Beaumaris and Old Brighton lead the way in Div 1 Women’s

Lauren Atkinson

The first match of the round saw Old Brighton host Old Xaverians at Brighton Beach Oval. It didn’t take long for Old Brighton to take control of the game, kicking 5.7 to Old Xaverian’s 1.1 in the first half. With such a strong lead, Old Brighton could have been forgiven for easing off a little, but they refused to take their foot off the pedal and ended the game 52 points ahead of Old Xaverians.

India Tait will be pushing for a back-to-back win in the Tonner’s best and fairest count with another best on ground performance, while Lily Tait was phenomenal in front of goals, finishing with a haul of four which puts her into fourth spot on the goal kicking ladder. For Old Xavs, Monique Mennilli and Tahryn Mant worked tirelessly to mitigate Old Brighton’s attack.

Saturday morning also saw the Omlettes return to their winning ways, beating Old Haileybury by four goals. In a low scoring affair, Old Melburnians lead throughout the whole game, and it was not until the final quarter that Old Haileybury managed to slot a major.

As just the second Omlette to ever reach the 50-game milestone, Georgia Dunlop rose to the occasion, kicking a goal and earning the best on ground accolade for her side. Meanwhile, in a disappointing performance by Old Haileybury, Arielle Cathcart stood out as the best.

The match between Hampton Rovers and Beaumaris was called off in the second quarter following a serious injury to Rovers player Maisy Evans. At that point in time, the Sharks were leading the home side 2.6.18 to 0.1.1, however as the match was abandoned prior to the main break, the result of the game is drawn.

Both of Beaumaris’ goals were kicked by Rosalind Byrne who clearly played a pivotal part in the teams performance, named best on ground, and was well supported by the efforts of Cassandra Newman and Sienna Tedde.

Old Geelong have snuck into the top four with a scintillating win over Hawthorn AFC. Old Geelong put in a four-quarter effort, consistently hitting the scoreboard, while keeping the Hawks to just two behinds for the entire match.

The Hawks’ best efforts came in the third quarter, led by the exceptional Rachel Urquhart, but they were unable to maintain the pressure and allowed another four unanswered goals in the final term.

Juliet Grant was back in excellent form for Old Geelong, with another best on ground performance. Grant has only been absent from the best players twice this season.

The final match of the round saw Marcellin host Old Camberwell Grammarians in a classic Sunday afternoon thriller. After a confidence-boosting win over the Omlettes last weekend, it was expected that Old Camberwell would come into the game fit and firing, but it was Marcellin who dominated early.

Both teams found it tough to score, with Marcellin managing the only goal of the first half which took them into the major break with a handy six-point lead. Old Camberwell managed to get the game back on their terms in the second half; however, they fell just short of the win, going down by three points at the final siren.

Annie Xanthos was instrumental in Marcellin’s victory, kicking one of their two goals, while Eloise De Rauch played a crucial part in Old Camberwell’s comeback attempt. Old Camberwell will be thinking it was another game that they let get away, considering they had the greater number of scoring shots.

Going into the bye weekend, Beaumaris and Old Brighton head up the ladder, with Old Melburnians and Old Geelong rounding out the top four.

Round 9 promises an exciting matchup between two top four sides, Old Geelong and Old Melburnians. Old Geelong come into the round on a three-game winning streak but will risk losing their spot in the top four if they are unsuccessful against the Omlettes.

Meanwhile, Old Xaverians will come up against the undefeated Beaumaris, hoping that they can cause a major upset to get their season back on track.

Hawthorn AFC will be looking to get their first win of the year when they face off with Marcellin OC in Round 9. While it will be a tough ask, Marcellin have been inconsistent performers this year, only managing consecutive wins once this year.

Old Camberwell Grammarians will host Hampton Rovers after the bye, in what is sure to be another fascinating battle. Hampton Rovers will be seeking revenge, after they went down by two goals when the two sides met in Round 2.

The final match of Round 9 will see the in-form Old Brighton travel to Caulfield to take on Old Haileybury. Old Brighton have proven to be a powerhouse this season, but Old Haileybury have also shown signs that they could be capable of a coup.