Everything’s coming up Daisy at Old Paradians

Chris Ciampoli

In a masterstroke of recruiting, the Old Paradians were able to secure back-to-back victories after a strong win on the weekend. An orchestrated discussion with Dale Thomas a few weeks ago, resulted in the former Collingwood and Carlton star returning the favour to the club. Putting in his transfer, and ramming home five goals on his return to the VAFA; Daisy produced one of the performances of the weekend. Overall, the Old Paradians’ have turned another gear in the last few weeks putting in a dominant performance over the Whitefriars with a 62-point victory at Garvey Oval.

Even in the face of classic Friars pressure, the Raiders dominated the midfield and contest. Luke Brock ran the leather off his boots and provided much opportunity for forwards with the help of Daniel Comande and Harrison Colomer. Michael Boundy (4 Goals) joined Daisy on the scoresheet and made sure to capitalise on opportunity after opportunity. The Old Paradians have set the tone this week and are demanding not to be counted out.

Even on unfamiliar territory the Brunswick boys pulled off a masterclass against an in-form MHSOB. As per usual, the Unicorns came out of the gate with tenacity and vigour, they put numbers behind the footy which created a bit of confusion for Brunswick, resulting in their slow start.  The heavy pressure from Brendan Cook and William Hellier, in addition to Mitchell Wilson and Chris Tetaz produced a game of tough physicality within the stoppages, thus boosting their contest wins; with the Unicorns taking an 11-point lead into the halftime.

But the Brunswick ‘never die’ attitude reminded us once more why they’re flying high atop the Division 2 ladder. Coach Tommy Hunter scoured through the gameplay books for an answer and shifted tactics to focus on a 1:1 contest, a strategy of brilliance. Tom Hedley stepped up once again putting on his best performance along the wing, accompanied by Will Mckenzie on the other side, the pair set up well and found good use of the footy. The third quarter saw Brunswick soar, booting five goals to take the lead for the first time all game.

Hayden Parker (6 Goals), who possesses the unique ability to know where the big sticks are at all times refused to miss, even snagging one from a tight angle on the siren to silence any doubts and go home with a hard fought nine-point victory. But not often enough is the backline praised for their efforts. Tahj Haddock shut down any and every opportunity Unicorn’s talent tried to create, and in tandem with Jake Ralston had Brunswick backline on lock. Overall Brunswick continue to prove their expertise in all facets of footy, from set-up to adaptability to creative flair, the Brunswick squad continues to surpass all expectations.

The Old Yarra Cobras stormed to Ferndale Park with nothing but a victory in mind. The last fortnight has proven tough for the Cobras due to injuries and a tough loss against an in-form Parkside in Round 6, however, a strong structure and sound game plan enabled a 34-point win over St Mary’s Salesian.

James Fleming and Tom Bell put on a show for the fans winning contests in the midfield, which gave opportunity to the Cobras star forwards who collectively put on an absolute masterclass. Jack Hall (5 goals), Mitch Blundell (4 Goals) and David Tokatliyan (4 goals). But the Cobra crown goes to Nick Zappala who put a fantastic display in the backline and refused to allow any opportunities for the Saints. The Cobras are back in-form and are likely to bring the heat to a hungry MHSOB in Round 8.

The South Melbourne Districts have reached a record breaking high with a 127-point win over Bulleen Templestowe at Lindsay Hassett Oval. The Swans had absolutely zero mercy in all four quarters, even kicking 10 goals in a single quarter.

The highest scoring club put on a show with its talent-filled roster; Samuel Mcginn (4 Goals) and Jamie Brooker (4 Goals) were utterly relentless. Thomas Foley (1 Goal) and Jason Clifford (3 Goals) added their own skill and flair. Overall, the Swans continue to cause a riot in Division 2 and are most definitely ones to watch out for as they hold their spot steady in the top four.

For all four quarters the Parkside squad were ruthless. The Devils didn’t pause for a minute in their 63-point win over Aquinas. Daniel McMahon and Lewis Balcombe dominated the corridor and created opportunities through classic Devils run and carry. A forward line of goal magnets, Blake Salmon (6 Goals) and Mitchell Lawson (3 Goals) have shown their accuracy to be tried and true. But it is Benjamin Radford and his 7 goals which sent the fans alight and has shot him to first place in the goal kicking tally (29 Goals) snagging the crown from the previous reigning champion Daniel Wood (28 Goals).

Parkside have proven to be one of the most consistently accurate squads of the division and have only improved with every round. Going 19.9, it is clear the Devils need little opportunity to capitalise which is sure to be a worry for the rest of the competition.