Old Brighton Lead Weekend of Statement Victories

Round 10 of the Holmesglen U19 Premier competition saw several contenders stamp their authority on the season.

Old Brighton, St Kevin’s and Old Scotch all produced commanding victories, while Old Xaverians escaped with a dramatic one-point win over De La Salle to remain firmly in the premiership hunt.

Old Brighton 18.4 (122) def Caulfield Grammarians 5.7 (37)

Old Brighton made the biggest statement of the weekend, dismantling a severely undermanned Caulfield Grammarians outfit by 85 points.

The final margin came as little surprise given the circumstances, with Caulfield coach Cooper Rule revealing his side entered the contest with just 22 available players, forcing nine debutants from the reserves into the senior side.

“It was always going to be a tough day on the scoreboard,” Rule said.

“We had a maximum 22 players to select from with nine debuts coming from our reserves squad. We came up against a talented Brighton, and our effort and pressure were outstanding and can’t fault that. Proud of our fight considering how many players we had available from our main group of players.”

Despite the heavy defeat, Rule highlighted youngster Ethan Lakman after the club’s eighth Under-19 debutant of the season kicked his first senior goal.

“Ethan Lakman was our eighth 19’s debutant of the season… and he is as clutch of a player as I’ve seen.”

While the result keeps Old Brighton among the competition’s contenders, Caulfield will be hoping to regain personnel in the coming weeks after a difficult stretch with player availability.

Beaumaris 8.5 (53) def by St Kevin’s 21.14 (140)

St Kevin’s also returned to the winners list in emphatic fashion, overpowering Beaumaris.

With senior coach Paul Greenham unavailable, assistant Danny Gambaro took charge and oversaw a polished four-quarter performance that was built on dominance around the contest and a rock-solid defensive unit.

“We were very good in the first half, with a great start and strong conversions from our repeat inside 50s,” Greenham said.

“We dropped off in the second half but never allowed the Sharks to get back in the game.”

While St Kevin’s attack was prolific, Greenham believed the defensive group laid the platform for the victory.

“Our backline was the absolute difference. Whilst the opposition never gave up, they were constantly facing a backline that intercepted and defended everything.”

Greenham also acknowledged the effort of the undermanned Sharks.

“Respect to the opposition, who were down a number of players from last week yet still put up a strong fight.”

Old Scotch 12.14 (86) def St Bedes/Mentone 4.6 (30)

Old Scotch continued their strong season with an impressive 56-point victory over ladder leaders St Bedes/Mentone.

Having entered the weekend sitting on top of the ladder, St Bedes were unable to match the intensity of a Cardinals side that controlled the contest from the opening bounce.

Old Scotch coach Hugo Boreham was delighted with the complete team performance.

“Super win mate. Everyone played their role for all four quarters. Nice to get the dub.”

For St Bedes coach Sam Hecker, it was a disappointing afternoon but one that he believes will provide valuable lessons for his group.

“Tough day for us on Saturday. It seemed that they were on from the bounce and we couldn’t match the intensity. We will learn from this and look to turn it around next week.”

The result serves as another reminder of how unpredictable the Holmesglen U19 Premier competition has become, with every side capable of producing a statement performance on their day.

Old Xaverians 10.13 (73) def De La Salle 11.6 (72)

The closest contest of the weekend came between Old Xaverians and De La Salle, with the reigning heavyweights surviving a thrilling finish to edge home by a solitary point.

The result could prove crucial as Old Xavs continue to position themselves among the leading premiership contenders.

De La Salle nevertheless take confidence from pushing one of the competition’s best sides all the way despite falling agonisingly short.

University Blues 14.9 (93) def Parkdale 7.8 (50)

Uni Blues also continued their impressive run of form, downing Parkdale by 43 points.

The result further strengthens their credentials as one of the competition’s form sides heading into the back half of the season.

Parkdale coach Nick Anderson admitted the opening quarter proved costly but found positives in the performance after quarter time.

“Slow start cost us. Competitive after quarter time.”

Anderson was encouraged by several players adapting well to new roles, highlighting Max Worsnip’s move further up the ground and Max Sullivan’s ability to impact at both ends of the field.

“Will Finch continued on his great work with another four goals, but we’ll need to be much better against Beaumaris next week to get back on the winners list.”

With just a handful of rounds remaining before finals approach, Round 10 reinforced just how quickly momentum can swing in the Holmesglen U19 Premier competition.

Old Brighton reminded the competition why they remain a genuine premiership threat, St Kevin’s rediscovered their best football, Old Scotch produced one of their most complete performances of the season and Old Xavs once again demonstrated their ability to win the close contests.

As the race for finals spots continues to tighten, every result is becoming increasingly significant, setting the stage for a fascinating finish to the home-and-away season.