Round 15 of the Holmesglen U19 Premier Men’s competition delivered a number of important results as the race for finals continues to heat up. There were tight finishes, impressive performances and plenty of lessons for sides heading into the final stages of the season.
De La Salle 7.8 (50) def by Old Scotch 12.7 (79)
Old Scotch continued their strong campaign with a 29-point victory over De La Salle. The result keeps Scotch firmly in the hunt heading into the final rounds.
Their Cardinals’ ability to control the contest while restricting De La to just 50 points proved the difference.
Scotch have proven once again that they can lift when it matters most, producing another important performance at a crucial stage of the season.
Beaumaris 10.15 (75) def by Old Brighton 12.6 (78)
Old Brighton survived one of the weekend’s tightest contests, holding off Beaumaris by just three points.
Brighton coach Travis O’Donohue admitted his side struggled to match the Sharks’ intensity early, with the home side much harder at the contest during the first half.
Beaumaris’ ruckman was particularly influential, helping his side gain control around the stoppages and establish territory.
However, Brighton were able to turn the momentum in the third quarter, generating quicker entries and isolating their forwards as they gradually worked their way back into the contest.
O’Donohue knew Beaumaris would finish strongly with the breeze in the final term, making his side’s composure late in the match particularly pleasing, but the Tonners held their nerve to secure the four points.
Although Old Brighton got the win, the coach admitted they were probably fortunate to get over the line against a Beaumaris side he believes is much stronger than their ladder position suggests.
Beaumaris coach Nathan Prosser was proud of his side’s team effort despite the narrow defeat.
The midfield, led by ruckman Sam Oakley, gave the Sharks first use of the football and plenty of territory throughout the game. However, their inaccuracy in front of goal ultimately proved costly, finishing with 10.15.
Prosser said his players remain committed to fighting out the season and are looking forward to next weekend’s clash with Caulfield, a game they have already circled after suffering a heartbreaking defeat to the Fields after the siren earlier in the season.
Caulfield Grammarians 9.9 (63) def Parkdale Vultures 8.11 (59)
Caulfield also secured a narrow victory, defeating Parkdale by four points in another hard-fought contest.
Caulfield coach Cooper Rule praised his side for handling the difficult conditions and said their pressure and discipline were particularly important late in the game.
“Parkdale threw everything at us,” Rule said, with the Fields able to maintain their composure when the game was there to be won.
Parkdale coach Nick Anderson was pleased with the effort from his players despite the result, saying the boys had a real crack throughout the contest. He felt Caulfield’s ability to take their chances was ultimately the difference between the two sides.
There were still plenty of positives for Parkdale, with Max Sullivan producing an impressive performance in defence and Hayden Mellows providing another avenue towards goal with two majors.
Hudson Mann also made the most of his opportunity, stepping up from the Mordialloc-Braeside Under 17s to play strongly on the wing.
The narrow loss was another frustrating result for Parkdale after coming close in recent weeks, but Anderson believes his side can take plenty from the performance and use the lessons learned to continue improving across the final three games of the season.
Old Xaverians 11.15 (81) def St Kevin’s 9.5 (59)
Old Xavs produced a major statement win with an impressive two-goal victory over St Kevin’s.
Xavs coach Matt Handley was pleased with his side’s ability to stand up in the contest in what was another physical battle between two sides with plenty of history.
“The lads did well. Strong in the contest,” Handley said. The result was particularly satisfying for Xavs, with the victory evening the ledger between the two sides and keeping them firmly in the finals hunt.
St Kevin’s coach Paul Greenham was full of praise for Xavs, labelling them the best team in the competition at the moment. He felt Old Xavs outplayed his side across all aspects of the game, particularly early, when they established a 26-point lead on their home deck.
Greenham admitted giving a side of Xavs’ quality such a significant head start was always going to make the task difficult. Despite the defeat, he believes there were positives to take, particularly after moving a few players into different positions and discovering some promising individual performances.
With the business end of the season approaching, Greenham described the result as an important reality check for his side.
St Bedes/Mentone Tigers 17.13 (115) def University Blues 7.2 (44)
St Bedes/Mentone produced the most emphatic result of the round, defeating Uni Blues by 71 points.
Coach Sam Hecker described the performance as his side’s best four-quarter effort of the season, particularly impressive given the Blues had pushed them all the way in their previous meeting.
The Tigers set the tone from the opening stages, with their midfield winning first use and allowing the side to establish control around the ground. Their backline stood strong throughout the contest, while their forwards capitalised on the opportunities created inside 50.
Uni Blues coach Steve Boakes was disappointed with his side’s performance, admitting they were not in the contest from the start. He praised St Bedes for being much cleaner with the ball and using their home ground extremely well, while also acknowledging that the Blues simply came up against a much better side on the day.
With just three rounds remaining, the results from Round 15 have further intensified the race for September.
Old Xavs and St Bedes/Mentone both produced convincing statements, while Caulfield and Old Brighton showed the composure required to win tight contests.
For Beaumaris, Parkdale and St Kevin’s, the challenge now is to turn strong patches of football and valuable lessons into wins as the season enters its final and most important stretch.
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