X-Men pile on 34 goals, Swans win nail-biter

Connor Hoetzel

An eight-point victory for South Melbourne has helped breathe new life into their camp, as they made the most of their chances to leave Masala Dandenong reeling after a third consecutive loss by less than 12 points. Jordan Heis and Aidan Rawlings were the keys to the Swans success, kicking three and two goals respectively, while Rawlings was also named best on ground. Samuel Freeman kicked two goals for the Tigers and Anthony Dorrington was the man of the match. This result and others from the weekend leaves five teams all separated by just percentage in fourth spot, with Masala Dandenong clinging to it for now.

Afer an inaccurate bout in front of goals in Round 5, Eley Park were back firing in Round 6 after finding 15 goals to claim victory over Elsternwick at home. The Sharks were on early with a blistering six goal first quarter, and they never looked back from there, leading by 40 at the final change. Elsternwick came home strong but it was too little, too late as Marcus Baxter piled on six goals, Jesiah McGarvie picked up best on ground honours, and the Sharks came home 22-point winners. Julian Yeatman kept up his impressive run of form, kicking three more for his tally, while Nicholas Mascadri was a highlight for the Bombers.

Under lights at La Trobe University, it was Albert Park who finished stronger after they ran out as 21- point victors. VAFA Media star, Joshua Beets, was prolific up front, booting five goals, while club president Tyson Cattle played his guts out to find a spot atop the Falcons bests. La Trobe were led by three goals from Ricky Nolan, who also was named the best on ground for his team.

It was a day out for St Francis Xavier, as they completed a demolition job on Box Hill North away from home. With 10 different goal scorers, and cracking the ton at half time, its no surprise the X-Men solidified their spot on top of the Division 4 pile, winning this game by a whopping 194 points. The best on ground, in one of the easier decisions to make, was Harrison Coe after dominating with 13 goals. After this significant outing, Coe now sits atop the goalkickers list, taking his season tally to an impressive 40 off just six games. Jared Peters for Box Hill North was hard at it all day, as was Timothy Bell.

Preview

This weekend, South Mornington will host Eley Park Sharks who are rampant and look destined for a big season. This matchup will be tough for the Tigers, but they are well rested coming off a bye, and will look for an upset as they surge into the middle section of the season.

Masala Dandenong, again facing a tough loss, will be starving for a victory to cement their place in the top four. La Trobe University, however, will be a tough prospect and are also looking to overtake Masala and jump into, or above, fourth spot. In a 4th v 5th matchup anything could happen, and the result could really go either way.

Albert Park are soaring after their win last Saturday night, and will be looking for another bounce further up the ladder when they come up against a battered Box Hill North in the traditional 2pm timeslot. The visitors will see this game as very winnable and both sides should come to the ground fully expecting to win.

The final game of Round 7 will be Elsternwick at home taking on South Melbourne Districts. Elsternwick currently sit in third spot, but wont be comfortable there, as the logjam of five teams just one game behind them will be a daunting prospect, as they look to keep separating themselves from the pack. The Swans are sitting second last at the moment, but should results go their way, could jump all the way to third with a big win.