SBMT edge University Blues, while Old Xaverians’ comeback seals victory

We are officially at the half way mark of the Holmesglen Under 19 Premier Men’s competition and it is a tight race to the top. Round 9 in a nutshell: St Bedes/Mentone Tigers are one-point victors under Friday night lights, Old Xaverians survive and early scare, and Old Scotch impress.

The opening matchup of the round, a stand-alone contest on Friday night between St Bedes/Mentone Tigers and University Blues, was nothing short of a thriller in the Holmesglen Under 19’s competition.

Shooting out to an early three-goal buffer, SBMT held a strong lead for a majority of the opening half, running hot under the bright lights of Mentone Reserve. University Blues, strangled by the Tigers defence for a majority of the matchup, entered the final term trailing by 11 points.

Quarter four saw each team fighting tooth and nail for possession. The Blues pressed forward with relentless aggression, testing the mettle of the St Bedes/Mentone backline.

Lachlan Rees and Johnny Pring drove the comeback for University, orchestrating some exciting plays resulting in timely goals. Entering the dying stages of the contest, the Tigers clung to a measly one-point lead. University Blues, despite their assault, would reach the final siren shorthanded.

St Bedes/Mentone would register a famous victory on home turf, surviving a late scare from their opposition. Ethan Hall stood tall in the win, whilst Curtis Howe, Finn Chandler, Oliver Griffin, Liam Bowles and Lukas Ritter were pivotal to the cause.

Round 9 would continue into Saturday, where other exciting matches took place. Caulfield Grammarians recorded a much-needed victory over Beaumaris in the second game of the weekend schedule.

Offering up a five-point lead to the sharks at the conclusion of the opening quarter, the Grammarians reclaimed the lead early in the second. They soon began to fire on all fronts, winning individual contests throughout each area of the ground to enter the half time break with a 20-point lead.

Lachlan Lawrence, Callum Hankin, Tommy Warner impressed throughout the remainder of the game, guiding Caulfield to a resounding 50-point win.

For the Sharks, a lacklustre second half would prove to be their undoing. Mitchell Davidson, Jacob Whitehouse, George Lewis, Mason Cartwright and Flynn Groves shone whilst Max Newman-Morris was a handful for the opposition, kicking four.

Later in the schedule, Old Scotch handled De La Salle with relative ease. After a close first quarter, Old Scotch piled on the hurt to their opposition, keeping them goalless for a large majority of the game, whilst converting in front of goal themselves.

It was Spencer Hunter and James Davies who spearheaded the Old Scotch attack, concluding the game with four goals each. Finn Nankervis continued his spectacular form, whilst Lachie Harker, Will Hucker and Freddie Leeton were prolific.

De La Salle, after an impressive few weeks, disappointed throughout the day, having their obvious struggles in front of goal. Ashley Margerison, Ethan MacBeth and Joshua Stewart toiled hard.

Registering obvious improvement throughout the season, De La Salle will look with optimism to the second half of the year.

In another contest, Old Brighton endured a scare, outlasting an impressive Williamstown CYMS outfit at Fearon Reserve to win by 15 points.

Contrary to ladder positions, Williamstown CYMS put in a performance that would thoroughly test the might of Old Brighton. The ladder-leaders were challenged in every facet of the game, Williamstown proving their ability to rise to the fierce intensity of the contest.

Entering the final quarter with scores level, it would be an exciting conclusion to an invigorating tussle for premiership points. Despite an impressive performance from Williamstown, Old Brighton flexed their muscle in the final term to scamper away as victors.

Samuel Shepherd showcased his skill throughout the game for Williamstown, with Liam Taylor, Charlie Norris, Blake Tenaglia, Levi Cossey and Isaac Gawne performing well.

For the victors, Sam Litis drove the victory, with James Clarkson, Maxwell Langworthy, Lachlan McCluskey, Kai Vivian and Thomas Marriott a valuable supporting cast.

All exciting contests in Round 9, the rousing weekend of football would be headlined by an incredible contest taking place at Stradbroke park: a top of the table clash that saw Old Xaverians mount a last quarter comeback to surpass St Kevin’s.

Leading for a majority of the contest, St Kevin’s looked primed to register an outstanding victory against the old foe. A 14-point lead entering the final term gave confidence to St Kevin’s supporters.

Old Xavs, having been extremely impressive in previous weeks and a large majority of the season, would apply their skill to the dying stages of the contest to orchestrate a resounding comeback victory, slotting a handful of final-quarter goals to edge in front and claim victory. Charlie Bourne, Atticus Scally and Tom Bourne were pronounced best afield for the victors, standing tallest in the win.

St Kevin’s will enter the bye round with a tinge of disappointment having let the game slip in the final moments. Oscar white was excellent throughout the game, with Xavier Duke and Liam Edwards also impressing.

With nine rounds in the books in the Holmesglen Under 19’s Premier competition, Old Brighton remain atop the ladder standings, with Old Xaverians and Old Scotch slightly behind. As finals football rapidly approaches, wins become increasingly more pivotal in the race for premiership silverware.