Round 9 separates contenders from the rest in Premier C Men’s

The gap between the top five and the rest of the competition has widened after Round 9. Fitzroy, Hampton, Parkdale, and Mazenod were the big winners on Saturday afternoon, creating a logjam at the top end of the William Buck Premier C Men’s ladder.

Fitzroy 27.25.187 defeated Glen Eira/Old McKinnon 1.2.8 by 179 points

Fitzroy have furthered their premiership credentials after punishing Glen Eira/Old McKinnon to the tune of 179 points, off the back of a 10-goal second quarter. 

Fitzroy scored heavily in every quarter, with five, 10, four, and eight goals respectively in each term while keeping the Gryphons to the solitary major. The win was typified by a wide spread of goalkickers, which would please coach Jack Dalton. Vice-captain Ted Clayton was deemed Best on Ground after his four-goal performance, with nine other multiple goalkickers joining him.

While Dalton was content with the complete performance of his side, he highlighted the work of Fitzroy’s tenth debutant this season, Josh Macdessi.

“He’s got a great goal sense, footy IQ, and has fit into the group seamlessly,” Dalton said.

Glen Eira just could not stop the bleeding at W.T. Peterson Oval, with coach Brett Dunne conceding his side was beaten by an “unstoppable” side.

“Unfortunately, we were well beaten by a stronger, more organised team,” Dunne said.

The shining light for the Gryphons was another debutant, Evan McVey, who performed admirably in his first outing for the club. 

“We had very few winners on the day, but Evan McVey, an Under 19’s debutant, held his own in a tough initiation to senior football,” Dunne added.

The biggest question in this competition right now is who will stop the undefeated Fitzroy and their rampage toward the premiership crown? Glen Eira will look to dust themselves off when they take on Mazenod next week, while Fitzroy travel to face other R9 winners Marcellin.

Ormond 6.6.42 defeated by Hampton Rovers 21.14.140 by 98 points

Four goal hauls from Tommy Keyte and Charles Kilburn have lifted Hampton to a resounding 98-point victory over Ormond, solidifying the Rovers position in third on the William Buck Premier C Men’s ladder.

Keyte’s four goals bring his season tally to 23 in just seven games, quickly becoming a key pillar in Paul Carrigan’s side. For Kilburn, his four goals were his best performance in front of the sticks for the season, proving the Rovers have many goalkicking options as they head into the business end of the year.

Ormond had no answers for Hampton’s run-and-carry from the back half and centre clearance work, as they trailed at every interval. Despite trailing by 17 points at the first break, Ormond leaked a seven-goal second quarter by the Rovers, to essentially put the game to bed. Just like that Hampton lead by 58 points at the main change.

A much-improved third quarter followed for the home side, who had their best quarter for the afternoon due to goals from ruck Flynn O’Toole, Harrison Ross, and Jasper Boag. Harrison Ross was Ormond’s only multiple goalkicker in a tidy afternoon for the big man. Outscoring the Rovers in the third term was a silver lining in otherwise a tough afternoon for the ninth-placed Ormond.

Not to be outdone, Hampton turned on the jets again in the final term, booting eight goals to one to tie the knot on an impressive away victory for the Rovers.

Hampton’s 98-point victory means they trail Parkdale only on percentage, facing another huge test in the form of St Bedes/Mentone in next week’s fixture.

Marcellin OC 3.16.34 defeated by Mazenod OC by 61 points

In the battle of the Old Collegians, Mazenod proved too good for Marcellin thanks to another dominant display by key forward Hayden Boyce.

Boyce booted four goals, largely in part due to some silver service from a midfield brigade, who frequently got their hands on the football first. Boyce’s four was another impressive outing for the forward, who continues his red-hot form in 2026 with 33 goals for the season.

Marcellin kicked themselves out of the game from the first siren till the last, which was frustrating for coach Patrick O’Callaghan.

“I think at one point we were 2.12 or 2.13 and we missed a lot of gettable goals,” O’Callaghan said.

Despite costly missed opportunities, O’Callaghan was pleased with his side’s first half effort.

“The group put on one of our better first halves in terms of executing a game plan and taking it up to an opponent in really good form … we did not take our opportunities when we had the momentum,” he added.

Mazenod capitalized on Marcellin’s goalkicking woes in the third term, booting five themselves off the back of some tireless work rate and slick end-to-end ball movement.

“Their ball movement, work rate, and class quickly took the game away from us,” O’Callaghan said.

Mazenod’s second half blitz tore the game open from a half-time margin of 10 points to a 61-point buffer at the final siren. Daniel O’Driscoll, Andrew Kovac, Jacob Murdock, Mitchel D’Angelo, Brandon Le Battaglia, and Jarryd Raffa were crucial to Mazenod’s second half domination leaving their side well-entrenched inside the top four.

Old Peninsula 10.10.70 defeated by Parkdale 24.17.161 by 91 points

The Vultures preyed on Old Peninsula at Harry MacDonald Oval on Saturday afternoon, having 41 scoring shots en route to a 91-point victory.

Former league-footballer Mitch Brown booted his second 10-plus goal haul for the year, following his 12-goal haul against Old Peninsula earlier in the season. Brown has been instrumental for the Vultures’ forward setup, leading the Premier C Men’s goalkicking table outright.

The Vultures were ruthless all day, especially piling on the pain in a seven-goal to one second-quarter avalanche. Old Peninsula simply had no response for Brown and the Vultures, as seven-straight second quarter goals put the game beyond doubt.

Both sides scored freely in the third term with Parkdale booting another seven goals, while Old Peninsula kicked three themselves in their most polished passage for the afternoon.

Holding his own during Parkdale’s midfield and forward dominance, Old Peninsula forward George Fletcher booted a season-high four goals in a confidence-building performance for the 122-game spearhead. Fletcher was supported by Ben Goates (2 goals), Rhett Gowans (2), Hugh Peacock (1), and Jake Williams (1) on the goalkicking list.

Parkdale’s 41 scoring shots on the weekend remains a great illustration of their forward prowess, routinely kicking scores in excess of 100 points.

However, Brendan Dunne’s men will learn significantly from opportunities against top sides like Parkdale, especially as Old Peninsula boasts a plethora of young stocks coming through the ranks.

The high-flying Parkdale will play Ormond in a homecoming to Gerry Green Reserve, while Old Peninsula will host consecutive home games as they come up against PEGS.

St Bedes/Mentone 24.15.159 defeated PEGS 9.6.60 by 99 points

The Tigers have made it three wins on the bounce, outclassing PEGS by 99 points at Mentone Reserve.

The victory was set up after a six-goal opening term, thanks to goals from Antonio Barba, William Skinner, Ethan Hall, and a Louis Hanson double. The Tigers capitalised on the breeze in the first quarter, putting themselves in an insurmountable position at the first break.

St Bedes/Mentone coach Joel McKee swung the magnets for a handful of position changes that brought their best out of his team.

“We were able to play some guys in positions that they haven’t been playing and may have found another string or two to add to our bow,” McKee said.

Xavier Russo was one such example of a player who thrived in a different position against PEGS according to McKee. “Russo came back over the last two weeks to give our midfield a different look,” McKee added.

The Tigers put the foot on the accelerator in the second term, booting eight goals in a whirlwind quarter against the breeze. This exposed an undermanned PEGS side, who simply could not keep up with the high-handball and aggressive running patterns of the home team.

“While we had a few outs, they played as well as any opposition we have faced all year,” PEGS coach Rob Kerr said.

Despite being down 73 points at half time, PEGS strung together some more consistent football in the second half, including a five-goal final quarter.

“This game underlined the significant gap between the top five in C Grade and the bottom five,” Kerr said.

Among PEGS best in the losing cause were Blake Roach (1), Jackson Kerr (1), Zach Genovese, Mitchell Baker-West, Joseph Sita, and Reuben Stathis. The winners were buoyed by the performance of Louis Hanson (5 goals), and William Skinner (4), who proved the difference up forward for the Tigers.

Both Hanson and Skinner have 21 goals for the year — a tantalizing prospect for the rest of the season as the Tigers look to play finals football in 2026.