D1 Men’s: Even the mighty can fall…

Mitch Dyer

Round 4 of the VAFA left absolutely nothing to the imagination, if you are reading along and following along with the tips for the round, I have found you an absolute diamond in the rough for a winner, as the Division 1 men continue to chop and change who may be the best team in the competition…

Let’s kick things off with the biggest win of the weekend. Glen Eira took care of business at home against a struggling St Mary’s Salesians outfit. Getting off to a flier with 51 points in the first quarter, the control of the game began and stayed within reach of the Gryphons, boasting not only 171 points – but also spreading this across 10 different players.  

This team has only had one black mark through these first month, and since moving up from the Division 2 ranks have proved they not only belong, but they are ready to take a run at claiming the crown come season’s end. For St Mary’s, it’s another chance to reassess and re-evaluate what they need to change in order to stay competitive in these games. 

Now this one is good. I want to say that this is “the diamond in the rough” win for PEGS, but as they sit 4-0 at the top of the table I need to change my language to “this was a statement” against Old Camberwell. 

Once again out in the elements at PEGS Sporting fields, this PEGS team was able to mitigate the scoring damage usually caused by the former top of the table Wellers, keeping them to their lowest score of the year at 26 points.  

PEGS are getting it done at both ends of the ground with complete efficiency and ease, and with a percentage of over 220% it’s hard to see a team toppling this team any time soon. Old Camberwell doesn’t need to panic from a loss like this given the caliber of team they are, but it’s absolutely one that they cant have a short memory over. 

This was the game I was most interested in leading to the weekend, and it certainly didn’t disappoint between Prahran Assumption and Whitefriars.  

Whitefriars finally got to celebrate a victory last week after a rocky start to their 2022 campaign, and coming up against a team who is thereabouts in Prahran Assumption it was sure to be a great test for them, and that’s what it proved to be. 

Coming into the half with just 3 points to their name would have been a moment they wanted to forget, and in the end not even a 9 goal second half could get back the lead they afforded Prahran, allowing them to run out winners by 21 points.  

For fans of Prahran Assumption they walk away from it knowing you can suffocate teams to the point of being goalless, however a lack of ability to really expose a team may linger for them – for Whitefriards its now a reflection on how these games seem to keep slipping away and leaving us all with questions, how do they fix it?

Moving our attention again to one of the top teams in Division 1, Kew took on an inconsistent Old Peninsula in what was, from the gun, a very one sided affair.  

Third-placed Kew took it right to the Peninsula men who gave up 35 scoring shots to a side that is known in this division to take a lead and run with it.  

Needing to bounce back from a loss last week the Bears stamped their authority as a side that is going to have a deep run into the later parts of the year.  For Peninsula, I feel like this is a theme I mention week in week out, it’s now a time to really assess and change their backline structure or even personnel in defence as what they’re doing isn’t quite stacking up to the standard of these top tier Division 1 teams.  

The final game of the round ended up probably taking the cake as the best. The contest came between the men from Oakleigh and the bottom of the table, Therry Penola.  

Winless through the first 3 rounds, I mentioned last week this is a team who will accept their best outcome for the year is to steal a game or two and avoid being at the bottom come year’s end, this week almost became one of the great thefts of the season.  

Not only getting the jump in the first quarter, Therry sustained a lead over the Krushers into the fourth quarter, sadly losing steam into the final stages and being overpowered by an Oakleigh team that is probably the most improved side of the Division this season.  

In the end Oakleigh ran away with a huge last quarter effort of 7 goals to none, moving them to 3-1 for the year and again being a fringe side knocking on the door of toppling a division they were purely making the numbers up in last year.