Canterbury Cobras shock Old Xavs with upset win in Division 4 Women’s

Round 6 delivered several surprising results in Division 4 Women’s, with three of the top five teams suffering defeats, while Canterbury and Fitzroy both secured their second win of the season.

Mazenod 5.2 (32) def Aquinas 3.7 (25)

The round commenced with Mazenod securing a hard-fought seven-point victory at Central Reserve, lifting the side into sixth spot on the ladder.

It was a tightly contested opening quarter before the goal scoring opened up in the second term, with Laura Gartland getting Mazenod on the board. Aquinas responded late in the quarter to reduce the margin to three points, before Emily Patmore answered to hand Mazenod a two-point lead at half-time.

Erin Hopkins kick-started the second-half scoring with two quick goals, extending the margin to 14 points early in the third quarter. Aquinas responded, but Laura Gartland struck again before the three-quarter-time siren to restore Mazenod’s 14-point advantage.

The final quarter was another closely fought contest, with Aquinas kicking the only goal of the term, but Mazenod held firm to secure the win.

For Mazenod, Laura Gartland and Erin Hopkins were influential in front of goal with two majors each, while Emily Patmore added one.

For Aquinas, Asher De Klijn, Ash Broderick and Natasha Derksen each finished with one goal.

Mazenod head coach Matt Foale was pleased with his side’s hard-fought win, how his side played in good spirits and how his side took control.

“We were just a little more accurate and took our chances when we had them. It was a two-scored game at three-quarter time and we kicked an major early to give us a handy buffer.

“Aquinas continued to push hard however we were able to dig in and hold on.

“We were celebrating Founders Day, which is a special annual celebration for the Mazenod community, so it was great to get the win.”

“Shelby Vicic was awarded our Founders Day medal. She was well supported by Em Patmore, who kicked her first goal of the year. Erin Hopkins kicked two goals and worked tirelessly in the ruck all game.”

Best

Mazenod: Emily Patmore, Shelby Vicic, Bridget Hollard, Erin Hopkins, Ash Whitfield, Katherine Pseftoudis

Aquinas: Dianna Haines, Natasha Derksen, Emily Box, Chelsea Delbridge, Tamina Porcellato, Millie Edwards

Canterbury 6.4 (40) def Old Xaverians 4.5 (29)

Canterbury secured their second win of the 2026 campaign, defeating Old Xaverians by 11 points at Canterbury Sportsground.

Canterbury made a strong start, kicking three goals in the opening quarter. Old Xaverians responded with two goals in the second term to reduce the margin to four points at half-time.

The majority of the third quarter was a grind, with both sides lifting their intensity through strong tackling pressure and contested football. Canterbury broke through late in the term with goals to Stephanie Langley and Eva Catania, extending the margin to 17 points at the final break.

Old Xaverians fought back in the last quarter, kicking two goals to Canterbury’s one, but Canterbury held firm to secure an impressive victory.

Eva Catania and Stephanie Langley starred with two goals each, while Kiara Bloomfield and Briana Thompson provided strong support with one major apiece.

For Old Xaverians, Charli Wapshott led the way with two goals, while Daisy Bonnett and Mia Wapshott each added one.

Canterbury coach Tony Pisani was pleased to be able to play a good brand of football against a strong opposition.

“To hold off multiple challenges that you would expect playing against a top side was a good learning curb.

“Kiara Jebb, Dani Calvsi, Brianna Thompson and Isabelle Roberts were super well by a strong team performance.”

Best

Canterbury: Briana Thompson, Alice Hartwig, Stephanie Langley, Keira Jebb, Danielle Calvisi, Isabel Roberts

 Old Xaverians: Milla Siniakov, Zoe Purcell, Charli Wapshott, Annabelle White, Remi Di Carlo, Zahli Burgess

Brunswick 8.1 (49) def MUWFC 2.2 (14)

Brunswick secured their second win of the season, defeating Melbourne University by 35 points at Gillon Oval.

It was a low-scoring opening term as both sides worked their way into the contest before Brunswick found its rhythm in the second quarter. Meadhbh Larkin, Morgyn McCarthy Harding and Tahlia Hayes all hit the scoreboard to give Brunswick an 18-point lead at the main break.

Brunswick continued to build momentum in the third term, with Morgyn McCarthy Harding and Lucy Scott adding goals before Melbourne University responded late in the quarter to reduce the margin to 24 points at three-quarter time.

Brunswick maintained strong defensive pressure in the final quarter, keeping Melbourne University scoreless while adding two more goals through Jolyn Collins and Han DeBuhr to seal the four points and move into seventh position on the ladder.

For Brunswick, Morgyn McCarthy Harding starred with two goals, while Meadhbh Larkin, Cobie Farmer, Lucy Scott, Han DeBuhr, Jolyn Collins and Tahlia Hayes each contributed one major.

For Melbourne University, Claudia Reid and Renee Cahill each finished with one goal.

Brunswick coach Amy Lee was proud of her side’s connectedness as a team.

“It’s the first time in Renegades history we had two youth girls who made their senior debut, Isla MacLatchy and Ainsley Jones. It was amazing to see their skills and hunger for the ball.

“Seven different goal scorers just shows how much depth we have in the side and we are looking forward to being competitive in Division 4.”

Despite the result, Melbourne University coach Jules Hunter will take plenty of learnings from this game going into next week.

“We got our hands on the footy enough, but Brunswick’s intercepts and conversion efficiency was just too good. We rotated players through some new roles and proud of the lift in the third quarter.

“Overall, a big ask for our players to run out the game, but credit to Brunswick for a dominant performance. Daisy Sudholdz took her game to a new level and Jacinta Cole proved consistently solid.”

Best

Brunswick: Emily Collins, Jolyn Collins, Laura Geissler, Liliana Jaques, Ainsley Jones, Lucy Scott

 Melbourne University: Daisy Sudholz, Alexis Koufidis, Ruby Mackle, Alexia Win, Aoife Keogan, Jacinta Cole

Fitzroy 7.6 (48) def North Brunswick 2.3 (15)

Fitzroy secured their second win of the season with a commanding 33-point victory at Jackson Reserve.

Fitzroy started strongly, kicking two first-quarter goals to take early control of the match, with Kristen Peake and Alice Becker-Scott hitting the scoreboard. Bronte Arnott added another late in the quarter, but North Brunswick stayed competitive, reducing the margin to 10 points by half-time.

In the second half, North Brunswick’s defensive efforts tightened, limiting Fitzroy to just one goal in each of the third and fourth quarters. With Fitzroy holding a 31-point lead at three-quarter time, they kicked the first goal of the final term before North Brunswick responded through Sophie James.

Fitzroy’s early attacking pressure and disciplined second-half defense were key to securing a solid win and moving further up the ladder.

Albert Park 3.4 (22) v Wattle Park 1.2 (8) – MATCH ABANDONED

Due to injury, the match between Albert Park and Wattle Park was abandoned, resulting in a draw, with points scored standing only for percentage purposes.