Williamstown nab themselves a come from behind victory

Eliza Wright

A fight between the front runners Beaumaris and Old Haileybury saw the Sharks come out on top while a lower order clash concerning AJAX and Old Carey fell in favour of the Jackers. Fitzroy overpowered St Bedes Mentone down at Brindisi Oval while Williamstown defeated De La Salle in an impressive last quarter comeback. 

Fresh off a bye and raring to go, Beaumaris pulled out all the stops, defeating Old Haileybury by 16 points. The Sharks asserted dominance at every stoppage with James Taylor and Callum Heath playing pivotal roles in Beaumaris’ pressure on the ball. An all-around team effort from the Sharks saw them stretch their lead as the game progressed, denying the Bloods any easy scoring opportunities. For Old Haileybury, Max Sievers and Joshua Gasparini earned themselves a spot in the best, displaying notable composure and precision with the footy. Looking to Round 7, Beaumaris will host AJAX at home while Old Haileybury have no time to waste as they face another top of the table opponent in the Uni Blacks. 

AJAX hit the road this week to face Old Carey with hopes to continue their run of luck. The Jackers’ half-forward favourite, Toby Lipton saw no sign of wavering alongside the force of Benjamin Krongold in the centre. Despite determination from Wade Brusnahan and Jonathan Marsh, lockdown defence from Hutch Davis and Adam Caplan left the Panthers winless for another round. Max Thompson and Luca Anderson worked cohesively in Old Carey’s forward line, kicking 2 and 3 goals respectively.  Next week AJAX will travel down to the Aquarium to face the Sharks, meanwhile, Old Carey will battle Fitzroy. 

St Bedes Mentone couldn’t keep their streak alive in round 6 conceding a 35-point loss to Fitzroy. The Tigers secured themselves a strong 3 goal lead in the first quarter with fantastic forward efforts from Zac Calves and Simon Richards. Fitzroy took advantage of the wind in the second quarter and headed into the halftime break 19-points in front. Christopher Mangoni and Noah Hughes fought hard to keep the Tigers in the game. Overall, the accuracy and resolve from Jack Hart and Luke Minahan, snagging themselves 3 goals each coupled with stellar run and carry from 200 gamer Ross Borland saw the Roys put the game to rest. Next week Fitzroy head home to Brunswick Street for their clash against Old Carey while St Bedes face De La Salle at Waverley Oval. 

Fearon Reserve played host to a close game between Williamstown and De La Salle. This battle had the lead change at each break with De La holding a comfortable 26-point margin heading into the final term. De La’s Hugh Nicholson and Harry Hawker were hungry for the ball in the middle with exceptional forward 50 control from Seb Filipovic and Trent Shannon. An incredible final quarter from CY saw Jack Walker and Thomas Johnstone step up to the plate. Nicholas Ebinger and Jack Noonan were instrumental all-day, securing themselves 5 and 6 goals respectively and ultimately, their team the 5-point victory. Williamstown will head onto the training track with their heads held high as they enter the bye in Round 7 and De La will look to recoup their losses against St Bedes Mentone.