Omlettes topple the Tonners

Round 10 saw the drama build in Premier B Women’s, with Old Melburnians and Westbourne Grammarians claiming huge scalps against the top two sides: Old Brighton and Port Melbourne Chargers. Meanwhile, Melbourne University Women’s and Old Yarra Cobras showed promising signs, narrowly falling short against Old Xaverians and St Bedes/Mentone Tigers.

Old Melburnians pulled off the upset of the season, toppling the previously undefeated Old Brighton, 6.1 (37) to 3.5 (23).

Georgia Dunlop ignited the Omlettes early, bursting out of the midfield to kick the opening goal within minutes. By the first break, Old Melburnians had built a two-goal buffer – an advantage they would protect for the remainder of the match.

Old Brighton responded after the first change, lifting their physicality in an attempt to force turnovers and shift momentum. While the Tonners managed to claw their way back into the contest, they struggled to capitalise on their opportunities, under immense pressure from the Omlettes’ backline, led by the ever-reliable Steph Barnett and Harriet Kogler.

When Eloise Faulks slotted the first major of the final term, the margin stretched out to a game-high 26 points, effectively sealing the result. Old Brighton kicked the final two goals of the match to reduce the deficit, but the damage had already been done, with the Omlettes dealing them their first loss of the season.

“Credit to OMs – they jumped us in the first quarter, and we were playing catch up footy from then on,” said Old Brighton coach Andrew Grant. “Really happy with the way we stuck at it after quarter time. The effort was certainly there we just had poor entries into our forward line.”

The result marked a defining moment for Old Melburnians, who continue to build momentum heading into the back half of the year.

Old Melburnians coach Nic Stephens said, “Old Brighton in my eyes have been the gold standard of footy in our competition for the last few years. We’ve had this game circled for a while as we were pretty keen to see where we measured up this far into the season.”

Stephens was thrilled with the buy-in from the full squad, from the players who put their body on the line to those cheering from the sidelines.

“I think I could write pages for all of the girls singing their praises this week,” said Stephens.

Pia Juricic was named best for the Omlettes, with Stephens adding, “Pia Juricic just has this innate sense of big moments and rises to the occasion every time through sheer willpower.”

For Old Brighton, Grant highlighted another standout performance from Jasmine Tait, “Jas Tait again showed why she is one of the premier players in the competition with a fantastic game.”

Over at Toorak Park, Old Xaverians surged home in the final term to secure a 32-point victory over a spirited Melbourne University Women’s side.

The match was tightly contested to start, with Melbourne University dominating territory but unable to convert, allowing Old Xavs a narrow 13 – 9 lead at quarter time.

The home side took control in the second term, extending the lead to 17 points, however, the Muggars showed great determination in the third term to bring the gap back to 11 points at the final change.

To that point, accuracy was the main differentiator, with the Uni side struggling to find the big sticks. The stage was set for a tense final quarter, with both sides still in the hunt.

Enter Sienna McLeish. The Old Xaverian forward lit up the final term with a three-goal haul, taking her total to five for the day in a best-on-ground performance that guaranteed the win.

Despite the result, coach Michael Goldsmith was delighted with the progression shown by his team.

“What really pleased me was how we stuck to our structures, especially at stoppages, where I think we came out on top for most of the day,” said Goldsmith.

Gabby McDonald was standout, winning the ruck battle to earn her side first use of the footy all day. The inclusion of Under-19 players, Zoe Kertesz, Sophie Smith and Eliza Mulligan brought a new spark to the University side, with the young talent showing their composure through the midfield

“This week we’ll focus on forward connection and goal-line defence, plus refining our decision-making under pressure. Lots of positives to build on!”

St Bedes/Mentone Tigers overcame a fast-starting Old Yarra Cobras outfit to claim a hard-fought 9.5 (59) – 7.5 (47) victory.

The Cobras burst out of the blocks, with captain Alannah Murray leading the charge to slot two goals in the opening term, giving the home side a 20–13 lead at quarter time.

The Tigers showed their composure in the second term, responding with two unanswered goals to edge ahead by half-time. Their momentum carried over into the third term, where they dominated the play and piled on five goals while restricting the Cobras to a single behind.

Despite trailing by 35 at the final change, the Cobras refused to bow out.  They launched a spirited comeback in the last quarter, booting four consecutive goals to close the gap. However, the damage had been done, and the Tigers held firm to secure a 12-point win.

Emma Watson and Carly Jevric were key for the Cobras, while Nina Coghill (2 goals), Maddi Wilson (2 goals) and Isabella Gietzmann (3 goals) were influential for the Tigers.

While the final scoreboard didn’t favour them, the Cobras showed plenty of fight and flashes of brilliance – signs that should give them confidence heading into the remainder of the season.

Andrew Park Pavilion proved a fortress once again as Westbourne Grammarians continued their unbeaten run at home with a commanding 6.2 (38) to 1.6 (12) victory over Port Melbourne Chargers.

In a low-scoring opening term, both sides struggled to find rhythm, with Westbourne managing just one behind to the Chargers’ two. However, the home side found their spark in the second quarter, piling on three goals to take an 18-point lead into halftime.

The third term saw Port Melbourne lift their intensity, but despite generating more forward entries, they couldn’t manage a major. Westbourne’s defence, anchored by the in-form Hannah McMahon and Joudy Joud, stood tall under pressure.

The Chargers finally broke through with a goal at the three-minute mark of the final term, trimming the margin back to just nine points and setting up a tense finish. However, any hopes of a comeback were quickly dashed as Temeika Cathery took over, booting three goals in five minutes to seal the 26-point win.

For the Chargers, Georgia Harris was the lone goal scorer, while Claire Highfield worked tirelessly through the midfield. Despite the loss, Port Melbourne showed glimpses of their trademark pressure and ball movement, just could not match Westbourne’s efficiency and transition.

Finally, Marcellin had the week off for the bye.

Next week, Old Melburnians will aim to climb into second place on the ladder when they take on Melbourne University, while Old Brighton will be eager to bounce back against St Bedes/Mentone. Westbourne and Old Xaverians come face-to-face in an ‘8-point game’ that will shape the finals race, and Old Yarra Cobras will be hunting their second win when they come up against Marcellin. Meanwhile, Port Melbourne Chargers will enjoy a well-timed bye, giving them the opportunity to reset and refine their game ahead of the run home.