Eley Park stun Swinburne in upset of the season

Eley Park have dashed Swinburne University’s finals hopes in an all-time upset, recording their third win of the season.

The Sharks were down 15 at quarter-time, but a season-best second quarter of six goals and five behinds rewarded Eley Park with a 14-point halftime lead. The Razorbacks came out a fiercely determined outfit in the third quarter, reclaiming the lead momentarily, as a steadying shot from Jesiah Mcgarvie put Eley Park back in front.

Sharks backmen Jonathan Tennent and Jake Weaver quelled any Razorback attack in the last quarter, the Sharks holding a 10-point lead by the final siren.

“[It was] another superb team effort by the boys. We stuck to our plan and structures to win the match in a 20 goal turnaround from earlier in the season,” Eley Park coach Matt Embling said, referencing the Sharks previous 109-point loss to Swinburne in Round 5. It’s the second time the Sharks have won after a triple-figure loss to an opponent this season, the other against La Trobe in Round 13.

“We will take this renewed belief into the challenge of playing North Brunswick,” Embling said.

Tennent and Weaver earned best-on-ground nominations with Stephen Roberts for the Sharks, whilst Nick Ferguson was Swinburne’s best with a five-goal haul for the match.

The loss is a damaging blow for Swinburne’s finals chances. The Razorbacks now sit two games and percentage outside the top-five, with games against top-four sides Canterbury and Power House to come. To make finals, Swinburne will need to pull off two major upsets and hope Richmond Central go winless in Rounds 17 and 18.

In a high-scoring, see-sawing affair, St John’s have recorded a thrilling five-point win over Canterbury.

Inaccuracy limited St John’s initially, scoring 5.10 (40) at halftime to lead by just four points against the Cobras’ 5.6 (36). Canterbury fired early on in the third quarter, scoring three goals in five minutes, before St John’s tussled the game back on their terms. It wasn’t enough to overcome the early strikes however, Canterbury heading into three-quarter-time with a nine-point advantage.

That lead extended to 20 points 13 minutes into the final term, seemingly leaving St John’s dead and buried. Yet, in an extraordinary turn of events, the JOCs came roaring back to life. Kicking the last five goals of the game, St John’s snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, Canterbury failing to find a sealing goal from their four final scores.

Matthew Carnelley (5) and Harvey Emery (3) combined for eight goals for St John’s, as Joshua Mourant earned best-on votes. Michael Wheeler and Darby Desmond were deemed best-on for Canterbury.

Power House has bounced back from their Round 15 loss with a cruisy 73-point win over Box Hill North. The Demons never let up all game, however Power House’s talent was too much to overcome. Power House leapt out to a seven-goal halftime lead, and continued on into the third quarter, reaching a 74-point margin. Box Hill North fought doggedly to outscore PHAFC in the last term, albeit it can also be attributed to an inaccurate 1.8 from Power House.

Following the result, Power House jump Canterbury into third place, whilst Box Hill North slip below Eley Park to tenth on the Division 3 ladder.

Power House’s Luke Stubbs staked his claim for a Team of the Year spot with another bag of goals, punting seven for the match. Kyle Hocking and Toby Love were amongst the best for Box Hill North.

A gritty performance from La Trobe University has fallen short as Richmond Central all but secure their spot in the finals. The Snakes kicked inaccurately in the first half, scoring 2.9 (21) to La Trobe’s 3.5 (23). The scoring woes continued into the second half, however Richmond Central were persistent in attack. Eventually the wall of La Trobe defence crumbled, with the Snakes scoring 57 second-half points to La Trobe’s 27.

Nicholas Simons, Lachlan Webb and Sam Benetti-Baker played defiantly for the Trobers, as Charles Spring and Damien Holland earnt BOG votes for the Snakes. Richmond Central take on Albert Park in Round 17, with a win guaranteeing a place in September.

North Brunswick have recaptured intimidating form with a 95-point victory over Albert Park. The Bulls were at their defensive best, limiting the Falcons to just six scoring shots for the entire match, whilst ten players chipped in on an 18-goal performance.

Tom Shembrey was scintillating, booting five, whilst Zac Dicianni was also a prominent component of North Brunswick’s win. Unless the Bulls throw away wins to Eley Park and Richmond Central, they are now locked in for a top-two ladder position come season’s end.

With Round 16 wrapped up, attention turns to the penultimate Round of Division 3 football.

Eley Park host North Brunswick, whilst La Trobe travel to face Power House. Swinburne will be eyeing a boilover against a potentially-fatigued Canterbury, who come off their heartbreaking loss to St John’s. Albert Park host Richmond Central, and Chadstone return from the bye, needing to beat Box Hill North to avoid the wooden spoon. St John’s take the bye this week.