St Mary’s secure their first success of the season

As Round 6 concludes, dominant teams maintain their grip, while one team makes a terrific comeback after back-to-back losses in a thrilling week of Division 2 Men’s.

After round six, table toppers Brunswick once again prove they are the best team in the competition. At Aquinas College, Brunswick defeated Aquinas by a mammoth 74 points, with the final score 101 to 27. Brunswick’s superstar Hayden Parker once again dazzled the opposition as he kicked 5 goals. To add more spice to the game, Joe Gale, alongside Gabriel Banova of Brunswick, contributed 8 goals together. Aquinas never got a chance to dominate.  After quarter time, it felt like Aquinas might make a comeback, but Brunswick’s defenders repelled every attack and dominated throughout the match.

Brunswick’s coach, Tom Hunter, expressed his happiness for the team, saying, “We wanted to stop their scoring capabilities, and we played a strong defensive-minded game.”

Talking about their star player Hayden Parker, Hunter said, “Hayden worked through coping with the attention of leading the goal-kicking. He will keep drawing that attention, but he is good enough to handle it and still kick a few goals.

Another nerve-wracking encounter occurred at Whitefriars College as the hosts, Whitefriars, outplayed Hawthorn, defeating them by 62 points. In the first quarter, Hawthorn started with a bang as they scored a quick pair of goals, but slowly and steadily, Friars began to take quick possession and kick goals to balance the game. From the second quarter, the momentum shifted toward the Friars, thanks to Sam Kiseker’s 5 goals that put them in the lead. Nicholas Garratt also booted in 4 goals. In contrast, Jack Kenny led the Hawks with his 5 goals, which weren’t enough for them to win the contest.

After the game, Hawthorn’s coach, Mark Murray said, “Whitefriars were at their best and played aggressively. We were lacking experience against them. Hopefully, we will return stronger in the next game and have a few experienced players back on the side.”

Whitefriars coach Luc Matthews said, “We have focused over the last 3 weeks on doing the basics really well, working hard for each other, and being up for every contest. We have worked hard to be accountable to each other at training, recovery and match day.

St Mary’s Salesian and South Melbourne Districts was a game to remember with St Mary’s proving that ‘The Comeback is Always Stronger Than the Setback.’ St Mary’s, who had struggled earlier in the season, outplayed South Melbourne by 66 points, winning 122 to 56. The game was fairly balanced in the first quarter, whereas the second quarter saw South Melbourne gain a slight lead of 4 points.

In the third, the St Mary’s forwards gained the support of their defence. Nicholas Alexopoulos booted the first goal of the quarter, and St Mary’s performance peaked after that. Overall, Alexopoulos kicked 4 goals, while his teammates Nathan Catherwood and Jos Op’t Hoog supported him booting 6 goals between them. South Melbourne’s Jamie Brooker kicked 3 goals, but that wasn’t enough for them to win the contest.

St Mary’s coach, Clay Tait, after their first victory in Division 2, said, “It was a huge win for us as from the start we were trying to gain the momentum. Nicholas coming in for this game boosted our young side since he is very experienced, and the team coordinated very well with him.”

Despite winning their previous game against Aquinas, Bulleen Templestowe failed to maintain momentum as hosts Elsternwick defeated them 97-64, a 33-point victory. From the first quarter, the Bullants were lagging and Elsternwick, who drew with MHSOB in the previous round, dominated every quarter, primarily thanks to Elsternwick’s vice-captain Spencer Hankin’s 5-goal haul.

After the match, Bullants coach Andrew Verga said, “We could have put more effort into the game. The boys tried their best. Now we are focusing on the next big game against Brunswick.”

After defeating the Bullants, Elsternwick coach Peter Higginbotham said, “The opposition was an excellent side, and we just wanted to keep the ball with the forwards. The only thing we did was try to play wide from the opposition.”

Wattle Park continued their winning momentum with a 78-56 victory over MHSOB, who, desperate for a victory after their draw with Elsternwick, unfortunately fell short in an exciting Round 6 clash. The Animals defeated MHSOB by 22 points.

MHSOB felt short in every quarter in this contest. Hugh Schaeche from Wattle Park kicked 2 goals, and overall, every team member contributed their efforts significantly.  MHSOB’s Will Hellier tried his best as he kicked 3 goals, but that wasn’t enough, and they fell short in the end.