malvern - 4 goals
- Zac O’Neill - Mordialloc - 4 goals
- Nathan Wright - Chelsea Heights - 3 goals
Men's Division 3
Men’s Division 3 tightened up in the middle of the ladder, with South Mornington producing one of the upsets of the round, Carrum Patterson Lakes piling on a percentage-boosting win and Black Rock moving into second.
Carrum Patterson Lakes Seniors 19.14 (128) def Hallam Seniors 3.4 (22)
Carrum Patterson Lakes made no mistake against winless Hallam, running out 106-point winners.
The game was still relatively contained at half-time, with CPL leading 37-14, before they blew it open with a huge third quarter to take an 89-16 lead into the final change.
Matthew Baxter was the major target with seven goals, while Mandre Manu, Mayok Puok, Darcy Warke and Jack Bailey also hit the scoreboard multiple times.
Heatherton Seniors 16.12 (108) def St Kilda City Seniors 10.13 (73)
Heatherton stayed on top of the ladder with a strong 35-point win over St Kilda City.
The Tonners built the result across the day, leading by 14 points at quarter-time, 14 at half-time and 22 at the final change before finishing the job.
Harry Jones and Kyan Upsall kicked five goals each, while Michael Rogers added four in another strong attacking display from the ladder leaders.
South Mornington Seniors 7.12 (54) def Berwick Springs Seniors 7.7 (49)
South Mornington produced a major result, upsetting third-placed Berwick Springs by five points.
Berwick Springs led by six points at three-quarter-time, but South Mornington found a way late to grab just their second win of the season. It was a big ladder-shaping result, with Berwick Springs missing the chance to keep pace with the top two.
Corey Ash kicked four goals for South Mornington, while Jack Bellinger finished with three for Berwick Springs.
Endeavour Hills Seniors 13.13 (91) def Skye Seniors 11.9 (75)
Endeavour Hills kept their season alive with a 16-point win over Skye.
Skye led at quarter-time and half-time, but Endeavour Hills turned the game with a dominant third term, jumping from 30-35 down to an 80-56 lead at the final change.
Matthew Peart kicked four goals, while John Rafferty added three. For Skye, Bradley Dyer finished with four.
Black Rock Seniors 13.9 (87) def Lyndhurst Seniors 7.11 (53)
Black Rock continued its strong season with a 34-point win over Lyndhurst, moving into second on the ladder.
The Jets set up the result early, leading 50-23 at half-time and stretching the margin to 44 points by three-quarter-time.
Aaron Cloke and Jack Gibson kicked four goals each, while Liam Hammond added three. Lyndhurst had contributors, but Black Rock’s forward spread was too strong.
Top goalkickers - Men’s Division 3 Round 8
- Matthew Baxter - Carrum Patterson Lakes - 7 goals
- Harry Jones - Heatherton - 5 goals
- Kyan Upsall - Heatherton - 5 goals
- Michael Rogers - Heatherton - 4 goals
- Corey Ash - South Mornington - 4 goals
Men's Division 4
In Div 4, Round 8 delivered the biggest twist of the season so far, with St John’s held without a win for the first time in a stunning draw against Narre South. Dandenong West also closed the gap at the top, while Clayton and Lyndale both picked up important wins.
Lyndale Seniors 7.13 (55) def Doveton Eagles Seniors 6.10 (46)
Lyndale grabbed their second win of the season, coming from behind late to beat Doveton by nine points.
Doveton led 40-33 at three-quarter-time, but Lyndale finished stronger, kicking 22 points to six in the final term.
Ahmed Kandakji was the match-winner in front of goal with four, while Rick Gren, Lucas Smith, Trent Pramble and Luca Agresta were among Lyndale’s best.
Clayton Seniors 15.6 (96) def Ashwood Seniors 12.8 (80)
Clayton strengthened their position in the middle of the ladder with a 16-point win over third-placed Ashwood.
The Clays led by 19 points at half-time before Ashwood closed the gap to four at the final change. Clayton steadied from there, kicking 31 points in the last quarter to seal the win.
Jackson Pasara kicked four goals, while Christopher Morrison added three. For Ashwood, Cameron Healy kicked four and Luke Caton-Thomas finished with three.
Dandenong West Seniors 19.16 (130) def Moorabbin Kangaroos Seniors 6.7 (43)
Dandenong West moved within two points of top spot with an 87-point win over Moorabbin.
The game was still alive at quarter-time, with Dandenong West leading 37-27, before the Westers held Moorabbin scoreless in the second term to take control.
Coren Gilliam and Michael Dolan both kicked six goals, while Harry Lees, Josh Lawrence and Remmi Faulkner-Wood each added two.
Narre South Saints Seniors 11.9 (75) drew St John’s OC Seniors 10.15 (75)
St John’s dropped premiership points for the first time this season after Narre South fought back to force a draw.
St John’s led 44-9 at quarter-time and 72-48 at three-quarter-time, but Narre South stormed home in the final term, kicking 27 points while holding St John’s to just three.
Brady Barlow and Liam Varcoe kicked three goals each for Narre South, while Timothy Werner kicked four for St John’s.
Top goalkickers - Men’s Division 4 Round 8
- Coren Gilliam - Dandenong West - 6 goals
- Michael Dolan - Dandenong West - 6 goals
- Ahmed Kandakji - Lyndale - 4 goals
- Jackson Pasara - Clayton - 4 goals
- Cameron Healy - Ashwood - 4 goals
Women's Division 1
Endeavour Hills made the biggest statement of the weekend in Div 1 of the women’s comp, knocking off Murrumbeena to move level on points with the top sides, while Casey Thunder and Black Rock both picked up important wins in the second half of the ladder.
Endeavour Hills Womens 1 6.7 (43) def Murrumbeena Womens 1 2.2 (14)
Endeavour Hills strengthened their top-of-the-ladder case with a 29-point win over Murrumbeena.
The Falcons set up the result before half-time, turning a 12-6 quarter-time lead into a 30-6 advantage at the main break. Murrumbeena was held to just one goal across the first three quarters.
Lainie Krepp and Siena Alievski kicked two goals each, while Nicola Weston, Jordyn Thomas, Alyssa Weston and Emily Kearley were among Endeavour Hills’ best.
Casey Thunder Womens 1 5.7 (37) def Bentleigh Womens 2.2 (14)
Casey Thunder produced a strong win over Bentleigh, keeping the Demons goalless in the first half before running out 23-point winners.
Bentleigh stayed in the contest defensively early, but Casey broke the game open in the third term, moving from 9-0 at half-time to 30-6 at three-quarter-time.
Katie Mitchell, Sarah Ventura, Grace Wake, Montaya Forsyth, Rachael Hunt and Ruby Bastian were named among Casey’s best.
Black Rock Womens 7.9 (51) def Narre South Saints Womens 6.2 (38)
Black Rock recorded just their first win of the season, beating Narre South by 13 points in an important result at Strathaird Reserve.
Narre South led 32-22 at half-time and still held a two-point lead at the final change, but Black Rock finished strongly with 21 points in the last quarter to take the win.
Ashlin Reilly kicked two goals for Black Rock, while Amber Ralph-Hudson kicked two for Narre South. Bree Supple, Ines Mujakovic, Josie Moxham, Samantha Scheffer and Stefanie Farr were among Black Rock’s best.
Top goalkickers - Women’s Division 1 Round 8
- Lainie Krepp - Endeavour Hills - 2 goals
- Siena Alievski - Endeavour Hills - 2 goals
- Mia Fortune - Murrumbeena - 2 goals
- Ashlin Reilly - Black Rock - 2 goals
- Christie-Lee Chadwick - Black Rock - 2 goals
Women's Division 2
Narre Warren strengthened their place at the top, Keysborough stayed right in touch with a five-point win, and Frankston broke through for a huge first win of the season against Dandenong West.
Narre Warren Womens 5.6 (36) def Mordialloc Womens 1 2.1 (13)
Narre Warren claimed an important top-three win, holding Mordialloc to just one goal in a 23-point result at Kalora Park.
Mordialloc led 7-0 at quarter-time, but Narre Warren took over from there, keeping Mordialloc goalless after the first break and finishing with five goals to one.
Courtney Siwes kicked three goals in the win, while Abbey Rogers, Kizmin Baker, Laura Slyver and Rachel Steendam were among Narre Warren’s best.
Keysborough Womens 6.4 (40) def Chelsea Heights Womens 5.5 (35)
Keysborough held on in a tight one, beating Chelsea Heights by five points at Beazley Reserve.
Chelsea Heights started well and led 14-7 at quarter-time, but Keysborough turned the game through the middle stages, taking a 33-23 lead into the final change before holding off a late Heighters push.
Melissa Hett kicked three goals, while Emily Barr added two. For Chelsea Heights, Georgia Foreman finished with three.
Clayton Womens 4.4 (28) def Hallam Womens 3.5 (23)
Clayton edged out Hallam by five points in a low-scoring contest at Hallam Reserve.
The game stayed tight all day, with Clayton leading by just one point at half-time. The Clays made their move in the third term, jumping from 14 points to 28, before holding Hallam scoreless in the last quarter.
Grace Tyshing kicked two goals for Clayton, while Maggie Collins, Monica Ward, Grace Tyshing, Carolyn McKee and Chantelle Mclean were named among the best.
Frankston Dolphins Womens 15.10 (100) def Dandenong West Womens 3.2 (20)
Frankston recorded a massive breakthrough win, defeating Dandenong West by 80 points at Overport Park.
The Dolphins only led by a point at quarter-time, but the game changed sharply from there. Frankston held Dandenong West to just seven points after the first break and finished with 15 goals for the match.
Jade Westlake kicked four goals, while Isabel Morgan finished with three. Grace Hoolway and Bridie Jones added two each.
Top goalkickers - Women’s Division 2 Round 8
- Jade Westlake - Frankston Dolphins - 4 goals
- Courtney Siwes - Narre Warren - 3 goals
- Georgia Foreman - Chelsea Heights - 3 goals
- Melissa Hett - Keysborough - 3 goals
- Isabel Morgan - Frankston Dolphins - 3 goals
Women's Division 3
Clyde moved back to the top of the ladder with a big win over Casey Thunder, while Officer produced an important result over Endeavour Hills and Mordialloc held on in a tight one against St Kilda City.
Officer Womens 6.10 (46) def Endeavour Hills Womens 2 1.4 (10)
Officer strengthened their position in the top four with a 36-point win over Endeavour Hills.
The Kangaroos led by only four points at quarter-time, but built the game from there, moving to a 17-6 half-time lead before taking control with a 22-point third term.
Suzanne Byrne and Kaitlyn Lightart kicked two goals each, while Chantelle de Zilwa, Lara Nicholas, Aurora Geminian, Renee Thomas and Rebecca Sherry were named among Endeavour Hills’ best.
Clyde Womens 7.7 (49) def Casey Thunder Womens 2 0.0 (0)
Clyde produced the biggest win of the round, holding Casey Thunder scoreless in a 49-point result.
The Cobras led 8-0 at quarter-time, 21-0 at half-time and 36-0 at three-quarter-time, building steadily across the day.
Rachelle James-Ind, Jasmine McSweeney and Melissa Dingle kicked two goals each, while Courtney Chinnock, Rachel James-Ind, Melissa Dingle, Freba Zayee and Kallista Jensen were among Clyde’s best.
Mordialloc Womens 2 3.5 (23) def St Kilda City Womens 2.7 (19)
Mordialloc stayed level on points with Clyde at the top of the ladder after a four-point win over St Kilda City.
The Bloods led at every change, but St Kilda City kept pressing and cut the margin back late after trailing 22-10 at three-quarter-time.
Louise Corbet kicked two goals for Mordialloc, while Zemah Willie was St Kilda City’s only multiple goalkicker with one goal listed among their two majors.
Top goalkickers - Women’s Division 3 Round 8
- Suzanne Byrne - Officer - 2 goals
- Kaitlyn Lightart - Officer - 2 goals
- Rachelle James-Ind - Clyde - 2 goals
- Jasmine McSweeney - Clyde - 2 goals
- Melissa Dingle - Clyde - 2 goals
