Hard to stop Fitzroy & St Bedes charge home – Premier C Men’s Round 17 Review

Fitzroy 25.19 (169) def Mazenod 3.5 (23)

A slow-starting Fitzroy have punished Mazenod to the tune of 146 points, booting an incredible 12-goal final term to secure their biggest winning margin for the year.

The game was played on even terms in the first quarter, with Mazenod trailing by four points at the break. However, the Nodders couldn’t get going in the second quarter as Fitzroy ramped up their intensity in the contest.

The Roy’s high pressure yielded the home side six goals for the term, while their backs were resolute in keeping Mazenod to three behinds. At the main change, Fitzroy had flexed their muscles and led by 43 points, a match-winning margin at that.

Coach Jack Dalton would be pleased with his side’s variety on offence, with 13 individual goalkickers joining the spree. In-form vice-captain Ted Clayton was the pick of the bunch with a four-goal haul, while Luke Minahan was deadly accurate, kicking four goals himself.

Fitzroy’s ability to get out of first gear has quickly become a defining trait of their 2026 campaign, with their last quarter serving as another telling example.

From 91-22 at three-quarter-time, the Roy’s banged on 12 consecutive majors in a monster final-quarter effort, helping them cruise to the final siren. Mazenod ran out of legs in the last quarter, only scoring a solitary point.

The competition’s leading goalkicker, Hayden Boyce, was relatively subdued by his standards but still managed to boot two goals for the visitors. Jacob Murdock, vice-captain Fletcher Ford, Matt Fewings, and Liam Sherlock were the other shining lights for Mazenod in the loss.

Fitzroy’s victory means they are one step closing to the minor premiership, while Mazenod’s setback leaves them battling for fourth place, with St Bedes/Mentone hot on their heels in fifth.

Parkdale Vultures 21.26 (152) def Glen Eira/Old McKinnon 5.6 (36)

A 66-point opening term from Parkdale has blitzed Glen Eira/Old McKinnon at Gerry Green Reserve by 116 points.

This is the Vultures sixth one-hundred-plus-point victory in 2026, with Glen Eira becoming their latest victim in a first-quarter avalanche.

William Finch got the ball rolling for the Vultures when he converted his set shot in the opening minute of the contest. The Gryphons responded quickly through a clever finish from Lachlan Neeson, but it was all Parkdale from there.

Goals to Jack Vorbach, Eden Honan, Darcy Kelson, Jack Cheep, and Adam Eales had the Gryphons’ defence scrambling for the entire first quarter.

Parkdale missed some opportunities early in the second quarter, but they didn’t waver, booting the contest’s next five majors before Neeson goaled again for the visitors. With the margin sitting at 84 points in favour of Parkdale, the result was beyond doubt at half-time.

Vorbach continued the assault at the four-minute mark of the third quarter and he was joined by Kai Day to extend the lead out to a game-high 103-point margin at three-quarter-time.

Remarkably, Parkdale had 47 scoring shots for the contest. Eden Honan and Vorbach led their side’s goalkicking tally with three each, while Cheep, Eales, Finch, and Hunter Lynch each kicked two goals.

In a tough day for the visiting side, Lachie Neeson booted three majors, while Seamus O’Brien, the Carey trio (Jack, Ashley, and Stuart), and Lucas Thompson held their heads high in the defeat.

Parkdale have secured second position with their win, while the Gryphons remain on four wins for the year heading into the last round of the home-and-away season.

St Bedes/Mentone Tigers 23.8 (146) def Hampton Rovers 6.15 (51)

Continuing the theme of beltings across the weekend, St Bedes/Mentone made quite the statement in an unexpected 95-point drubbing of the Hampton Rovers at Mentone Reserve.

Hampton, coming into the fixture in third with a record of 13-4, were favourites and primed to seal third position on the William Buck Premier C Men’s ladder. However, St Bedes/Mentone were hungrier and more polished from the first ball-up.

The Tigers booted six unanswered goals in an electric opening term for the home side, taking a handy 35-point lead into the first change. The Rovers struggled to convert their opportunities in front of goal, kicking inaccurately to register just the four points for the quarter.

With the momentum heading into the second term, St Bedes continued where they left off in the first quarter, booting another six goals while locking down Hampton’s forward movement.

Tigers forward Benjamin Murphy was the primary beneficiary of the Tigers’ midfield dominance and up-the-ground pressure, kicking a season-high eight goals in a wonderful outing.

A shellshocked Hampton side rallied the troops at half-time, needing to overcome a 68-point deficit. Paul Carrigan’s side responded after the main change in style, winning the quarter by a goal as both teams piled on six goals apiece. At three-quarter-time, St Bedes were on the brink of their best win for the year.

As they had done so well in the first quarter, the Tigers converted their opportunities going inside-50 with another six-goal term to Hampton’s one straight major. Mitchell Rowe, Murphy, Ben Goodchild, Matthew Lehpamer, Zach Winter, and Flynn Groves were highly influential in the victory.

With a top four scalp under his belt, St Bedes’ coach, Joel McKee, will be dreaming of another significant shift from his men against Mazenod next week as they attempt a barnstorming run toward finals.

Marcellin OC 16.12 (108) def Old Peninsula 8.8 (56)

Marcellin have registered their fourth victory of the year and secured their place in Premier C grade next season after their 52-point win over Old Peninsula.

With 30 players lost across the year, Marcellin have had to show some resolve and determination in a difficult season. In this vein, their leaders stood tall on Saturday afternoon, with veteran Shaun Tyquin producing a “stellar performance”, according to his coach, Patrick O’Callaghan.

Marcellin led by seven goals at the first break, putting a firm gap between the two sides early in the contest.

“The win was built off immense pressure, creating turnovers that we scored from consistently”, O’Callaghan said.

Despite Old Peninsula mounting a comeback in the second term with a four-goal term of their own, Marcellin’s pressure allowed youngster Zach Abela to kick four first-half goals three days after his 18th birthday.

Abela’s goals allowed his team to lead by 32 points at half-time, giving Marcellin some impetus for another productive second half.

O’Callaghan had high praise for some unsung heroes in the 52-point victory, with Harvey De Bono and Luke Daffey catching the coach’s eye.

“Harvey De Bono and Luke Daffey both played 24 hours before in the AGS vs APS game, with Harvey playing particularly well in the midfield”, he said.

The work of Marcellin’s young group was a driving factor in the win, according to coach O’Callaghan.

“Anyway, kids that young having that big influence was impressive”, O’Callaghan conceded.

Marcellin capped off a four-quarter performance with four goals in the final term to Old Peninsula’s three.

PEGS 8.17 (65) def Ormond 8.10 (58)

PEGS have ground out a 7-point victory over Ormond in a low-scoring affair, with the home side having to overcome a 13-point deficit at three-quarter-time.

With a strong breeze favouring Ormond’s end in the first term, PEGS started strongly, running the ball forward against the wind to kick the opening two majors of the game. It was a contested first term that saw PEGS take a 13-point lead at the first break.

Mirroring the first term, Ormond were able to kick two goals against the breeze, having won more of the ball out of stoppages. The Monders were let off the hook with PEGS’ inaccuracy, culminating in 1.6 for the quarter. These uncapitalised opportunities frustrated coach Rob Kerr, especially as the home team could have afforded some more breathing space on the scoreboard heading into half-time.

“When we went forward, we wasted opportunities to put a gap on them”, Kerr said.

Ormond continued their second-quarter advantage with some third-quarter momentum, booting five goals to PEGS’ 1.2. Some well-linked passages of play hurt PEGS as Ormond rebounded with energy from their back half.

Ormond’s five-goal term overturned the 11-point deficit at half-time and gave them a handy 13-point lead of their own.

With a game to be won in the last term, PEGS produced their best quarter of football, iced by a match-winning major from Riley Simmons.

Simmons was monumental in the victory with three goals, while Oscar Bales, Scott Whillas, Blake Roach, and Jack McKernan were pivotal in stirring the last-quarter comeback. VAFA Media sends a big congratulations to Jackson Young, who notched up game 150 in the victory.