Near déjà vu for Blues, as Old Brighton triumph again in top of the table classic

Old Brighton and St Kevin’s have served yet another classic top of the table clash in Holmesglen Under 19 Premier Men’s, with their second battle a full four-quarter clash after their Round 3 clash was abandoned in the final term due to an injury.

Yet again, it came down to the wire between these two heavyweights, but it was the Tonners who escaped the contest with four premiership points after overcoming their first three-quarter-time deficit this season.

The Tonners started hot, kicking four consecutive goals after St Kevin’s drew first blood to lead by 18 at the first break.

The contest tightened right up in the second term however, with neither side able to apply much scoring pressure, with scores of 1.2 (8) apiece in the quarter. SKOBS began to deliver the quality the competition has become accustomed to seeing this season however, piling on six goals from eight scoring shots following the main break, while the Tonners were limited to just three scores, but fortunately all were converted.

However, St Kevin’s’ roaring third term saw Old Brighton trail at the final change, providing a task not yet seen for the Tonners in 2025. It was one coach Travis O’Donohue embraced.

“After halftime St Kevin’s got the game on their terms and for the first time this year, we found ourselves trailing at three-quarter-time, which was a great challenge for the group,” O’Donohue said.

The Tonners players accepted the challenge and defended like a brick wall in the fourth quarter, halting any SKOB momentum to concede just two behinds, while Old Brighton slotted two crucial majors to come out on top 67-57.

“Our back six were brilliant late in the game, managing to keep the opposition goalless,” O’Donohue said.

“We responded really well.”

Old Brighton progresses to 11-0 for the season and hold a two-win buffer over St Kevin’s for the minor premiership.

St Kevin’s’ record now sits at 9-2, with both losses coming against the Tonners by a combined margin of just 16 points.

De La Salle have recorded back-to-back wins for the first time this season after a low-scoring battle against Old Xaverians.

The second consecutive win wasn’t without a slog however, with two goals late in the last sealing the deal of a game that’s margin never exceeded greater than 17 points.

That 17-point advantage came midway through the second term where the Xavs found themselves goalless, kicking just four behinds while De La converted three of their first six scoring shots.

The Xavs notched their opening goal later on in that quarter however, remaining in touching distance at halftime. Out of the main break both clubs again found difficulty registering scores before a flurry of three straight goals in six minutes to take a six-point lead.

However, De La Salle responded with two goals of their own to lead by eight points at three-quarter-time.

One goal and three behinds to start the fourth term saw Old Xaverians nab the lead back, but a goal from Joshua Murray was the ultimate matchwinner just four minutes later. While the contest remained congested and a dogfight to win, De La made the most of their forward line entries to punt two further majors and win by 15 points.

“It was a real tough battle against Old Xavs,” De La Salle coach Nick Walsh said.

“They used the ball really well and kept it from us for long periods. Things were pretty even for three quarters, and we pulled away ever so slightly to kick a couple back-to-back in the last to get us the win.”

De La’s Emmanuel Ganas and Jody Cripps were best-on for the victors, while Alby Hewitt and Max King were admirable in defeat for the Xavs.

Caulfield Grammarians have delivered a knockout blow to St Bedes/Mentone Tigers in their largest win of the season, defeating the Tigers by 57 points.

The Fields trailed at quarter-time though, with SBMT managing a five-point advantage thanks to a three-goal flurry to kick off, but Caulfield shifted momentum their way late in the first quarter and into the second term to lead by eight at halftime.

Tasked with a spirited Tigers outfit, Caulfield Grammarians assistant coach, and stand-in for the game, Hayden Dyt provided a straightforward message to the playing group.

“Continue to shut down their run, win the contest, and attack,” Dyt said was his simple memo.

Caulfield adopted the strategy and began to seize the game from SBMT’s grasp, leading by 16 points at three-quarter-time after a goal from a long-running effort between James Smith and Lucas Riseley and a “terrific” contested mark that led to a converted set shot from Lachlan Turner.

The Fields began to pile on the pain in the last, kicking six goals while holding St Bedes/Mentone to just two behinds to record a much-needed percentage-boosting victory. The result means the Tigers will now need a miracle to contend for finals, sitting five wins outside the top four despite starting the season 2-1. The loss is SBMT’s eighth in a row.

Turner and Harper Lane were Caulfield’s prominent goalkickers, combing for six, while Archer Duke was the Tigers’ best.

University Blues has leapfrogged Old Scotch on the ladder after a nail-biting top four clash victory.

The two sides could not be separated at quarter-time, and it was emblematic of the close contest to come.

The Blues leapt away slightly in the middle periods, holding the Cardinals goalless in the second term, but ultimately the congested match meant that the Blues found just two of their own in that quarter. Another two-goal term, although with two goals to Old Scotch as well, meant the Blues held a 16-point lead at three-quarter-time, placing University precariously positioned in a spot they’d been before.

Think back to Round 4 where the Blues led by 15 points at the final change but relinquished their advantage to lose by 10.

Undoubtedly that loss would’ve circled through the minds of the Uni Blues teens when Scotch made a similar surge in Round 11, with the Cardinals even snatching the lead late in the contest.

But the Blues stood up in the face of adversity and resiliently sharpened their focus when the inevitable Scotch comeback arrived, kicking two of the last three goals to secure a five-point victory.

University coach Steve Boakes was evidently proud after the result.

“Good to get the points this time,” Boakes said.

“Tight all game but Scotch hit the front in the fourth quarter, so it was credit to our guys to continue to play our way and wrestle the lead back.

“Will Hawker and Lachlan Gilligan hold the dangerous talls while Conor Hogan and Tom Hill were important through our middle and forward.”

The Uni Blues can take confidence from the Round 11 result into next week, with a clash with St Kevin’s booked. Meanwhile, Old Xavs will aim to cause a boilover against Old Scotch, who’s form of 1-4 in the latest five-week period suggest they are gettable. De La Salle and Caulfield Grammarians will also do battle, while Old Brighton host SBMT.