Lopsided results as 3 remain undefeated in Premier B

Alisha Min

Round 3 of the Premier B competition produced a string of lopsided results, with the cream of the crop in Old Carey, University Blacks and Beaumaris rising to the top of the competition with their continued undefeated status.

The round kicked off with Beaumaris continuing their winning form as they defeated Mazenod by 69 points at Central Reserve. The Sharks were convincing leaders throughout the duration of the match, leading by 21 points, 33 points and 61 points at each respective break. Joel Cusack, Will Edmonds and Max Williams all kicked three goals for the Sharks, while Jonno Nash was also impressive around the ground and in front of goals with one major. For the Nodders, Liam Welsford also bagged a trio of goals, but the side was unable to replicate last week’s outstanding form against Ajax, and they sit seventh on the ladder with one win for the season.

Old Carey’s dominance as an unbeaten side in the Premier B competition continued on Saturday when they ran over Monash Blues to the tune of 119 points at Frearson Oval. A 31 point lead at the first break all but set up the Panthers for the match, but to their credit, they continued to build upon that margin as the match progressed. Kristian Jaksch had another stellar performance for the home side, kicking seven snags in his BOG display, and putting him right in contention for leading goal kicker for the competition. Cameron Jones and Sam Cust were also impressive, chipping in with three majors apiece. Despite the considerable defeat, the Blues’ Brayden Price and Cameron Pither fought hard, though senior coach Mark Passador will be looking for the whole team to step up in the coming weeks in order for the Monash side to move upwards on the ladder.

The anticipation surrounding the Premier C Grand Final replay between Caulfield Grammarians and Old Haileybury at Glenhuntly Oval was great, and with only 2 points separating the sides heading into the first break, we looked set for a tight contest. Unfortunately for the Bloods, the Fields entered the second term with greater accuracy and fight, scoring 6 unanswered goals and all but sealing the game. Declan Reilly scored three majors for the Fields, and Corey Connelly mirrored that tally with three of his own for the Bloods, making him one of the mere two goal kickers for the 2017 Premier C Grand Final victors.

In perfect conditions, and with 13 points apiece at quarter time, the match up between Ajax and University Blacks looked set to be a strong one on Saturday afternoon. Similarly to the first term, the second quarter was competitive with the Blacks ascertaining a 12 point lead heading into the major break, but like so many of the results from the round, however, it was a 20 minute display of sheer dominance from the visiting side that put the game beyond doubt. Lachlan Huntington and Lochy Dornauf were on-song for the Blacks, scoring a whopping seven and five goals respectively, while young gun Campbell Moorfield was remarkable throughout, earning himself the Best on Ground votes. Though Richie Simon and Nick Lewis put in solid performances for the Jackas, the team would be disappointed with their second straight loss for the season, and will look to approach their Round 4 match-up against St Bernards with their trademark competitive mentality.

Back at home at the Snake Pit, and St Bernard’s looked well and truly in form when they piled on a convincing 105 point win against the win-less Parkdale Vultures. As we are discovering more and more as the season progresses, a solid opening term will more often than not set the tone for the match, and that is precisely the case here when the Snow Dogs scored 7 majors to the Vultures 2 in the opening term. To the home side’s credit, they continued to bite down for the duration of the match, which was more than evident in their 41 scoring shots to the Vultures 11. The Snow Dogs had a total of seven multiple goal scorers for the match, with Michael Caven leading the pack with four, and Jack McNamara, Chad Jones, Jordan Farrell and Chris Hughes each bagging three. The Vultures had Jai Hale and Andrew Watterson flying high for the away side, but the Snow Dogs whole-team determination was just too hard to fight.

PREVIEW

Beaumaris will be looking to uphold their undefeated status at Banksia Reserve when they host Caulfield Grammarians this weekend. The Fields senior coach, Simon Williams, will be sure to address his side’s inaccuracy in front of the big sticks this week in the lead up to their Round 4 clash against the high-flying, average of 107 points a game, Beaumaris. If recent results are anything to go by, both teams have been able to overcome Old Haileyburians by roughly the same margin, but I think the home-ground advantage and 3-game winning streak by the Sharks will secure them the 4 points.

At Carey Sports Complex, Old Carey will be taking on Mazenod. They say there is no time like the present, so if the Nodders really want to improve their bottom-of-the-ladder position, they will have to muster a better scoring performance this weekend to be competitive against the top-of-the-table Panthers. The Nodders and the Panthers enter this match with an average match score of 36 and 125 points respectively, so my tip for this match goes with Old Carey.

The Uni Blacks will be back on home soil at Melbourne University Oval this weekend as they host the Monash Blues. With leading Premier B goal scorer Lachlan Huntington (15), and third leading goal scorer Lochie Dornauf (11), prominent in the Uni Blacks forward-line, it will be a tough day out for Monash Blues defenders.

If Old Haileybury want to sustain their position in the Premier B competition in 2018, they have a prime opportunity to begin that campaign this weekend when they come up against the also win-less Parkdale Vultures. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and both teams have plenty to prove in their quest for the ever-allusive 4 points. I am tipping this to be the game of the round, and for Old Haileyburians to win in a close one.

St Bernards will be looking for an additional 4 points on the Premier B ladder after their clash against Ajax back at the Snake Pit this weekend. A win for Ajax will keep them close to the pace with 2 wins and 2 losses, but the Snow Dogs will undoubtedly have other ideas. Given the game location, and that their only loss of the season thus far is against competition leaders, Old Carey, my tip goes to St Bernards.