September awaits

The finalists in Premier C this season were ordained months ago. A breakaway top four formed in the early sledding, creating a buffer that never looked threatened. Now, having bided their time, and finely tuned their gameplans, Parkdale Vultures, Beaumaris, St Bedes/Mentone Tigers and AJAX will do battle.

Owen Lalor’s Parkdale Vultures side cemented themselves as minor premiers with a 14.16 (100) to 7.9 (51) victory over Mazenod, at Gerry Green Reserve.

The Vultures led start to finish, in a performance befitting their recently confirmed status atop the tree in Premier C.

Kai Colella (22 disposals) and Jack Cheep (six tackles) each contributed three majors to the winning cause, while Ben Fenech slotted a goal, in his first senior appearance for the season. Oliver Green registered 30 disposals, nine clearances and a goal in a strong performance.

Despite the loss, Mazenod’s place in the division is secure, with outgoing coach Peter Banfield proud of that achievement.

“We did what we needed to do to stay up in C grade,” he said. “I coached a number of games to protect percentage – that’s called coaching, when you have injuries and players travelling overseas.”

Banfield leaves the club in good stead, having blooded 18 debutants in a tumultuous campaign.

Despite going goalless in this outing, Hayden Boyce has been crowned the division’s leading goalkicker, finishing the season with 49 majors – over 28% of his side’s 173 for the year. Matt Fewings was named Banfield’s best, with the skipper capping off another brilliant campaign – one that memorably saw him represent the Big V, while Jarryd Raffa was influential, collecting 29 disposals, and 11 clearances – most on the ground.

Only their own inaccuracy prohibited Beaumaris from fattening their already impressive percentage. The Sharks defeated Glen Eira/Old McKinnon 8.21 (69) to 5.8 (38), bringing their winning streak to an unprecedented 15, before the ‘real stuff’ begins.

Usual suspects occupied both sides’ bests, with Callum Linehan (12 intercept possessions), Callum Heath (31 hitouts) and James Taylor (32 disposals, eight clearances) among Josh Bourke’s nominations, while the Carey brothers, and Nick Mavropoulos were among Guy Martyn’s nominations.

The Gryphons finish the season sixth, with seven wins, above Marcellin on percentage. 10 of the 11 losses that characterised Martyn’s first campaign in Carnegie came against the five sides that finished the season above them, with bridging this gap no doubt at the forefront of Martyn’s off-season planning.

Similarly wasteful were St Bedes/Mentone Tigers in their 18.17 (125) to 11.5 (71) victory over Parkside. The Tigers dominated field position (+29 in inside 50’s) and possession (+156 in disposals, +36 in contested possessions) in the outing, ultimately generating the significant advantage in scoring shots.

“The first half we were really competitive and in the second, we couldn’t really find ways to score,” said Devils coach Rick Frost, post-match. “St Bedes moved the ball well through the middle of the ground to create forward opportunities, and they created a wide-open forward line through quick transition from half-back. Their wingmen were also good, getting high possessions through the middle.”

Jake Harding slotted five majors, and Liam Bowles contributed four of his own, while Matt Lehpamer was influential from the midfield.

For Parkside, Nick Moylan and Luke Logozzo earned their coach’s plaudits post-game, while the debut of Sid Bushell was viewed as ‘very promising’.

However, this result does cement their relegation, in a reality coach Rick Frost admits is still ‘pretty raw’ for his club. In their first season in the division, the Devils posted a 4-14 record in Premier C, with their victories coming over fellow promoted side Prahran, Marcellin, and Mazenod. Matt Holden was a shining light for Frost this year, undaunted by the rising standard of the new division, capturing the praise of opposition coaches on a regular basis.

PEGS put a dent in AJAX’s finals preparations, recording a 12.13 (85) to 6.9 (45) upset victory. The match loomed as a steadier for the Jackas, who’d lost their last two matches, but instead, an opportunity to generate some momentum heading into the finals, went begging.

Riley Simmons starred for the Bombers, with three majors, to be named coach Rob Kerr’s best. Skipper Mitch Baker-West and Blake Roach have racked up nominations seemingly at will this season, and did so again, in their final outing for the season.

In the pre-season, Kerr, a first-year coach in Keilor East, was pleased with how well his side adopted the gameplan he wanted to implement. While a finals berth was ultimately too far from reach, confidence can be taken from a positive winning ratio, and victories like this one.

Corey Zielinski was strong in just his second game back from injury, slotting two majors, while a first senior appearance for the year for talismanic forward Richie Simon was a pleasing development for AJAX.

Marcellin stamped their excellent late season form with a 14.15 (99) to 8.10 (58) victory over Prahran, in Bulleen. It was an awesome August for Bernie Dineen’s men, who went 4-1 in the calendar month, with statement victories against sides above them, such as PEGS and St Bedes/Mentone Tigers, proving memorable.

The Eagles were in real danger at the end of July, sitting 3-10, with relegation a genuine concern. Something’s clicked in the time since, marking the side as one to watch next season, after a third pre-season under Dineen.

For Prahran, a season of relative misery comes to a close, without the team song having been sung. A winless campaign for the first time in the club’s storied history was characterised by injury, but more so by resilience. Last year’s Division One Premiers will look to re-group next year, albeit with a younger squad, after multiple retirements this year.

Jon Simonetta snagging a goal in his final appearance for the club was a standout moment in the latest loss. Recruit Ryan Smyth capped off a strong debut season for the Two Blues with a twelfth nomination in Craige Milward’s bests, while Patrick Ribbands featured for the eighth time this season. The two men are sure to feature in Basil Cleary medal calculations.

So then, in the first week of finals, Parkdale and Beaumaris will face off for immediate Grand Final qualification, with the loser to face the winner of St Bedes/Mentone Tigers and AJAX, the next week.