Canterbury surge to win thriller as Power House rebound in ruthless fashion

Round 7 of Division 3 Men’s footy was a mixed bag of results, from nail-biting finishes to the biggest of annihilations.

The round opened with a classy victory from North Brunswick, who staunchly defended against La Trobe University. The Bulls kept La Trobe scoreless in the first quarter, gaining an early four-goal buffer. La Trobe’s scoreboard concerns continued well into the game, scoring just 1.3 by three-quarter-time.

By this time the game was already out of reach, so despite an improved four-goal last term, North Brunswick had powered away to a comfortable 58-point victory.

Fletcher Banfield and Adam Tsardakis were best on for the Bulls whilst Simon Woodward kicked three goals.

Archie Conboy and Jonty Randall were two that played defiantly for La Trobe, as Beau Lawrence managed to snag multiple goals in La Trobe’s low-scoring effort.

La Trobe now sit a game outside the top five, and will look to make amends against Albert Park next week.

In a back-and-forth affair, Canterbury’s late surge at the death against St John’s has secured their fourth win on the trot.

The game was played with swings of momentum, as flurries of goals dictated the match. Canterbury opened the game with four straight goals, before St John’s pegged it back to a 16-point quarter-time deficit.

A second quarter of five goals to one erased the Cobra’s strong start, but from then on, it was an arm wrestle for the lead. After Canterbury’s first third-quarter goal, the lead never extended beyond a kick for the majority of the second half. St John’s Tyler Neal kicked a handy goal halfway through the last to put the JOCs up 73-63, but Canterbury’s Brad Kelleher booted a reply just a minute later and it was game on again.

Lachy Shearer of the Cobras kicked a game-tying goal in the 24^th minute, and a potential draw hung in the balance. However, in the dying stages, Canterbury’s Jayden Cutts kicked a match-winner that sealed the fate of the game.

Costly inaccuracy will be rued by St Johns, as three late points were unable to be capitalised upon. Another potential finals preview faces them next week against Power House.

After a 1-2 start to the year, Canterbury have bounced back to their form of 2023. Hosting Eley Park next week, the Cobras will be aiming to lock in their current top four spot.

Power House have rebounded from their Round 6 loss in merciless fashion against Eley Park, destroying the Sharks by an astounding 249 points. Scoring nearly 300 points, Power House kicked a staggering 45 goals on Saturday, including 14 in the last quarter.

The win was a full team effort, with 14 individual goalkickers. It didn’t prevent any standout performances however, with Rob Dyer kicking 11, and Matt Auchettl and Luke Stubbs both booting five.

Despite the thumping, the Sharks fought with heart, as Matt Gallagher, Aaron Williams, Joel Kennedy, and Lachie Blunden earned best-on-ground votes.

Richmond Central remain a smoky finals chance this season, after narrowly escaping the in-form Chadstone. Chadstone, who won their first Senior game in 3,256 days last week, showed it wasn’t a flash in the pan, with a defiant effort against the Snakes.

However, the Snakes proved too good, grinding their way to a 16-point win, 70-54. Nicholas Poole played his best footy for the season, as Charles Spring was once again in Richmond Central’s best.

Anthony Brown (4) continued his goalkicking form for the Synners, as Adam MacGregor and Andrew Pilbrow were also best on. Chadstone have the bye this week, and will happily rest with the improvements made over their first seven games.

A slow-starting Swinburne University accelerated to a dominant 94-point win over Albert Park. Five goals straight gave the Falcons a seven-point quarter-time lead, but a six goal to one second term erased any chance of an upset.

Seven consecutive goals in the premiership quarter saw Swinburne continue their dominance, as Albert Park had no answers for the Razorback attack.

Zachary Cooke and Leonard McClay were Swinburne’s top players, as Nick Ferguson and Jai Lamperd kicked four each.

The absence of Albert Park’s key forward Jack Lee has not gone unnoticed, as the Falcons have been unable to score over 70 since his last appearance in Round 5.

Round 8’s shapes to be an enthralling fixture before the King’s Birthday bye week.

La Trobe host Albert Park, with La Trobe needing a win to stay in touch with the top five. Eley Park will take the trip to Canterbury, hoping to avoid another heavy defeat.

In what is tipped to be match of the round, Power House and St John’s face off in a heavyweight clash. Two consecutive losses would be a devastating blow to the JOCs promising season, as Power House will aim to avoid complacency after their cruisy Round 7 win. Boasting the two highest percentages in the competition, this game presents as a gripping blockbuster.

North Brunswick’s unbeaten streak could continue against Box Hill North, but the Demons’ refreshed return from the bye could cause a boiler at Allard Park.

Swinburne close out the round against Richmond Central. A win for the Snakes places them back in finals contention, so expect a gritty match. Chadstone have the bye this week.