Bumper Round Five in store for Premier B

An early ‘Big Five’ has formed at the top of the Premier B table, Old Ivanhoe leading the group of pacesetters four games into the season.

The Hoers are unbeaten, while Old Camberwell, Old Trinity, Old Carey and Old Geelong are split on percentage, each side starting the year 3-1 and enjoying a win in Round Four.

While the Wellers are second on the table with a healthy percentage of 154.1%, it’s Donald McDonald’s Old Trinity that appears closest to the Hoers on available results – The Ts’ only loss of the year coming at the hands of the Wellers in Round One when their comeback fell one point short.

McDonald’s team managed the Daley Oval wind expertly in a 11.14 (80) to 9.9 (63) defeat of Old Melburnians, scooting clear in the second with the breeze at its back having held fast late in the first term.

“Really the second 15 minutes of the first quarter got us the lead at half time, as there was a decent wind blowing that the OMs had first use of … (they) kicked three goals before I reckon our boys had touched the ball,” McDonald said.

Goals from Angus Williams, Ned Nichols and Ed Michelmore in the first nine minutes of the game saw the affair on the Redlegs’ terms early. Michelmore’s goal in particular is worth a watch on replay – the OMs’ number four taking two bounces before dobbing a long-range shot to hammer home an early scoreboard advantage.

But it was the Ts who won the term from there, punting three goals to one for the rest of the quarter to trail only by four points at quarter time, even leading the inside 50 count 12-10 at the break.

“It was a really good effort by the players to defend like anything and stem the flow of goals,” said McDonald.

The Ts pressed on in the second, kicking six goals to two and dominating disposals (+29), marks (+11) and inside 50s (+8), carrying a 22-point advantage into the second half. The margin would not dip below 17 points until the final siren, the Ts sticking fast to win their third game of the year.

For the fourth time this year, Donald McDonald’s men have contributed at least 25 scoring shots, a feather in the cap for the team that has surprised its coach.

“It’s funny as I did not think we have been a high scoring team,” McDonald explained.

“Good to see we have been consistently hitting the scoreboard – I think Hugh Beasley is a really good leader in our front half. (He) provides a great target and fights hard to keep the ball in.”

Jack Hindson took a whopping 18 marks and had 30 disposals to boot, while Hugo McGlashan (23 disposals, seven inside 50s) was McDonald’s best.

For OMs coach Nathan Brown, there are similarities between his young group and the one Old Trinity had on its return to Premier B footy in 2023. The next step for Brown and his OMs is how they build to the level his chargers were shown last Saturday afternoon.

“All credit to Donald and Old Trinity yesterday – they played outstanding footy from start to finish, broke it open in the middle part of the game and managed it from there,” said Brown.

“Can’t fault our effort until the end but (we) just got beat around (the) contest by an impressive Old Trinity outfit, and just battled to get anything going from there.” 

Matthew Payne was rated as Brown’s best, while the Nichols brothers were once again superb.

Old Carey’s season of statements has been punctuated by its biggest win to date, a remarkable 16-goal second half the main attraction in a ten-goal romp over Caulfield Grammarians.

The Panthers kicked only three goals to the long break and trailed by ten points, wrestled the advantage off the Fields with a six-goal-to-three third term, then ran in ten goals in the final quarter to win 19.16 (130) to 10.10 (70).

Astonishingly, the Fields were within four points at the five-minute mark of the final term at Carey Sports Complex when Thomas Williams landed a long bomb after taking advantage from a free kick at centre-half-forward.

The Panthers responded with six goals in ten minutes to seal the deal and added another four in time-on. Nick Brewin added three of his five goals on the afternoon as part of the deluge, while Mitch Wooffindin racked up 16 disposals and seven score involvements in the fourth term alone.

“We thought we held our own really well and were well in the game (four points down) early in the last – unfortunately, having no bench available combined with a hard gut running opposition proved too much for our boys in the end,” said Fields coach Paul Satterley.

“Very disappointing last quarter in every aspect of the game.”

Panthers coach Luke Giles said there was no change in the game at the long break – rather, the volume of scoring was down to a consistent level of defensive effort in the midfield.

“We know our strength is how relentless we are around the ball all day. Realistically, some sides will be able to deal with it and if they can (like (Old) Ivanhoe), then good luck to them,” he said.

“We felt our consistent pressure around the ball broke them in the second half. Once that happened, our ball movement looked a lot sharper, but it was all based (on) our defensive actions.”

Old Carey has scored at least 91 points across the first four rounds of the season, which the coach puts down to quick decision-making off turnover, from which his side has sourced 59% of its total score from this season.

Despite the promising 3-1 start to life in Premier B, there are no changes in expectation for the premiers of last year’s Premier C competition.

“We are very much in the infancy stage,” Giles said.

“The priority right now is to just become a trustworthy side that shows up every week. Finals and win/loss isn’t the priority this season.”

Old Geelong has its second win on the trot after overcoming a slow start to defeat the Hampton Rovers, 17.13 (115) to 11.5 (71) at Como Park.

The OGs took until the 32-minute mark of the first quarter to kick their first goal, Sam Hodge setting up Nick Lucena from just inside the 50-metre arc. The siren would sound shortly after the next centre ball-up.

(I) thought we were able to fix up some of our contest stuff after quarter time, which helped get our outside game going,” said OGs coach Nick Dixon.

“Pleasingly us coaches asked our boys to lift their intensity after quarter time and we were able to respond well.”

A seven-goal-to-one second quarter set Old Geelong on its way, and the lead blew out to an even ten goals at the final break. Hampton would kick five of the last six goals of the match to bring the full-time margin back to 44 points.

Dixon has been pleased by the improvement across the group in the first four rounds of the season, noting 19-year-old inside midfielder James Adams (a season-high 27 disposals and eight clearances against the Rovers) as one who has benefitted from a strong preseason

“We have been able to bring in a lot of talent into our team this season, with nearly a third of our side 20 years old or younger, which is very exciting for the future of our club,” Dixon said.

Tim Jones was supreme with 41 disposals, an eye-popping 24 contested possessions, 14 clearances, 10 inside 50s and a goal, Matt Wallis kicked five goals and Jack Sheridan was dominant in the middle with 61 hitouts.

For the Rovers, coach Marty Pask was disappointed in two key lapses that cost Hampton on the scoreboard.

“We dropped our application for 20 minutes in the second quarter, and (for) five minutes of the third quarter,” he said

“(I) liked the response thereafter, and our second half. We showed that we have character in the group.”

The Rovers have typically been a very accurate team in front of goal in 2025 – excluding a dirty day in Round Two against Old Camberwell, they have kicked 32.13, Pask citing high-percentage scoring opportunities as the reason behind the straight kicking.

“Our method is good,” he said, “it’s more just the opportunity to keep finding ways to generate a score.”

James Keys cracked 40 disposals and added ten rebound 50s, Liam O’Driscoll kicked four goals, Chris Perkins continued his strong season with 34 disposals while Hugo Lay had 22 disposals and laid 15 tackles.

Old Ivanhoe set themselves up for victory early at home against Williamstown CYMS, kicking the first seven goals of the game and keeping the CYs scoreless in the first quarter.

The CYs would kick nine of the next 13 though, ratcheting back a 59-point deficit in the third quarter to a 14-point loss at full time, the Hoers winning 11.15 (81) to 9.13 (67).

Hoers coach Jarrod Gieschen was focused on the squad’s ability to apply pressure after what he felt was a down week against the OMs in Round Three and was pleased as his team executed “exceptionally well”.

But after Patrick Naish’s second goal of the afternoon at the 20-minute mark of the third quarter, the Hoers did not kick another goal, while the CYs raged home with seven of their own.

“Our manic game style caught up with us a bit and we weren’t able to play at the level for the whole game,” explained Gieschen.

“(CYs midfielder) Jordan Busuttil led the charge, and it gave a great look at what their team is capable of when they are up and running.”

CYs coach Con Terzoglou took positives out of the last 45 minutes of game time but was left wanting form his team’s lack of intensity to start.

“Our tackling pressure was ineffective, so we were not able to slow them down,” he said.

“(It) allowed them to continually move the ball, and ultimately kept us chasing. So we had no control of the game and were on the back foot.”

Direct ball movement allowed the CYs to hit the scoreboard and catch the Hoers out over the back – Terzoglou was pleased with the response, and eventual jangling of some nerves at Chelsworth Park.

Atop the ladder and with the likes of Alex Mirkov (28 disposals, 20 contested possessions, 12 clearances, 60 hitouts and nine score involvements), Patrick Naish (42 disposals and two goals) and Billy Murphy (37 disposals and two goals) in fine form, Old Ivanhoe are superbly placed after four rounds of the year.

“It’s been a pleasing start to the year; however you could argue in every game we’ve had to fight to win,” said Giechen.

“Therefore we aren’t getting ahead of ourselves. I think we’ve been able to get 4-0 as in each game we’ve capitalised during the moments when we’ve had momentum.”

Old Camberwell is the last of the 3-1 teams gumming up the top half of the ladder, overcoming an undermanned Fitzroy at Brunswick Street Oval.

The Wellers incrementally increased their advantage at every break, and across the later stages of the third quarter and the early stages of the fourth kicked seven goals to one to secure a commanding 40-point lead.

Three late goals to Fitzroy brought in the margin, Old Camberwell eventual 14.7 (91) to 10.11 (71) victors.

Coach Neil Connell felt his side was in command of the pace of the game for much of the afternoon in a strong response to a Round Three loss to Old Carey – and was pleased by his side’s response to some half time changes. 

“We wanted to control the ball more working our way forward, not trying to turn it into a

running game up and back for both teams,” Connell explained.

“I felt the boys adapted well to a slight change in tactics, although the scoreboard didn’t reflect this, but I felt the third quarter set us up for the win.”

Fitzroy coach Travis Ronaldson lauded his “brave” team, which was two players down in the first quarter.

“The intent and desire to work was outstanding and I thought we had had some good periods throughout the game where we got on top,” he said.

Weller Harry Laukens, the competition’s leading goalkicker, potted four goals, three of those coming in the final term, while Connell lauded tireless wingman Josh Gale for his 25 disposals and “outstanding” run up and down Brunswick Street Oval.

Will Dalrymple (31 disposals and six intercept marks) and Josh Holding (20 disposals and 12 marks) were rock-solid down back, with Connell and his side eagerly turning to a top-of-the-table meeting with Old Ivanhoe this weekend.

“We will need to be on our game and face it head on,” he said.

“They have a good mix of talent across every line. You must put time into their ball winners and deny them stoppage clearances, which so far this season has been their strength.”

A remarkable quirk of fixturing means Round Five could be the tightest weekend of the Premier B season, first playing second, third playing fourth, fifth playing sixth, seventh playing eighth and ninth playing tenth.

At the top of the table, ladder-leaders Old Ivanhoe will play Old Camberwell at Gordon Barnard Reserve while Old Trinity hosts Old Carey.

Old Geelong, currently outside the top four on percentage only, visits Williamstown CYMS, Old Melburnians travel to Glen Huntly Park for a match with Caulfield Grammarians and winless pair Fitzroy and Hampton Rovers face off at Boss James Reserve.