Division Two Rd 12 – JOC’s edge closer to top

Old Paradians put a handy two-game buffer between themselves and Eltham Collegians with a 37-point win against the Turtles at Eltham College.  Sitting third and fourth on the Division Two ladder, it was an important win for the Raiders as they continue to push for a top-two position. The Kandilakis brothers played well together, with James kicking four goals for the winning side.

Ivanhoe made light work of the winless South Melbourne Districts, defeating the cellar-dwellers by 60 points at Lindsay Hassett Oval. Karl Kaldawi and Mitchell Lovell were deadly in front of goal with nine majors between them, while Thomas O’Donnell starred in a best-on-ground performance. The win keeps the Hoes one game clear on top of the ladder, with a healthy percentage of 192.95.

MHSOB kept in touch with the top four after they disposed of Monash Gryphons to the tune of 25-points at Melbourne High School. An eight-goal haul from Alex Erwin-Ross was not enough for the Gryphons, who had no answer for the combined goal-kicking power of Nick Hawking (4), Anthony Svirskis (3) and Lukas Toman (3). The Unicorns are only two games out of the four, but are running a subpar percentage of 93.53.

St Johns continued their push for top spot on the ladder with a hard-fought 26-point win against Richmond Central at Thomas Carroll Reserve. Inaccurate kicking could have cost the JOC’s, who managed 11 goals to their 20 behinds. Daniel Abou-Karroum was best-on-ground for the JOC’s, while Jake Munro snagged three for the Snakes in another admirable performance.

Northern Blues returned to the winners’ column in sensational style, demolishing Elsternwick by 79 points at W.R. Ruthven Reserve. The Blues had a bevy of multiple goal kickers, with Lachlan McRedmond (5), Damon Marcon (5), Matthew Holmes (4), Jordan Higham (3) and Brendan Passey (3) all contributing to the big win. The win gives the Blues a much-needed percentage boost, while the loss leaves the Wickers dwindling in ninth place on the ladder.