Happy Birthday Your Highness

Posted on - Latest News, Premier Men's, Featured, Round 9

Andrew Leonard 

 

So what have we learnt from the opening eight rounds. Blacks and Collegians are certainly forces to be reckoned with. Since a slow start from last year’s Grand Finalists, both have not lost a game in the past month. Old Xavs’ form has been up and down. Brilliant some weeks, lacking penetration or bite in a few others. Blues and the Cardinals were the pacesetters early but now haven’t won a game in five! Beaumaris have been playing well but until last week had little to show for it. The Sharks are not done with yet, they could still push on up the table as the Aquarium is a tough place to play. De La Salle have been luckless and despite good patches, they are a team that has seemingly forgotten how to win. Old Carey is also a mixed bag. Their skills lauded one week, only for them to disappear the next. Nevertheless the Panthers are still in the mix. St Bernard’s look a better side and are in the same spot as this time last year, although they seem to not be as dominant. Time will tell but the Snowdogs are going about their business quietly. Old Trinity is in unchartered territory. Never before have they topped the table at this point of the year. The T’s could be the story of 2015. Unfortunately that story took a turn last week with the heartbreaking news that their skipper and talisman Brendan Iezzi will miss the season with a knee reconstruction. How will the T’s respond? The next three-week period before the two-week winter break should reveal all. For the rest it’s a chance to put some valuable runs on the board as there are finals spots to secure and relegation to avoid.

Old Trinity won their seventh match of the season with only two fit players on the bench from quarter time. Both Iezzi and Jack Osborn suffered knee injuries, with Osborn fortunate to likely miss only a few weeks. Nevertheless, Xavs commenced the game in a positive fashion, but eventually were worn down by a creative and hard running Old Trinity. Xavs only managed their second goal half way through the third quarter and whilst Old Trinity hadn’t exactly piled them on, they did have the match in control. Jakob Steinhart was involved in almost every scoring foray for Old Trinity as he roamed the outer wing of the Daley. Andrew Kyriacopoulos grows in stature with every game and Greek connection continues to be amongst the better players and goalkickers for Old Trinity. For Xavs, as Old Trinity’s pressure and two way running increased, so too did the skill errors and turnovers from the red and blacks. Prowse won plenty of the ball, and a certain J. Mercuri was back in the senior side, but Xavs are missing that explosive player that blows the game open.

Old Carey will mark it down as a bad day, 0.12 in the first half, became 0.13 at three quarter time and 3.16 by the final siren. Thank goodness they finally kicked a goal otherwise it would have taken all the Queen’s Birthday weekend to find the last time a William Buck Premier side was held goalless in a game. Or are we not giving Blacks the appropriate credit for their eventual 103 point win? Blacks were certainly good and grew in confidence with every Carey turnover, but even they might not take too much out of this win. It was scarcely believable that a side like Carey had already shown to be this year, could offer up a performance such as they did. Blacks didn’t do anything outrageous, nor was Carey’s intensity lacking in the opening minutes, it was just mistakes compounded like interest rates in the 1980’s. Blacks made Carey pay and that was all she wrote. Bede Mahon broke from packs like his best form of 2014, Alistair Robbins has recovered from an early season knock and Charlie Richardson and Jordan Quaile have lifted their form each week. Blacks are coming.

There was no way Old Scotch were going to roll over at the Snakepit, but their renewed enthusiasm for the contest was not enough to overcome a St Bernard’s side up and running. The Cardinals lack key defenders, a conclusion that can be drawn from the five goals to Chad Jones and four goals to Alex Boyse. Both were great focal points for the home side. Youngster Jonno Daggian kicked five goals and is a real live wire for the Cardinals, but he cannot be relied up to carry the load each week. Old Scotch were within striking distance at three quarter time but the momentum and feel of the game always seemed in St Bernard’s control. The Snowdogs booted six final quarter goals with Michael Angel across half back and Nathan Kazuro playing well in the home side’s win.

De La Salle again looked good in large patches and their recent history against Collegians at the Trott augured well, especially when they held the advantage at half time. Another poor second half showing eventuated as the visitors failed to capitalise on their good work before the big break. Collegians closed to within a kick at orange time and De La Salle just had to find something. They managed a couple of goals but they couldn’t prevent the Lions putting on five goals at the other end. Turnovers again the key for De La Salle. Despite this, they did do some good things with the ball in hand and their season is not done with yet. They just need to hang tough and remember how to win. Nick Corp ended the day with four goals as his form continues to improve, whilst Shura Taft too bobbed up with another four-goal game. Charlie Holst is getting better every game he goes past 200.

Beaumaris breathed life into their season with an important home win over Uni Blues. The match was put on hold for 20 minutes only two minutes I, as an ambulance was called to assist Blues defender, Jack Townley who suffered a head/neck injury. We understand that Jack is on the mend and thank you to the Beaumaris supporters that contacted the VAFA enquiring about his health. The Sharks were able to break the game open in the second term, and were good enough to stay with Blues in scoreboard pressure from there on. Blues did challenge late and closed the gap to a couple of kicks but Beauy steadied and secured a vital win. The win has the Sharks just two points behind both the Blues and Cardinals in the race to avoid the bottom two. Tom Quinn was outstanding for Blues with six goals and Scott Gower slotted five goals of his own for the Sharks.

 

De La Salle v Old Xaverians

Old Scotch v University Blues

Old Trinity v Beaumaris

University Blacks v St Bernards

Old Carey v Collegians