Bullants down De La, OMs flex muscle in Div 2

Meg Saultry

Bulleen Templestowe’s slim finals hopes remain intact after a 56 point thrashing of De La Salle at Ted Ajani Reserve. The Bullants’ inaccuracy stopped the game from blowing out any further with the winning team slotting 8.15, but six goals across the second half did plenty to secure the win. Bulleen’s Madelyn Davies dominance was once again on show with another Best on Ground showing, with Davies impressively named in the team’s Top 2 players for the past nine rounds, while Melanie Bertuna collected a bag of five goals in only her second game. De La Salle’s Ashleigh Riley was her team’s lone goal kicker, slotting the six points in the third term, with Stephanie Mcmurray also impressing. The Bullants remain in fifth position, but sit two wins out of a Top-4 berth and will need all things to go their way in the remaining two games of the season, , while De La Salle endure at the bottom of the ladder in eighth.

In a low-scoring affair, Old Ivanhoe held on in a thriller to beat Oakleigh by one point at Jordan Reserve. The Hoers got off to a quick start with the first goal of the game through Romy Costa, and led by seven points heading into the final quarter. But the Krushers broke through to score their first goal of the game in final term, with Cassandra Bethune converting the six points to bring the margin down to one point. But it wasn’t enough in the end, with the Hoers holding on in the final minutes to score the much needed win. Old’ Ivanhoe’s Sophie Wilkinson was named Best on Ground, with the win pushing the Hoers up into second place, with Oakleigh out of finals contention in seventh.

A second half fightback saw Aquinas come from behind to beat Whitefriars FC by a slim four points at Aquinas College. The Bloods notched their fourth win of the season when they knocked off the Top-4 side on home turf. Whitefriars dominated play in the first half and had built a comfortable 14-point lead heading into the main break, but the Bloods were able to swing the game in their favour in the third term with two goals to bring the margin within two points at the final change. The Bloods grabbed the lead for the first time that day when they kicked the only goal of the fourth quarter, with their nerves holding out as they ran out victorious. Emily Winters was best afield for the Bloods with Molly Sheehan and Caitlin Flanagan both kicking two goals apiece, while Whitefriars’ Caitlin Angus continued her form of late with another dominant performance. Aquinas’ win keeps them in sixth position amongst the competition, while Whitefriars drop from second into third.

Old Melburnians continued their dominance over the competition with a 13-point win over fellow top-4 side Williamstown CYMS at Burbank Oval. It was a back and forth contest for most of the match, with OMFC leading by one point at the first break before CY kicked two second quarter goals to OMFC’s inaccurate six minor scores to take a five point lead into the main break. OMFC returned fired up ahead of the second half and hit the scoreboard multiple times to steal back the lead and run away with the win. After missing from OMFC’s line up in Round 10, Maeve Johnston returned for another Best on Ground performance following her Round 10 showing, while Charlotte Ferrier finished with two goals for the game. CY’s Stephanie Basile backed up her haul last round with another three majors against OMFC, while Felicia Yiannis also impressed. OMFC remain at the top of the table, while the loss causes CY to slip to fourth.