Ormond win a nailbiter as UHS-VU fall short

Round 13 of the Division 1 Men’s competition didn’t see many surprises as the higher ranked sides in each match-up claimed the four points, however there was a real contest at Brens Oval as UHS-VU fell agonisingly short to ladder leaders Ormond.

In a hard-fought and exciting contest, Ormond prevailed as 1-point winners over UHS-VU. Going into this match, Ormond appeared as the undefeated clear favourite, whilst UHS-VU had a form line of 4 wins and 8 losses prior to this match. However, the match did not transpire that way as the Vultures returned to their 2024 best and posed the biggest challenge the Monders have faced all season.

The first quarter was a close one with just four points separating the two sides. The Vultures had plenty of opportunities inside 50 but could not always convert to goals. The Monders turned their deficit into a narrow 3-point lead at half-time, with their second quarter goals coming at critical times from Aaron Trusler and Mason Thatcher.

The Vultures won the third quarter as they moved the footy well to kick four goals to three and take a 6-point lead into the final term, with Brandon Jackson leading the charge in front of the sticks. The stage was set for a thrilling final quarter.

Ormond started strongly in the fourth – kicking the first three goals to build a 13-point buffer. It was a long twelve minutes where defence won out until the next goal was kicked, with a goal falling UHS-VU’s way, before Ormond quickly responded. In desperate, final efforts, UHS-VU kicked two very late goals, but it was just not enough as Ormond managed to hang on and continue their undefeated streak.

Despite the loss, this result will give the Vultures hard-fought hope and optimism that there are better days ahead. Despite Ormond’s percentage taking a hit over the last couple of weeks, they still sit comfortably on top, three games clear of second.

UHS-VU’s last goal-kicker, Brandon Jackson, had a great day with six majors to his name, whilst Jackson Hille and Thomas Nicholls were both key up forward for the Monders with three goals each.

Ninth-placed Therry Penola almost gave the Preston Bullants a huge scare, going down to Preston by 17-points.

The first half was truly a story of two quarters as the ten goals recorded all fell to the same end of the ground with strong winds a major factor. Therry Penola’s first term saw them kick five majors and leave the Bullants scoreless, whilst the narrative flipped in the second quarter as it was the Bullants who this time kicked five goals.

The third quarter resembled a more even contest as both sides experienced periods of success, with three late goals to Preston giving them a 7-point lead going into the final break.

Ultimately, despite the best efforts of the Lions to fight their way back in, they were outplayed by the Bullants who proved why they are a top four side as they got over the line and claimed victory.

Alex Johnston of Preston and Patrick Carracher of Therry Penola impressed for their sides with four and five goals respectively.

Old Peninsula claimed their tenth win of 2025 with a 32-point victory over Brunswick at Harry MacDonald Oval.

The road trip to Mount Eliza to play the Pirates on their home turf is one of the toughest assignments in Division 1 – as Brunswick found out in the first quarter. Old Peninsula were the better team out of the gates, kicking five goals to two, to lead by 18-points at quarter-time.

To Brunswick’s credit, they turned things around in the second quarter and responded well, fighting back with three majors after an early Pirates goal to George Fletcher, to reduce their deficit to a workable 6-points at half-time.

Brunswick kicked the first major of the third quarter, and it appeared it was game on, however Old Peninsula clicked into gear and dominated the majority of that quarter which included back to back goals from Stefan Barbour.

A 19-point deficit at three-quarter time ultimately proved to be too much for the NOBs to come back from, as the Pirates controlled the play to get them through to the final siren and pick up the four points.

Old Peninsula captain George Fletcher starred with four goals, whilst Andre Jaycock, Daniel Mott and Gabriel Banova were amongst the best players for Brunswick.

The biggest win of the weekend came in the form of Oakleigh defeating Elsternwick by 54 points.

It was the Wickers who started this game on the right foot with an impressive display in the first quarter rewarding them with a 13-point lead at quarter-time. The Krushers came back hard in the second quarter, showing their intent quickly with a plethora of early goals to build up a lead of 14-points at the main break.

Elsternwick kept themselves in the contest in the third quarter but were just a pace behind Oakleigh who were more successful in front of goal and extended their lead to 19-points going into the final change. Unfortunately for the Wickers, they could only manage one more goal as the Krushers ran away with it in the final term to comfortably win.

Even without key forward Luke Ashen, Oakleigh still managed plenty of goals, with Elliot Black kicking three to take his tally this season to twenty majors. The always reliable Daniel Marchese kicked three goals for Elsternwick to take his tally to thirty-four goals to date.

Kew held onto second spot on the ladder for another week after an 18-point winner over the Monash Blues.

Kew started brilliantly with plenty of scoring opportunities inside 50 in the first quarter but could’ve been much further ahead if not for some inaccuracy. Both sides kept each other in check in the second quarter with two goals each, with Kew taking a 20-point lead into half-time.

The Bears surged ahead in the third quarter, with three late goals adding more scoreboard pain for the Blues, providing Kew with a strong 44-point lead going into the final term.

With late season wins vitally important to stay clear of the relegation zone, the Blues brought plenty of effort and intensity in the fourth quarter in a desperate attempt to change the result of the game. Whilst a seven-goal final term was impressive for Monash, it was ultimately not enough with Kew kicking three majors of their own to get over the line.

Oliver Armstrong of the Monash Blues and Sam Heaton of Kew deserve a mention for booting six and five goals respectively, both critical players for their sides.

The action continues in Round 14 with Ormond (1st) hosting the Monash Blues (8th), UHS-VU (7th) meeting Oakleigh (5th), Therry Penola (9th) taking on Old Peninsula (3rd), Preston Bullants (4th) up against Kew (2nd), and Elsternwick (10th) doing battle with Brunswick (6th).