Raiders in a thriller, Unicorns skip away in the fourth

Eltham Collegians jumped two spots into sixth position on the Division 2 ladder after they defeated Bulleen Templestowe by 23 points at Eltham College.  The Turtles led by just six points at the first break but won the game in the second with seven goals to one. Fraser Cloney bagged his second consecutive six-goal haul for the Turtles, while Travis Stevens was best afield in his first outing for the year. Kristian Cherbakof did his utmost at the other end of the ground and kicked seven goals for the Bullants, but they now slump to six losses half way through the season.

Seven goals to three in the final term helped MHSOB to a 28-point victory over Hawthorn AFC at Melbourne High. The Unicorns trailed by five points at half time but managed three goals in the third before exploding to close out the game.  Mitchell Wilson starred in a best-on-ground display for the Unicorns, while Matthew Bouwmeester and Ashley Hogan kicked four each. William Meehan snagged two in a BOG display for the Hawks, who are yet to claim their first win for the season but seem to be edging closer each week.

Old Paradians claimed their most thrilling win for the season as they came from behind to run over Glen Eira by just five points at Packer Reserve. Trailing by 15 points at half time and then eight at the last break, the Raiders kicked five goals to two in a rampaging final term to secure their fourth win of the season. Ross Licciardi and Christian White shone as the best players for the Raiders, while Nathan Dennis stood out for the Gryphons. The Raiders’ win means there’s now five teams, including the Gryphons, on four wins at the midway mark of the season.

32 scoring shots to 17 illustrates the dominance West Brunswick imparted over recent rival Emmaus St Leo’s during their 55-point victory at Ransford Oval. The Westies trailed by 14 points after an inaccurate first term but galvanised for 17 of the last 23 goals. Craig Mitchell continued his standout month of football as the Westies’ bet, while Christopher Beluszar top-scored for the Animals with three goals as the goal kicking maestro continues to impress.

Prahran Assumption continued their hot form atop the Division 2 ladder with a 58-point win over Yarra Old Grammarians at Toorak Park. The Two Blues were relentless with 38 scoring shots to 20 as Josh Hogarth backed up his seven in Round 8 with another bag of five. Eric Kuret returned with a BOG performance for the winning side, while Simon Yeo and David Wildsmith impressed for the Bushrangers. It was the Bushrangers’ third loss for the year but they maintain their third spot on the ladder.