Magpies swoop into top spot, Lions roar

Meg Saultry

Ivanhoe have seized top spot in the competition after winning their fifth straight match, defeating UHS-VU by 29 points at Ford Park. After keeping UHS scoreless for the first three quarters and building a lead out to 35, Ivanhoe were forced to play on the back foot in the final term when UHS-VU hit back with six scoring shots to zero. But UHS-VU failed to make those shots matter, finishing he game with six minor scores and giving Ivanhoe the win. Federica Frew again stood up for the Magpies, kicking two goals and earning her third Best on Ground honour for the season, while Roisin McSweeney and Sarah O’Grady were among UHS-VU’s best, with the club enduring at the bottom of the ladder with two wins.

Hawthorn AFC lost their second game for the season, falling to South Melbourne Districts by a slim four points at Gary Smorgon Oval. Nothing separated the two teams at quarter time, and while South Melbourne won the second term, the Hawks held a precarious three-point lead heading into the final 20 minutes. But South Melbourne rose to the occasion, kicking the final goal of the game to win the match. South’s Rohanna Crouch was her sides’ best, finishing the game with a goal, while Hawthorn’s Molly Johnston took her season tally to 12 with another two goals effort. The win marked South Melbourne’s third in a row as the club sits in fourth, while Hawthorn loses grip of top spot after Ivanhoe’s win and trails in second by percentage.

St Bedes/Mentone Tigers avenged their horror 74-point loss in Round 8 by easily accounting for Canterbury Football Club by 45 points at Canterbury Sportsground. With a defensive stronghold on the Cobras, who were unable to score in the opening half, the Tigers failed however to make their opponents pay, kicking 1.10 in the second quarter. However, the team returned more focused and accurate in the second half as they slotted six goals. The Cobras played more competitive football in the final term, kicking three goals, but it was too late to make a difference. Tigers trio Brydie Steinfort, Eliza Cooper and Georgia Ricardo each kicked two goals for the winning side, with Steinfort best afield and Ricardo lining up in just her first game, while Canterbury’s Lauralee Rinaldi was her sides’ best for a third week in a row. The Cobras (fifth) sit one win out of the Top 4, while the Tigers remain in third with a comfortable percentage of 170.53.

Therry Penola won their fourth game of the season, running past Swinburne Uni by 21 points at St James Park. It was four unanswered goals in the first half that sealed the win for the Lions, with the Razorbacks unable to claw themselves back into the game. Hannah Ryan was crucial for the victors, while teammate Bridget Costello kicked two and was the Lions top goal scorer of the day. Swinburne’s Hayley Wurfel kicked both majors for her team, while Lauren Johnson, in her second season with the club, was the Razorbacks best. The result causes both teams to rotate on the ladder, with Swinburne falling from sixth into seventh and Therry Penola moving past Swinburne into sixth.