Bedes bounce back against Swinburne as Magpies down Swans

Meg Saultry

Hawthorn AFC continued its strong form by dismantling Canterbury Football Club by 64 points at Canterbury Sportsground to kick off Round 11. The Hawks kicked into gear from the first bounce, kicking six unanswered first half goals. While the Cobras were never truly within striking distance of the Hawks, they lifted their efforts in the second half and got two goals on the board, though Hawthorn remained dominant and finished the match with 11 majors. Hawthorn’s Penny Brown bagged five goals to be named best afield in the win, and leads the competitions leading goal tally (with 19 majors) while Molly Johnston sits just below Brown in third after kicking another three (16). Canterbury’s Natasha Schiller was her team’s best and finished with a goal, with Mary Spillane contributing the Cobras second goal. The result fails to unsettle either teams position in the competition, with Hawthorn staying in second and the Cobras in fifth, one win outside the Top 4.

St Bedes/Mentone Tigers rebounded from their loss to Hawthorn last week, soundly beating Swinburne Uni by 59 points at St James Park. Contested football ruled first quarter, with neither team able to record a major score. But it was the Tigers who broke through and booted five goals in the second term to take a 26-point lead into the main break. From there the Tigers continued to build, kicking another five goals over the remainder of the game. Eliza Cooper finished with four goals for the Tigers, while Lauren Geschke played her best game this season to be named Best on Ground. Brydie Steinfort continued her form with a another dominant game for the Tigers, while Swinburne’s Lauren Johnson was best afield for her side for a second week in a row. Swinburne Uni remains in seventh and while mathematically they can make the Top 4, the chances are slim. With their seventh win this season, Tigers move ahead of South Melbourne Districts by percentage to sit in third.

South Melbourne Districts suffered their first slip in four games, losing to Ivanhoe by 38 point at Gary Smorgon Oval. South Melbourne had been in fine form across the last month of matches, having beaten two other Top 4 sides. But the Bloods couldn’t rival the Magpies, who were also the side to gift the Bloods their last loss in Round 6. The Round 11 rematch was seemingly won in the first half, with Ivanhoe impacting the scoreboard with five unanswered goals, before an even contest between both sides finished out the match. Ashton Bridge kicked three goals for the Magpies (and now has seven goals from seven games), Federica Frew was awarded Best on Ground for a fourth time this season, while South Melbourne’s Madeline Johansen proved to be her team’s best. Ivanhoe remains ahead of the competition in first position, while South Melbourne slips from third to fourth, although fortunately hold a one match buffer ahead of fifth.

Therry Penola nabbed their fifth win of the season, defeating eighth-placed UHS-VU by 17 points at John Pascoe Fawkner Reserve on Sunday to finish the round. Therry got the jump on UHS-VU by kicking four unanswered first half goals, and after cultivating a lead of 23 points as they headed into the final quarter, held off a fast finishing UHS-VU (three final quarter goals) to win the match. Therry’s Bridget Costello finished with three majors to double her goal tally for the season and finish best afield, while Natarsha Kemp was also instrumental in the win. UHS-VU’s Isabella Lynch was a standout, while Madeline Hince slotted two of the teams four goals. The Lions remain in sixth and currently sit two wins out of the Top 4 with three games to go. UHS-VU lie outside finals contention in eighth, but will attempt to finish their season strong and add to their two wins this season.