SOCIALS WRAP: Week 17
Stay up-to-date with the biggest moments of every round with our weekly Socials Wrap. Congratulations to Big V Under 19’s captain and Old Scotch star Harry Dixon who made his
The T’s clear the drop zone while the Snowdogs also give a yelp – William Buck Premier Men’s Round 15 Review
📸 - Old Xavs
The race to avoid William Buck Premier Men’s relegation tightened even further over the weekend, with five teams separated by just one win in the battle to avoid 9th spot, while tenth spot also remains up for grabs.
It’s been a crazy season that continues to get even harder to predict!
Let’s take a closer look:
Old Trinity continued their turnaround in form by snapping their 9-game winless streak, seeing off a fast-finishing Old Scotch by a single kick at Camberwell Sportsground.
The T’s have played some good footy in their past 5 matches but finally got full reward for effort after previously falling short against Blues (20 points), Bloods (5 points), Tonners (11 points) and last week’s draw against the Fields.
The first term was highly contested, with a whopping 33 restarts for the quarter. The T’s won 22 of them – a huge number – and parlayed those into slight territorial advantage. Pleasingly for Donald McDonald, they finally managed to convert those entries into scores, which has been an ongoing problem this season.
Their 5-goal opening term was their best since blitzing Xavs early in Round 2, and they headed to the first huddle with a 14-point lead – Christos Manoussakis was white-hot with 12 disposals, 7 clearances and 2 goals in an incredible opening stanza, while Alex Noblet was superb for the Cardinals, with 11 touches and 2 goals of his own to keep the hosts in touch.
The second quarter was evenly matched, but when Ben Lindeman and Ed Chard kicked two goals in two minutes midway through the term, the T’s lead stretched to 24 points, and the Cards needed to respond.
That response duly came in time-on, with Will Clark and Cooper Lean kicking a couple of majors to reduce their deficit back to just 10 points at the major break.
Old Trinity hit back with the opening play of the third term when Luke Teal launched a long bomb out of the middle with the first kick of the quarter to make it a 16-point margin once more. It would be one of just two goals in the first 15 minutes of the term, as the game tightened up before suddenly exploding into a goal-fest that would deliver 5 in the next 15 minutes.
Goals to Angus Jones and Harry Robenstone got the Cards back within a kick, before the T’s booted 3 of the next 4 majors to restore a 3-goal buffer at the final change. The T’s had dominated territory in the third term, racking up 16 Inside 50s to 9, and got some late reward to turn for home with a handy 18-point lead.
When Dom Payman booted his 5th goal 12 minutes into the final term, Old Trinity’s lead had stretched to 23 points and they appeared to have the elusive win they’ve been chasing for a couple of months within their grasp.
However, Old Scotch – who needed the victory to ensure they remained clear of the drop zone scrap – weren’t done yet, and goals to Robenstone (15 minutes) and Ollie Badr (23 minutes) reduced the margin back to 12 points with plenty of time left on the clock.
Try as they might, the Cards were their own worst enemy, running at just 56% Disposal Efficiency at a time when they needed to be clinical.
But when Will Clark marked on the arc underneath the scoreboard, then instantly wheeled onto his right boot to launch a magnificent goal, the margin was back to just 6 points, and the late steal was potentially on.
However, there were only 15 seconds of action left, and once Old Trinity cleared the next centre contest and kicked it forward, the siren sounded, and the long-suffering T’s players and fans threw their fists in the air in jubilation.
Dom Payman’s 5-goal haul proved critical for the T’s, while Christos Manoussakis finished with 35 disposals (18 contested), 15 clearances, 5 tackles, 7 Inside 50s and 2 goals in a brilliant performance. He was ably supported by fellow Big V Hugo McGlashan, who had 34 touches, 8 tackles, 8 clearances and a goal of his own as the T’s broke their drought.
Jack Brown was excellent in repeatedly clearing the defensive zone for the Cardinals, while Alex Noblet collected 27 touches and 2 goals.
This result sees Old Trinity leap from ninth to seventh, now half-a-game clear of the drop zone, while Old Scotch remains in the relegation scrap, just one game (plus 13%) of the 9th placed Old Haileybury with 3 games remaining.
Next up for the T’s, another critical relegation battle as they host Uni Blacks (half a game behind them) at Daley Oval, while the Cardinals also face a relegation rival, heading to Glen Huntly Oval to face Caulfield, with the winner to take a huge step towards safety.
There’s a long way to go yet!
THE RUN HOME:
Old Trinity: Uni Blacks (H) St Kevin’s (H) St Bernard’s (A)
Old Scotch: Caulfield (A) Uni Blacks (H) Old Xavs (A)
Old Trinity 13.10 (88)
Old Scotch 12.10 (82)
GOALS:
OT: Payman 5; Manoussakis & Chard 2; McGlashan, Teal, Mulcahy & Lindeman 1.
OS: Noblet, Badr, Clark & Robenstone 2; Jones, Symons, Lean & Macmillian 1.
BEST:
OT: Dominic Payman, Luke Teal, Charlie Comer, Campbell Dytor, James Ingpen, Hugo McGlashan
OS: Jack Brown, Oliver Badr, Alex Noblet, Charlie Cormack, Angus Symons, Cooper Lean
Donald McDonald (Old Trinity): “We were able to compete well right from the start, which was critical to build on last week’s strong finish. In a game decided by a goal, there was not much difference between the two teams, and fortunately we were in front when the siren went.
“We led all day, so it was credit to the players that we were able to keep going at Scotch over the full four quarters. They are a side that is never beaten, and with the quality of players they have – like Cormack and Clark – it was a terrific effort by our guys to just stay consistently in the contest.
“It was great to see players like Luke Milner and Henry Taylor come in and have a real positive impact on the team after playing nearly every game in the Seconds. It was a terrific effort, and they really contributed positively to the win.
“It was so exciting to win our first game since Round 5, and the players and staff have kept a real positive attitude. We just need to keep this going. Another big game looming!”
Mark Gnatt (Old Scotch): “Obviously, it’s always disappointing to lose, however, Old Trinity were the better team on the day and deserved the four points. Their best players were very good, and they dominated us from clearance: we were -11 in the first quarter alone. It levelled out a little from there, but in the end, it was a differential of 17 in OT’s favour.
“Our inability to retain possession of the ball really hurt us, and our fundamentals need to improve to be consistently competitive at this level.
“On the positive side of things, our team pressure and defence were pleasing with 196 team involvements. Jack Brown was brilliant in the backline and was easily our best player.
“This is a big match against Caulfield this week, so we look forward to the challenge that awaits.”
Old Trinity’s victory made the clash at the Snake Pit between St Bernard’s and Caulfield Grammarians even more significant as the benchmark to safety lifted from 18 premiership points to at least 20.
With a 4-5 goal breeze at their backs, the Fields got away to one of the great flying starts of the entire season, rocketing out of the gates to boot 5 goals in the first 14 minutes of the match, as the shellshocked Snowdogs fans watched on in disbelief, with 4 of those majors coming from turnovers as the Dogs struggled to settle into the contest.
It took almost 19 minutes for the home team to register their first goal – a critical steadier from Daniel Gilham after he was taken high 20 metres from goal.
Marcus Holland added a second 7 minutes later, and the Snowdogs managed to get to quarter time with the damage limited to just 19 points after the early Caulfield blitz.
St Bernard’s managed to win more of the footy in the opening term, then took their turn with the breeze, dominating clearances and ground balls to completely own territory, compiling a remarkable 25 Inside 50s to 4.
Most pleasing for coach Steve Alessio – who had celebrated St Bernard’s College’s first Herald Sun Shield victory since 2018 during the week – was that his side made their territorial dominance count, slamming on 8.9 to 1.0 in clearly their best quarter of the entire season.
A 32-point half-time lead was the result – a remarkable turnaround, given they had trailed by 30 points 18 minutes into the opening term!
But Caulfield Grammarians have been known for their resilience in 2026, so it came as little surprise when they gritted their teeth and worked their way back into the contest in the third term.
The Fields rolled up their sleeves and got to work, taking control from the inside and pumping it forward to create 17 Inside 50s to 9, which delivered 5 unanswered goals for the quarter. Pat Fairlie, Noah Sutherland and Archie Loughnan were everywhere, combining for 34 disposals and 2 goals in the third term, as Caulfield slashed a 32-point half-time deficit to a single point at three-quarter time.
The Snowdogs would finish with the breeze at their backs, but when the Fields booted the first two goals of the final term to regain the lead and extend it to 9 points, the locals shifted a little uneasily.
However, their team regained control and dominated territory late, repeatedly launching it forward and eventually breaking the Caulfield resistance.
The Dogs booted the final 4 goals of the match to regain the lead approaching time-on and ultimately post a morale-boosting 19-point win that snapped their agonising 7-game losing streak that had included 3 losses by 4 points or less.
Luke Di Lizio was voted best afield for the Snowdogs, with ruck Matt Sauro also highly influential, collecting 22 disposals (17 contested), 54 hit-outs and 9 clearances in a fantastic display. Luke Said and Dylan Gwynne were the Dogs’ leading ballwinners with 26 disposals apiece.
Noah Sutherland had another enormous afternoon for Caulfield, racking up 38 disposals, an eye-popping 16 Rebound 50s and 6 Inside 50s to be best for the Fields. Pat Fairlie worked hard all day to collect 27 touches, 8 tackles, 7 clearances and a goal, while skipper Jack Ellwood continued his consistent campaign, finishing with 24 touches, 6 tackles and 4 clearances.
St Bernard’s third victory of the season keeps their faint hopes of avoiding relegation alive. They now sit two games (plus 15%) behind Uni Blacks in the race for safety, with 3 games to play.
So, the Dogs will need to come up with at least two victories, requiring them to upset at least one of Uni Blues or Old Brighton before facing Old Trinity in the final round and hoping that other results go their way.
Difficult? Sure. Impossible? No. The Dogs have escaped the hangman’s noose before, and they will head into the next couple of weeks with a ‘free swing’ mindset against the league-leaders, then the reigning champions.
For Caulfield Grammarians, this loss (and Trinity’s win) significantly increases their relegation jeopardy. Suddenly, the Fields are only half a game above the drop zone with a tough run home.
If they can find another win, that will force Old Haileybury to win 2 of their last 3 against difficult opposition. But if the Fields can’t find a way to salute again on the run home, they will need to rely on the Bloods losing all 3 as well if they are to survive in Premier Men’s.
This week’s blockbuster against Old Scotch has taken on even greater significance, given safety might just be 4 points away for the winner.
THE RUN HOME:
St Bernard’s: Uni Blues (A) Old Brighton (H) Old Trinity (H)
Caulfield: Old Scotch (H) Uni Blues (A) Old Brighton (H)
St Bernard’s 14.19 (103)
Caulfield Grammarians 13.7 (85)
GOALS:
STB: Gilham 4; Watson & McNicol 2; Holland, Hughes, Di Lizio, Liberatore, Said & Restuccia 1.
CG: Loughnan & Dobosz 3; Wilson & Lakman 2; Fairlie, Sandilands & Yze 1.
BEST:
STB: Luke Di Lizio, Matthew Sauro, Luke Said, Charlie Vague, Daniel Gilham, Nico Conlan
CG: Noah Sutherland, Jack Ellwood, Hugh McKenzie, Hamish McInerney, Patrick Fairlie, Archie Loughnan
Steve Alessio (St Bernard’s): “After the first 10 minutes of the game and watching opposition goal after goal sail through, our coaching group thought we were in for a long day. We rallied toward the end of the first quarter, which sparked our best quarter of the year in the second to give us a handy lead at half-time.
“I thought our contested work against the wind in the third, even though we lost it comprehensively, set us up for a big run home. Once again, at the start of the last, Caulfield Grammarians jumped out of the blocks, kicking the first 2 goals, bringing the total to 7 goals in a row. But our boys once again rallied to come home strong and win.
“It was really pleasing to get a win on the board for our group of players who have been really competitive over the last 5 weeks. The resilience they showed a number of times throughout the game to hang in there and give themselves a chance was a credit to them.
“The belief and effort is there, and this group will continue to fight hard for the remainder of this season, that’s all I can ask of this Snowdogs pack.”
Paul Satterley (Caulfield): “Our second quarter was really poor and un-Caulfield-like, given the fight we have shown all season. Full credit to how well St Bernard’s played.
“We saw a response in the second half that was more reflective of what we want to be as a club. We had the breeze in the third quarter and fought back well. That continued into the last, but unfortunately, it proved to be too big a task, and we just couldn’t hold them off. Ultimately, the second quarter lost us the game.
“Noah Sutherland was outstanding. Patty Fairlie was very good, and our skipper Jack Ellwood tried hard all game.
“This week’s game can’t come quick enough, as I know our players were very disappointed.”
University Blues successfully defended their status at the top of the table by powering away from Old Brighton with a powerful final quarter at Brighton Beach Oval.
The Tonners had the benefit of a strong 4-5 goal breeze in the opening term and put it to very good use, booting 6.5 to 1.3 to lead the premiership favourites by 32 points at the first change, despite there being very little between the teams around the ground in general play.
It was Old Brighton’s famed intercept game making the difference, as they kicked 3.4 to 0.2 from Turnovers – Sam Linder dominant, with 11 disposals and 5 Rebounds 50 in the opening term.
Then it was the Blues’ turn with the wind, and they were just as damaging on the turnover, booting 6.3 from Tonner errors as they rocketed back into the game with 7.3 to 2.0 to hit the front by a point at the half, after slamming on 3 goals in 4 minutes, with Geordie LaCava’s long bomb on the run sailing through with just a few seconds remaining.
Old Brighton needed to open up a lead with the breeze in the third term, in order to give themselves something to defend in the final quarter.
However, the Blues were able to control the game from the inside, dominating Clearances 16-9 and intercepting at will, taking 7 Intercept Marks to 1 for the quarter as they managed to repeatedly turn back the Tonners’ attack.
Ben Pryor found the middle of the goals 11 minutes in, then Tom Burnell added another 4 minutes later to make it a 12-point lead to the hosts, but the next 15 minutes would ultimately decide the contest.
It was the Blues – into the breeze – that found the next two goals to James Stewart and Will Furphy, and managed to get to the final change with scores locked together and the howling gale behind them in the last term. Two goals into the breeze, while holding Old Brighton to two themselves, set the platform for the Blues.
The flag favourites then put the foot down to set the tone early. Goals to Ben Townson and James Stewart in the first 6 minutes opened a handy buffer, and while the Tonners were working overtime to win the footy and drive it forward, the Blues’ defence were cutting it off and sending it back the other way with interest. They took another 9 Intercept Marks and had 25 Intercept Possessions for the quarter, ultimately resulting in 20 Inside 50s to 8.
Four Uni Blues goals in 10 minutes midway through the term put the result beyond doubt, as they posted a 32-point win – their first at Brighton Beach Oval since Round 5 of 2023, which was also the last season they won both their meetings against the Tonners.
Skipper Marty Gleeson led from the front as per usual, with 23 disposals (13 contested), 7 clearances and a goal, while Joe Furphy caught Matt Smith’s eye with his hard-working 16 disposals, 5 clearances, 6 One-Percenters and 7 Inside 50s.
James Stewart added another 5 goals to lift his season tally to 69. He’s 17 clear of Charlie Macisaac from Old Xavs, and with three home & away games plus at least 2 finals to come, the ton is still on the table.
Darcy Chirgwin had an impact in his first game for the Blues this season (due to Sandringham having the bye). Last season’s leading ball-getter in William Buck Premier Men’s picked up where he left off, collecting 29 disposals (20 contested), 8 tackles and 12 clearances.
Sam Linder and Harry Hill were Old Brighton’s best once again – Linder following up last week’s 38 disposals against Xavs with another 36 touches, 8 clearances, 6 tackles and 11 Rebounds this week, while Hill finished with 34 touches (20 contested), 8 tackles, 8 clearances and a goal.
The Blueboys have extended their winning streak to 10 straight, and sit a game clear (plus 10.44%) of Old Xavs at the top of the table. One more victory will lock in the double chance come September.
Results below them meant that this defeat was essentially ‘no harm done’ for the Tonners, other than a Top 2 finish now being off the table. They will have to defend their premiership the long way, via the cut-throat First Semi Final.
Losses to Old Scotch and Caulfield mean that they are all but locked in for September, now 3 games (plus almost 25%) ahead of the Cards with just 3 to play, and all 3 of their opponents in the relegation race.
THE RUN HOME:
Uni Blues: St Bernard’s (H) Caulfield (H) St Kevin’s (A)
Old Brighton: Old Haileybury (H) St Bernard’s (A) Caulfield (A)
University Blues 17.13 (115)
Old Brighton 12.11 (83)
GOALS:
UB: Stewart 5; Curran 3; Cotter 2; Ebert, Grimley, Gleeson, LaCava, Goddard, Townson & W.Furphy 1.
OB: F.Flockart & Travers 2; Burnell, Hill, F.Campigli, Agg, Pryor, Manton, Richardson & Brooks 1.
BEST:
UB: Marty Gleeson, Joe Furphy, Jeremy Goddard, Geordie LaCava, Max Irving, Jack O’Sullivan
OB: Sam Linder, Harry Hill, Angus Corke, Thomas Burnell, Luca Macnab, Jules Lohan
Matt Smith (Uni Blues): “We were a little off at the first bounce, and found out pretty quickly that if you give Brighton an inch, they are very punishing. They beat us at the contest, and then their work rate to spread was better than ours as well.
“To our boys’ credit, they didn’t panic, and were calm and clear on what had to change to get back into the game after quarter time.
“From then on, we managed to get the game back on our terms, starting from physicality at the contest, and faster ball movement moving forward. It was a great response to a serious challenge from quality opposition.
“Marty Gleeson led from the front as usual and was pivotal for us in the third quarter.
“This week we look to recover a bit, get back to basics and fundamentals and look forward to St Bernard’s, who are in good form and have a lot to play for.”
Marcel Bruin (Old Brighton): “A strong wind towards the cricket nets had an impact on the game; it was Uni who (after the first quarter) used it more efficiently.
“We had opportunities again, but from the second quarter onwards, Blues’ pressure and ability to punish turnover gave them the advantage on the scoreboard, leading to a good win. A disappointing finish to the game, although it was another terrific example of VAFA football.
“We had a couple of winners, ‘Buck’ Linder was outstanding again, as was the skipper. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough winners on Saturday, but it was a great reminder of where we need to be to compete. We’ve got a big 3 weeks to get our game together!”
Old Xaverians returned to the winners’ list with an emphatic four-quarter display against University Blacks at Melbourne University.
Led by Harry Broderick (14 disposals and 3 clearances in the opening term), Uni Blacks were on top in and around the contest early. Yet it was Xavs who seized the initiative due to 30 Blacks Turnovers that delivered 4 of Xavs’ 6 first quarter goals and a 23-point advantage at the first break.
The second quarter tightened up, with both sides adding 2 goals apiece – Xavs taking control of the contest and narrowly winning the term to lead by 25 points at the half.
The visitors then broke the game open in the third stanza, once again capitalising on Blacks’ errors to boot 5.6 to 2.2 and open up a commanding 47-point lead at the last change – Campbell Lane with 10 disposals and 2 goals for the term as his side kicked away.
The Red & Black then took complete control in the final term, racking up 116 Disposals to 79 and adding a further 4 unanswered goals (to Blacks’ 0.6) to storm away to a 67-point win – their largest over Blacks at Melbourne Uni in the modern era (since 2010).
Reigning Woodrow Medallist Marcus Stavrou was best for Xavs for a second straight week, collecting 26 disposals, 5 clearances and 7 Inside 50s, while Campbell Lane continued a brilliant season that will surely see him feature on the leaderboard in this year’s Medal count. He finished with 43 disposals, 11 Rebound 50s and 3 goals, highlighting his admirable two-way work ethic.
Harry Broderick was superb for the Blacks, working tirelessly to rack up 38 touches (18 contested) and 9 clearances, while the ever-reliable Joel Ernest, Sam Conway and Ben Stephenson were also fine contributors.
Charlie Macisaac added to his excellent 2026 campaign with another 4 goals, while Matthew Grocott was Blacks’ only multiple goalscorer with 2, as Dale Bower’s team was held to its lowest score since Round 17 last year (when a rampaging Old Scotch held them to 3.6 (24) on their way to a 105-point win).
The Blacks slip to 8th position after Old Trinity’s win, and they are now just 12.08% clear of the drop zone.
The upside is that their destiny is still very much in their own hands, given they will face the team immediately ABOVE them (Old Trinity) and the team immediately BELOW them (Old Haileybury) in the final three weeks – what a relegation round-robin that will be!
Old Xaverians improve to 12-3, one game behind Uni Blues and one game ahead of St Kevin’s (plus almost 9%). So second spot remains in the balance, setting up one of the Games of the Year between Old Xavs and SKOB this coming weekend!
THE RUN HOME:
Old Xavs: St Kevin’s (H) Old Haileybury (A) Old Scotch (H)
Uni Blacks: Old Trinity (A) Old Scotch (H) Old Haileybury (H)
Old Xaverians 17.15 (117)
University Blacks 6.14 (50)
GOALS:
OX: C.Macisaac 4; Lane 3; Delany, Gangi & Sestan 2; Brusnahan, Hart, Knott & Woodhouse 1.
UB: Grocott 2; Drummond, Geddes, Loftus & St.Clair 1.
BEST:
OX: Marcus Stavrou, Campbell Lane, Jed Feneley, Oliver Sestan, Alec Spralja, Sam Niklaus
UB: Harry Broderick, Joel Ernest, Sam Conway, Benjamin Stephenson, Jack Cassidy, Henry Robertson
Dan Donati (Old Xavs): “Never an easy task playing Blacks at the Uni, so we really primed ourselves for this one.
“Hard not to be pleased with the overall four-quarter effort we brought, and in the end got the result we both needed and deserved.
“Super exciting to debut Sam Niklaus, who has been a standout in the Under 19’s program this year, and he showed he’s going to be a serious player for many years to come!”
Dale Bower (Uni Blacks): “We played with great energy and physicality in the first half, but unfortunately had a bad half in terms of offensive efficiency. It can sap your energy when you are unable to retain the ball.
“We were not able to maintain enough fight in our game, but our disposal improved, which was a positive.”
The final game of the round saw St Kevin’s keep their Top 2 hopes alive with an 8-goal win over Old Haileybury at TH King Oval.
SKOB kicked the opening 2 goals of the game, before the Bloods ramped up their tackle pressure (23 Tackles to 11) and profited from the turnovers they generated, kicking 4.4 to 2.3 to lead SKOB by 13 points at quarter-time – young gun Jasper Russell enjoying an enormous opening term with 12 disposals, 4 marks and 4 Rebound 50s.
Jack Bell added another major for the Bloods to give them a 3-goal lead 9 minutes into the second term, and when Andreas Stefanakis and Charlie Harrop both hit the scoresheet, it was the visitors by 23 points approaching time-on.
St Kevin’s were starting to get on top around the contest, and, despite being outscored, were actually controlling territory (20 Inside 50s to 6). Second-gamer Will Cooper dragged a goal back entering time-on, before 4 consecutive behinds saw the hosts head to half-time trailing by 13 points.
SKOB then really turned up the heat in the third term, dominating ground ball, taking territory and finding targets Inside 50 (9 marks inside their forward arc for the quarter). Their pressure was finally taking its toll on the Bloods, whose Kick Efficiency fell to just 48% and St Kevin’s feasted on the opportunities as theirs rose to 62% for the term.
The result was 4 goals in 6 minutes midway through the term, as regular defender Ethan Phillips enjoyed a rare stint forward, booting a couple of goals as SKOB went from a couple of goals down to a couple of goals up entering time-on in the third.
Durras Seccull and Hugo Nosiara responded with two in 2 minutes for the Bloods to make it a 1-point game, before Phillips gathered a bouncing ball at the top of the goalsquare, turned and snapped truly – his third goal of the term sending SKOB to the final huddle with an 8-point lead.
The home team then stepped it up early in the last, kicking the first 3 goals to crack the game open with a 27-point lead 9 minutes in – Phillips involved once again, as Anthony Lynch’s positional masterstroke delivered The Big Easy’s fourth goal of the second half. Given he’d entered the day with just 3 goals from his 24 VAFA games, it proved to be quite the day out!
However, the Bloods weren’t going away quietly, and goals to James Connell and Andreas Stefanakis reduced the margin to 16 points approaching time-on in the final term.
But St Kevin’s put the game to bed with authority, slamming on the last 5 goals of the game to explode away to a deceptively large 48-point win in a game that was much closer than that all afternoon.
Ben Mansfield and Liam Gunson both had a ton of the football for SKOB, finishing with 30 disposals apiece and shared 14 Inside 50s and 14 Score Involvements. Billy Coates had an engaging duel with Brodie Findlay and collected 28 disposals (23 contested), 47 hit-outs, 13 clearances, 7 Inside 50s and a goal.
VAFA Rising Star nominee Jasper Russell did his chances no harm, with another 28 disposals, 7 marks and 13 Rebound 50s, while Hugo Nosiara, Durras Seccull, and Lachie Riley were all named in the best in what was an even midfield performance from Guy Martyn’s side.
This defeat has dropped the Bloods back into the drop zone for the first time since Round 11, and they are suddenly the favourites to finish ninth and face relegation. On the horizon is their blockbuster final-round visit to the Blacks at Melbourne Uni, which may well decide who drops back to Premier B in 2027.
The Blacks are favoured to survive over the Bloods at this point purely because of the relative strengths of schedule – the Blacks have Old Trinity & Old Scotch in the coming fortnight, compared to Old Haileybury’s run home featuring two premiership contenders in Old Brighton & Old Xavs.
One win can potentially change everything in an instant, so if the Bloods can pull off an upset in the next couple of weeks, and/or knock off the Blacks in the final round, they can dodge the bullet and survive in the top tier next season.
Meanwhile, St Kevin’s have safely qualified for their eighth consecutive William Buck Premier Men’s finals series – an incredible display of sustained excellence in such an even competition. They remain squarely in the Top 2 hunt, which delivers the double chance come September, by avoiding the cut-throat First Semi that tripped SKOB up last season.
If they can beat Xavs at Toorak Park this weekend, they will join them on 12 wins, and the sprint for second spot will really hit top gear!
THE ROAD AHEAD:
St Kevin’s: Old Xavs (A) Old Trinity (A) Uni Blues (H)
Old Haileybury: Old Brighton (A) Old Xavs (H) Uni Blacks (A)
St Kevin’s 18.20 (128)
Old Haileybury 12.8 (80)
GOALS:
STK: Phillips 4; Darmody & Cooper 3; Pfeiffer, Gill, Coates, Mazzeo, Mansfield, Cameron, Gunson & Dollman 1.
OH: Nosiara & Stefanakis 3; Bell, B.Seccull, D.Seccull, Goonewardene, Harrop & Connell 1.
BEST:
STK: Ben Mansfield, Ethan Phillips, William Coates, Liam Gunson, Liam Edwards, Jack Darmody
OH: Hugo Nosiara, Durras Seccull, Lachlan Riley, Charlton Harrop, Brede Seccull, Max Sievers
Anthony Lynch (St Kevin’s): “Old Haileybury started the game really well, and had us on the back foot at quarter time.
“We reset ourselves at the break and were able to wrestle momentum back, and although we were still behind on the scoreboard, it felt like we had set ourselves up for a big second half.
“Our second half was really pleasing, and to kick 14 goals in that time gives us some real momentum into the week ahead.”
Guy Martyn (Old Haileybury): “It was an interesting game. We were really pleased with our first half and went into half-time about 15 points up. We’re well aware SKOB aren’t at full strength at the moment, but neither are we, and probably no side is at this stage of the season.
“Unfortunately, it was a very different game after half-time. They lifted their intensity and pressure, and we probably didn’t handle that well enough. We also lost a couple of important players to injury in the first half, including Jack Bell, which hurt our structure given he’s such an important forward target for us as well as our back-up ruckman.
“But ultimately, SKOB just took control of the game after the break.
“The third quarter was particularly telling. They really got on top through the midfield, and we struggled to get our hands on the footy. Then when we did win it back, we turned it over too easily. I thought the midfield battle had been pretty even, if not slightly in our favour, during the first half, so their ability to turn that around was probably the biggest difference in the game.
“We fought it out reasonably well, and there were still some positives. Hugo Nosiara, Brede Seccull and Lach Riley all had some good moments through the midfield, but ultimately we were beaten by the better side.
“We’ve got three really important games remaining, and know we need to find at least one win in there.
“As for SKOB, they’re going to take some beating come finals time, particularly as they get some players back. It looks like being a really interesting Top four and finals series. I think any of those sides can beat each other on their day, which should make September pretty entertaining.”
WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER MEN’S – ROUND 16
Saturday, August 15 – 2pm:
Old Xaverians vs St Kevin’s 1.45pm – VAFA TV & SEN app
Old Brighton vs Old Haileybury 1.55pm – Kommunity TV
Caulfield Grammarians vs Old Scotch
Old Trinity vs University Blacks
University Blues vs St Bernard’s
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VAFA Media Live Coverage – Saturday, August 8
It’s our BIGGEST BROADCAST WEEKEND of the entire season, with a smorgasbord of live action for you to enjoy: It all kicks off at 11.35am Saturday, right here on VAFA
The desperate lunge to avoid relegation continues… William Buck Premier Men’s Round 15 Preview
The jostling for position in William Buck Premier Men’s continues to intensify by the week, and as we enter the final month of the season, the stakes are rising –
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