Cardinals tame Panthers, Snow Dogs send ominous warning to rest of Premier B

Old Scotch welcomed Old Carey back to Premier B with a strong 48-point victory at Carey Sports Complex. The Cardinals held a seven-point lead at the first break before piling on six goals to two in the second and blowing the margin out to 31 points. The Panthers fought hard but struggled to get back into the match as Cardinal Jordan Clarke (three goals) ran riot in a best-on-ground performance. Jono Daggian (three), Joshua Tilley (one) and young gun Lachlan Byrne-Jones showcased their talent in the harsh conditions for Scotch, while recruit and former Bomber Jason Ashby led from the front for the Panthers.

St Bernard’s took little time to send an ominous warning to the rest of the competition with a 113-point victory over Mazenod at Central Reserve. Just months after suffering relegation from William Buck Premier, the Snow Dogs piled on seven unanswered first-term goals as they made light work of the 2016 Premier C champions. Edyn Sibbald (five) and Jack McNamara (four) sent through nine between them, while vice-captain Adam Bentick flexed his muscle in a best-on-ground display. Rob Mann was the best of the Nodders and Brad Kovac maintained his goal kicking form from last year with two.

Old Brighton commenced their 2017 campaign in sensational form as they defeated Peninsula by 93 points in just three quarters at Frankston Oval. The match was abandoned due to lightning but not before the Tonners piled on 31 scoring shots to eight with Alex Mastromanno and  Michael Karayannis hitting the scoreboard three times each. Co-captains Dylan Verney and Harry Hill starred for the Tonners, while Stu Grigg and Shaun Payze were the best performing Pirates in their first match of Premier B in the club’s history.

Monash Blues overcame a 26-point half-time deficit and ran out 10-point winners against Ajax at Frearson Oval. Another game affected by lightning in the final term, the Blues piled on five unanswered with Joe Harrison and Charles Cosgriff the two best players on the field for the winning side. Newly-appointed skipper Nick Lewis fought valiantly all day for the Jackas while Brandon Joel was their only multiple goal kicker with two.

Six unanswered goals in the third term helped Fitzroy overcome a 25-point half time deficit and claim a thrilling three-point victory over Parkdale Vultures at Gerry Green Reserve. While they went goalless in the final term, the Roys defence was strong enough to hold off the Vultures who had five scoring shots to one in the last. Nathan Jumeau kicked three goals alongside standout performances from Julian Turner and Max Ellis for the Roys, while Zac Straker snagged three goals of his own for the Vultures.