Old Xaverians came close, but Melbourne Uni hold on to claim top 4 spot

Kristin Sims

Kew were looking for another big win against West Brunswick to close the gap on first place. It was an uncharacteristically slow start for Kew early on with West Brunswick slowing down the run style of play that we have been seeing from Kew. The defensive play was all that West Brunswick could manage though, with them struggling to hit the scoreboard at all. Despite all the effort from West Brunswick, Kew were able to keep the ball outside of their inside 50. Kew bounced back despite the slow start but were unable to convert and get a major. Reward for effort came eventually for Kew with their first goal coming before halftime. 

The scrappy contest continued throughout the rest of the game as West Brunswick continued to thwart the running game of Kew. Kew were able to keep holding on defensively and staved off any attack that West Brunswick attempted. Although goals were few and far between in this game, Kew managed two goals which was enough to get the win. Their impressive defensive play held West Brunswick to just 2 points for the match. The win keeps Kew in touch with top place St Kevins, but the gap between the two has now gotten much farther. 

Caulfield Grammarians have a tight grip on third position and they were looking to defend that position when they came up against Marcellin. Caulfield showed early on why they are competing in the top part of the ladder. They were commanding most of the ball and keeping Marcellin on the backfoot. Marcellin were productive in defense and were holding on strong. In the third quarter they held Caulfield to just two points and were rewarded for their hard work and persistence scoring in the dying seconds of the third quarter. 

Caulfield continued to show their best football in the final, limiting all opportunities for Marcellin. To seal the victory Caulfield kicked two goals to win comfortably by 34 points. With accuracy being the only thing stopping the margin from being larger. 

With fourth spot on the line Melbourne Uni had everything to play for when they faced off against Old Xaverians. Old Xaverians showed Melbourne Uni early that they were up for the challenge, with both teams fighting it out from the midfield. Old Xavs were all over the ball when it spilled onto the ground and were holding off the strong offense from Melbourne Uni. As the game continued it was Old Xavs who were keeping up the pace and keeping the ball out of Melbourne Uni’s hands. 

Melbourne Uni were commanding after half time taking control of the contests but it was Old Xavs who were able to get the ball inside 50. The backline of Melbourne Uni was too strong and held off the strong attack from Old Xavs so they were unable to take advantage of their opportunities in front of goals. As the final quarter went on, Old Xavs closed the gap on Melbourne Uni, they got close with a few minutes to go but Melbourne Uni held on to get the win and grab on to fourth spot on the ladder. 

St Marys and St Kevins battled it out again with St Kevins coming out on the attack early in the game. All of the pressure was on St Marys to respond and it didn’t take long before St Kevins was on the board. St Kevins continued to show their strength throughout the match with their offense able to find holes within the St Marys defence. Inaccuracy in front of goals was the only area that was letting St Kevins down. 

Defensively St Kevins didn’t give St Marys the chance to score at all. The defence was so strong that they were able to keep St Marys scoreless for the entire game. In a statement to the rest of the competition, St Kevins showed why it is everyone else chasing them as they firmly take hold of the top spot on the ladder.