Division 1 Round 8 recap

Nick Armistead

NOBS/St Pats levelled their win/loss ratio to 4-4 heading into the bye Round with a 42-point win over the cellar-dwelling Yarra Valley OB at Alec Gillon Oval. After falling to a 31-point deficit at quarter-time, the Bushrangers fought back in the second with five goals to one and entered the main break only eight points behind. The margin blew out in the second half as NOBs piled on 11 goals to six and subsequently climbed above Old Mentonians to sit in fifth position on the ladder.

Ormond continued their unbeaten start to the season with a 29-point victory against Bulleen Templestowe at Ted Ajani Reserve. Ormond rarely looked threatened as they posted 30 scoring shots to Bulleen Templestowe’s 11, with inaccuracy in front of goal restricting their final winning margin to below five goals. Matthew Martinov led from the front in a best-on-ground performance for Ormond, while Paul Florence stood up for the losing side.

Old Geelong cemented their spot as outright third on the Division 1 ladder with a 21-point victory against Prahran Assumption at Toorak Park. Seven majors from John Robbins were not enough to stop the Samuel Youngman-led Geelong as they maintained a three-four goal lead throughout the entirety of the match. The loss leaves Prahran Assumption dwindling in eighth position on the ladder with only two wins for the season.

The match of the round between league-leaders Kew and St Mary’s Salesian lived up to the hype as Kew ran out 25-point winners in a high scoring affair at Ferndale Park. With only two points in it at the first break, Kew flexed their muscle in the second as they launched nine goals to three to help take a 35-point lead into half-time. St Mary’s hit back strongly in the third with seven goals to two, but it was the Bears who ran away with it in the end on the back of five goals from the league’s leading goal-kicker Andrew Brazzale. The result means Kew hold onto the top spot on the Division 1 ladder while St Mary’s fall to fourth with five wins from their eight games.

Whitefriars OC earned a much-needed percentage boost after they dismantled the Old Mentonians to the tune of 80 points at Whitefriars College. After falling to a 14-point deficit at quarter-time, the Friars took control of the game, booting 17 goals to two in the final three quarters. Damien Loh and Brendan Stafford were the best for the Whitefriars, while Kyle Conlon did his utmost to halt the Old Mentonians current three-game losing streak with three goals.