Old Brighton Hold Nerve as Finals Battle Intensifies

Round 11 of the Holmesglen Under 19 Premier competition delivered another weekend of compelling football.

Old Xavs, Old Scotch and De La Salle strengthened their finals credentials, while Old Brighton snatched a thrilling one-point victory to keep the top of the ladder as tight as ever.

Caulfield Grammarians 5.2 (32) def by Old Xaverians 20.17 (137)

Old Xavs made a statement, with a commanding victory over a severely undermanned Caulfield Grammarians outfit.

Despite the one-sided scoreboard, Old Xavs coach Matt Handley was pleased to see his side return to a more comfortable winning margin after several tight finishes.

“The boys did well against an undermanned Caulfield. Nice to get a decent win after a few close ones,” Handley said.

St Kevin’s 7.14 (56) def by Old Brighton 8.9 (57)

Old Brighton continued to prove why they remain one of the competition’s benchmark sides, edging St Kevin’s by a solitary point in one of the games of the season.

It was another heartbreaking finish for SKOB, who again found themselves on the wrong side of the scoreboard in these close contests.

Coach Paul Greenham admitted the loss was difficult to swallow, particularly given how tight the ladder has become.

“A very good team is going to miss a finals spot this year, as is the nature of how close the competition is. We were one point away from top spot, now we sit fifth on the ladder. We had more scoring shots yet again but managed to lose.”

Greenham credited Old Brighton and coach Travis O’Donohue for continually delivering in the key moments.

“Travis has the wood over me that’s for sure. He has his boys dialled in at critical times of the game and it shows. We need to close games out when we have momentum, that’s on me to teach.”

O’Donohue praised the resilience of his side, particularly given the number of players unavailable.

“It was an outstanding win given the circumstances. We knew both sides were missing key personnel and for much of the day I thought St Kevin’s had the better of the contest. But what impressed me most was the resilience we showed and our refusal to give up. We had six schoolboys come into the side and I thought their contribution was enormous.”

Old Scotch 11.13 (79) def University Blues 5.8 (38)

Old Scotch continued their excellent form with a convincing win over Uni Blues. The Cardinals controlled the contest for much of the afternoon, with coach Hugo Boreham delighted by the complete four-quarter performance.

Uni Blues coach Steve Boakes felt his side simply couldn’t maintain their first-half intensity, while also acknowledging the quality Old Scotch had available.

“We were okay in the first half but couldn’t go on with it in the second half. Old Scotch had some talented APS players step up, and they were probably the difference in the end. We are hopeful that we can get back to our best after the bye with some of our regulars back from vacation.”

De La Salle 11.8 (74) def St Bedes/Mentone 9.9 (63)

De La Salle returned to the winners’ list with an important victory over St Bedes/Mentone in another fiercely contested encounter.

After several inconsistent performances in recent weeks, the result was exactly the response coach Andy Otten was after.

“Really solid win for us and glad we strung together a four-quarter performance. It was tight all game with both sides having good passages of play and going end to end. Thought our appetite for the contest was strong and an even contribution across the board.”

St Bedes coach Sam Hecker admitted his side was second best from the outset. “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.”

Parkdale Vultures 9.17 (71) def Beaumaris 7.8 (50)

Parkdale also enjoyed a much-needed win, defeating Beaumaris after producing a high-energy opening half.

Coach Nick Anderson was thrilled with both the intensity and leadership displayed by his group.

“It was a good start by the boys, they played with much higher intensity and purpose led by skipper Luke Kinsella, while Riley Bowles, playing his 50th game, was a rock down back.”

Anderson also acknowledged the challenge Beaumaris presented after half-time. “Credit to Beaumaris, they threw a lot at us in the second half, but we held on. Great to be back on the winners’ list and see some players return to form.”

Hudson Wright was influential through the midfield with two goals, while Jake Matthews’ leadership around the contest was another standout.