Season-best win for the Hawks

Opening the round on Friday night, the stage was set for a huge clash at Pitcher Park. Parkside made it four wins on the trot, defeating Aquinas by a cool 21 points at home under lights.

The contest was fairly even right up until three quarter time, with the Devils taking a narrow two-point lead into the final term. However, they were able to break the game open in the dying stages, booting three goals and cementing themselves in the top four.

Parkside continued their widespread use of goal kickers, with four different players all contributing to the goal tally. Their ability to find multiple avenues to goal has become a real strength in recent weeks.

Aquinas was brave all night but probably just lacked that last bit of polish to emerge victorious. Similar to MCC, Aquinas has been extremely tough to beat this season, losing games by limited margins. With a few tweaks and cleaner ball movement, a breakthrough win may not be too far away.

Hawthorn recorded their best victory yet this season over Box Hill North, downing them by six points.

The Hawks have faced several injury challenges this season, including two ACL injuries and a broken ankle, all in consecutive weeks. Coach Aaron Miller admitted he had to switch a few magnets around and get creative after his side was without some key personnel.

Miller lauded his opponents, labelling them ‘outstanding’ considering they only had 17 available players on the day, also meaning they were without rotations for the entire contest. Full credit to Sophie Siddons, who was able to combine superbly with Gigi Parker all day in the ruck, showing serious talent in what was only her ninth game for the club.

Additionally, Miller was very complimentary of the umpiring on the day, with their consistent decisions resulting in the game being played in a great spirit.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom for Box Hill, with Lilly Griffiths putting in an inspiring performance, leading from the front. Box Hill are back at home next weekend, as they turn their attention to a clash with MCC.

Brunswick was able to deliver a huge home victory on what was a special day for the club. The club celebrated their indigenous round while also getting around Amy Dillon in her 100th game.

Dillon certainly didn’t feel the pressure in her milestone game, booting five goals and being dominant down forward all day.

In what was a great act of integrity, Brunswick loaned Coburg some players before the start of the game to help even out numbers. Brunswick coach Sasha Dougherty was full of praise for the Lions, who have soldiered on extremely well this season, considering their unfortunate circumstances around player availability.

Kicking 88 points was a season-high total for the Renegades, who seem to be building week by week. One clear part of their game that has come a long way is their work around stoppage, being able to link up effectively forward of the ball and scoring with great intent.

La Trobe University was unable to capitalise on their strong start, as Old Carey stormed home to win by two goals. La Trobe were able to keep the Panthers scoreless in the first quarter, kicking 1.4 themselves, leaving a few goals begging.

Coach Samantha Greene was disappointed with the result but also confident her side can learn from the result. “We started strong but couldn’t convert; they took momentum in the second quarter. We walk away knowing we left chances out there, but full credit to Old Carey, who maintained their composure whilst under pressure,” Greene said.

Rose Chiaramonte was instrumental for Old Carey, kicking two goals and leading their come from behind victory. The Panthers remain two games clear on top of the Division 2 ladder, boasting an impressive 8-1 record, with their only loss coming all the way back in Round 2 against De La Salle.

De La Salle did what they needed to do at Beaumaris Secondary College, beating MCC by 13 points. De La was able to grind out a gritty victory against an MCC side who always seem to defend well and match up extremely strongly.

Finishing the day with 2-goals-11 begs the question as to whether the margin really could’ve blown out, and De La will no doubt be looking to focus on accuracy in front of the sticks as we approach the point end of the competition.

Luckily for De La, strong first and third quarters put them in good stead to claim victory. Despite a goalless second term, their ability to control territory and limit MCC’s scoring opportunities proved crucial in the end.

MCC has recorded plenty of noble losses this season, always going down with a fight. It feels as if a string of victories is just around the corner for them, with their brand of football being extremely hard to play against. Their structure, pressure, and commitment to contested ball make them a nightmare to break down, and they’ll be confident heading into the back half of the season. Watch this space…

Opening the round on Friday night, the stage was set for a huge clash at Pitcher Park. Parkside made it four wins on the trot, defeating Aquinas by a cool 21 points at home under lights.

The contest was fairly even right up until three quarter time, with the Devils taking a narrow two-point lead into the final term. However, they were able to break the game open in the dying stages, booting three goals and cementing themselves in the top four.

Parkside continued their widespread use of goal kickers, with four different players all contributing to the goal tally. Their ability to find multiple avenues to goal has become a real strength in recent weeks.

Aquinas was brave all night but probably just lacked that last bit of polish to emerge victorious. Similar to MCC, Aquinas has been extremely tough to beat this season, losing games by limited margins. With a few tweaks and cleaner ball movement, a breakthrough win may not be too far away.

Looking ahead to Round 11 Box Hill North host MCC at Elgar Park, Coburg welcome Old Carey to Coburg City Oval, and UHS-VU come back off the bye and are set to face Hawthorn at home. Meanwhile, Parkside are on the road this week as they come up against La Trobe University, while De La Salle host Brunswick at The Dairy Belle.