Old Xavs end Scotch’s win streak & De La Salle dominate 

St Bedes/Mentone 9.11 (65) def by Old Brighton 13.15 (93)

Old Brighton continued their impressive campaign with a victory over St Bedes/Mentone in one of the feature clashes of the round.

Having been beaten by St Bedes earlier in the season, Old Brighton arrived at Mentone with plenty of respect for their opponents and were determined to produce a better performance. 

The visitors controlled territory early despite not making the most of their opportunities in front of goal. St Bedes fought back brilliantly in the second term, capitalising on turnovers with some outstanding ball movement to bring themselves right back into the contest. 

Old Brighton coach Travis O’Donohue was particularly pleased with his side’s response after half-time. 

“We came to Mentone with plenty of respect for St Bede’s after they taught us a lesson at our place earlier in the year,” he said. “I was really pleased with the way we responded in the second half and the maturity we showed to close out the game against a quality opposition.” 

St Bedes coach Sam Hecker felt the contest was evenly poised for much of the afternoon before Old Brighton’s running power proved decisive. 

“It was a good contest early,” Hecker said. “They had most of the play in the first quarter and then we had it in the second. The third quarter was a bit of a scrap and then they ran away in the last. They are hard to stop when they get their running game going.” 

Hecker highlighted the efforts of ruckman Oliver Nasr and midfielder Angus Shepherdson, while lamenting missed opportunities inside forward 50 where his side was unable to take key marks or create enough separation from defenders. 

Beaumaris 9.3 (57) def by De La Salle 18.24 (132)

De La Salle produced one of the most dominant performances of the season, defeating Beaumaris by 75 points after a powerful second-half display. 

The Sharks remained well in the contest during the opening half before De La Salle’s pressure and ball movement took complete control after the main break. 

Coach Andy Otten was delighted with his side’s four-quarter effort. 

“It was a really strong game for us on a nice day with great ground conditions,” Otten said. “We played a strong four-quarter performance and brought great pressure. We were a bit wasteful going inside 50 and in front of goal but we stayed at it and finished the game off strongly.” 

Otten acknowledged Beaumaris’ competitiveness early, saying the visitors “were really strong in the first half before we were able to break the game open.” 

Beaumaris coach Nathan Prosser admitted his side couldn’t sustain the small moments that are required against quality opposition. 

“We felt like we were in the game at half time but were unable to do the little things right for long enough, falling away in the second half,” Prosser said. “Credit to De La who connected well from the back half with speed and efficiency.” 

With six rounds remaining, Prosser said his side’s focus would simply be producing competitive four-quarter performances every week. 

Caulfield Grammarians 9.10 (64) def by University Blues 15.13 (103)

University Blues overcame a spirited Caulfield Grammarians outfit in a match that highlighted the depth and resilience of both clubs amid significant player shortages. 

Blues coach Steve Boakes described it as an intriguing contest, with both teams forced to manage limited numbers and several players backing up after earlier matches. 

“Caulfield Grammarians were quick but our larger bodies proved more effective as the game wore on, especially on the small ground where space was at a premium,” Boakes said. 

Boakes praised the impact of newcomers Archie Philpott in defence and Jones Gorton in attack, while Ted Bain thrived after being shifted forward, finishing with four goals.

With numbers returning, the Blues are looking forward to training together as a full Under 19 group for the first time in a month. 

Despite the defeat, Caulfield coach Cooper Rule couldn’t have been prouder of his playing group given the extraordinary challenges they have faced over recent weeks. 

Rule revealed the club has had around 30 players unavailable during the past month and had not fielded a reserves side since May 30 due to a lack of available players. 

“We’ve barely had enough players for one team, let alone two, and made it work,” Rule said. 

The effort became even more remarkable with 10 players backing up after playing earlier in the day, while two 15-year-olds stepped up to help field a side. 

“Our pressure was immense and the resilience of the group considering our availability struggles is a credit to this group,” he said. 

Old Xaverians 13.15 (93) def Old Scotch 13.7 (85)

Old Xaverians snapped Old Scotch’s seven-game win streak in one of the closest games of the round, prevailing in a contest that kept spectators engaged until the final siren.

While both coaches were unavailable for comment, the eight-point result further reinforced just how evenly matched the competition remains, with neither side giving an inch throughout the afternoon. 

Parkdale Vultures 7.9 (51) def by St Kevins 9.12 (66)

In the final match of the round, St Kevin’s claimed an important 15-point victory over Parkdale in a game coach Paul Greenham described as a “must-win.” 

Playing away from home under lights and missing several key players, St Kevin’s absorbed significant early pressure before gradually taking control. 

“It was a struggle early on and if not for inaccuracy in the first quarter by Parkdale the result could quite easily have been different,” Greenham said. 

“We probably should have been three or four goals down at quarter-time, however we found ourselves in front and from that point on we were able to build scoreboard pressure from the momentum swing.” 

Greenham acknowledged Parkdale would feel the game slipped away but said after being involved in several close losses this season, it was pleasing to finally come out on the right side of a tight contest. He also praised his defensive unit, saying “our backs stood up really well all night.” 

Parkdale coach Nick Anderson found positives despite the defeat, highlighting the continued development of several younger players. 

“Really happy with a few of our young boys’ games and development,” Anderson said. “Kobe Donovan and Gary Monaghan stood up in some big moments.” 

Anderson believed his side failed to capitalise on an excellent opening quarter before St Kevin’s seized control in the second term. 

“We fought out the game well but ultimately weren’t good enough across the four quarters.” 

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With six rounds remaining, every result is becoming increasingly significant as clubs continue to battle for finals positions. If Round 12 was any indication, resilience, depth and the ability to sustain pressure for four quarters will prove decisive over the run home.