Round 11 of William Buck Premier Men’s was a successful one for both of last season’s Grand Finalists, as they recorded crucial, hard-fought wins leading into the second bye.
Here’s an in-depth look back at another pivotal Saturday afternoon:
———
Old Brighton scored a nail-biting win on the road against University Blacks after the Blacks had conquered them in a similar fashion at Brighton Beach in Round 4.
The scoreline may have finished similarly tight, but the conditions were vastly different as the two teams slogged it out in heavy conditions at Melbourne Uni Oval.
Goals were at a premium all afternoon as a result – just 3 in the opening term as the Blacks found a couple in a hurry approaching time-on to take a 4-point lead into quarter-time.
Dale Bower’s team then took control of the contest in the second quarter, booting 4 unanswered goals to head to the major break with a very handy 27-point lead. They had successfully held the Tonners to just 1.5 (11) in the first half – their lowest half-time score since they booted 1.4 (10) in their 2022 Grand Final loss to St Kevin’s.
The reigning champs adjusted and found their mojo in the third term, rocketing back into the game with the first 4 goals to close within a point at the 17-minute mark before the Blacks responded with 2 goals in 2 minutes to re-establish a 14-point lead.
But the Tonners weren’t deterred, and two more majors in time-on got them back within 2 points at the final change – in total, an outstanding 6-goal-to-2 third quarter defying the challenging conditions.
Despite their win-loss record, the Blacks have been highly competitive all season long and once again, they refused to roll over and booted the first goal of the final term via Max Gray.
They ground their way back out to an 11-point lead, before back-to-back strikes within the space of two-and-a-half minutes from Jeremy Thomas and Ryan Agg saw the Tonners hit the front for the first time since 19 minutes into the game.
But there were only 10 minutes gone in the final term, leaving the best part of 20 minutes remaining.
It was a mighty struggle as both teams fully committed their bodies time and again, throwing everything at each other to find the winning goal. However, none was forthcoming as both defences held back the tide, scrapping desperately in what turned out to be an agonisingly tense last quarter for fans of both teams.
The Blacks had some glimmers of opportunity to steal it late but just couldn’t quite string together a possession chain capable of delivering the match-winner, and when the final siren sounded, it was a combination of exhaustion and relief for the visitors.
Old Brighton hanging on for a gritty (and muddy) 3-point win that hands them a 2-game buffer inside the Top 4 and keeps them in the race for the Top 2. After the bye, they’ll host the resurgent Cards in a mouthwatering clash, with opportunities to make up ground on the Blues & Xavs on the horizon.
Skipper Harry Hill led from the front as per usual, while Ben Branson played arguably his best senior game for the club in his third appearance at the top level this season (and his first since Round 4). Sam Linder, Charlie Richardson and Tom Burnell were also impactful for the reigning premiers.
Max Geddes was best for the Blacks, while 4 goals from Tom St Clair was an excellent return in such challenging conditions as the Blacks were left to rue another lost opportunity.
It’s been the frustrating theme of their season to date, with a 3-8 record that includes 4 losses by under 3 goals, with their last 3 defeats just 17 points against Xavs, 14 points against the Blues and this 3-point loss to the Tonners.
Uni Blacks remain above the drop zone on percentage alone – they’re 5.18% ahead of Old Haileybury and now a game behind Old Scotch and Old Trinity in the race to escape relegation.
They can build a two-game advantage over the Snowdogs if they can win a critical clash straight after the bye, and given the road beyond that gets considerably steeper, that looms as one of the run home’s most pivotal matches in the relegation race.
THE ROAD AHEAD POST-BYE:
Old Brighton: Old Scotch (H) Old Trinity (A) Old Xavs (A) Uni Blues (H)
Uni Blacks: St Bernard’s (H) Caulfield (A) St Kevin’s (A) Old Xavs (H)
Old Brighton 9.10 (64)
University Blacks 9.7 (61)
GOALS:
OB: Dick 2; Agg, Dowe, Karayannis, Pryor, Thomas, Tweedie & Zerna 1.
UB: St Clair 4; Alao, Drummond, Gray, Knight & Oliver 1.
BEST:
OB: Harry Hill, Ben Branson, Sam Linder, Charlie Richardson, Thomas Burnell, Hamish Dick
UB: Max Geddes, Ayui Makieng, James Clark, Jack Drummond, Thomas St Clair, Henry Robertson
Marcel Bruin (Old Brighton): “Thrilled to get back on the winners’ list, particularly having to come behind against a strong, organised and determined outfit in Blacks.
“We started okay but quickly lost the disposal count and uncontested ball. The conditions made it a contested game, although Uni’s ability to control possession with uncontested marking gave them an offensive territory advantage and put us under the pump.
“In the second half, we made some player adjustments and took away that kick/mark possession, which helped us to wrestle back contest control.
“The game was an arm wrestle through the last quarter, took us nearly the entire quarter to get the lead, but we held on with some desperate stoppage work and defending. A huge win in the context of our season.
“The skipper was unbelievable again, supported by Ben Branson in the mids. Sam Linder joined the mids after half time and was terrific, and Charlie Richardson competed well out of his weight class ruck/fwd along with the milestone man, Hamish Dick; both doing a massive job on Conway.”
Dale Bower (Uni Blacks): “Our first half was good, but our second half fell away considerably. Full credit to Old Brighton, who played the better football in the second half.”
St Kevin’s banked another four premiership points by outlasting a typically determined St Bernard’s at the Snake Pit.
The two teams booted 3 goals apiece in a bright opening term, but it was the second term that saw the visitors seize the initiative.
SKOB booted 4.3 to 0.1 to open up a 25-point half-time lead, with Jacob Koschitzke continuing his white-hot form to have 5 goals on the board to half-time.
The Snowdogs played some sparkling football in the third term, getting on top around the contest and then making the most of their chances to boot 5 straight goals in 12 scintillating minutes to close within 2 points and suddenly it was ‘game on’ once again.
SKOB were creating their share of opportunities but just couldn’t nail their chances as they added 1.6 for the rest of the quarter to re-establish a 14-point advantage at the final change.
Could another Snake Pit boilover be on the cards? The locals were finding their voice, hoping for the home team’s momentum to spark up once again in the last term, but it was SKOB who struck first via a Jack Behnk goal 4 minutes in.
Another 4 consecutive behinds followed as the visitors struggled to hit the target. But Jacob Koschitzke couldn’t possibly miss when he received a handball over the top in the goalsquare to finish a nice end-to-end transition from SKOB, and the margin stretched to a more comfortable 28 points.
A further 7 minutes elapsed before Jack Darmody sealed it beyond all doubt after being caught high, and while milestone men Mitch Hughes and Ferg McNicol landed consolation goals late, it was all over bar the shouting – St Kevin’s with a 34-point win that maintains their one-game lead over Old Brighton in third spot.
Seven goals from Jacob Koschitzke provided the headline act, following on from the 9 he kicked last week. His presence is growing ever larger for St Kevin’s as he starts to thrive at his new club, realising his undeniable potential. Billy Coates was outstanding for SKOB once again – when isn’t he? Jack Andriske, Ged Saunders, Ben Mansfield and Andrew Mathieson all earned praise from coach Anthony Lynch also.
Nico Conlan, Ben Overman and debutante Lachie Gollant were best for on a special day for the Dogs, who celebrated three magnificent milestones, with Mitch Hughes and Ferg McNicol playing their 200th game, while Luke Di Lizio racked up his 150th.
The Snowdogs have some work to do if they are to escape relegation once again. They arrive at the second bye in last position, one game behind the Blacks and Bloods.
Their next assignment – the Blacks at Melbourne Uni – will be crucial, as a long-awaited away win would draw them level on points. They then play the Bloods in Round 14, so their destiny is still very much in their own hands right now.
While St Kevin’s can put their feet up and rest a little easier, having won 8 of their last 9 to establish themselves as a genuine September contender. They will return from the bye to face 4 teams currently outside the Top 4, before meeting Xavs and Blues in the final few weeks of the season.
THE ROAD AHEAD POST-BYE:
St Kevin’s: Caulfield (H) Old Scotch (A) Uni Blacks (H) Old Haileybury (H)
St Bernard’s: Uni Blacks (A) Old Xavs (H) Old Haileybury (A) Caulfield (H)
St Kevin’s 13.21 (101)
St Bernard’s 10.7 (67)
GOALS:
STK: Koschitzke 7; Ferguson 2; Behnk, Canning, Darmody & Jok 1.
STB: McNicol, Papley & Watson 2; Ablett, Huggard, Hughes & Said 1.
BEST:
STK: Billy Coates, Jacob Koschitzke, Jack Andriske, Ged Saunders, Ben Mansfield, Andrew Mathieson
STB: Nicholas Conlan, Ben Overman, Lachlan Gollant, Lachlan Papley, Fergus McNicol, Matthew Sauro
Anthony Lynch (St Kevin’s): “The Snake Pit is always a challenging away trip, and we knew the Bernard’s form line was better than their ladder position, so we went there expecting their best. I thought we started the game well in what was a pretty even contest on the scoreboard.
“Like most weeks, both teams had periods of momentum, and it was ultimately going to come down to who could convert more during those times.
“In the end, although we were quite inaccurate, the weight of numbers in terms of scoring shots enabled us to edge away and record a really important win leading into the bye.
“Given St Bernard’s were celebrating 3 significant player milestones, I was really proud of our group’s ability to manage that emotion and deliver a pretty professional performance.”
Steve Alessio (St Bernard’s): “Preparing for the game, we knew we were coming up against a St Kevin’s team in great form with some key players who have been playing great footy.
“It was a special day for our club with some of our great players, captain Mitch Hughes and Ferg McNicol, notching up their 200-game milestones for the club, while Luke DiLizio played his 150th game. Plus Lachie Gollant, the son of one of our champion past players, made his debut as well.
“After a solid first quarter, I thought our energy levels were down in the second. After some readjusting at halftime, we looked more dangerous. Overall, for all the good play we were able to produce, some of our decision making, disposal and ball use going inside 50m really cost us against a quality opposition on the day.”
Old Scotch continued their rise up the ladder with their third win in four matches, claiming victory over Old Haileybury to jump a game clear of the drop zone.
The Bloods dominated proceedings in the opening term, racking up 18 Inside 50s to 9 and generating 10 shots to 2. But unfortunately for the visitors, they couldn’t finish their work, booting 3.8 to 2.0 and opening up a 14-point lead that could have been much greater.
The Cardinals lifted in the second quarter, hitting a lot more targets and controlling the ball more as a result. They flipped a -16 Disposal Differential into +28 in the second term, kicking the last 6 goals of the first half as they slammed on 7.2 to 2.3, transforming a 14-point deficit into a 15-point half-time lead.
Old Scotch’s ability to punish Bloods’ errors was telling, with 5 of their 7 second-quarter goals coming directly from Old Haileybury turnovers.
Brodie Easton extended Scotch’s lead to 21 points early in the third term, before Brede Seccull lifted the Bloods with 2 goals in 2 minutes to bring it back to a single-digit margin.
The Cards then kicked again with goals to Angus Jones and Cooper Lean midway through the term, and when James Tarrant added another at the 28-minute mark, they had cracked the margin out to a game-high 27 points.
Mitch Kirkwood-Scott pulled a goal back to give Old Haileybury a boost as they headed to the last change with a 20-point deficit.
The early minutes of the final term would prove decisive; the Cardinals’ forward-half pressure punished the Bloods as they slammed on 3 goals in 4 minutes to effectively put the game to bed in the blink of an eye as the lead ballooned to 38 points.
The final term proved to be a free-flowing affair, with Old Scotch ultimately pulling away with 6.1 to 2.3 and run out 42-point winners after kicking 17 goals to 7 after quarter-time.
Angus Jones returned from his 3-week hamstring injury to finish with 4 goals, and with fellow Big V reps James Tarrant and Will Clark also amongst the goals, suddenly the Cardinals’ forward line is looking a lot more threatening as they finished with 13 individual goalscorers, highlighting the difficulty of containing all their different scoring avenues.
Brodie Easton was excellent for the Cards, with 22 touches (10 contested), 4 tackles, 4 clearances and a goal, while Alex Noblet, Charlie Cormack, Quinn Spencer and Will Townsend all found plenty of the Sherrin also.
Ruck Brodie Findlay was tireless for the Bloods, collecting 25 disposals (ALL contested), 62 hit-outs and a whopping 15 clearances as the Bloods finished +17 for stoppage wins (52-35) but were unable to convert those into scores due to inaccuracy (finished with 2.8 from Stoppages).
Lachie Riley was at the coalface all afternoon, finishing with 27 touches (15 contested), 8 tackles and 11 clearances, while Noah Higgins made an impact, continually driving it forward to create opportunities for the Bloods.
It’s a critical win that sees Old Scotch move a game ahead of the Bloods, who slide down into the drop zone for the first time this season.
The Cards are still 3 games behind 4th spot, but you don’t have to go back too far in Premier Men’s history to realise that you cannot write them off! (They were 3 games plus percentage behind last year with just 3 to play and somehow pulled off the miracle.)
Their 2026 finals series will effectively start immediately after the bye, when they face 3 of the current Top 4 teams – Old Brighton, SKOB & the Blues. Their upcoming clash with the Tonners will provide a golden opportunity for them to reduce the gap to the Top 4 to just 2 games, but a loss would put them 4 games off the pace with 6 to play.
The Bloods have now lost 6 of their last 7, and the bye comes at a critical time for them to refresh and regroup. Next up, they’ll face their old Premier B rival Old Trinity – win that, and they will leapfrog the T’s to safety. Given they will face all the Top 4 teams in the run home, it looms as a vital 4 points up for grabs.
THE ROAD AHEAD:
Old Scotch: Old Brighton (A) St Kevin’s (H) Uni Blues (A) Old Trinity (H)
Old Haileybury: Old Trinity (H) Uni Blues (A) St Bernard’s (H) St Kevin’s (A)
Old Scotch 19.5 (119)
Old Haileybury 10.17 (77)
GOALS:
OS: Jones 4; Jackson, Clark & Tarrant 2; Noblet, Fergusson, Lean, Brown, Macmillan, Badr, Easton, Jelbart & Byrne-Jones 1.
OH: B.Seccull, Goonewardene & Mountford 2; Blight, D.Seccull, Giliam & Kirkwood-Scott 1.
BEST:
OS: Brodie Easton, Will Townsend, Angus Jones, Quinn Spencer, Will Clark, Cooper Lean
OH: Noah Higgins, Brede Seccull, Brodie Findlay, Keegan Mountford, Lachlan Riley, Liam Wood
Mark Gnatt (Old Scotch): “After OH owned the territory in the first quarter, it was great to see our boys respond with a brilliant second quarter. We were getting beaten at the source, and it was Brodie Easton and Will Townsend that got to work in the midfield to start to turn the tide. Angus Jones was a fire-starter in the forward half as we kicked 7 on the bounce.
“The boys finished the game off strongly, which was very pleasing. We had 13 goal scorers, which was a great sign and shows the growth in the maturity of the group.
“We finish this block with 3 wins from 4 games and look forward to continuing to build the momentum after the bye.”
Guy Martyn (Old Haileybury): “Probably one of the more frustrating games I’ve been involved in. We lost by 42 points, but a lot of the key stats suggest we did enough to be right in the contest. We finished +17 in clearances, +11 Inside 50s and had more scoring shots, but ultimately our inability to execute going inside 50 and convert our opportunities cost us.
“We absolutely dominated the first 45 minutes of the game. At one stage, it felt like we were 5.11 to 8.1 and just not making the most of our control. In the first quarter alone, it was 3.8 to 1.0, and they barely had an inside 50. In a competition as even as this one, you have to make the most of your momentum because you’re not going to have it for four quarters.
“The biggest difference was their ability to punish our mistakes. They kicked 15.2 from our turnovers and were incredibly efficient when opportunities came their way. We did a lot right in getting the ball forward and creating chances, but our execution by foot, our finishing in front of goal, and their ability to rebound and score off turnover were the factors that decided the game.
“Brodie Findlay was enormous in the ruck. He finished with 25 possessions, all contested, and had 15 clearances in a huge individual performance. Brede Seccull and Lach Riley were also strong around the contest with 10 and 11 clearances respectively, while Noah Higgins was probably our classiest player on the day with his decision-making and ball use.
“It’s disappointing to head into the bye off that result because it feels like a missed opportunity. We’ve got seven games left, with a mix of winnable games and some tough challenges.”
Old Xaverians have made it to the second bye with a 10-1 record after comfortably accounting for Caulfield Grammarians at Glen Huntly Park.
The league-leaders seized immediate control via total inside dominance that saw them win 16 Clearances to 5 in the opening term, but the Fields managed to minimise the impact of that by standing up defensively and restricting Xavs to 2.5 vs 1.3 and just an 8-point quarter-time lead.
But Xavs found another gear in the second term, playing incredible clean football given Melbourne’s heavy conditions, and then went at a remarkable 77% Disposal Efficiency for the quarter as they booted 5.3 to 0.2, clearing out to a handy 39-point half-time lead – Wade Brusnahan and Will Macisaac with 2 goals apiece for the quarter.
The Fields refused to yield, however, and despite Xavs’ continued dominance in and around the contest, the hosts managed to get their intercept game going and controlled the third quarter territory battle, racking up 17 Inside 50s to 9. It netted them 10 scoring shots, however their return of 4.6 didn’t provide full bang for buck, given Xavs were able to add 4.1 of their own.
Sitting on a 34-point three-quarter time lead, the Red & Black put the foot down to erase any chance of Caulfield pulling off another unlikely comeback when they booted the first 3 goals of the final term in a 5-minute burst that put the result beyond doubt.
Caulfield added a couple of majors of their own to make the scoreboard a little more respectable, but it was Old Xaverians posting their ninth straight win – their best winning streak since their brilliant 11-game run to claim the 2013 premiership – with another impressive 50-point victory.
Reigning Woodrow Medallist Marcus Stavrou is building nicely by the week in his return from long-term injury. He finished with 32 disposals, 5 tackles and 5 clearances in his third game back. He’s now had 19, 23 & 32 touches in an ominous sign for the rest of the competition.
Will Goss continued his incredible season with another 31 touches and 9 Rebound 50s, while Charlie Knott’s 24 disposals, 6 Inside 50s and 2 goals were impactful for Xavs. A Macisaac was amongst the goals as per usual, but this week it was Will booting 4 while Charlie was held to a single major.
Jack Webster was adjusted best for the Fields for his tireless in-and-under work, while Noah Sutherland continually turned back the tide with 33 touches and 11 Rebound 50s. Noah Yze returned from VFL duties in style to finish with 20 disposals, 9 marks, 6 tackles, 3 clearances, 5 Inside 50s and 3 goals in an eye-catching performance.
Old Xaverians head to the second bye leading the field by a game and 23%, but, like all other Premier Men’s teams, will have plenty of speed humps to negotiate in the run home. That will begin with the game of the season to date – the top-of-the-table blockbuster against the Blues – straight after the bye.
Caulfield have won 4 of their last 6 and enter the week off in a vastly superior position than they were in at the first bye. Their revival has been one of the stories of the season, and while they are only two games out of the Top 4, they are also only two games above the drop zone – so there is both opportunity and danger lurking in the run home.
They have a week off to freshen up before facing the strikepower of St Kevin’s, followed by a 4-game stretch against teams below them on the ladder, before finishing with a challenging final fortnight against the Blues and Tonners.
But if they can knock over the teams below them, those last two matches might just give them an opportunity to close the gap and sneak into the finals, should they be able to stay close enough.
THE ROAD AHEAD:
Old Xaverians: Uni Blues (H) St Bernard’s (A) Old Brighton (H) Uni Blacks (A)
Caulfield Grammarians: St Kevin’s (A) Uni Blacks (H) Old Trinity (A) St Bernard’s (A)
Old Xaverians 15.15 (105)
Caulfield Grammarians 7.13 (55)
GOALS:
OX: W.Macissac 4; Delany 3; Knott & Brusnahan 2; C.Macisaac, Westcott, Fisher & Gangi 1.
CG: Yze 3; Williams, Wilson, Lakman & McGrath 1.
BEST:
OX: Marcus Stavrou, Charlie Knott, Will Goss, Sam Ralph, Jack O’Sullivan, Will MacIsaac
CG: Jack Webster, Noah Yze, Noah Sutherland, Charlie Eerhard, Hamish McInerney, Jared Freedman
Dan Donati (Old Xavs): “We were pretty focused this week, knowing that Caulfield were in very good form coming into this game.
“We were very good defensively in the first half and managed to take our chances up forward to put ourselves in a strong position at halftime.
“To Caulfield’s credit, they played more attacking footy in the third quarter and put some scoreboard pressure into the game before we settled and came away with a solid win.
“I was pleased with our clearance and contest work and ability to grind out 4 quarters away from home again. Caulfield have been playing some great footy, so it’s an important win for our group before the bye.”
Paul Satterley (Caulfield): “Xavs were strong across every line, and to be any chance, we had to make the most of scoring opportunities to stay in touch, and we were just unable to nail some very gettable shots.
“Jack Webster was excellent and negated a very good player. Noah Yze’s class was on show, especially in the second half. Hamish McInerney and Noah Sutherland gave us heaps of drive. Charlie Eerhard was outstanding on Charlie Macisaac, keeping him to one goal.
“Last time we met, the scoreboard got right away from us, whereas I was pleased we fought out the game and reduced the potential damage. We had another 3 casualties in this game, so a week off before our SKOB game will be invaluable.”
The final game of the weekend was a low-scoring affair as an inaccurate University Blues secured the four points over Old Trinity at Daley Oval.
Coached by assistant Jack James due to Donald McDonald’s two-game suspension for abusing an umpire, the T’s held a slender edge around the contest in the opening term, but as has been their challenge in recent times, they were unable to translate that into territory and scoring opportunities.
The Inside 50 count was even (9-8 SKOB’s way), but the Blues were able to convert more dangerously, booting 3.4 to 1.1 to lead by 15 points at the first change.
The arm wrestle continued in the second quarter, as both teams sought to control the game via uncontested marks. 61 were taken for the term (32-29 Old Trinity’s way), but the Blues were more effective at taking territory with their chains, generating 15 Inside 50s to 7 despite only having 2 more disposals.
Fortunately for Trinity, the Blues’ inaccuracy continued, and they only added 1.4 to 1.0 to edge out to a 20-point half-time lead.
The T’s continued their uncontested marking approach in the third term, maintaining possession to restrict the Blues’ opportunities to just 10 Inside 50s for the quarter while they had 8 of their own.
But this time it was Old Trinity’s inaccuracy that was costly as the hosts could only add 0.4 to 1.1, and it was the Blues by 23 points at the last break.
Incredibly, the visitors then added 0.6 to the 0.4 Old Trinity had just kicked to that end, meaning that a combined 2.15 would be kicked to the western end of the ground all afternoon, compared to a combined 6.8 in the other direction!
Sitting on a 23-point three-quarter time lead, the Blues just needed to manage the final term, but their inability to find the middle of the goals kept the contest alive longer than it needed to be. The Blues kicked 6 consecutive behinds in 8 minutes before the returning Dom Payman booted the only goal of the final term to drag it back to a 22-point game at the 19-minute mark.
However, the T’s couldn’t turn one into two or three and make a late surge, and in the end, it was a 20-point win for the University Blues – their sixth in a row.
Matt Smith’s team has learned so much since their series of nail-biting heartaches in the first half of 2025 and is becoming more adept at managing the close ones. Of their last six victories, four have been by 20 points or less (Bloods 1pt, Tonners 19, Blacks 14 and Trinity 20).
So, while they have the explosive scoring power to blow games wide open, they have also added the all-important ability to slog out wins for four quarters, and ‘winning ugly’ is critical through the depths of winter before the grounds start to dry up heading for September (hopefully!)
Jack O’Sullivan continued his impressive season, while Geordie LaCava and Mitch Lloyd were prolific in the back half, combining for 58 disposals and 13 Rebound 50s. Marty Gleeson was effective around the footy as per usual, finishing with 30 disposals and 8 clearances.
Christos Manoussakis and Campbell Dyer had plenty of the ball for the T’s, finishing with 32 touches apiece, plus a combined 11 tackles and 15 clearances, while Luke Teal and George Belcher were also amongst Old Trinity’s best.
Uni Blues hit the bye comfortably placed in second spot, one game clear of St Kevin’s and one game behind Old Xavs. But they will get the chance to join them at 10-2 when they clash in the Round 12 blockbuster straight after the week off.
Old Trinity’s sixth straight loss sees them slip to seventh, just one game clear of the drop zone but with an inferior percentage to the two teams immediately below them (the Blacks and Bloods). They will face the Bloods in an absolutely critical Round 12 clash straight after the bye.
THE ROAD AHEAD:
University Blues: Old Xavs (A) Old Haileybury (H) Old Scotch (H) Old Brighton (A)
Old Trinity: Old Haileybury (A) Old Brighton (H) Caulfield (H) Old Scotch (A)
University Blues 5.15 (45)
Old Trinity 3.7 (25)
GOALS:
UB: Stewart 2; Cotter, Lloyd & Heine 1.
OT: Emery, Payman & Johnson 1.
BEST:
UB: Jack O’Sullivan, Archie Lord, Mojwok Akoch, Martin Gleeson, James Curran, Mitch Lloyd
OT: Luke Teal, George Belcher, Camiel Bowler, Flynn McNamara, Alex Emery, Will Johnson
Matt Smith (Uni Blues): “We were fortunate to be able to get out of the blocks quickly and get a solid quarter time lead, which we have been really good at over the last month.
“From then on, it was a really strange game. We just seemed a little off, and while we always managed to keep them at arm’s reach away, we couldn’t find a way to really finish it. To their credit, they made life difficult for us; they were able to get their handball chains going really well and pressured us into basic skill errors.
“Jack O’Sullivan is putting in an excellent block of form off the back of his suspension. He’s been crucial across the half-back line for us.
“We took the 4 points, it’s been a challenging 4 weeks of footy, and coming into the bye weekend, you have to be happy with wins, and we’re doing that.
“This week we regroup and freshen up, recharge, and look forward to a big build-up into our next game against Xavs.”
Jack James (Old Trinity): “The game was won and lost in the turnover game. Their ability to move the ball quickly and efficiently from turnover was really impressive, and consistently put our defence under pressure. Our key defenders, Luke Teal and George Belcher, competed exceptionally well considering the speed at which they were forced to defend and the quality of ball coming in.
“We showed some really positive passages where we moved the ball well ourselves, but we just lacked the polish to capitalise on the scoreboard. We felt we matched them well around stoppage, but we need to continue developing the connection between our backs, mids and forwards to improve our efficiency going inside 50.
“The biggest positive was the response from our group after last week. We felt we lacked the competitive edge that’s been part of the fabric of our club for a long time, so to see the players respond the way they did, despite some challenges with player availability, was really encouraging. The effort and intent were much more in line with the standards we want to set.
“A big shoutout to our three debutants, Will Johnson, Nick Phillips and Will Spratt. They all came in with great energy and a real willingness to compete against an experienced opposition, and they gave the group a genuine lift.
“Will Johnson and Nick Phillips deserve special mention. Both are a part of the Trinity School program and the Oakleigh Chargers, and with those teams having a bye, they were keen to pull on the jumper for the club. They embraced the opportunity and set a terrific standard with their attitude and competitiveness, which is exactly what you want from players making their first appearance.
“Our focus will be on continuing to build the connection between our backs, mids and forwards so we can be more efficient with ball movement. We also want to improve our ability to put opposition teams under pressure through our contest work and make sure that we’re able to sustain that across four quarters.”
This weekend will be a BYE for William Buck Premier Men’s, as the BIG V Under 19s and Premier B-Division 3 teams host Goulburn Valley League on Saturday. LIVE COVERAGE on VAFA.com.au & Kommunity TV from 11.15am.
Club footy will return on Saturday, July 18:
WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER MEN’S – ROUND 12
Old Xaverians vs University Blues
Old Brighton vs Old Scotch
Old Haileybury vs Old Trinity
St Kevin’s vs Caulfield Grammarians
University Blacks vs St Bernard’s
The Victorian Metropolitan Football Leagues are united in expressing our deepest sympathies following the tragic incident that occurred during a Northern Football Netball League (NFNL) Reserves match on the weekend.
Oakleigh 21.13 (139) def Monash Blues 6.2 (38) With seven players coming back from injury this week, Oakleigh hit the ground running, winning the first quarter by 35 points and
Stay up-to-date with the biggest moments of every round with our weekly Socials Wrap. Collegians star Max Pinchbeck made his VFL debut on the weekend for Box Hill. He kicked
