Masala make their move, Sharks upset Rams

Jason Bast – @Jason_Bast

We’re back from the Queen’s Birthday long weekend bye and the Bulls remain undefeated sitting on top of the Division 4 ladder after notching up their eighth win of the year. Aquinas are still hot on their heels with a great percentage in second place, the Bloods putting a 64-point win on the board against the Cobras. The Eley Park Sharks upset the Rams at Mt Lilydale Mercy College, and closing out the round, Masala move off the bottom of the ladder as they managed to grab their first victory of the season with a huge win over Parkside.

North Brunswick AFC 18.14-122 def Elsternwick 9.7-67

The Bulls were off and running from the first bounce and it looked a certainty they would keep their undefeated season alive as they fired home 12 scoring shots to two in the first quarter. Despite their inaccurate kicking in front of goal in the first term (4.8) they never looked like losing. Stretching the lead out to 30 and 43 points by the half and three quarter time breaks, before putting their foot down in the final 20 minutes of the game to finish 61-point winners over the struggling Wickers. Jake George and Peter Notaro were the go to guys up forward for the Bulls, finishing with four and three goals, respectively. William Croagh ended the game with best on ground honours for his great display. Jack Mcloughlin and Andrew Oldfield did their best for the Wickers but it wasn’t enough to overcome the this Bulls powerhouse.

Aquinas 13.19-97 def Manningham Cobras AFC 4.9-33

A huge first term set up Aquinas for yet another percentage boosting victory. Going into the first change, the deficit was already 50 points in favour Aquinas. The Bloods struggled to convert all their chances in the second quarter as they went on to kick 2.7 to lead Manningham by 47 points at halftime. With an already scary percentage, it’s a worrying thought to imagine how large Aquinas’ percentage could be had they been more accurate in front of goal this season. Heading into the second half it was almost an impossible task for the Cobras who were trying to pull back a lead from the best offensive team in the league. It proved too much as the Bloods continued the first half trend and ran out the game 64-point victors. Patrick Mahon creeped two goals closer to teammate Liam Whelan’s goal kicking lead for the season. Whelan shockingly staying goalless for the first time this year, in fact this weekend’s game was the first time the league’s top forward has been kept to under three goals. Proving how impressive this Bloods team is to still finish with an emphatic win.

Mt Lilydale OC 9.13-67 def by Eley Park Sharks 14.8-92

The fans were treated to a great game down at Mt Lilydale Mercy College as only one point separated the two teams going into halftime. A perfectly even first term setup for an even better second quarter as the Sharks managed to edge ahead of the Rams by the main break. The second half is where the Rams lost touch with Eley Park, kicking 2.3 to the Sharks’ 7.3 in the third quarter. A very low-scoring final quarter saw The Sharks win the contest by 25 points. Jesiah Mcgarvie was the best forward of the game collecting five majors alongside Andrew Olsen and Leigh Booth both booting three. William Whyte was best on ground for the day. Eley Park now sit in fifth place behind Elsternwick on percentage and only one game behind the Rams and Manningham who are both on five wins for the season.

Parkside FC 5.4-34 def by Masala FC 17.9-111

It was a terrific weekend for Masala, as the Tigers thumped Parkside by 77 points, racking up their first win of the season. Bumping them up off the bottom of the ladder, now sitting above St Francis Xavier and Parkside. It looked good for the Masala boys from the get go as they opened up a 20-point lead in the first quarter. Putting their foot down in the second term, the Tigers put on 16 scoring shots to five at the half making their first win almost inevitable. With a second half to match they closed out the match 77 points ahead of Parkside. Jacob Heritage and Samuel Johnson did their best for Parkside on the day.

Preview

Passing the halfway point of the season, it’s coming together as an entertaining finish. With the Bulls and Aquinas sitting in first and second with only one loss between them, they still only sit a couple of games ahead of the pack. Manningham and Mt Lilydale close out the top four with five wins each, with Elsternwick and The Sharks hot on their tales with four apiece. Round 10 will kick off with Masala coming off their first win of the season to face Mt Lilydale OC at WJ Turner Reserve. The Cobras take on Elsternwick park in the second game of the round. Parkside will be hoping to bounce back from a disappointing loss when they face The Eley Park Sharks at Pitcher Park and closing out the round the undefeated Bulls play last placed St Francis Xavier OC on the X-men’s home deck.

*Feature photo: Masala FC