Paddy Grindlay

Donald McDonald and Old Trinity have enjoyed the perfect start to 2024, following a Round 1 defeat over Old Haileybury, with a romp over St Bedes/Mentone Tigers.

As mentioned in last week’s column, consistent appearances from now-fit midfielders Alex Emery and Christos Manoussakis have done Trinity the world of good, as has Hugo McGlashan’s return from playing in Coburg’s VFL team last season.

Forward Jack Jenkins is another who McDonald is enthused to see taking to the park every weekend after an injury-interrupted 2023 season.

“He kicked four and did a really good job for us,” said McDonald on Monday morning.

McGlashan also booted four, while Emery and Dom Payman (three goals each) did the scoreboard damage for Old Trinity, who established a 35-point advantage at quarter time on the way to the 21.6 (132) to 8.10 (58) win.

Lachie Palfrey and stalwart Josh Cowan tried hard for the Tigers, while last week’s Anytime Fitness Rising Star Jack Behnk potted two goals.

Trinity’s clash this Saturday with De La Salle looms as an early-season blockbuster, two of the three undefeated Premier B sides booked for a Waverley Oval tussle.

It looms as a “measuring stick” for Donald McDonald’s men.

“It’s a really good benchmark game for us, just to see how we measure up against a team and a club that we really respect – especially at their ground,” he said.

A hamstring injury to spearhead Joseph Nowell in the final minutes of the match has soured an otherwise perfect afternoon for Beaumaris, the Sharks charging clear of Old Haileybury in a 16.5 (101) to 8.10 (58) victory at Banksia Reserve.

Nowell, Beaumaris’ best with seven goals, has started 2024 in mighty form – so much so senior coach Josh Bourke has begun to “plant the seed” with VFL track-watchers on his hulking key forward.

But the Sharks will be without Nowell for the short-term at least, with a late hamstring injury leaving Bourke and crew crossing their fingers for a positive assessment with Old Camberwell, Caulfield and Old Ivanhoe ahead.

“It didn’t look great,” Bourke said of the injury on Sunday night, adding that Nowell has no hamstring injury history.

Expect the Sharks to find a way to roll ruck Callum Heath forward, at least in stints, with Nowell unavailable.

For Old Haileybury, coach Daniel Ward will focus on system during the week, with his squad having “a bit of work to do” to play the brand of football it wants to.

“We were beaten by a group that was cleaner and more productive going forward,” he said.

It’s bad news for vice-captain Brodie Steele, with the versatile defender out “for a significant amount of time” with a shoulder injury. Will Paul, currently out with a shoulder injury of his own, looms as a like-for-like replacement for Steele.

Ward is confident Old Haileybury will open its 2024 account soon, his side more than capable of creating scoring opportunities but needing to use the ball more effectively when going inside 50, and then applying more pressure on the opposition in transition.

At Glen Huntly Park, De La Salle started white-hot with the wind but grappled through the middle of the game with a surging Caulfield Grammarians outfit, De La finding its feet late to hold on 9.6 (60) to 7.8 (50) winners.

Kicking with what De La coach Nick Hyland surmised as a “three-goal wind” to start the match, the visitors leapt to a 24-0 lead at the first break, the likes of wingman Campbell Bedford and silky midfielder Christian Algeri well on top.

The Grammarians though dominated the second and third quarters, young ruckman Oliver Ruddock providing first use for the home squad’s clearance corps, but Guy McKenna’s side were left to rue its goal-less start.

“You can’t give any side a head start like that – at any level,” McKenna said on Monday morning.

Defender-turned-midfielder Jono Moren, ably assisted by inside-outside centreman Dylan Ting, gave the Grammarians clean ball use but the likes of Sean Fisher and Will McKinnon won back the ball for De La, splitting key defensive contests and intercepting at will.

Despite the slow start, McKenna was impressed by his team’s ability to go the distance in the club’s second successive close loss.

“The fact that we can finish stronger than the other team…we haven’t been able to play 120 minutes of footy in a long time,” he said.

The Grammarians will keenly anticipate key forward Jasper Rouget’s return, the spearhead managing week-to-week knee soreness, while for De La it’s a 2-0 start in an exceptionally even Premier B competition.

“Starting the year well is crucial,” said Nick Hyland.

“When you’re up and going, you need to make the most of your momentum.”

Anson Brownless’ Old Camberwell squad is humming, having overcome a scoreless opening term with six goals in the second on its way to victory over Williamstown CYMS.

There’s no sign of the bends for the Wellers, having made a stunning rise to Premier B from Division 1 since 2021, the club now 2-0 this year after defeating the CYs 15.8 (98) to 11.6 (72).

Harry Laukens was in a mood, booting eight of his side’s fifteen goals, catching out even his coach with his performance.

“We all thought five or six, he’s kicked a few,” said Anson Brownless.

“It was one of those games where you go, ‘wow, he’s kicked eight!’”

He’s a beauty, he keeps improving every week.”

A massive pre-season has enabled Laukens to make the most of his opportunities in a wide-open forward line, with stablemate Harry McColl pushing further up the field and making use of his sure hands and clean leap.

Brownless lauded the performances of Lachie Powell (who switched from his typical role forward to one in defence) and last-line backman Kellan Percy in the defensive half, while the efforts of vice-captain Jimmy Allen on the ball were cited as the “main reason we turned it around” by Brownless.

Oskar Manton was named best afield for the CYs with two goals, while Harrison Miller and Will Smyth added two goals of their own.

Old Ivanhoe has levelled its ledger at 1-1 with a fourth-quarter breakaway at Como Park, handing Old Geelong its first loss of 2024, 14.7 (91) to 9.7 (61).

Much like last week’s match against Old Camberwell, the Hoers were forced into a match-long arm wrestle with the Cats with sunshine beating down on the expanses of Como Park.

Jarrod Gieschen’s men held firm under pressure, before scooting home in a six-goal-to-one final term.

The Old Ivanhoe coach lauded an “outstanding” performance from Toby McLean in his second outing for the club, with the ex-Western Bulldog’s inside work a highlight, while defender Sam Keogh was exceptional in the final quarter.

“Keeping a good team like Geelong to nine goals on a big ground, in good conditions, was a great effort,” said Gieschen.

Old Geelong senior coach Nathan Brown joined Gieschen in admiration of McLean’s day out.

“He was so clean – whatever he touched turned into gold.”

Luke Scuderi booted four goals for Old Ivanhoe, while Trent McManus returned to the senior squad after time away playing cricket in India, with livewire small forward Rohan McKenzie suiting up for the Northern Bullants in the VFL after three goals last week.

For Old Geelong, it looms as a big week on the track, with Nathan Brown noting that while the five-goal margin didn’t necessarily reflect the quality of the contest, his side had “so many missing parts”.

Harrison Kol kicked three goals, while Ed Hayne is getting “better and better”.

Brown noted the performance of Old Ivanhoe ruck Oliver Hayes-Brown, a Category B Rookie with Richmond, who was a handful for the Geelong midfield.

“He was excellent, a great pick-up for them. He’s huge and he’s really team-oriented,” said Brown.

In the other Round 3 fixtures, Old Camberwell will host Beaumaris in what should be a belter at Gordon Barnard Reserve, Old Haileybury and Williamstown CYMS will hope to open their respective accounts in Caulfield, Old Ivanhoe will take on St Bedes/Mentone at Chelsworth Park and Old Geelong will travel to Glen Huntly Park for a meeting with the Caulfield Grammarians.