Fields give Monash the Blues, Snow Dogs end Sharks run

The dream of a perfect run into finals came crashing down for red-hot Beaumaris when Premier B top dogs, St Bernard’s, out-classed the home side by 56 points. The Snow Dogs’ goal kicking fiend in Chad Jones showed no let-up from his 13-goal masterclass last week, slotting the game opener in under 90 seconds; well and truly setting the tone for the match. The Sharks, who have not had a goal-less opening term since Round 5, were stifled to just two points in the first quarter to the Snow Dogs 34 points. Despite being able to pull a three goal haul in the second term, courtesy of Sam Gibbins, Lochie Brodie and Lewis Diggins, St Bernard’s showed no let-up and walked into half-time with a considerable 45-point advantage. The Snow Dogs continued to control the match in the latter half thanks to their side’s best in Chad Jones (9) and Adam Bentick (1), while the Sharks’ Lewis Diggins (1), Robert Cathcart and Damien Johns showed real determination in what was a steep learning curve from Premier B’s best for the 4th placed side.

Any trepidation Old Carey might’ve had regarding their Round 15 encounter with Ajax were evidently unfounded considering the 96-point margin in the Panthers favour upon the match conclusion. Their last encounter in Round 9 saw the Jackas supress Old Carey’s usual score-kicking dominance, and it looked like a similar outcome could occur again when the Jackas ended the opening term 23-15 in their favour. The Panthers, however, came out in the second quarter and booted a staggering nine goals from six goal kickers, including three from Jarrod Reid and two from Marc Lock, to steer the contest in their favour and go into the major break with a 38-point advantage. Intent on not letting-up, the Panthers were relentless for the remainder of the game, which included an additional 29 points to their tally in the third, and an overwhelming 58 points to blow the game out in the final term. For the Jackas, Joshua Ludski and Stuart Fayman were gutsy throughout, while 2nd placed Panthers’ Morgan Evans, Jarrod Reid (4) and Matthew King were named best in what was an assured performance from the certain finals contenders.

From a 35-point deficit at halftime, Mazenod clawed their way back into their contest with Parkdale Vultures only to fall short by a gut-wrenching three points at Central Reserve Oval. The Vultures began the match confidently, solidifying a one-goal advantage at the opening break which stretched to just shy of six goals at the end of the first half, but with club pride and relegation fears on the line, the Nodders’ were never going to lie down. In a truly dominant display, Mazenod managed to stack a massive 39 points to their tally in the third quarter, whilst simultaneously rendering the 6th placed Vultures completely scoreless. Faced with a four-point disadvantage at the beginning of the fourth, and with memories of their five-point victory over the surging Nodders back in Round 9 in the back of their minds, the Vultures managed to turn the tide in this final quarter and edge the narrow three-point victory. For the Nodders, who welcomed back a string of senior players, it was Christopher Campbell and Simon Hall who were named best, while the Vultures’ Charlie Dillon (3) and Luke Forbes were pivotal.

Fifth-placed Caulfield Grammarians had little trouble dispatching Monash Blues (10th) at Glenhuntly oval this afternoon, and were rewarded with a 115-point, percentage boosting, win for their efforts. It was warned that a poor start would be the Blues undoing in this match-up, and it proved true when the Fields raced to a 39-point advantage in the opening quarter alone. Though Monash did manage to score 38 points by halftime, well on track to better their season average of almost 53 points per game, their defensive pressure to shut down the Fields scoring ability proved problematic as they too extended their own score by 25 points. Managing to exactly double their first half score of 80 points to 160 points by the end of the game, the Fields were unyielding in a win that will give them confidence to continue their winning form for the remainder of the Home & Away season. For the hard-lucked Monash Blues, it was Nicholas Argento and Benjamin McDonell who were best afield, contrarily, the Fields’ Will Osborn (4), Nathan Page (1) and Declan Reilly (1) were top of the pack in the winners line-up.

In what was arguably the most unforeseen close encounter of the Premier B round, it was University Blacks who reversed a 14-point shortage from three quarter time to a 13-point win by the final siren over the courageous Old Haileyburians. Fast out the blocks, the Bloods applied total pressure from the opening bounce, stifling the Blacks to just a single point in the opening term whilst pilling on 25 of their own. Recovering quickly, the Blacks responded with 36-points in the second to trail by a resolvable two-points at the major break. Replicating their first quarter prowess, the Bloods were again unremitting in the third, and looked the likely victors when they approached the three quarter time huddle with a significant 14-point lead. Credit where credit is due, the Blacks Angus Locke (1), John Vrodos (2) and Jarrod Carlson (1) were gutsy and determined, and were hence named best for their performance in the winning side. For the unlucky Bloods, who showed patches of brilliance, Callum Searle, Aaron Toy and James Paul standouts.