Claws & paws as Snowdogs face Panthers

Alisha Min

23 weeks have come to pass since that unseasonably summer-like afternoon greeted our Premier B clubs and supporters in Round 1. No less than 90 home & away games, and three thrilling finals, later and we have arrived at the final stand-off for 2018 between the unyielding St Bernard’s (1^st), and the resolute Old Carey (2^nd).

REVIEW

Having lost to the minor premiers, St Bernard’s, by 31 points in the second semi final the week prior, Old Carey found themselves in a fail-or-flail scenario at Elsternwick Park on Saturday 8 September in the Premier B preliminary final against the raring University Blacks (3^rd).

The opening half was the very definition of a see-sawing affair, as the Panthers raced to a five-goal opening term before the Blacks returned the favour in the second to hold a single-goal margin at the major break.

In what was a pure illustration of the evenness of our top-tier Premier B sides, the final quarter exemplified this section’s breadth of talent and our players’ hunger for success. A point down at the third quarter break, Old Carey managed to level the scores almost immediately at the start of the fourth before a goal-for-goal style of play prevailed. With a huge eight goals kicked in this final 25 minutes of play, the Blacks John Vrodos (2), Lachlan Knight (1) and Lachlan Huntington (3) all played important roles with their respective majors. You simply could not overlook Old Carey’s Morgan Evans, who kicked four majors for the match, three of which were slotted in the fourth, or Jason Ashby’s goal with less than a minute remaining, which paved the way for the Panther’s four-point win.

PREVIEW

CURRENT FORM

St Bernard’s – WWWLW

Old Carey – WLWWW

LAST TIME THEY MET

We needn’t search too far to discern how these sides have fared against each other in the past, as their last encounter was just a fortnight ago in the second semi final at Box Hill City oval.

In that instance, St Bernard’s retained their top dog persona with a 31-point final siren victory. Though a seemingly straight-forward result, the day didn’t go all the Snow Dog’s way when the Panthers pounced to an early 16-point lead in the opening term, a lead that could have undoubtedly been more greater given their 21 inside 50s to St Bernard’s six. But, true to character and their ranking as the best offensive and defensive side in the Premier B competition, the determined St Bernard’s crew repelled the Panthers barrage and were quick to bite back with a five goal second quarter while limiting the fast starter’s to a meagre point. The match continued in a similar fashion in the latter half, with the Bernard’s Caven boys, Michael (4), Thomas and Simon, putting on a masterclass around the ground. The outstanding effort from the Old Carey side, especially considering the loss of their inspirational captain, Cam Jones, during the match with a broken leg, could not be missed. Players like Kristian Jaksch (2), Sam Cust and Henry Schade were particular highlights.

ESTABLISHED PERFORMERS

St Bernard’s and Old Carey both have proven performers who are undoubtedly brilliant in their own right, a fact which was abundantly clear in the 2018 Premier B Team of the Year selection when the teams had five and four selections, respectively.

For St Bernard’s, Chad Jones (GT Moore Medallist), Adam Bentick, Tom Sullivan and Connor Riley are just a handful from the starting line-up who have commanded the respect of the competition with their 2018 seasons. Not to be overlooked, the Caven brothers in Tom, Simon and Michael will be a sight to see, as this will be their second senior grand final appearance together in three years (2015, 2018), and Tom will also be notching a remarkable 200 senior games milestone.

Players the ilk of Kristian Jaksch, Henry Schade, Sam Cust and Andrew Sloane come to mind when thinking of the Panther’s bona fide stars, but their win over Uni Blacks in the preliminary final was just a small reminder of the versatility and young talent which they can assert. Returning from VFL duties this weekend, look for VAFA Big V U19s captain, Charlie Thomas, to make things difficult for Mark Riley’s men.

FINIAL THOUGHTS

Old Carey’s re-entry into William Buck Premier after a two year stint in Premier B has been no accident. Under the remarkable guidance of senior coach, Michael Tarrant, the Panthers have completely rebuilt their list in a enviable fashion since 2015/16 and will be fired up for another flag.

St Bernard’s have also been through a major rebuild in this period, and would be thrilled at the progress of their debutants over the year. In Round 1, the Snow Dog’s had seven players debut, five of which were U19 players, and a number of these would be considered highly for a feature this weekend.