Eagles earn breathing space after taming Tigers

Marcellin have taken an emphatic step towards Premier C safety, defeating finals bound St Bedes/Mentone Tigers, handily, on Saturday.

Speaking after the match, Eagles coach Bernie Dineen called the 12.12 (84) to 5.9 (39) result the ‘best day I’ve had at the footy in five years’, such was the commitment to task from his charges.

“All the things we talk about during the week were executed; it was the most invested, switched on and accountable I’ve had the group,” he said.

“It gives us some breathing space (on the ladder), but it was more about playing something that looks like our best.”

Defensive accountability, tackling acumen and trust in Dineen ‘s request for bold, proactive defensive starting positions in matchups all over the ground pleased the second-year man in Bulleen, a week after going down to Beaumaris by almost 100 points.

“(Last week) was the best 97-point loss I’ve been a part of,” he said. “We were imposing our brand on that contest for parts of that match. This week, we built on that with what was a really mature team performance, across the board.”

Dineen says that his side are ‘learning that his game plan suits their ground’, with confidence and momentum byproducts of this learning. “We need to get up for the last two games. There are so many players on the list that I was proud of,” he said.

One such player is James May, who played his 50th match for the Eagles in the victory. “He’s really found a leg at centre half back in the back half of the year, and his form has been a catalyst for our changing fortunes,” Dineen said.

Adam Tomaro also drew his coach’s praise for an all-round game in the midfield. The vice-captain set the standard for team-first actions, while also providing highlight tape marks, and kicking two majors.

The two sides’ last meeting in Round 5 was a game of the year contender, that the Tigers won by 10 points, storming home in the last, having been down at the final change. Jack Behnk was influential in that final quarter, and Dineen offered insight into just how his side kept Behnk from dragging his side over the line this time around.

“Jesse McCarthy kicks with both feet and has great speed; he took Behnk when he was forward, in what we thought was a good athletic matchup. He probably lacks the tank to go with him up the ground, so Shaun Tyquin covered him in the midfield. He (Behnk) worked his butt off in a losing side, which spoke volumes of his character, but I think we nullified his influence. I was pleased with that, as shared defensive responsibility can go wrong at times.”

Tigers coach Brad Berry appeared level-headed when speaking post-match, praising Behnk, and Jake Ryder, while offering that focus quickly moves to next week’s monster clash with Parkdale.

“Behnk and Ryder gave everything they possibly could — they always give their absolute all. Time after time after time, they try to lift the team with their efforts. Their care factor is just 100%,” he said.

“That (the game) was a bit of an anomaly,” he said. “I use the language ‘us, or not us’ when talking to the boys – that was definitely not us.”

“It is what it is. It’s unacceptable, but in six weeks, it may be one of the best things that could’ve happened to us.”

“We know what our best looks like; we weren’t able to get it done yesterday. We invited the oppo into the contest, and once they got a sniff, they went on with it.”

“Credit to Marcellin. We gave them our full respect, prepared really hard, started really well and just didn’t take our opportunities. It can’t be panic stations, there’s no need for that.”

Lukas Ritter was named Berry’s best for a lockdown role on the dangerous Lachlan Rush, while Dave Goodman continued his strong form across halfback, repelling a number of Marcellin forward forays, when the Eagles had the ascendancy.

In a potential September dress rehearsal, the ladder-leading Parkdale Vultures conquered fellow finalists AJAX, in a tale of two halves. Owen Lalor’s charges ran out 12.11 (83) to 7.8 (50) victors, overturning a 21-point halftime deficit, on a chilly afternoon in Albert Park.

“That (halftime) margin felt like six goals – they were all over us,” Lalor offered, crediting a ‘mindset change’, orchestrated by his midfield, with the comeback.

Matt Emmanouil was instrumental in this shift, while habitual forward Lewis Castle starred in the ruck. Young leader Nathan Sullivan was awesome in connecting the lines, after having his magnet moved from half-back to half-forward, while Cooper Howe was strong across half-back.

With a top two seed now sewn up, the Vultures have the luxury of resting some tired troops in the final two matches of their season, but will be sweating on the availability of Ben Phibbs, after the runner pinged a calf early in the contest.

Jackas coach Lachlan Buszard credited the Vultures work ethic and fitness for the result.

“They were just too good,” he said. “Far too much talent – they just bat deeper, run harder and worked harder in the second half.” Usual suspects populated Buzz’s bests, with Justin Vogel, Nick Lewis and Toby Sheezel some of the names afforded mentions.

At the other end of the table, Parkside leapfrogged Mazenod, finding themselves out of the relegation places following an 8.13 (61) to 7.13 (55) victory in Alphington.

“(We’re) flat,” Mazenod coach Peter Banfield said. “We just couldn’t get our game going. Full credit to-the opposition. We were all over them late but missed some crucial opportunities.”

The Nodders now must win the final two games of Banfield’s tenure, should they wish to remain in Premier C. Mazenod recently announced Banfield will not seek re-appointment for the role he’s held for five seasons. A finals appearance in 2022 is the highlight of his tenure, and consistent mid-table finishes speak volumes of the competitive culture built under his tutelage.

“The Club wanted me to go on, but I have decided to leave on great terms, with still many things left to achieve in footy,” Banfield said.

“This hasn’t been an easy decision. I care deeply about the Club and the people who make it what it is. I’m incredibly proud of what’s been achieved during my time here. When I first arrived, I promised I would give everything I had to ensure Mazenod remained competitive and respected in C Grade — and I truly believe I’ve delivered on that promise.”

Banfield’s men face first and last in their final two fixtures, while Parkside face road trips to Glen Eira/Old McKinnon and St Bedes/Mentone, with at least one win required to secure their own safety, with Mazenod, and their superior percentage, favoured over Prahran.

Rick Frost spoke glowingly of his side’s resilience this season, after the victory.

“(I’m) very happy with the performance of the players and the club,” he said, adding that Tom Hakins, Jim Clarke and Joel Stevens starred in the contest. “To win was very important, for us to potentially stay in Prem C.”

“The score was even for most of the day, and Mazenod had a lot of momentum in all 4 quarters. We were lucky there was some inaccurate kicking – they were superb in the last ten minutes of the game in attack.”

The forward presence of Lewis Daniels in his return from a lengthy absence was commended by Frost, as was Max Ballassone, for his play at fullback.

Beaumaris continue to flex their considerable muscle, recording a thirteenth straight victory in dominant fashion. The Sharks led all day, en route to a 20.11 (131) to 4.5 (29) victory over PEGS. Milestone man Josh Trew was the story of the rout, registering ten goals in his 100th match for the club, despite spending a sizable portion of the first half in the backline.

Sharks coach Josh Bourke was forthcoming in his praise of PEGS, their strengths, and the campaign they’ve put together.

“We certainly respect them,” he said.  “The fact is they have won nine games, which in other seasons would have them in the mix for finals, so we went in extremely focused. They’ve got a great on-ball group and a dominant ruckman, so breaking even in there was a strong focus,” he said.

“We felt like after the first quarter, we did a really good job of competing inside and then transitioning the ball.”

Bombers coach Rob Kerr alluded to that same dominance in his assessment of the match.

“The first quarter was highly contested, which we wanted, but we didn’t capitalise on what were limited entries,” he said. “We couldn’t go with their spread and run as the game went on – they react very quickly in both offence and defence, and their skills are high, so you rarely get the ball gifted back to you. The only area I felt we matched them was at stoppage but once it got outside, we couldn’t hold them.”

“Their fitness is at another level so as the game wore on their strengths became further accentuated,” he added.

Riley Simmons went back, covering injuries in defence, adding more responsibility to the roles of Jack Fenner and Matt Barake, up forward. The trio, along with the ever-reliable Mitch Baker-West, earned Kerr’s praise for their battling, after the match.

Prahran have been mathematically relegated, following their 16.11 (107) to 11.8 (74) loss, at the hands of Glen Eira/Old McKinnon. The Two Blues have two fixtures to claim a breakthrough victory in the division this season, and have shown signs of life in recent weeks, albeit without premiership points to show for it.

An 8.2 to 3.1 first quarter set the tone for the Gryphons, with only their inaccuracies inhibiting the margin from growing further. Six wins and five losses from their last 11 games, after starting the season 0-5, has propelled Guy Martyn’s men to sixth place on the ladder, with their safety secured. The in-season turnaround from presumed relegation fodder to an awkward mid-table matchup has been inspired, with fans no doubt eager to see the well-credentialed VAFA operator take this side even further next year, with another pre-season’s worth of learning his system, under his charge’s proverbial belt.

This week’s fixtures see all top four commodities face off, with AJAX hosting Beaumaris, and Owen Lalor’s Parkdale Vultures hosting his former side, in St Bedes/Mentone Tigers. Elsewhere, there’s a northern suburbs derby when PEGS travel to Bulleen to face Marcellin, Prahran travel to Mazenod, and Parkside head to Carnegie, where a test against Glen Eira/Old McKinnon awaits.