Tonners, Snow Dogs unrelenting for second straight game

Old Brighton increased their percentage to a monster 415.09 at the top of the Premier B ladder with a comprehensive 74-point victory against Mazenod. A 10-goal first half set up the win for the Tonners, with Michael Karayannis and Alex Mastromanno recording three goals each for the second match in a row. Thomas Garner (two) starred in a best-on-ground performance for the Tonners, while Augustine Patti was the only multiple goal kicker for the Nodders who now sit 10^th alongside fellow 2016 Premier C grand finalsits Peninsula in ninth.

A five-goal haul from Nino Lazzaro helped Fitzroy record their second win from the first two games with a 44-point victory against Peninsula. In their first outing at Brunswick Street Oval for 2017, the Roys shot out to a 36-point half-time lead and rarely looked back as Aiden Burke (one) and Corbin Stevic (two) led from the front with Lazzaro. Ben Southam and Will Harbinson (two) fought valiantly for the winless Pirates who will look to register their first victory for the year against Old Scotch next weekend.

Old Scotch maintained their winning form against Monash Blues from last year’s semi-final with a 24-point come-from-behind win at Camberwell Sports Ground. A sluggish start saw them trailing the Blues by 28 points at the main break, but a four-goal haul from Josh Halsall and starring display from Big V player Jack Bull (two) helped the Cardinals to 11 of the last 13 goals, including seven unanswered in the third term. James Sansom joined Halsall and Bull as the best for the winning team, while Jeremy Taylor (two) backed up his Round 1 screamer with an outstanding performance for the sixth-placed Blues.

Ajax put the disappointment of a tight Round 1 loss behind them with a hard-fought two-point win over Old Carey at Gary Smorgon Oval. The Jackas led by as much as 16 at the half before the Panthers climbed their way back with four goals to two in their third term. Despite kicking one more goal than the Jackas in the last, seven final-term behinds helped the red, white and black to their first win under AFL premiership coach Mark Williams. Richie Simon was named best afield and Evgeni Routman top-scored with three goals for the Jackas. Panther Andrew Sloan starred in his first game for the season but they sit seventh with two losses to start the year.

St Bernard’s recorded their second comprehensive win to start 2017, defeating Parkdale Vultures by 78 points on the back of a nine-goal haul from Jack McNamara. The Snow Dogs led by just six points at half time but piled on 15 second-half goals to the Vultures’ three, including nine in the third term. 2015 joint Woodrow Medallist Adam Bentick was at his bullish best in the Snow Dogs’ midfield and will go close to stealing the three votes from McNamara, while Jason Bristow was gallant for the Vultures. The Snow Dogs sit second on the Premier B ladder with a percentage of 358.11. The Vultures are eighth and yet to record a win in the first two rounds.