Race for top two heats up as gap widens between top four and the rest

Barring any major upsets, the top four looks all but set in Premier C as Old Carey, AJAX, Hampton Rovers and Parkdale Vultures fight it out for an all-important top two finish. Old Carey, AJAX and the Rovers each sit on 12 wins whilst the Vultures are two games behind but hold a strong percentage.

An intriguing top four clash saw the Hampton Rovers win with ease, sending a statement to the competition as they defeated AJAX by 41 points at Trevor Barker Oval, subsequently knocking them off the top of the ladder. Much to the surprise of everyone, AJAX were completely silenced in the first half, only managing two solitary behinds to trail the Rovers by 45 points.

If not for some inaccuracy in front of goal, Hampton could’ve been much further ahead. In a top-four defining game, AJAX needed a response in the second half, and whilst they marginally improved, the Rovers 42-point lead at three quarter time was too large a deficit to work down. Vice-Captain Liam O’Driscoll and Clinton Young starred for the Rovers with three goals each.

Thanks to a dominant first half where they excelled on the scoreboard, Mazenod defeated Glen Eira/Old McKinnon by 15 points. Mazenod brought a lot of energy and fight from the first bounce, kicking six goals to two in the first quarter, immediately sending a strong message to the Gryphons home crowd that they will be a tough outfit to come up against. Their fast-start continued into the second quarter to see Mazenod lead by 34 points at half-time.

To the Gryphons credit, they fought back in the second half, particularly in the final term where they piled on one goal after another, but it was too little too late as they failed to surpass Mazenod. The victorious Mazenod were aided by Hayden Boyce who had a great day out with five goals, whilst the Gryphons were lead up forward by Jasper Waldren who kicked three majors.

In an incredibly close encounter, PEGS prevailed to defeat Oakleigh by 6-points. The first half was a close affair which had many positives for both sides, but particularly Oakleigh who took an 8-point lead into half-time. PEGS carried on the momentum better in the third quarter to lead by 6-points at three quarter time. The fourth quarter was one to watch whereby both teams matched each other on the scoreboard in an even contest, resulting in PEGS claiming the four points to narrowly win.

In a game where many players stood up and contributed to their team’s success, Daniel Flaherty kicked six goals for PEGS, whilst Luke Bowden kicked three of his own. Oakleigh have had a tough run in Premier C, but despite sitting on the bottom of the ladder, the Krushers have come very close in many games and still have a chance to avoid relegation.

Parkdale Vultures defeated the Monash Blues by 118 points. Whilst the first quarter saw both teams compete well and only separated by 4 points, the Vultures took their game to new heights after quarter time to kick seven goals in the second term and hold the Blues goal-less.

The Blues fared better in the third quarter to kick a couple of goals and move the ball around the ground better, however the Vultures only accelerated their fast moving gameplay to kick a further eight goals, three of those to key forward Mitch Brown, who finished the game with nine. It was a similar story in the fourth quarter as Parkdale stormed home to claim the four points and a healthy percentage boost. Kai Day and Oliver Green each kicked three goals for the Vultures.

Old Carey had a brilliant day out, defeating Marcellin by 130 points which sees them finish the round on top of the ladder. Marcellin recorded the first major of the day, however Old Carey controlled the game from that point forward as Marcellin struggled to keep up on the scoreboard.

By half-time, Old Carey lead by 39 points, and extended their dominance over the game in the third quarter, piling on seven goals to Marcellin’s three behinds. The home side got over the line comfortably as Marcellin failed to find the goals in the final term. This win catapults Old Carey to 1^st with a strong percentage, whilst Marcellin sit on 8^th, equal in points with the 9^th placed Monash Blues.

The action continues in Round 15 as many season-defining games await, beginning with Marcellin hosting Oakleigh in a battle of 8^th v 10^th. This is a great opportunity for Marcellin to turn their fortunes around with a strong win at home, however Oakleigh have shown they can be dangerous and will certainly be eager to get off the bottom of the ladder.

Old Carey, looking to keep their top-two spot, will play Glen Eira/Old McKinnon in a game they’d expect to win. Likewise, AJAX will be looking to hold onto their top-two spot when they come up against the Monash Blues who have had a tough season to date.

The other games of Round 15 see PEGS host the Hampton Rovers, whilst Mazenod host the Parkdale Vultures in what promises to be an interesting battle between 5^th and 4^th.