Bullants on a streak, whilst Kew and Ormond are yet to drop

Round 4 in Division 1 saw the Preston Bullants claim their third consecutive win with an emphatic victory over Therry Penola, whilst Kew and Ormond have continued their unbeaten streak. Pencil in Kew and Ormond’s Round 8 clash as one to watch!

After a nail-biting final quarter with many swings and roundabouts, Ormond defeated Old Peninsula in a close 12-point contest, in what was the biggest challenge to Kyle Pinto’s men this season to date. Ormond and Old Peninsula have been two of the highest performing sides in this section thus far, so this game was one that was truly up for grabs.

The Pirates had the dream start, virtually silencing the Ormond crowd in the first quarter as they piled on the pain with six goals to one in the first quarter. A 35-point lead at quarter-time was a massive mental advantage.

The Monders were back to their best in the second quarter with goals aplenty to reduce their deficit to just five points at half-time, which could have been an advantage if not for inaccuracy in front of goal. The third quarter was a hard-fought contest with little scoring, and Ormond managed to sneak ahead to take a narrow 1-point lead into the final term.

Ultimately, it was Ormond who managed to stand up in the fourth quarter with late goals to Sam Mason and Mason Thatcher getting the home side over the line. Whilst a loss still hurts, Old Peninsula would leave with their heads held high in that they gave a serious scare to one of the undefeated teams in this section. Bailey Payze was critical for Old Peninsula with nine of their eleven goals.

After getting close last week, UHS-VU recorded their first win of 2025 with a 24-point victory over Brunswick. Both sides were well matched in the first quarter, finding opportunities to get the footy inside 50 and convert on the scoreboard.

UHS-VU broke away in the second quarter, kicking five consecutive goals before Brunswick fired back with a couple of their own, to lead by 17-points at the major break. Brunswick made up for it with a dominant third quarter display to be trailing by just one-point going into the final quarter.

When push came to shove, it was UHS-VU who stood up for the challenge with five goals to one in the final term as they claimed the four points for the first time this season. In a true team effort, the goals were shared around the UHS-VU players with ten individual goal-scorers, whilst Angus Coverdale and Oscar Watt each kicked three for Brunswick.

Kew continued their unbeaten run, defeating the struggling Monash Blues by 42 points. Kew had a remarkable first quarter, kicking seven goals to Monash’s four behinds to hold a comfortable buffer leading into the first break.

To Monash’s credit, they didn’t drop their heads and responded well in the second quarter with more success inside 50, however still had a lot of work to do, trailing by 32 points at the main break.

The Blues were more competitive in the second half, however Kew were just too good at the end of the day, as Monash’s poor first quarter proved to be far too much to come back from.

Ryan Meeuw had a big day, kicking three goals for Kew in this match before backing it up with five goals for Kew’s Under 19s side immediately after this game, whilst Michael Batten, Harry Conden and Will Snookes are all to be commended for their efforts for Monash on a tough day for their side.

The Preston Bullants are knocking down the door of the top two ladder positions after a thumping 110-point victory over Therry Penola. The Bullants set the tone early in the first quarter with four goals to one to build up a healthy 19-point lead at quarter-time.

It was in the second quarter the Bullants began to dominate, virtually silencing Therry Penola, keeping their opposition scoreless whilst they kicked six goals. This trend continued into the third for the Bullants to carry a 72-point lead into the final change.

Therry Penola’s Oscar Moran kicked the first goal of the final term to give his side something to smile about, but it was a demolition job from there on-in as Preston piled on another eight majors, charging home to claim those illustrious four points. Benedict Douglas impressed up forward with four goals for the victorious Bullants who will be looking to keep the momentum rolling.

Oakleigh registered their third win of the season with a 58-point victory against Elsternwick in a high-score affairat Elsternwick Park.

The home side got a look-in early, starting the game on top to build up a narrow 6-point lead at quarter-time. Unfortunately for the Wicks, they fell stagnant in the second quarter as Oakleigh surged ahead with a further six goals to their name to lead by 29 points at half-time.

Both sides kept each other in check in the third quarter, but it was Oakleigh who stormed home with another six majors in the last quarter. Oakleigh’s big goal-kickers, including Luke Ashen, Oliver Thomson and Thomas Gillard, will be a threatening proposition in Division 1 this season.

This win sees Oakleigh sitting in fifth place, just outside the four on percentage, whilst Elsternwick remain stuck in 10th place in desperate need of a win.

Four rounds in and the ladder is firmly segmented into four categories. The top two teams are undefeated, 3rd, 4th and 5th have 3 wins, and 1 loss, 6th, 7th and 8th have 1 win and 3 losses, whilst the bottom two teams are yet to open their accounts. Round 5 presents five exciting matchups that can change this ladder dynamic.

Brunswick and Elsternwick meet for a repeat of last year’s Division 2 Grand Final. Elsternwick took home that trophy last year so Brunswick will be firmly keen to settle the score. Both sides have struggled in Division 1 thus far so a win in this game will give them a massive leg-up.

Two of this section’s best teams, Kew and Preston will face-off in what should be a close encounter. Combined, these two sides are averaging 108 points this year so expect this to be a competitive one.

Elsewhere, the Monash Blues are looking for their first win when they play Ormond, Oakleigh host UHS-VU, and Old Peninsula will be aiming to stay in the top four as they meet Therry Penola.