Ladder leaders blitz the field in D4M

The ladder leaders stamped their authority all over Division 4 Men’s yet again this weekend with two dominant performances.

The first, Elsternwick AFC, retained top spot on the ladder following their 153-point win over Box Hill North at Elgar Park. The Wickers dominated from the outset with 10 unanswered goals in the first half before flying home with 11 majors in the fourth quarter. 10 players shared in the spoils for the Wickers with Nick Lowrie and Dylan Jones top-scoring with five goals each. Jones was also named best afield alongside a standout display from David Marchese. Ritchard Keane fought valiantly for the Demons in the face of the onslaught, and he was assisted by David Edwards who kicked both of his side’s two goals.

The other grand final fancy, South Melbourne Districts, did their chances no harm after they defeated Eley Park Sharks by 145 points at Lindsay Hassett Oval. The Bloods led by 52 points on the back of an eight-goal-to-one first half but broke the Sharks with 15 goals through Q3 and Q4. In just his third game, Oliver Dufficy kicked eight goals and took his season tally to 19, while Michael Dufficy slotted six. Andrew Yeo and Matthew Knox continued their ultra-impressive form for the Sharks and were named in the best for the third game in a row.

The St John’s form slump is a thing of the past after they snapped a four-game losing streak with a 24-point win over La Trobe University. The JOC’s impressed last week in their narrow loss to South Melbourne but came our firing against the third-placed Trobers and led at every change throughout the afternoon. Rohan Scott had a day out for the JOC’s with six goals, while Nicholas Terrill was once again in sensational touch. Bryce Dowler returned for his first game in over a month with five goals for the Trobers as they still sit in third spot on the ladder, narrowly ahead of the JOC’s in fourth.

Masala-Dandenong claimed their third win for the season with a commanding five-goal win over Swinburne University. Leading by just two points at half time, a match-winning nine-goal haul from Declan Fowler led the Tigers to a six-goal-to-one second half. Fowler was named BOG for his dominant performance, while Matthew Decarne found plenty of it. Trent Ryan top-scored with three goals for the Razorbacks alongside Oliver Morris who was named their best.