William Buck Premier producing day and night

By Nick Armistead – @NickArmistead

Old Melburnians exacted what little grand final revenge one can in a home and away rematch against St Kevin’s; De La Salle scraped over the line by the smallest of margins in a night time classic against Old Xaverians; St Bernard’s lost their second consecutive match in 2016 at the hands of Collegians; while University Blues and Old Trinity were at times clinical in their respective Round 2 victories against Old Carey and University Blacks.

I’m sure the elation of a Round 2 victory pales in comparison to the disappointment of grand final loss, but Old Melburnians must have felt an air of satisfaction following their 45-point win against St Kevin’s at Sportscover Arena. George Hurley-Wellington kicked four goals to go alongside his best-on-ground performance, while Al Armstrong continues to cause havoc in the OMs forward 50, with his three goals placing him second on the overall leader board behind Xavs powerhouse, Matt Handley. OMs are exciting in more ways than one as they respond to the rigours of William Buck Premier football with an ease encompassed by very few. SKOB are placed precariously two rounds into the season, sitting eighth after allowing the second-highest amount of points against. Stephen Gilham, Jordan Gysberts and Anthony Lynch missing from their starting line-up hurts and if they’re unable to return to the fold sooner rather than later, SKOB will miss their chance to accomplish the same feats as St Bedes/Mentone Tigers in 2007/08.

Night time football often elicits champagne results and this year’s first senior match under lights was no exception. Paul Satterly’s De La Salle outfit is firing on all cylinders at present, taking us back to their last 10 home and away matches of 2015 with run, carry and a whole lot more run. Despite losing Matt Fieldsend and Matt Moore to injury in the first quarter, De La managed to abolish a four-goal quarter time deficit (thanks largely to the Williams brothers) and hold on in the clutches by the smallest of margins. Xavs were not without their own injury concerns as Michael Darvell limped off early in the match with a strained hamstring. Tyson Thomas had the opportunity to put the Xavs in front with just minutes remaining but after completing a stunning grab in slightly wet conditions he failed to convert and pushed it out on the full. As disappointing as the result was for Xavs, they can expect to find themselves pitted against the De La train in September.

Collegians are showcasing similar traits to OMs at the moment; relative unknown heading into the season but surprising brilliant. Lindsay Apted, Tom Penberthy and Will Tardif starred in their 34-point win against St Bernard’s, while Courtney Hylton and Andrew Scott continue to star. 1-1 after two rounds and with a combined list of youthful exuberance and premiership experience, the Lions may surprise a few more teams in the near future; starting with a mouth-watering clash against De La this weekend. It’s hard to analyse the Snow Dogs’ slow start to the season due to the number of premiership players representing again in 2016. U23 Big V Simon Caven played his first match for Coburg on the weekend, while Jock Nelson medallist, Mitch Hannan, and a host of other players continue to ply their trade elsewhere. However, their loss to Collegians takes them to 0-2 and ninth on the ladder. It’s not where Mark Riley would have wanted them but with a few tweaks of the game plan and a healthy list, expect them to bounce back in the coming weeks. Once a champion, always a threat.

University Blues were an improved unit this week from the side who narrowly held off OMs as they sent through four unanswered first-term goals on their way to a 39-point win against Old Carey. Whether 39 points against the Panthers or eight against OMs, the Blues are getting it done. Kieran Harper will miss for most, if not all, of the season and losing joint Woodrow medallist, Ross Young, to the country will take some getting used to. However, with Hugh Vicker-Willis (best afield), Tom Quinn (three goals), Marshall Rippon (game changer) and Jeremy Mugavin (does it all) at the forefront, the Blues will continue to get the points. The Panthers were valiant in defeat and kicked just two less goals than the Blues in the last three quarters after a scoreless opening term. Julian Rowe was dominant in his 100^th match for the Club, while Sam Cust is exploding as an elite midfielder of the competition. Best on last week and two goals in a stunning display this week, Cust is the young Panther to put on the watch list.

Sitting atop the William Buck Premier ladder, Old Trinity are perched slightly above De La Salle as the form side of the competition. Over the weekend, they backed up their first round win with a hard-fought 26-point victory against University Blacks. Andrew Kyriacopolous has arguably polled six votes with his Andrew Gaff-esque run and carry, Jack Hunt displayed a second consecutive standout performance with two goals, while Ed Weatherson added four majors of his own. On the flip side, the Blacks suffered their first loss for the season, but were not without their chances. A five-goal to two third term brought them within four points, but the T’s proved too strong in the end and booted four consecutive goals in the final quarter. The Blacks are looking ominous under Cam Roberts this season and with Bede Mahon, Adam Pitt and Brendan Dess running riot, they are not without a chance.

This weekend bodes as another William Buck Premier special headlined by the grand final rematch between the T’s and Snow Dogs. Xavs and St Kevin’s will reignite rivalries when they clash at TH King; Collegians are up against the red-hot De La train; the Panthers and OMs will go head-to-head at Carey Sports Complex; and not to mention, there’s a Uni derby. Is it rivalry round?

Round 3 Tips

Old Carey vs Old Melburnians

University Blues vs University Blacks

St Bernard’s vs Old Trinity

St Kevin’s vs Old Xaverians

De La Salle vs Collegians

*Feature photo: Ari Hatzis