Bloods rising as Round 2 dishes up some big wins in Premier C

Mitch op’t Hoog

In Round 1, we saw some upsets and tight games and now, in Round 2, we have seen nothing but emphatic victories. 44 points was the smallest margin for the week, which came between Old Camberwell and Old Ivanhoe. Often big winning margins would make for easy tipping; this is not the case in Premier C, which is proving to be a complex competition. Many teams have sent out warning signs to the rest of the competition with their comfortable wins, however, it’s still going to take a few weeks for the dust to settle on Premier C to see who rises as serious contenders for the season ahead. At this stage of the competition it’s Old Haileybury who look to be the real deal.

The Bloods produced the performance of the round with their 83-point shock dismantling of Caulfield Grammarians at Princes Park in Caulfield. After battling hard in the first half, Haileybury took a 21-point lead into the main break, with Caulfield still in the game. However, in the second half the Bloods kicked it up a notch, booting 14 goals to four across the final two terms, laying Caulfield to rest. Nathan Waite starred in front of goal with eight while John Nicolopoulos chipped in with four majors for the top-of-the-table Bloods. On the losing team, Jack Woodman battled away all day in his second strong performance for the Fields. After travelling through the 2016 regular season unscathed, Caulfield find themselves Sitting sixth on the ladder while Haileybury now sit at the top of the pile.

The opening term set the scene for the Old Mentonians who opened with 10 scoring shots to one to set up a 90-point victory against Hampton Rovers at Boss James Reserve. Hampton bounced back in the second quarter to match Mentonians with each team scoring 21-points. Unfortunately, though, that was the only fight back they would display and the Panthers dominated the second half. 12 goals to three in the last half ensured the Panthers remained undefeated in 2017 and now sit comfortably second on the ladder. Kyle Conlon (three), Comrey Edgeworth, Brenton Schubert (four) and Jack Davis (four) had the greatest impact for Mentonians while Ben Kneebush with three goals (half his team’s tally) was solid for the Rovers. The Panthers continue to impress since joining Premier C while Hampton drop down to seventh on the ladder.

Old Camberwell have done it again, recording another impressive come-from-behind victory. The Wellers got off to a sluggish start and were trailing by 28-points at quarter-time. Hard work in the second and third saw that deficit reduced to just six points at three-quarter time and the scene was set for a stellar final stanza. The Wellers were in a similar position in Round 1, and once again, they knew exactly what to do. Camberwell piled on nine goals to the Hoers’ one to run out 44-point winners. Simon Bennett was the x-factor for Camberwell as he booted four majors in the last 30 minutes of the match to lead his team to victory. Cameron Wilson (one) starred in a best-on-ground performance for the Wellers, while Samuel Geilings was named best for the Hoes for the second consecutive match. It’s the second loss in two rounds for the Hoes after they made a semi-final appearance last year.

Old Geelong and Williamstown CYMS travelled down to Geelong Grammar to put on a show for the locals. Prior to the first bounce, Old Geelong unfurled their Division 1 premiership flag, yet despite the occasion, it would be Williamstown’s day. The CYs stamped their authority all over Premier C with a convincing 51-point victory on the road. While Old Geelong managed to score over 100 point themselves, they were unable to stop the CYs’ goal kickers and allowed 162 points against. Ben Gray (six), Mitch Parkinson (five) and Jack Gray (four) were electric in front of goal, while Nicholas Blackney dominated as the best player on the ground. For the Ogs, Charlie Youngman bagged four in a strong performance. On the back of their win, The CYs sit fifth on the ladder and three spots ahead of Old Geelong.

Opening their account for 2017, Marcellin registered an emphatic 84-point win over Kew who are struggling in 2017. The Eagles were at their dominant best as records show they held the Bears scoreless in the first half and took a 42-point lead into halftime. The final two quarters didn’t get much better for Kew as Marcellin booted a further 10 goals to the Bear’s three to see out the match. James Robertson (BOG), Andrew Kay (four) and coach Jarrod Carlson (three) lead the charge for the victors while Mark Brazzale kicked two goals for the Bears who now slump to a percentage of just 28.7 and find themselves sitting at the bottom of the ladder.

In Round 3, Caulfield will look to bounce back after their reality check against Haileybury and will take on in-form Williamstown CYMS. This should be an exciting, competitive and high-scoring match that may only be separated by a few points. I’m predicting Williamstown to inflict Caulfield with their second loss in as many weeks and win by a slender two points. Marcellin at home take on Hampton Rovers with both teams chasing their second win of the year. I’m tipping Marcellin to win by 32 points. The undefeated Old Camberwell come up against the winless Old Geelong in what will be a real test for the OGs. I’m tipping Simon Bennett to have another strong performance and lead the Wellers to a six-goal win. Old Ivanhoe will be hoping to open their account in 2017 as they face off against the top-of-the-table, undefeated Old Haileybury. I’m tipping this to be a one-sided affair and Haileybury to win by 60+ points. In the final match of Round 3, another undefeated team in Old Mentonians will take on bottom-of-the-table, Kew. Again, I can only see this going one way, and unfortunately for Kew, I think it will be Old Mentonians by 100+.