Old Brighton still remains undefeated in the Holmesglen Under 19 Premier Men’s competition, while the gap between the top four and the rest has narrowed after De La Salle pulled off a gritty upset win over University.
De La Salle recorded the four-goal victory in a strong home ground showing against the University Blues, with a dominant first quarter the catalyst to a much-needed victory.
De La kicked 5.3 (33) to 1.2 (8) in the first quarter to immediately put the Blues on the back foot, and while the Blues had their patches of momentum, they were never able to gain a lead in the contest.
Nick Walsh, coach of De La Salle, said the firing start was the key to recording the club’s fourth win of the season.
“It was an improved start to the game against a bigger bodied and mature Uni Blues side,” Walsh said.
“We were able to get ahead and stay ahead for the day on our home deck.”
Brody Rossney (four goals) and Ethan Sawade were amongst the best for De La, while Uni Blues’ Tom Hill (three goals) was best on for his club.
Old Brighton keeps their winning record in tact in 2025 for a 10th straight week after coming out on top in a top-four battle against Old Scotch.
A scrappy first term saw both sides only kick one major, with a handy behind providing the Tonners with the slimmest of advantages at the quarter-time break. However, Brighton would burst out of the huddle with six second-quarter goals to the Cardinals three, followed by another lead-extending quarter after the long break.
Leading by nearly five goals at three-quarter-time, the Tonners looked sure to maintain their unbeaten record, but Scotch continued to fight as good teams do, holding Old Brighton to just one major in the last term.
However, the lead was already too great for the Cardinals to overcome, with the final result being a 16-point victory for the Tonners.
Nicky Robertson and George Hill were Old Brighton’s best as Luca Johnson kicked three, while the Cardinals’ best was leading goalkicker Aiden Johnson (three).
A back-and-forth affair between Old Xaverians and St Bedes/Mentone Tigers has seen the Xavs clinch a one-point victory in a thriller at Stradbroke Park.
The Xavs held a 10-point lead at the first two breaks of the game, although SBMT’s inaccuracy was the reason why, with both sides holding equal scoring shots at halftime.
While the Xavs were limited to just two majors in the third term, the Tigers found momentum to tally eight scoring shots, yet their goalkicking woes saw them kick 2.6 in the quarter and trail by four points at the final change.
The intensity around the contest ramped up in the final term, with just four scoring shots split between both sides, and St Bedes/Mentone the only team to capitalise.
However, their lone goal to Xavs’ three behinds was enough for the red and black to get over the line and hold on for a famous victory.
St Bedes/Mentone coach Paul McCormack praised Old Xaverians’ defence in the final quarter for standing up in the heat of the Tigers’ attack.
“It was a hard fought game played in great spirits and could easily have gone either way. We just got locked on the outer wing for 10 minutes as we couldn’t bypass the Xavs,” McCormack said.
“They had the bigger taller players who really stood up late especially in defence.”
Henry Lasscock, Tommy Trist and Harry Glass were the best on the day for Old Xaverians while Curtis Howe and Angus Shepherdson were SBMT’s most admirable.
After a slow start against Caulfield Grammarians, St Kevin’s have triumphed for their ninth victory in 2025.
Held to just seven points in the first term, SKOBS trailed by as many at the quarter time break, before clicking into gear in the second.
The Fields still remained in touching distance at the half, but another two single-goal quarters to relentless scoring pressure St Kevin’s quickly dissipated their chances of another unlikely upset, recording 12 points to 60 in the second half.
SKOBS would go on to win by 58 points in a gritty win, and sit comfortably in the top two of the premier division ladder.
Jude Fountain, Max Glen, and Ethan Petersen stood tall for the Fields in their defiant effort, while Samuel Bearder, Nicholas Nankervis and James Quinlan shared the load of scoring with two each respectively while the competition’s leading goalkicker Lucas May was absent.
A top of the table clash headlines a Round 11 with mammoth consequences for ladder-shaping, as Old Brighton host St Kevin’s for the first time since their abandoned match in Round 3.
A win will be vital for both De La Salle and Old Xaverians to keep their finals hopes alive, while a victory will be equally important to avoid the wooden spoon position for Caulfield Grammarians and St Bedes/Mentone Tigers in their clash.
A top four battle between Old Scotch and Uni Blues closes out the round, with a loss to the Blues set to loosen their stranglehold of fourth-place, but a win could see them leapfrog the Cardinals on the table.
It shapes as one of the most critical rounds yet, with every match a cliché ‘eight-point game’ that could pay dividends come season’s end.
Westbourne Grammarians secured a resounding victory over the West Brunswick Magpies, triumphing 10.20 (80) to 0.2 (2). From the first bounce, Westbourne asserted their control, showcasing clean ball movement and
A couple of thrillers headlined a dramatic Saturday of Premier Men’s action. Incredibly, University Blues played out their second consecutive draw in a low-scoring nailbiter against Collegians at Melbourne Uni
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