New ladder leader, Fields take fourth

In a result befitting of the season to date, Premier B has a new ladder-leader as the competition heads to the double-bye, Old Trinity taking top spot by just 0.39% from Old Ivanhoe.

The Ts overcame a percentage gap to the formerly-first Hoers of just over 11% in handing the Hampton Rovers an 85-point loss, increasing their lead at every break on the way to a 20.15 (135) to 7.8 (50) win and picking up a tenth win of the season.

It’s been a brutal winter for the Rovers, having battled a soaring number of unavailabilities after graduating from Premier C in 2024.

“They’ve (Hampton) obviously been decimated – from our perspective, you’ve just got to go out and play the right way, which I felt the boys did,” said Ts coach Donald McDonald.

The Ts have now won six games on the trot – the 85-point winning margin is the club’s highest since Round 15, 2015.

“It depends who you play and on what day you play them – some of the sides have had some really big wins (this year),” said McDonald.

“The percentage I’m sure will probably even out, once everyone plays everyone.”

Big V triplet Hugo McGlashan (37 disposals and a goal), Boston Dowling (18 disposals, 34 hitouts and two goals) and Christos Manoussakis (28 disposals) warmed up nicely for their meeting with the Bendigo Footy League representative side, while in the absence of Hugh Beasley, Tom Ferrier booted seven goals.

“Tommy’s been terrific,” said McDonald.

“He’s been able to go in the ruck, he’s been able to play forward, he’s played second fiddle to ‘Hughie’ (Beasley) at times. Last year sometimes he had to miss out (on selection), because we had Dom Payman playing.”

“Full credit to him, he’s really done a great job this season.”

Chris Perkins continues to win the football for the Rovers, accumulating 34 touches, while Jake Seddon kicked a pair of goals.

Old Ivanhoe had the rare experience of moving down the ladder despite winning a game against a top-four opponent, beating the Old Melburnians at Chelsworth Park.

The OMs came into the match with five wins from their last six starts and a hold on perhaps Premier B’s most highly contested ladder position, fourth.

Despite the closeness of the 15.7 (97) to 13.6 (84) result, the Hoers led all day long, kicking six of the first seven goals of the game and holding the OMs’ numerous late charges at bay down the stretch.

Debutant David Waldron, with 14 disposals, seven marks and four goals, was superb, and was named the Hoers’ third-best on the field behind consistent pair Rohan McKenzie and Alex Mirkov.

“We were thrilled. We brought David in for his first senior game of footy – he played in our 2023 Under 19s premiership, and has been in good form in the Reserves,” said Gieschen

“But to kick four goals and play back-up ruck in your first game surprised all of us. He’s a natural footballer and takes a really good contested mark.”

James Shadbolt, also on senior debut, was handy while Lucas Agrotis, in his second senior game of the year after forcing his way into the team, also kicked four goals.

Dynamic pair Billy Murphy (37 disposals, 11 clearances and a goal) and Patrick Naish (31 disposals and 14 rebound 50s) were typically superb; Charlie Opie meanwhile, the captain of this year’s Big V Under 19’s team, ran with OMs star Ned Nichols, a player who Gieschen rates exceptionally highly and who kicked five goals in the corresponding match-up earlier in the year at Elsternwick Park.

“We know that Charlie aspires to get to (Nichols’) type of level – I think he learned a bit about running patterns and how he goes about his footy,” said Gieschen.

“He attacked the pre-season like one of our veterans. I can understand why the VAFA has seen his leadership qualities.”

Old Melburnians coach Nathan Brown was proud of his team’s efforts to push the Hoers to the very end, pleased to find his side within a goal in the final five minutes after emerging slowly from the gates.

“A great start by them. Not so by us,” said Brown.

“But it was a great long-haul fightback from probably our youngest team of the year. Ultimately they got home and were deserved winners – with their young team too.”

Freddie McIntyre made his senior debut for the OMs and Lachie Haysman had 31 disposals and a goal.

Williamstown CYMS kept its four-point hold on third place intact, booting 10 goals to three after half time to account for Fitzroy at the Fearon Reserve, 16.13 (109) to 7.10 (52).

And once again, the story is Will Bokma’s stat-line.

The soon-to-be Big V footballer had 45 disposals, 13 clearances, 11 inside 50s, 10 tackles and three goal assists in the 57-point win over the Roys – it’s the second week in a row that Bokma has racked up more than 40 disposals, 10 tackles and a dozen clearances, and his fourth 170+ Premier Data Ranking Points entry in five weeks.

On past players’ day, the CYs were able to salute for former captain Rob Chan, who played game number 200.

“He was part of the original Williamstown Juniors Under 16 group that re-launched our Unders program – he was part of our very first Under 18s side in 2011,” said Terzoglou.

Unfortunately for Chan, the celebrations were curtailed somewhat due to an early hamstring injury that put paid to his afternoon on-field – aside from one last fling at a fairytale finish.

“We did hobble him out there with three minutes to go to see if he could get a sneaky one in the goal square,” said Terzoglou.

“Alas, it wasn’t to be.”

Terzoglou’s team anticipated a physical brand of footy from the Roys, and were able to match the pace of the game, responding in the clinches and creating scoring opportunities on the outside.

“We expected Fitzory to be a little more diligent on the defensive side of things, I thought in last week’s result with Caulfield Grammarians they did a really good job at scoring – they probably just lapsed a little bit more (defensively), so we knew they’d be a bit more physical around the contest,” Terzoglou explained.

“We prepared to wear that a little bit, and be patient with it. I think that’s what allowed us to get a little bit of the upper hand and momentum … it was about absorbing the physical pressure to the point where we said ‘OK, is there an opportunity to break, yes, let’s go.’”

Skipper Brad Tucker was superb for the CYs with 38 disposals and 15 clearances, while Nathan Ligris (45 disposals) and Laird Ramshaw (37) found a tonne of footy for the Roys.

“We failed to adapt to the conditions as well as Williamstown, and they gave us a lesson in how to play in the wind,” said Fitzroy coach Travis Ronaldson.

“Our effort, pressure and intent was great and we generated some opportunities, but lapses in concentration were costly … the byes come at a great time and we are looking forward to a strong run home”.

For the first time this season, Caulfield Grammarians have finished a round in a finals-playing position, winning a fifth game from six at home to jump a game clear in fourth spot.

The Fields kicked six second-half goals to Old Geelong’s two at Glen Huntly Park, turning a 16-point half time deficit into a 20-point three quarter time lead along the way and holding back the OGs tide in the last quarter to win 9.11 (65) to 7.13 (55).

The OGs piled on 15 inside 50s to six in the final term with Jack Sheridan (19 disposals, 12 clearances and an eye-boggling 105 hitouts) dictating terms in the middle of the ground, but the Fields held firm on the way to a crucial win.

“I’m rapt for the playing group, first and foremost,” said Fields coach Paul Satterley.

“It’s been a tough, pretty ordinary few years I think, battered and bruised from A Grade … and it’s been a battle to stay up (in B Grade). To have some excitement around the place, and feel that every week you’re a chance to compete, is a good feeling.”

Josh Hutchings (23 disposals, 15 tackles and eight clearances) fought hard in the middle, while Hamish McInerney (35 disposals) and Sam McInerney (28 disposals) found plenty of the ball on a particularly blustery day at Glen Huntly Park – a challenge embraced by Satterley and his team.

“We love it. We embrace it. The stronger the wind, the better,” said Satterley.

The Fields’ turnaround on a 1-3 start to the season has the coach enamoured – Satterley pointing out enormous improvements, particularly in ball-winning at the contest, that show positive signs.

“Our playing group is starting to be able to work their way through games, and change what we’re doing mid-way through,” he explained.

“I’d say it’s one of the more coachable groups I’ve had for a long time.”

Old Camberwell rounds out Round 12’s victors after racing home to beat Old Carey, turning a 17-point deficit at the nine-minute mark of the final term into a 11.12 (78) to 11.8 (74) win.

When Panther Daniel Clarke kicked his second goal of the affair early in the last, the Wellers looked in serious strife – but kicked three goals in five minutes to seize the lead by the mid-way point of the quarter.

After Liam Thomas converted from a set shot to give Old Camberwell the lead, neither side was able to score a goal for the final 14 minutes of the game – working in the Wellers’ favour and leading to their sixth win of 2025.

“The most pleasing part of the game was our ability to shift momentum,” said Old Camberwell coach Neil Connell. 

“Down by 17 points at the nine-minute mark, we still had belief we could overrun Old Carey. We wrestled back control and had the next seven scoring shots, kicking three goals four –  some easy misses in front of goal could have increased the winning margin.”

Thomas was superb, kicking five goals from his 25 disposals – it’s his fifth game this year where he’s booted four goals or more.

Sam Veitch ran hot with 35 disposals and a goal, and worked well with James Allen (32 disposals and a goal). 

Panthers coach Luke Giles, who missed the game through illness but watched the replay keenly from home on Sunday, didn’t allow the disappointment of a loss to dampen his excitement over two new Panthers.

“All coaches were rapt with playing another two 17-year-old debutants, Josh Taylor and Will  Verwoert out of the school program, who both showed a lot of promise,” said Giles.

“Disappointing to have our noses in front all day, and then not be able to close the game out. But we continue to manage our expectations with respect to the health of our playing list.

“We have had enormous growth from our younger brigade over the past month, so no doubt the rewards will come after the double-bye break.”

The result sets up a four-team chasing pack all on six wins, six losses, from fifth on the ladder down to eighth, one game behind the fourth-placed Fields and prepared to pounce on a mistake.

After the break, the Wellers take on Fitzroy and Old Carey hosts the Ts – elsewhere, it’s Hampton at home against Old Geelong, Williamstown CYMS in a top-four tussle with Old Ivanhoe at the Fearon Reserve and Old Melburnians against Caulfield Grammarians, with the winner of that game likely to take fourth.