The only way is up for the Wellers

Josh Heriot

A windy Melbourne day on Saturday saw the race for finals in Division one continue to stay tight. Close games were the order of the day as well as some huge thumping’s which again makes the bottom end of the ladder all the more interesting. 

Ladder leaders PEGS showed their class on the weekend with a huge 110-point win against Whitefriars. With 12 individual goal kickers it was PEGS who again showed they’ll be hard to beat come finals time. Leading the charge was Riley Simmons who kicked three goals and was named one of the best. Simmons continues his strong form this season bringing his total goals this year to 28 from his 10 games. This weekend will see Whitefriars take on Old Camberwell in their fight to stay out of the bottom two. Currently Whitefriars sit on equal points with Old Peninsula but have edged up to 8th on percentage. 

Round 15 saw Prahran Assumption finishing as big winners against St Mary’s Salesian. Matthew Clifford was exceptional as he blasted nine goals alongside teammate Tony Mirabella who registered eight goals. Prahran Assumption ended with eight individual goal scorers and 24 goals for the match as they stick with Old Camberwell in their fight for fourth spot. This weekend, however, will see their biggest challenge yet as they go battle with PEGS to fight for finals. It promises to be a crucial game for Prahran Assumption, but will they be able to bring their best against the standout team of the competition? 

Meanwhile Old Camberwell stood their ground in fourth spot with a 41-point win over Oakleigh. Despite a goalless first quarter from Camberwell, they rebounded back in the second quarter by kicking six goals. It was a gallant effort from Aaron Cloke for Kew as he booted home four goals, taking his year total to 62 goals. Old Camberwell will this week go head-to-head with Whitefriars in a battle that will mean everything in terms of a finals spot. 

Therry Penola can expect to live a little easier now knowing that they are now two games clear of both Whitefriars and Old Peninsula in a battle to stay out of 9th. Old Peninsula stayed in control during the first half with a 15-point lead at half time. However, the tides turned in the fourth quarter with Therry Penola coming from behind to win. Support from Jackson Young and then Finn Dolan along with Kane O’Halloran with two goals each gave Therry Penola a nine-point win. Round 16 will see St Mary’s Salesian up against Therry Penola in what could potentially see them register their 6th win of the season. 

The final game of round 15 in division one proved to be a classic. Packer Park was host to Glen Eira and Kew. Second up against third was always going to be the game of the round and it didn’t let us down. Kew restricted Glen Eira to just one goal in the opening quarter with the margin at quarter time bloating out to 25 points. However, the Gryphons wrestled back some momentum in the second and third quarters. Willem Van Denderen was dominant for Glen Eira and had assistance from Sean Bass who kicked four goals. Meanwhile Kew’s Matt Sharkey was busy up forward with three goals and Andrew Mathieson chipped in with a best on ground performance. In the end, only two points split Glen Eira and Kew with the Gryphons taking the win. It means they are just one win away from an opportunity to move to second. 

Glen Eira will this weekend face Old Peninsula with a spot for top two up for the taking while Old Peninsula will have their focus on battling relegation. Round 16 will also see Kew host its clash with Oakleigh for the final game of the weekend on Saturday.