Demons defeat Tigers as Falcons begin their flight

Billy Bolch

The first match of the round saw Eley Park take on Albert Park in an important game for both sides. The first quarter saw the Falcons pick up right where they had left off from their previous match as they held control over the first quarter kicking 5 goals, whilst keeping the Sharks scoreless to take a 37-point lead into quarter time. The second quarter saw the Sharks begin to find their way as they were able to win the quarter adding 2 goals whilst keeping the Falcons to a single goal, reducing the lead to 33 points.

The third quarter saw the Falcons do what they do best and that is gain momentum and then run away with it. The Falcons were able to add on a whopping 7 goals in the quarter to stretch their lead out to 80 points. The Sharks however showed that they still had the fight in them as they were able to kick 3 goals of their own in the 4th whilst keeping the Falcons goalless. The 4th quarter efforts of the Sharks however weren’t enough to eradicate the dominant first and third quarter of the Falcons which saw Albert Park walk away with a 60-point win. This takes their winning streak to 2 as they begin their fight up the ladder.

The best for the Sharks were Zachary Hayes, Angus Fowler and Bailey Bowyer. The best for the Falcons were Felix Metz, Ashley Evans and Zak Knight. Tom Johnston had 2 majors for the Sharks. Jake Wakeling, Kane Scanlon and Martin Louey rounded out the goalkickers for the team. Ashley Evans had 4 goals for the Falcons whilst teammates Zak Knight (3) and Christopher Mason (2) also contributed when it mattered most. Eley Park will now host Masala with both sides desperate for a win. Albert Park will return back home where they host St Johns as they look to extend their winning streak out to 3 and ascend up the ranks.

The second match of the round saw a battle between 2nd and 3rd on the ladder as Box Hill North made the short trip to Dandenong to take on Masala. The first quarter saw the Demons take advantage of the strong winds to one end of the ground as they had a 6-goal quarter whilst only allowing 2 behinds from Masala to hold a 43-point lead at the end of the first quarter. With the win in the second quarter, the Tigers were able to claw their way back into the game with 5 majors to reduce the lead back to 16 points.

Once again, the wind played a major part in the game as the Demons were able to take all the momentum for the game with a massive 30 minutes of football, adding on 7 goals whilst keeping the Tigers scoreless. The lead increased out to 58 points with a quarter of football to play. The final term saw Masala begin their fight back but it was too little too late, and despite adding on 3 goals, Box Hill North’s first and third-quarter efforts were too great, resulting in a 46-point win for the Demons.

Luke Broomhall and David Velardo both kicked 2 goals for the Tigers. Multiple goal kickers for the Demons included Joshua Chivers (3), Jack Dullard (2), Joshua Hocking (2) and Michael Trkulja (2). The best for Masala were Luke Broomhall, Flynn Cassar and Christian Samuel. Amongst the best for the Demons were Michael Trkulja, Kyle Hocking and David Edwards. Masala will now turn their attention to Eley Park as they seek their first win in a month. Box Hill North will now play host to North Brunswick in what should be next week’s match of the round.

The final match of the round saw St Johns take on North Brunswick under lights in a twilight fixture. Both teams got off to a slower start than usual as both adjusted to the conditions that came with a game under the lights. With the sole goal of the quarter, it was the Bulls that finished the quarter with a 9-point lead. The second quarter saw both teams start to up the tempo a little bit with 2 goals each, so the lead remained at 9 for the Bulls with a half of football to play.

The third quarter saw the Bulls begin to find their ways as they were able to sway the game completely in their favour with a 5-goal quarter, whilst only allowing a single goal from the JOCs to extend the margin out to 33 points. The final quarter was a more even contest, but it was too little too late as despite the JOCs kicking 2 goals in the quarter, the momentum was all North Brunswick’s from halftime onwards. In the end, it was the Bulls that gain another away win with a 40-point victory over the JOCs.

Goal kickers for the JOCs were Corey Ely, Dorus Grobler, Mitchell Clarke, Liam Salisbury and Michael Horton. For the Bulls, Simon Woodward led the charge on the scoreboard with 3 majors. Finley Griffett kicked 2 goals of his own for the Bulls while other contributors included Luke Rositani and Marcus Watt. The best for the JOCs included Michael Horton, Daniel Cattolico and Luke Lacy. The best for the Bulls were Simon Woodward, Cameron Lee and Zac Dicianni. St Johns will now make the trip down to take on Albert Park who are one of the most in-form teams in the division. North Brunswick will remain on the road as they now face Box Hill North who are coming off a big win against Masala.