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The Blues topple the league-leaders, while the Cards & Bloods post critical wins – William Buck Premier Men’s Round 12 Review
Photo: Old Xaverians
Round 12 of William Buck Premier Men’s provided a thrilling afternoon headlined by a couple of one-kick nailbiters and a couple of huge statement wins.
Let’s take a closer look:
University Blues declared their premiership contention in no uncertain terms by snapping the 9-game winning streak of Old Xaverians at Toorak Park.
The Blues arrived in enemy territory hunting a 7th straight victory of their own, and they started strongly with the first three goals of the match.
Xavs eventually settled into the contest, which turned into a free-flowing exchange of goals in the final 15 minutes or so of the opening quarter. The Blues were a little more efficient going forward, booting 5.1 from 12 Inside 50s compared to 3.4 from 17 entries to lead by 9 points at the first break – Ben Townson (Blues) and Sam Fisher (Xavs) both with a couple of goals apiece.
The second term proved to be decisive, as the Blues took control on the scoreboard, largely through their intercept game, which allowed them to continually turn Xavs back, as the hosts continued to struggle to link up and hit targets by foot as the visitors laid 19 tackles to 12 for the quarter.
The Blues pulled in 10 intercept marks to 4 as their talented and experienced back half repeatedly turned defence into attack, and their ability to force turnover and then counter-attack was telling. It allowed them to prevent Xavs’ high-powered attack from taking a single mark Inside 50 for the term, while they took 5 themselves and booted 4 goals from turnovers and Marks Inside 50.
The Blues kicked the last 4 goals of the half and headed to the major break with a commanding 34-point lead.
The league-leaders made some adjustments and denied the Blues the volume of uncontested marks they enjoyed in the second term as they upped their pressure. The Blues’ ability to connect plummeted as a result, and their Kick Efficiency fell from 61% to 47% as Xavs chipped the ball around more effectively (20 Uncontested Marks to 6 for Q3).
But despite this time in possession, it was the Blues who won the territory battle with 16 Inside 50s to 11 for the quarter. However, they didn’t take full toll, booting 3.4 to 3.2, which only extended their lead by a further 2 points, but allowed them to head to the final huddle with a 6-goal lead.
The game opened up early in the last quarter, with 6 goals flowing in 11 minutes. But it was a goal-for-goal exchange, with the Blues holding the answers, able to respond and keep Xavs at arm’s length as they ultimately posted a signature 39-point win – Old Xavs’ largest loss since Round 6 of 2025, when they fell to the Tonners by 61 points.
There were some key numbers that tell a story.
Old Xaverians were held to 335 disposals by the Blues, well below their league-leading season average of 379, and their -13 Contested Possession differential and -4 Ground Balls were the first time since Round 5 that they’ve lost those stat categories – also to the Blues. It was the first time Xavs have lost Gathers all year, as the Blues did a better job at pouncing on possessions up for grabs.
Their Contested Mark, Intercept Mark & Score Efficiency differentials were also season-lows, as was their Efficiency Entering Forward 50.
So often in the shadows of the Blues’ Twin Towers, Ben Townson was the star of the show, booting 5 goals, well supported by James Stewart and Sam Grimley with 2 apiece. Jack Hayter continued his excellent form, finishing with 22 disposals (15 contested), 11 tackles, 5 clearances and a goal. Jeremy Goddard worked tirelessly all afternoon to collect 15 disposals, 10 tackles, 7 clearances and a goal.
Woodrow Medallist Sam Fisher delivered a typically effective performance, racking up 34 disposals (20 contested), with an incredible 16 clearances and 3 goals. Tommy McRae and Campbell Lane collected 26 apiece.
It’s a huge scalp for Matt Smith’s team, who join Xavs on 10 wins, with the two teams separated by just 8.49%. Just as importantly, it protects their one-game buffer inside the Top 2, which provides the double chance come September.
Their road ahead remains full of potential hazards, with the revitalised Bloods coming off a win, followed by the resurgent Cardinals and then the Tonners, who will have regained a host of players from European vacations. But the Blues have sent a clear message to the entire competition, and this victory over a fellow contender will bolster their confidence and belief.
For Xavs, it’s the chance to reset as the hunter rather than the hunted. Next up, they face the always tricky trip to the Snake Pit, then a huge clash against the Tonners at Toorak Park, before another potentially hazardous away game against the Blacks, ahead of their Round 16 blockbuster against SKOB at Toorak Park.
The premiership race just took another twist – and we’re here for it!!
THE ROAD AHEAD:
University Blues: Old Haileybury (H) Old Scotch (H) Old Brighton (A) St Bernard’s (H)
Old Xaverians: St Bernard’s (A) Old Brighton (H) Uni Blacks (A) St Kevin’s (H)
University Blues 16.12 (108)
Old Xaverians 10.9 (69)
GOALS:
UB: Townson 5; Stewart, Lord & Grimley 2; Gleeson, Goddard, Hayter, Akoch & Cotter 1.
OX: Fisher 3; C.Macisaac 2; Hansen, Lane, Gangi, Stavrou & W.Macisaac 1.
BEST:
UB: Ben Townson, Jeremy Goddard, Jack O’Sullivan, Taylor Duryea, Martin Gleeson, Trent Cossar
OX: Sam Fisher, Alwyn Davey, Thomas Dunne, Hayden Woodhouse, Charlie Westcott, Marcus Stavrou
Matt Smith (Uni Blues): “The game ultimately was going to be won around stoppage and whether we were going to be able to put enough pressure on Xavs to disrupt their forward ball movement. From the outset, we never gave them an easy run and applied incredible pressure for four quarters. Off the back of that, we had a great spread of scoring options and targets up forward, which stretched their defence.
“The most pleasing part was every player being very clear on their role and then able to execute it. I don’t think we had a single player beaten in their role, and we played our brand for the full four quarters.
“Ben Townson was incredible up forward; not just for the 5 goals, but his ability to take important marks up the ground. Trent Cossar, in his first senior game of the year, was hugely influential in the ruck and taking marks across half back, and Jack O’Sullivan was once again near-unbeatable in his role on MacIsaac.
“Important to reset this week. It’s always hard to back-up from a game with such big build-up, so we now need to focus forward and make sure to hold the same standards as we set on Saturday.
Dan Donati (Old Xavs): “We were outplayed for most of the day by a very good Blues side.
“It was a really tight and quick first quarter – we failed to take a few gettable opportunities early, and up the other end, we were too easy to score against.
“We made a few changes at half-time, and it was more of a contest from there, but we struggled particularly to keep the ball in our half for long enough to force momentum pressure. Credit to Blues for this, and it was a strong win.
“We’ll take some valuable lessons from the game, and we’ll need to improve from here, but I’ve no doubt our best football is still ahead of us.”
Old Scotch continued its revival by securing their first win over Old Brighton since the 2024 Grand Final, snapping a 4-game losing streak to the Tonners and closing within two games of the reigning premiers in the race for fourth spot.
The hosts had the better of the opening term, controlling possession (31 Uncontested Marks to 17) and preventing the Cards from finding their own uncontested groove as they kicked 2.4 to 1.2 to lead by 8 points at the first break – Tom Howden (12 disposals) and Charlie Richardson (9 touches) seemingly everywhere early.
But suddenly the script flipped, and the Cards got on top around the contest, as well as repeatedly forcing the Tonners into error through the middle of the ground (19 Midfield Turnovers for the quarter). The result was 19 Inside 50s to 5, and the Cards cashed in on this territorial dominance to hold Old Brighton scoreless and kick 6.4 themselves to lead by 32 points at the main break.
It was the first time Old Brighton had a scoreless quarter at home since Round 17, 2024, when they failed to score in the final term but sat on an 8-goal lead over Old Xavs and still won comfortably. So, everyone in attendance expected a strong third-quarter response.
It came, with the Tonners muscling up on the inside, and getting their own intercept game going. They booted the first two goals of the third term to close within 20 points, however, the Cardinals refused to buckle under the increased pressure, and kicked 2 of the last 3 goals of the stanza to hold Old Brighton at bay, clutching a 22-point advantage at the last break.
The first couple of majors of the final term felt like they would tell the story. If the Tonners could find themselves, a comeback might be on. However, it was Old Scotch who found the steadiers via debutante Will Verge and Henry Brown to open up a commanding 34-point lead and snuff out any hopes of a late charge.
In the end, it was the Cards posting a critical 35-point win – their 4th in their last 5 starts – as the teams above start to glance over their shoulders at the team who came from the clouds in 2025 to storm into September on the final afternoon.
Old Scotch had a wide range of contributors, led by Charlie Cormack, who was voted SKINS Player of the Game for his 23 disposals and 7 Rebound 50s as the wall across half-back. Angus Jones continued his good form in his second game back from a hamstring strain to finish with 21 disposals, 4 tackles, 6 clearances, 9 Inside 50s and 2 goals, while Henry Brown, Will Townsend and Will Clark all stuffed the stats sheet as well.
Luca Macnab was everywhere for the Tonners, finishing with 34 disposals (17 contested), 9 clearances, 5 Rebounds and 4 Inside 50s, while Campbell Tweedie was also effective with 16 disposals, 6 marks, 5 tackles, 6 clearances, 5 Inside 50s and a goal. Louis Butler worked hard down back all afternoon to finish with 31 touches and 9 Rebounds.
So, the Cardinals continue to build their momentum for another late charge and suddenly loom as a far more challenging adversary than they appeared in the early stages. But they’ll need to be if they are to win and keep winning, given their next two opponents are St Kevin’s (third) and Uni Blues (first).
Old Brighton will be hoping that SKOB and the Blues can do them a favour over the coming fortnight, as they look to regain players and form to steady their grip on fourth spot. The Tonners will visit Old Trinity, before a couple of blockbusters of their own against Old Xavs and Uni Blues.
The race for the Top 4 is still well and truly alive!
THE ROAD AHEAD:
Old Brighton: Old Trinity (A) Old Xavs (A) Uni Blues (H) Old Haileybury (H)
Old Scotch: St Kevin’s (H) Uni Blues (A) Old Trinity (H) Caulfield (A)
Old Scotch 12.10 (82)
Old Brighton 6.11 (47)
GOALS:
OS: Spencer 3; Jones, Brown & Verge 2; Lean, Baring & Clark 1.
OB: Tweedie, Pryor, Richardson, Brooks, Zerna & Macgowan 1.
BEST:
OS: Charlie Cormack, Angus Jones, Henry Dixon, Cooper Lean, Jack Brown, Will Townsend
OB: Campbell Tweedie, Luca Macnab, Darcy Gilbert, Louis Butler, Charlie Richardson, Tom Howden
Mark Gnatt (Old Scotch): “It was a really solid team performance by the boys. We were able to execute our plans really effectively, and this required buy-in from every player. With a number of changes to both sides, it was always going to be an interesting contest, and we just focused on keeping it simple.
“It was great to welcome our 17th senior debutant for the season in Will Verge, who played his part in the ruck and up forward. Angus Jones and Henry Brown were pivotal in the victory, and with Will Clark giving us first use, this provided the opportunity to take the ball inside 50 consistently.
“We look forward to playing another strong team in SKOB this weekend.”
Marcel Bruin (Old Brighton): “It was a challenging day. Scotch was ultimately the more efficient side with ball in hand.
“Again, we were let down by our turnovers by foot, and Scotch created opportunities offensively off the back of them.
“We had few winners and most were asked to play outside of their traditional role. Campbell Tweedie and Charlie Richardson tried hard in the ruck, Luca Macnab led strongly, while Darcy Gilbert and Louis Butler, both working back into football after long layoffs, exhibited the work rate required to compete at the level.”
St Kevin’s trailed Caulfield Grammarians by 20 points entering time-on in the final term, before unleashing a withering burst that delivered 4 goals in 5-and-a-half minutes to steal the 4 points in a thriller at St Kevin’s College.
SKOB dominated the inside game early, racking up 15 Clearances to 6 in the opening term, but the Fields were able to force turnovers and capitalise, booting 3 goals from St Kevin’s errors to lead by 9 points at the first change.
The second term was almost a complete reverse, with Caulfield winning their share of inside ball, but turning it over between the arcs, allowing SKOB to punish them the other way as they kicked 4.4 to 1.3 to turn that 9-point quarter-time deficit into a 10-point half-time lead.
The third term was an even, high-pressure contest with very little between the sides in general play. Caulfield worked a little harder without the ball, laying 17 Tackles to 7, and despite the Inside 50 count being 13 apiece, managed to get their noses in front when a late turnover led to a handball chain that released Archie Loughnan to deliver a nice long-range finish on the run to put Caulfield up by 2 points at three-quarter time.
Tom Jok struck first in the final term to seize the lead back for SKOB, before back-to-back goals to Julian Dobosz and Ollie Wilson gave the Fields an 8-point buffer 7 minutes in.
Neither team could find a major for the next 10 minutes as the pressure began to build, so when Caulfield added two more in 90 seconds, their lead had suddenly ballooned to a game-high 20 points and SKOB looked to be in serious trouble.
But good sides find another gear when they need to, and SKOB suddenly flipped the game on its head with one of the most incredible bursts of high-impact football we’ve seen in Premier Men’s all season.
St Kevin’s completely owned the football, and four goals in five-and-a-half minutes were the result, as Tom Williams, Jacob Koschitzke and Ben Mansfield drew them within a couple of points before best afield Jack Behnk put SKOB back in front at the 26-minute mark.
Try as they might, Caulfield just couldn’t find the winner, and when the siren sounded 4 minutes later, it was St Kevin’s getting out of jail with an incredible 3-point victory that moves them within one game of top spot, and importantly, two games clear of Old Brighton in fourth.
It was heartbreak for the Fields, who did everything but put the game away. But fortunately, the Tonners’ loss keeps them within two games of the Top 4. However, they now only sit one game clear of the drop zone, with teams 5-9 separated by just one win.
Power forwards Jack Behnk and Jacob Koschitzke combined for 5 goals for St Kevin’s – Behnk at his brilliant best with 27 disposals, 6 clearances, 12 Inside 50s and 3 goals. Ruck powerhouse Billy Coates had the influence many expected, dominating the game from the inside with 25 disposals and 25 contested possessions, 71 hit outs and 9 clearances. Ben Mansfield also stood out with 32 disposals (18 contested), a ridiculous 17 clearances and 2 goals.
Noah Sutherland was Caulfield’s best, collecting 30 disposals and 10 Rebound 50s, while Hugh Sandilands worked tirelessly on Jacob Koschitzke, restricting SKOB’s match-winner to 12 possessions and 2 goals.
Next up, St Kevin’s head to Camberwell for a massive game against Old Scotch, while Caulfield Grammarians face a critical three weeks that may ultimately determine which race they find themselves in – finals or relegation.
THE ROAD AHEAD:
St Kevin’s: Old Scotch (A) Uni Blacks (H) Old Haileybury (H) Old Xavs (A)
Caulfield Grammarians: Uni Blacks (H) Old Trinity (A) St Bernard’s (A) Old Scotch (H)
St Kevin’s 13.12 (90)
Caulfield Grammarians 12.15 (87)
GOALS:
STK: Behnk 3; Koschitzke & Mansfield 2; Gill, Canning, Darmody, Williams, Dollman & Jok 1.
CG: Loughnan & McGrath 3; Williams, Cooper, Moren, Hankin, Wilson & Dobosz 1.
BEST:
STK: Jack Behnk, Billy Coates, Sam Cameron, Andrew Mathieson, Ben Mansfield, Jack Andriske
CG: Noah Sutherland, Hugh Sandilands, Jono Moren, Flynn Ellis, Archie Loughnan, Patrick McGrath
Anthony Lynch (St Kevin’s): “Both teams had periods of momentum across the four quarters, and Caulfield is a much-improved football team that will compete with the best teams in the run home.
“When they got to a 20-point lead deep into the last quarter, it was looking like a real challenge from there. So for our boys to dig in and find a way to kick 4 goals in under 10 mins and win the game speaks to their internal belief, which will hold them in good stead.
“A special mention to Archie Dollman and James Mikhael on their senior debuts, both are from the 2025 year 12 group.”
Paul Satterley (Caulfield): “Early on, we didn’t get full return on our forward entries and left too many out there (again). Plugger also has arguably the most impactful player in the competition with Coates; his connection with the mids proved to be too good.
“When the win was in our grasp, we just could not get our hands on it to stop SKOB’s momentum. Credit to Plugger, who moved some magnets that paid dividends.
“We competed all day, and I love that about our group. We had 5 lads under 19, including a 16-year-old debutant in Eamonn Walker, who showcased that we have some great kids coming through.
“We asked a lot of our group, and I thought Hugh Sandilands stuck to the task all day on Kozi. I can’t speak more highly of Charlie Eerhard, and we got great run and drive from Noah Sutherland. Archie Loughnan is a great workhorse for us, and Jono Moren was good in the midfield.
“This week, we need to recover well and learn from this game, particularly how we can finish better.”
The afternoon’s other thriller was at Princes Park as Old Haileybury came from 15 points down at three-quarter time to steal a crucial 5-point win over Old Trinity in what may prove to be a hugely consequential result come season’s end.
The T’s led at all of the first three changes. They owned the Sherrin in the opening term (103 Disposals to 56), but as we’ve often seen this year, didn’t convert that weight of possession into an enormous territorial advantage (16 Inside 50s to 12). But they did enough to kick 4.5 to 3.4 and lead by 7 points at the first break.
It was more like ‘joint custody’ of the football in the second term as Old Haileybury evened up the inside numbers, continued their tackling dominance and got their own uncontested game going in what was developing into a passionate, heated encounter with both sides prepared to fly the flag for teammates they perceived to be receiving undue treatment.
Four goals apiece was the end result of an entertaining second quarter, with the T’s heading to half-time with a hard-fought 6-point lead.
The game opened up into some free-flowing football in the third term, and it was Trinity largely controlling proceedings on the outside. They booted 3 goals in 9 minutes to open up a 20-point lead midway through the term, before the Bloods responded with a couple of crucial goals to keep in touch.
The T’s then kicked a couple more of their own, and at three-quarter time, it was the visitors holding a handy 15-point advantage.
But we’ve seen Old Haileybury rally late in front of their home crowd numerous times this season, and so they did again. It took a while in coming, with Archie Harrop booting the first goal of the final term 11 minutes in to close the gap to one straight kick. Jack Kennedy and Charlie Harrop (who swung forward after being on-ball most of the day) then added back-to-back goals a short time later, and suddenly it was the Bloods by 7 points and Old Trinity on the ropes.
But credit to the T’s, who didn’t drop their heads and kept on fighting, with Lachie Mulcahy pulling down a big contested mark on the goal-line to make it a 1-point game at the 19-minute mark, before Hugo Nosiara hit Charlie Harrop on the lead 2 minutes later to restore the Bloods’ 7-point lead.
Harrop then applied manic forward pressure 4 minutes later to pounce on the spillage and dribble it through from point-blank range to give him his fourth goal for the final quarter, making it a 2-goal game, and allowing the Bloods to enter management mode.
Old Trinity threw everything at them late and were rewarded with an out-on-the-full call after a desperate scrambling play saw the ball ricochet off a Bloods defender in the left forward pocket. With 31 minutes on the clock and no time to waste, Jack Hindson stepped around and bent through a superb goal to make it a 4-point game once again.
The final 90 seconds were desperate, but in the end, it was Old Haileybury managing to hang on and score a vital 5-point win that sees them leapfrog Old Trinity out of the drop zone. The pair are now level on 16 points, with the Bloods 8.69% ahead.
Brede Seccull was superb for the Bloods, finishing with 28 disposals, 15 tackles, 10 clearances, 12 Inside 50s and a goal, while Hugo Nosiara worked through the tight-checking he received to collect 22 touches, 7 tackles, 5 clearances, 8 Inside 50s and 2 goals. Mitch Kirkwood-Scott had a ton of football down back as always, with 29 disposals, 10 marks and 12 Rebounds, while Charlie Harrop’s 5 goals proved to be a match-winning contribution.
Luke Teal was excellent for Old Trinity, collecting 22 disposals, while big man Camiel Bowler had a real influence with 17 touches, 47 hit-outs, 10 clearances and 2 goals. Alex Emery, Sam Phillips, Flynn McNamara and Hugo McGlashan were also amongst the T’s best.
It was an even more critical victory for Old Haileybury when you consider their run home includes match-ups against ALL of the Top 4 teams, while Old Trinity are left to rue another missed opportunity, but have a road home that only includes two Top 4 sides (Old Brighton next week, and St Kevin’s in Round 17).
So, while the T’s are currently on a 7-game losing streak, their destiny is still very much in their own hands, given they will play 4 opponents currently around them on the ladder.
THE ROAD AHEAD:
Old Haileybury: Uni Blues (A) St Bernard’s (H) St Kevin’s (A) Old Brighton (A)
Old Trinity: Old Brighton (H) Caulfield (H) Old Scotch (A) Uni Blacks (H)
Old Haileybury 16.13 (109)
Old Trinity 15.14 (104)
GOALS:
OH: C.Harrop 5; Chilcott 3; Nosiara & Mountford 2; B.Seccull, D.Seccull, Sievers & Kennedy 1.
OT: Bowler, Mulcahy & Hindson 2; Ingpen, T.Wenn, Barendregt, McNamara, Manoussakis, Jenkins, Phillips, Scott & C.Wenn 1.
BEST:
OH: Brede Seccull, Hugo Nosiara, Joel Chilcott, Charlie Harrop, Mitch Kirkwood-Scott, Durras Seccull
OT: Luke Teal, Camiel Bowler, Alex Emery, Sam Phillips, Flynn McNamara, Hugo McGlashan
Guy Martyn (Old Haileybury): “A really pleasing win, no doubt one of our better ones for the year. We had eight changes from the side before the bye, and also had eight Under 19s playing, so to come from behind and win a close game with that much change and inexperience was a huge effort.
“It was important for this season, but also really encouraging for the future. Hopefully, a lot of these young players form the nucleus of the group over the coming years, so it’s great to see them contributing to a win.
“Charlie Harrop was outstanding. He spent most of the day around the ball before we swung him to full forward in the last quarter, where he kicked four goals and really turned the game. Durras Seccull was influential again at both ends with his intercept marking, while Brede Seccull, Hugo Nosiara and Max Sievers did a mountain of work through the midfield.
“It was important to start the last block of the season with a win. We needed it. We’ve been competitive in all but one game this year, but probably haven’t won as many close ones as we would have liked. So to be on the right side of one was really pleasing. Hopefully, it gives the group some confidence heading into the final few rounds.”
Jack James (Old Trinity): “It was a game of really fine margins. We went down by less than a goal, and it never felt like either side had complete control of the contest. I thought they showed a little more composure with ball in hand, and that proved to be the difference. It was a hard-fought, physical game, and they applied excellent pressure to the ball carrier all day, so full credit to them.
“What pleased me most was our ability to adapt to what was thrown at us. Haileybury has some really versatile players and presents different structural looks from week to week. There were times when their experienced players got the better of us and showed their class, but our group continued to embrace the challenge and competed well all day. We also had a few guys playing roles that were new to them, and I was really pleased with the way they embraced those challenges and put the team first.
“Camiel Bowler and Luke Teal both deserve a mention. In his first year at the club, Camiel has been a revelation for us, stepping in as our number one ruck and continuing to show growth every week. He also showed what he can offer offensively with two goals to go with another strong performance in the ruck.
“Luke was outstanding again in defence, standing tall under pressure and playing a key role in our rebound from the back half. His consistency and composure have been really important for us all season.
“It was pleasing to see our offensive game show real signs of improvement compared to the past few games, but our biggest focus this week will be our team defence and limiting the opposition’s scoring opportunities. We’ll be looking closely at the nature of our turnovers and how well we’re set up to defend once possession changes.”
The final game of the round was also pivotal to the relegation race, and it was University Blacks ultimately seeing off a persistent St Bernard’s to snatch the four points at Melbourne University.
The teams were evenly matched in the opening term, with the Snowdogs winning more inside ball, but that was negated by an extra handful of turnovers that saw the Blacks enter their quarter-time huddle with a 7-point lead.
The Dogs edged in front of the possession battle in the second quarter, started to take control in the air and managed to repeatedly hit targets Inside 50. However, the Blacks stood up to the challenge and it ended up 3.1 apiece for the term, with the hosts arriving at half-time with their 7-point advantage intact.
The arm wrestle continued in the third term, and it was the Snowdogs’ turn to fight something of a rearguard action. Blacks won both the possession and territory battles, but didn’t capitalise on the scoreboard, booting 2.6 while the Dogs added 3.2 from fewer opportunities to edge inside one straight kick at the last change – Blacks by 5 points as the teams turned for home.
With so much on the line, the final term was always going to be tense, with neither team able to wriggle free of the other in the early going.
The Dogs came up with the all-important first goal when a quick transition from half-back ended in the hands of Matthew Watson, who took the advantage and nailed the finish on the run to make it a 1-point game 7 minutes in.
But the Blacks didn’t panic, and when Achilles Panopoulos went from deep in the right forward pocket to the goal line, courtesy of a 50-metre penalty 3 minutes later, the hosts restored their 7-point buffer. And when Harvey Driscoll marked and goaled 3 minutes after that, the Blackers had opened some breathing room – 13 points up with 12 minutes gone.
The Snowdogs kept on coming though, with Lachie Papley’s set shot goal reducing the margin to 8 points early in time-on.
Jack Drummond (Blacks) and Nico Conlan (Dogs) exchanged goals, and it was still a 7-point game approaching the 30-minute mark, when a critical turnover saw the ball launched deep to the top of the Blacks’ goalsquare. Tom St Clair flew from two deep to haul in the mark, and his goal all but sealed the result.
Hugh Curnow added some icing to the cake after the final siren to make it a deceptively large 19-point margin, as the Blacks returned to the winners’ list with their fourth victory of the season to stay clear of the drop zone, 14.58% ahead of 9th placed Old Trinity in the race to avoid relegation.
They have closed to within 3 games of the Top 4, so finals are certainly still mathematically possible. But priority #1 is to see off the challengers below them and clear the relegation race. They could leapfrog the Fields if they can knock them off this week, ahead of a testing fortnight against SKOB & Old Xavs.
Curnow’s 4 goal contribution proved to be critical, as was Sam Conway’s incredible final term, which saw the big man rack up 12 disposals (10 contested), 18 hit-outs and 9 clearances. He would finish with 23 disposals, 70 hit-outs and 16 clearances for the afternoon in another stellar performance. Lachie Knight was excellent with 29 disposals and a goal, while Max Geddes collected 25 touches and 7 tackles for the Blacks.
Matthew Watson booted 5 goals for the Snowdogs, and Lachie Papley 4, while Ben Overman worked hard for his 29 touches and 7 Rebounds, as St Bernard’s suffered their fifth straight loss to be stranded two games behind the field at the bottom of the table.
Once again, they were competitive all the way to the final siren, but just couldn’t own the critical moments down the stretch that ultimately get you over the line in the close ones.
Their road to survival doesn’t get any easier as they host Old Xavs on the rebound.
The numbers suggest they will need to win at least 3 of their last 6 to avoid relegation, and they have 3 games against teams outside the Top 4 that loom large – the Bloods (Rd.14), Fields (Rd.15) and then what could potentially be another thrilling final-round all-or-nothing clash against Old Trinity.
So, it’s certainly not over yet for the Snowdogs!
THE ROAD AHEAD:
Uni Blacks: Caulfield (A) St Kevin’s (A) Old Xavs (H) Old Trinity (A)
St Bernard’s: Old Xavs (H) Old Haileybury (A) Caulfield (H) Uni Blues (A)
University Blacks 13.12 (90)
St Bernard’s 11.5 (71)
GOALS:
UB: Curnow 4; St.Clair & Drummond 2; Ernest, Knight, Loftus, Panopoulos & Driscoll 1.
STB: Watson 5; Papley 4; Conlan & McNicol 1.
BEST:
UB: Hugh Curnow, Lachlan Knight, Sam Conway, Max Geddes, Charlie Connell-Tobin, Kane Loftus
STB: Matthew Watson, Ben Overman, Lachlan Papley, Fergus McNicol, Ben Ablett, Ben Huggard
Dale Bower (Uni Blacks): “One thing that you can always count on is St Bernard’s tenacity to fight hard until the end. We got the game on our terms for periods of time, but were never able to build a big gap on the scoreboard.
“We were reasonably happy with how we played, but as always, we will be working hard to improve.”
Steve Alessio (St Bernard’s): “It was a very important game for both teams in the context of our seasons. In heavy conditions, I really enjoyed the contest given by both sides, and I could not fault the effort of our boys on the day.
“However, as has been the case for a number of weeks now, some poor decisions, costly turnovers and 50-metre penalties were ultimately the difference.
“Great efforts by Watson and Papley up forward provided good targets for us, along with some of our more experienced players in Ben Overman and Fergus McNicol, who kept the game close for most of the day.
“With the end of the season now in sight, we must find a way to win and the players who want to ensure we finish the season strong.”
Ladder post Round 12 –
See the top performances from the weekend here –
WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER MEN’S – ROUND 13
Saturday, July 25 – 2pm:
Caulfield Grammarians vs University Blacks 1.45pm – VAFA.com.au & SEN app
St Kevin’s vs Old Scotch 1.55pm – VAFA TV
St Bernard’s vs Old Xaverians 1.55pm – VAFA TV
University Blues vs Old Haileybury 1.55pm – Kommunity TV
Old Trinity vs Old Brighton
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BSV Round 12 Plays of the Week
See some the best highlights across the VAFA in the Big Screen Video Plays of the Week.
Tight top four as Kew & St Mary’s Salesian impress
St Mary’s Salesian 23.18 (156) def Brunswick 8.2 (50) In what Saints coach Heath Chipperfield called their “most complete performance of the season,” St Mary’s Salesian defeated Brunswick by a dominant 106-point margin.
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