Tigers tie with Rams, Cobras spit venom at Wickers

Jason Bast – @Jason_Bast

A very interesting week for the fans of Division 4 with some great results and exciting matches played on Saturday. Mt Lilydale and Masala were up first as they battled in a thrilling game that unfortunately couldn’t result in a winner as the pair finished with scores locked at 102 apiece. Manningham dismantled Elsternwick to move two points ahead of the Rams in third place on the ladder. The Eley Park Sharks won their second consecutive match and are now sitting just two points behind The Rams outside the top four. And finally, the Bulls kept their streak alive, remaining undefeated after 10 rounds following their win over St Francis Xavier.

Masala FC 15.12-102 draw Mt Lilydale OC 15.12.102

We have our first draw of the season officially in the books. Masala and The Rams fought hard in an exhilarating game with neither team able to get the edge before the final siren. With no lead bigger than five points at any of the breaks, both teams were trying fiercely to grab the slightest step up in the game. However, with excellent performances from players on both sides, the teams couldn’t be split. Anthony Dorrington booted a bag of six for the Tigers while being helped by teammate Sam Freeman who kicked four of his own. Mt Lilydale’s scoring was shared a little more, boasting 10 individual goal scorers. Stephen Donald leading the way with three while Reece Hancock was awarded best on ground after another strong performance. Mt Lilydale now sit two points clear of fifth and two points below third and Masala remain in seventh.

Manningham Cobras AFC 19.15-129 def Elsternwick 12.4-76

The Cobras had Elsternwick on the ropes from the get go with the Wickers conceding a 37-point quarter time lead with 10 scoring shots to two. Manningham continued their dominance and extended the lead to 59 points going into the main break. The second half was a little better for the Wickers as they kicked 8.3 from 11 scoring shots beating Manningham in the second half as the Cobras put on another 6.9. However, a strong second half wasn’t enough for the Wickers and Manningham closed out the game 53-point victors. Christopher Jolly added to his goal kicking tally, booting five majors for the Cobras, only to be out done by Justin Hunter who booted six for Elsternwick. Justin Pilcher had a fabulous day earning best on ground honours for Manningham.

Parkside FC 8.7-55 def by Eley Park Sharks 13.10-88

The Eley Park Sharks have won their second game in a row to take their season tally to five wins, The Sharks now sit two points behind fourth-placed Rams after their draw with Masala. In this match it seemed the Sharks were running away with it in the first term before The Red Devils made a second quarter comeback to squeeze the margin back to a single point. In the end, Eley Park put their foot down in the second half to run out the game 33 points ahead. Jesiah Mcgarvie had another great week in front of goals with six, following on from his performance of five last week to edge out Leigh Booth as The Sharks leading goal scorer. Aaron Eastlake had a great number of disposals and kicked two goals for Parkside.

St Francis Xavier 9.5-59 def by North Brunswick AFC 12.16-88

Another tough day for the X-Men down at St Francis Xavier College as they failed to end the Bulls undefeated run. An inaccurate first term for North Brunswick resulted in a quarter time margin of just four points. Continuing to struggle with accuracy but nearly doubling their scoring shots in the second quarter, the Bulls extended the lead to 26 points at halftime. They finished out the game with twice as many scoring shots as St Francis on their way to a 29-point win. Nicholas Trewhella kept his outstanding form going for North Brunswick in a best on ground performance. Peter Butler and Jake George both kicked three goals, George now sitting third on the goal kicking leader board with 34 majors for the season. Harley Crozier was best afield for the X-Men while Brendan O’Hara finished with three goals.

Preview

Moving on to Round 11, and it doesn’t get any better for bottom placed St Francis who come up against Aquinas at Aquinas College who are returning from a week off. Mt Lilydale will be looking to jump the Cobras on the ladder in what should be the match of the round as only two points separate Manningham and Mt Lilydale on the ladder. At Pitcher Park, Parkside will attempt to end the undefeated run of the first-placed Bulls. To close out the round, the Eley Park Sharks are aiming for three wins in a row when they face Masala at Whitehorse Reserve.