Bulls charge on as Falcons and Demons survive scares

Billy Bolch

The first match of the round saw the still-undefeated North Brunswick take on an undermanned yet on the rise St Johns. The first quarter saw both teams get off to a slow start with St Johns kicking only the 1 goal whilst North Brunswick managed 3, as they took a 17-point lead into the quarter-time break. The second quarter was another battle between both sides however, North Brunswick were able to take the edge. They hit the scoreboard with 2 goals whilst keeping the JOCs goalless, extending their lead out to 31 points at the major break.

In football, as we’ve seen this season, all it takes is one-quarter of football to change the game and the Bulls dominated this quarter. North Brunswick were able to put together a huge 8 goal quarter to take the air out of the game and swing all momentum in their favour, and at the end of the third quarter the Bulls lead stood at 83 points. The final quarter was once again won by the Bulls who kicked 2 goals and kept the JOCs scoreless, for St Johns though, they were able to show that they can halt a team’s momentum, a crucial skill to victory. As the final siren sounded, it was the Bulls that ran out winners in dominant fashion with a 98-point win.

Andrew Ramzy dominated in front of goal for the Bulls with 5 majors, other multiple goal scorers included Marcus Watt (2) and Jake Horwood (2). For the JOC’s, Thomas Tomich was the only player that could find the big sticks with the team’s single goal. In the best for the Bulls was Spencer Zahra, Zac Dicianni and Samuel Watt. In the best for the JOCs were Jarrod Ely, Corey Ely and Dorus Grobler. The Bulls will now face the Demons in what will be their toughest test this season in what should be the match of the round. The JOCs will now face the Falcons who have won their last 2 games.

The second match of the round saw Box Hill North take on Masala in a 2nd vs 3rd battle in a match that wasn’t decided until moments before the final siren. The first quarter saw a stalemate from both teams with a lot of open play and end to end football. Both teams however were able to kick 2 goals but with an extra behind, it was the Demons that held a 1-point lead at quarter time. In the second quarter it was another hard fought and even quarter. The Demons were able to kick 2 majors, but 3 goals from Masala saw the Tigers take a 6-point lead into the major break.

The third quarter saw the Demons claw their way back into the game with fast football, often going end to end. The Demons were able to use their pace to kick 4 goals in the quarter whilst only allowing 2 goals from the Tigers to take the lead back, as they held an 8-point lead with one quarter of football to go. The final quarter was a back-and-forth affair until around the 10-minute mark, which saw the Demons use their pace to outwork the Tigers, adding on 3 quick goals in succession. In the end, it was the Demons that won a very exciting and hard-fought game by 23 points, just about securing their spot in the finals in the process.

Multiple goal kickers for the Demons included Jonathan Tommasoni (3), Joshua Chivers (3), Blake Williams (3) and Jack Dullard (2). Multiple goal kickers for the Tigers were Daniel Hoffman (3) and Thomas Williamson (2). In the best for the Demons were Corey Bull, Thomas Rickard and Kyle Hocking. In the best for the Tigers were David Velardo, Karan Singh and Josh Cole. The Demons will now get a finals preview as they face the undefeated Bulls. The Tigers now head back to the drawing board. Having lost their last 4 games, a win is needed against Eley Park if they are to have a chance to contend towards the end of the season. 

The final match of the round saw Albert Park take on Eley Park where a win would significantly better both sides. The Falcons followed their winning formula with a dominant start as they kicked 6 goals in the first whilst only allowing a single goal from the Sharks to hold a 32-point lead at quarter time. Eley Park fought their way back into the game in the second with a 4-goal winning quarter to reduce the Falcons lead down to 20 points with a half of football to play.

The third quarter saw both teams fight tooth and nail to gain the upper hand over the other as only 4 goals were kicked for the quarter. However, most importantly, 3 of those goals were kicked by the Falcons as they were able to extend their lead out to 33 points. The final term saw both teams hit the scoreboard with a much more attacking style. The Sharks were able to have a strong final quarter with 4 goals of their own, however 2 goals for the Falcons was enough to secure a hard fought 18-point win over the Sharks.

Kicking multiple goals for the Falcons was Joshua Beets (4), Sam Lee (4) and Christopher Marson (2). Kane Scanlon led the way in front of goal for the Sharks with 5 majors, Tom Johnson also kicked 2 goals for the Sharks. In the best for the Falcons were Sam Lee, Drew Pearman and Alexander Evans. In the best for the Sharks were Joel Kennedy, Kane Scanlon and Zachary Hayes. The Falcons will now look to grow their chances of playing in the finals as they face St Johns. The Sharks will now take confidence from this match into their next clash against Masala.