Old Scotch dominate & St Kevin’s respond – Holmesglen U19 Premier Men’s Round 16 Review

Round 16 of the Holmesglen U19 Premier Men’s competition produced a mix of dominant displays and hard-fought contests, with Old Scotch putting together the biggest win of the round, St Kevin’s responding strongly to last week’s disappointment and Caulfield grinding out a valuable victory over Beaumaris.

Caulfield 8.18 (66) def Beaumaris 6.8 (44)

Caulfield held off Beaumaris by 22 points, in a contest that remained tight for long periods, before the Fields were able to gain control.

Caulfield coach Cooper Rule admitted it was not his side’s best performance, describing it as a “frustrating win” but acknowledging that “four points is four points.”

Rule said Caulfield “didn’t play at our best, certainly in the first half.” Also stating that their execution inside 50 and in front of goal letting them down.

However, he was encouraged by the side’s pressure and ball movement, saying their “pressure and way we moved the ball was really pleasing.”

Beaumaris coach Nathan Prosser was left disappointed by the result, saying “Caulfield got the best of us in most aspects of the game… Their ability to win contest giving them first use of the footy was hard to stop,” Prosser said.

Despite the result, he praised his players for continuing to compete throughout the afternoon and admitted that they were unable to generate enough momentum to get back into the game.

Old Brighton 8.5 (53) def by Old Xaverians 13.8 (86)

At Old Brighton, Old Xaverians secured a solid victory, winning by 33 points to continue their strong campaign.

Looking like he couldn’t miss, Angus Taylor led the way for Old Xavs with a season high five goals, really setting the tone.

Harvey Anderson did all he could kicking three goals for the Tonners and has been in stellar form, kicking 22 goals across his last six weeks.

The result sees the Xavs bank another important four points as the season moves towards its final stages.

University Blues 8.14 (62) def by De La Salle 12.11 (83)

De La Salle also secured an important win, defeating University Blues by 21 points after establishing the foundations for victory in the first half.

De La Salle coach Andy Otten was pleased with his side’s attacking football and defensive work, saying it was “good to walk away with the win which we set up in the first half.

“We played some strong attacking footy and defended really well,” Otten said.

Uni Blues fought back strongly after half-time, outscoring De La Salle in the second half, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome.

Uni Blues coach Steve Boakes admitted his side “got off to a slow start and De La took advantage of that.” Their inability to convert opportunities was costly, with the Blues sitting on just 1.10 before eventually adding a second goal.

“We struggled to hit a target and scoring so many behinds before we got a second goal was telling,” Boakes said.

However, there were positives in the second half, with Uni Blues showing plenty of fight to outscore De La after the main break.

George Rourke, Ted Bain and Max Wilcox were among their best, while Boakes also highlighted the improving Jones Gorton, who “added to his highlight reel.”

St Kevin’s 11.14 (80) def St Bedes/Mentone Tigers 5.3 (33)

St Kevin’s produced one of the performances of the round, defeating St Bedes/Mentone by 47 points after dominating the opening quarter.

SKOB coach Paul Greenham described the performance as “a fantastic response from the group…We showed up and from the very first bounce we were on,” Greenham said.

St Kevin’s dominance was reflected in an extraordinary first-quarter count of 11 scoring shots to two, although inaccurate kicking from gettable positions prevented them from gaining an even larger advantage.

“Inaccurate kicking from gettable spots was the only real low point on a near perfect quarter,” Greenham said.

St Kevins’ defensive performance was another major positive, with Greenham praising his backline and the way his team defended its defensive 50. He also recognised the challenge posed by a St Bedes/Mentone side coached by Sam Hecker, saying they were always going to “put the brakes on us.”

Hecker acknowledged his side was beaten around the contest, particularly early in the game.

“They just seemed a lot stronger around the contest especially in the first half,” he said.

 Despite the margin, Hecker was proud of the way his players responded after half-time.

“I was really proud of the way we hung in in the second half,” Hecker said, highlighting Ted Bitting and Angus Shepardson for their performances.

Old Scotch 18.11 (119) def Parkdale Vultures 4.6 (30)

The biggest result of the round came at Old Scotch, where the home side dismantled Parkdale to win by 89 points.

Vultures coach Nick Anderson described Old Scotch as “a slick outfit from the start” and admitted his side was “outclassed all over the ground.”

Despite the heavy defeat, Anderson found plenty to like in his young side, particularly the opportunity given to several Mordialloc-Braeside Under-17 players. He said it was “fantastic to have a few Mordi Brae Under 17’s boys play with an eye to the future” and believed they showed they were ready to take the next step next year.

Anderson also praised Dan Jackson for his “two-way efforts”, Max Worsnop for his tackling and Lev Price, who he felt “took another great step in his development.”

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With the final rounds of the season now approaching, the focus across the competition shifts towards finishing strongly. Old Scotch’s massive win sends a clear message, while St Kevin’s will take plenty of confidence from their response.

Caulfield and De La Salle also secured valuable victories, ensuring the race to the end of the Holmesglen U19 Premier season remains tightly contested.