Cobras strike twice as Old Yarra, Canterbury continue their winning ways

Round 13 of the Division 2 Men’s competition featured several entertaining games despite the blustery conditions.

Old Yarra Cobras made it five wins on the bounce after they defeated St John’s by 43 points. The Cobras lead by three points at quarter time and seven points at half time but overpowered their opponents with eight goals to three in the second half.

“The wind was probably a five or six goal breeze, but we seemed to have played better against the breeze,” said Old Yarra coach Nathan Monaco. “Once we had the breeze, they put two or three behind the ball to try and stem the flow, but it never lasts. We knew it was going to break and it finally did.”

JOCs coach Tim Edwards felt the conditions didn’t affect the game as much as he anticipated they would, and that his team held their own for the majority of the day. “I think the difference between the two teams was probably the skill level in the end. They got on top of us during a couple of five-minute patches which blew the scoreline out a little bit,” said Edwards. But we had just as much of the footy, and probably brought the ball inside 50 as much. Everyone had a crack, but the difference in skill level between our bottom ten and their bottom ten was the difference in the game.”

Rory Chipman was named among Old Yarra’s best for the ninth time this season, while Benjamin Makowski, David Tokatliyan, and Jack Hall kept the scoreboard ticking over with nine of the Cobras’ 12 goals between them.

Canterbury coach Steve Brown was full of praise for his Cobras side that claimed their second top four scalp in three weeks with a 34-point win over West Brunswick. The quarter time margin was only four points before the Cobras kicked six goals to none in the second to head into the sheds with a 33-point lead. The Magpies responded with the first four majors of the second half to trim the lead to single figures at three quarter time, but another six goals to none in the final quarter sealed Canterbury’s fourth consecutive win.

“We played some really mature footy. I put a lot of faith in the players, and they are starting to build trust between lines – the backs trust the mids, and the mids trust the forwards. That doesn’t come without some great leadership around the ground,” said Brown. “Reuben Crawford-Rust, our full back, played his first game for 10 weeks, so having him back obviously helps.”

Brown also noted the support provided to Tom Gordon, who is in his first year at the club, after he sustained a significant ankle injury just before quarter time. “The game was halted for about 10 to 15 minutes, and the support we got from West Brunswick both during and after the game was outstanding. They’re a really good club full of good people, so I just want to highlight their trainers and their coach for the way they supported us and Tom.” West Brunswick’s Big V representative Ben Ablett was also struck down by an ankle injury during the match.

Eighteen-year-old Ryder Daffy was again dangerous up forward for the Cobras, with his six-goal return against West Brunswick taking him to 20 goals from just four games. “He definitely knows how to find the space,” said Magpies coach Regan Tait. “And his teammates know he is going to do it – so they look for him – which is fantastic to see in a young footballer.

St Mary’s Salesian took advantage of West Brunswick’s stumble to move two games clear of the third-placed Magpies after besting Whitefriars by 30 points in their clash at Whitefriars College Oval. The home side led by three points at the first change but were then held goalless for the next two quarters, allowing the visitors to open up a 47-point lead.

Friars coach Lucas Matthews said his side started the last quarter strongly and gave themselves a chance to get back into the match, before a wayward shot at goal led to the Saints’ getting things back on their terms. “We kicked the first two inside two minutes, and then we got another clearance and went forward and had another shot,” Matthews recalled. “It was pretty simple, run in straight and kick the goal, but we missed that one. They went coast to coast to kick the goal and that was a momentum killer.”

Saints coach Clay Tait acknowledged Whitefriars’ more attacking nature in the fourth quarter as his side dropped their pressure slightly, but felt the game was won in the third quarter after the wind died down. Tait highlighted the contribution of Zac Gucciardo, who kicked the first goal of the second half: “Zac was a good presence for us up forward and played the conditions really well, particularly when we were kicking into the wind.”

MHSOB defeated Aquinas by 13 points at JW Manson Reserve and now sit just half a game behind fourth placed Whitefriars. The Unicorns’ seventh win of the season was built on the back of controlling the second quarter, where they kicked four goals to none. James Lake and Aaron Shipperlee – both playing their second senior game for MHSOB – each kicked four goals for the game.

Bloods coach Craig Glennie felt his side gave it their all and played some of their best footy for the year as the club hosted a past players day, but that the accumulation of small errors across the four quarters hurt them. Griffin Box (two goals), David Malvaso (two), and Joshua Clinton (one) all hit the scoreboard on their return to the side, much to Glennie’s delight. However, Aquinas lost three players, including Tom Hogg, to head knocks. 

South Melbourne Districts snapped a three-game losing streak and kept their top four chances alive with a 44-point win over Hawthorn at Linday Hasset Oval. Things were tight between the two teams during the nine-goal first quarter, with the Hawks kicking five to hold a three-point advantage heading into the first break. But the Bloods pulled away after quarter time, building their lead to seven goals from Thomas Foley and Zephyr Howson. Poor kicking (12.16) prevented South Melbourne from recording a larger victory. The Bloods currently sit sixth on the ladder (six wins, 88.4%) and will require a strong last five weeks if they are to sneak into finals in 2025.

Round 14 action sees first play third when Old Yarra welcome West Brunswick to Koonung Reserve and second play fifth when St Mary’s travel to Melbourne High to square off against the Unicorns. Hawthorn and St John’s will both be out for a win when they do battle at Rathmines Road Reserve, Canterbury will hope to continue their winning streak against Aquinas, and South Melbourne host Whitefriars.