Tigers triumph, finals race tightens

The double-bye is upon Premier B football, and it’s Daniel Ward’s Old Haileybury that has rocketed to the break with a ninth consecutive win, saluting in a one-v-two contest with Old Trinity.

The Bloods are two games clear in first spot on the ladder – a brilliant turnaround from the 18-point loss to the T’s and a 43-point humbling at the hands of Beaumaris that kicked off their 2024 campaign.

“We took a while to find our feet a little bit (but) the type of footy we’re playing right now is really pleasing,” Daniel Ward said on Monday.

In wet, windy conditions at Daley Oval, the Bloods held the Ts to just one goal in the first term, before kicking three goals to none in the second to go into the long break with a 22-point advantage.

Donald McDonald’s side worked back into the contest to trail by just seven points with a few minutes left in the third, but the Bloods wrestled back control with the wind and finished with a flurry, piling on six goals in the last quarter to win 12.8 (80) to 6.6 (42).

After poor kicking and a stingy Sharks defence kept his side to their equal-second lowest score of the season in Round 10, Ward said he was pleased with his team’s ability to apply scoreboard pressure, despite the unfavourable conditions.

“We addressed (the low score) and spoke about that – and I thought our group was absolutely fantastic at putting that to the side and going to work.”

A sore Durras Seccull was selfless and competed strongly in the air, responding to a goalless outing against Beaumaris with two majors, while livewire Andreas Stefanakis continued his mighty year with another three goals.

Stefanakis, despite playing only five games to this point of the season, has kicked 20 goals – good enough for fifth across Premier B.

“He’s got real confidence in his game and he knows what works for him,” Ward said.

“The development he’s had year upon year has been sensational. We see it as a blessing to have him.”

Blood Josh Gasparini (30 disposals, 16 clearances) continued his magnificent form, while Nick Hodgson (31 disposals, 20 contested possessions) was manful for the Ts.

Second-placed De La Salle, the team considered to have the best chance of knocking off the Bloods by some around the competition, have won its last two contests by a combined total of 149 points – this time accounting easily for an undermanned Beaumaris at Banksia Reserve.

The 86-point victory, when combined with an average losing margin of 5.75 points (the heaviest De La loss being by just 10 points at the hands of Old Geelong) means that De La boast to a percentage of 138.28%, some 13.5% clear of third-placed Old Trinity.

The percentage column of this year’s ladder promises to be the deciding feature in the second phase of the season, with five clubs from second down to sixth sitting at a 7-4 record.

“We’ve been in every single contest – we pride ourselves on being really competitive,” De La Salle coach Nick Hyland said.

“For a young group, for eleven weeks of footy to be competitive in each game speaks volumes…the percentage is a result of being really competitive”.

The 17.11 (113) to 3.9 (27) win allowed De La to trial some positional adjustments, with Campbell Bedford, Fraser Cameron and Lachie Gawel in fine form.

For Sharks coach Josh Bourke, it’s been a difficult three weeks, with an overwhelming number of first-choice players unavailable for selection.

The benefit for the Sharks though is precious time to invest in its younger players, Bourke explained.

“The development of some of our under 19s has been fantastic, and (these are) not the opportunities they’d get with a healthy list,” he said.

“There’s a real group of young blokes that are being developed and getting fast-tracked.”

Graduates from the Sharks’ Under 19s team, Petar Pecer and Nate Dear, have impressed Bourke, as have current Under 19s pair Spencer McLennan and James Pepper.

Meanwhile defender Cal Linehan, who will line up in the Big V Prem B-Div 3 team this weekend at Elsternwick Park, has also enjoyed a stellar season.

“The level of his performance at the minute – he really is capable of playing at another level,” Bourke said.

“He’s fought his guts out to keep us in games at times.”

With spaces in the top four considerably difficult to nail down, Old Geelong secured a crucial four points on the road, turning around a 23-point deficit at the ten-minute mark of the final quarter to defeat Old Ivanhoe in a thriller.

Dominant Hoers midfielder Billy Murphy, remarkable on the day with 35 disposals, nine clearances and three goals, won a holding-the-man free kick in the dying seconds deep inside the Old Ivanhoe forward line.

His game-deciding drop punt clipped the outside of the goalpost as the final siren sounded in heartbreak for Old Ivanhoe.

OG’s coach Nathan Brown was thrilled with the result, which looked unlikely in difficult conditions at Chelsworth Park.

“It was one of those really good footy moments for our crew,” he said.

“Four goals down in the wet, away from home, against a quality opposition – it was looking like a win for Old Ivanhoe, one they deserved, too.”

At three-quarter-time, having kicked just two goals to the final break, Brown had implored his squad to lift with a well-earned rest to follow the next 30-odd minutes of football.

The OGs came out firing in the last, dominating the disposal and inside 50 counts, with goals from Sam Barnett, Connor Dixon and Tom Furphy drawing the visitors within a kick.

A Nick Morwood goal put the OGs in front, but from the centre bounce the Hoers thrust the ball deep inside their forward 50, where Murphy would win the opportunity to effectively kick for the game.

His miss sealed a 6.13 (49) to 6.11 (47) win for Old Geelong, which now sits fourth on the ladder, nearly 5% clear of Old Ivanhoe in fifth.

Hoers coach Jarrod Gieschen emphasised the need for Premier B teams to make the most of their good work in a season where ten-minute bursts have often proved the difference between squads.

“When you’ve got the momentum, you’ve got to capitalise,” he said.

For Old Ivanhoe, the double-bye offers the opportunity to bed down their best football after an encouraging start to life in Premier B.

“We haven’t got our best 22 on the park yet,” Gieschen said.

“If you have a look from Round 5, Round 6 onwards, we decided (that) to play our best, we’d have to play a quick ball movement style”.

St Bedes/Mentone Tigers was the story of Round 11, the Tigers finally breaking through for their first win of the 2024 season after coming desperately close over the last month.

After suffering defeats by under a goal in Round 8 and Round 9, Brad Berry’s side was impressive across three quarters against Old Trinity before the Ts put their foot down after the final break.

“We looked at our measurements, our improvement markers, they were all there,” said Berry of the Round 10 game, which set the Tigers up nicely for a meeting with the Caulfield Grammarians.

And indeed, St Bedes/Mentone arguably had the game won at three-quarter-time at Glen Huntly Park on the weekend, leading by 35 points at the turn for home.

Despite a late Grammarians push, Berry’s young squad was able to shake off the jitters of being in a rare winning position, waving farewell to a difficult first phase of the season with a 12.12 (84) to 10.9 (69) win.

“The turning point came about six weeks ago,” said Berry.

“(The) individual accolades will come, but I’ve really got them understanding what it means to play for the jumper, to perform your role within the team.”

Lachie Palfrey, an anchor for the St Bedes/Mentone defence, combined well with “ultra-consistent” defender Zac Calvez, while wingman Max Sullivan played his best game of the season.

Jack Behnk (17 disposals, three goals), an Anytime Fitness Rising Star nominee in Round 1, has had an outstanding season for the Tigers – and Berry thinks he’s able to mix it at a higher level.

“Jack’s effort has always been there, but all of a sudden he’s getting on the end of a few because we’re getting the ball through the way we’ve been training (for),” he said.

The smooth-moving Darcy Fountain (26 disposals, two goals) scopes as a midfield option for the Tigers in future, while the around-the-ground work of Category B Melbourne rookie Kyah Farris-White impressed his coach.

For Guy McKenna’s Grammarians, it was an opportunity to celebrate stalwart Dom O’Keefe’s 200th game for the club.

“35 years of age, 17 years of service to the club, it’s fantastic,” McKenna said.

“Hopefully it’s a day he’ll cherish (but) it’s sad we couldn’t get the win.”

Finally, Old Camberwell ensured it kept pace with the glut of sides on seven wins, opening up a gap on Williamstown CYMS with a four-goals-to-none second term, eventually securing a 11.10 (76) to 7.9 (51) victory.

Harry Laukens leads all comers league-wide as far as the goalkicking tally is concerned, slotting six majors to take his tally to 33 on the season.

Old Camberwell’s Harrison Veitch (26 disposals, 20 contested possessions) and James Allen (26 disposals, 8 marks) showed their class, as the CYs were left to rue a slow start.

“I thought our second half was more spirited…(but) a bad quarter will get you,” said coach Con Terzoglou.

“We lost by 25 points; the second quarter damage was 26 points.”

The Wellers dominated territory and possession in that second quarter in particular, with the CYs defence unable to clear the zone.

Ultimately, a near five-goal margin at three quarter time was too much to haul in for the home side, Old Camberwell off to the bye with a handy win under its belt.

“(Old Camberwell) have forwards that go under the radar – they are fundamentally really sound, constantly in front, constantly presenting, able to read the ball in the air,” Terzoglou said.

Jordan Busuttil (30 disposals, 20 contested possessions) and Liam Conway (27 disposals) continued their strong seasons for the CYs.

Terzoglou’s team is two games adrift of Caulfield and Beaumaris in ninth spot, with St Bedes/Mentone in tenth place – but in possession of a healthier percentage than the CYs.

An enticing second phase of the season looms when the season resumes on July 20.