Mathematical possibilities for third & fourth in Premier B

By David Chalmers – @DAChalmers81

With three rounds remaining in the Premier B season, we’ve reached the stage where clubs and supporters tend to look less at the cold hard reality and start thinking in terms of ‘mathematical possibilities,’ whether it’s referring to making finals or avoiding relegation. With Beaumaris and St Bede’s/Mentone having all but sewn up the top two spots, all the attention is on the battle for third and fourth. Six of the eight bottom teams still have a chance of seeing September action, making the last three rounds something to look forward to. This is in contrast to last year, when a cluster of teams played out the final few rounds stuck with no chance of finals contention but clear of the relegation zone.

Ajax and Parkdale both entered their Round 15 clash having suffered losses the previous week. The Vultures only managed one goal against Old Brighton, while the Jackas recovered in the final term against Monash to bring some respectability to the final scoreboard. The two teams met back in Round 6 and only managed eight goals between them, with the Vultures winning 47-25.
It was all Ajax in the opening minutes, with Dean Rotenberg and Stuart Fayman kicking early goals before Parkdale kicked the next three thanks to Josh Green and Josh Manning. The Jackas had opportunities to increase their lead through the middle stages of the quarter but could only manage three behinds. David Fayman was set up by a Dean Rotenberg smother and short pass, and kicked truly for the Jackas. Manning replied with a late one for the Vultures, keeping the Ajax lead to three points at quarter time. The Jackas went goalless in the second and fourth quarters, allowing Parkdale to gradually increase their lead throughout the game and finish with a 34-point win, stopping a three game slide and keeping them only one game outside the top four. The Jackas are one game further back in eighth, and are two games clear of relegation and two games adrift of finals.

Fitzroy (fifth) and Monash (fourth) met in a crucial clash with a lot at stake. Both teams needed to win in order to stay ahead of the chasing pack and consolidate their finals chances. Both sides have also been in very good form in recent weeks, with the Blues winning five out six and the Roys were victorious in four of their last five games. The Roys won their previous match in Round 8 comfortably, 86-45. Very little separated the sides in the first half, and one extra goal to the Roys in the third quarter gave them a nine-point lead going into the last. The Blues kicked the first two goals early on and took the lead, before Daniel Bisetto finally broke through for Fitzroy halfway through the quarter. Monash replied soon after and the two teams played twelve minutes of goalless footy before the ball landed in Max Allen’s arms and he kicked truly in the dying minutes, putting the Roys back in front. Alfred Oppy had a free kick but was unable to convert the set shot, giving Fitzroy the victory and sending them to outright third.  

Beaumaris and Hampton met in a ‘top v bottom’ clash, and if the Rovers were going to take any sort of hope into the game it was based on the fact that the Sharks were yet to win this season when sharpshooter Stephen Milne was out of the side. The two teams met previously in Round 6, where Hampton kicked seven goals in the last quarter to salvage a 28-point defeat. Both sides were on the winners list in Round 14, with Hampton getting up in the last minute against Old Haileybury and Beaumaris held off Old Scotch by three goals. It was a case of “No Milne, No Worries” for the Sharks as they piled on nine goals to one in the first half. The Rovers came out with some spark in the third quarter, with Nathan Smith, Josh McPherson and Finn Garraway-McMaster all kicking goals in the first eight minutes. The Sharks recovered from the early sucker punch, adding six goals of their own. Lachlan Boyd kicked a couple and was joined by Daniel Gribbin, Steven Scott, Nick Dickinson and Jak Nardino. This pushed the lead out to ten goals at three quarter time and there was no relief for the Rovers in the last, as Beaumaris added five goals to one and finished with a big win.  

Old Haileybury paid a visit to the Tigers lair looking to bounce back from a disappointing loss to Hampton, which almost certainly consigned them to relegation come season’s end. The Tigers, despite being a couple of games clear in second, have had an up and down month, with their formline reading WLWL. Their previous encounter resulted in a 116-71 Tigers victory back in Round 9. The Tigers started ominously, getting the ball to Luke Velluto within the first minute. The Bloods had the wind and dominated the first quarter but really failed to take advantage, managing 5.7 to a solitary Tigers goal from james Tyquin. Alex Woltering provided a lively target up forward for the Bloods, kicking two goals, and was joined by James Paul, Josh Elston and John Nicolopoulos. In the second term it was the Tigers turn to kick with the wind and they made better use of it, kicking 7.3 and keeping the Bloods to one point for the quarter. Luke Velluto, George Rowlands and Alex Smout all kicked goals in the first eight minutes, and a few minutes later Michael Barnes and Alex Whalebone joined the action, coming from 31 points down and setting up a 13-point lead at the main break. The Bloods kicked themselves out of the game in the third, scoring 2.7 with the wind, but they still held a five point lead at three quarter time. Coming home with the wind gave the Tigers the upper hand and they finished with 4.6, recording a 23-point win.

Old Scotch and Old Brighton entered their contest with contrasting recent form; the Cardinals had lost four out of five, while the Tonners were on the way up after four straight wins. Their Round 7 clash ended in an 80-65 win to Old Scotch. The Cardinals started with the wind but could only manage two goals, while Andre Olivier got one back for the Tonners. Harry Hill struck early in the second quarter for Old Brighton but was answered by two Cardinal goals into the wind. Dan Anthony and Ben Jakobi hit back late for the Tonners, giving them a narrow half time lead. The state of the game was back to square one, with neither team taking advantage of the wind. Olivier and Anthony scored again for Old Brighton as they set up their win by keeping Old Scotch goalless despite kicking with the wind in the third term. The Tonners stormed home for their fifth straight win with goals from Anthony, Michael Dewar and Ben Austen. The Cardinals, although still in the top four, are now back in the pack and have been leapfrogged by Fitzroy. Old Brighton, who just weeks ago were looking relegation certainties, are now one game from finals action.