Who will fill the final spots on the podium in Premier B Men’s?
Posted on - Latest News, Premier B Men's, Featured
Eliza Wright
It was survival of the fittest this week with a dreary day around the grounds providing some less-than-ideal conditions. Beaumaris pulled off another stellar win, defeating AJAX by 89-points, meanwhile St Bedes/Mentone Tigers got to work against Old Carey in their 36-point victory. The Uni Blacks have their season well and truly back on track, overcoming Fitzroy by 28 points and De La Salle brought the heat, beating Old Haileybury by 9 points. The tight race for third place is on as Old Haileybury, Fitzroy and AJAX all sit on 24 points. All eyes will be watching closely to see who nabs themselves a finals position.
Beaumaris reminded us all of their strength this week, as they were crowned victorious over AJAX. Beauy’s might around the ground was highlighted though Sam Gibbins and Damien Johns as their hard work had The Sharks in front by 18 points at quarter time. Matthew Petering and Joel Cusack’s forward line intensity were essential to Beauy’s success with the pair kicking 3 and 2 respectively. Elliot Debinski’s pressure off The Jacker’s half backline troubled The Sharks coupled with consistent second and third spoil attempts from Adam Caplan. This contributed to inaccuracy in front of goal with Beaumaris kicking 12 points in the back end of the game. Ultimately, it was The Sharks that controlled this game, recording a final score of 17.22-124 to AJAX 5.5-35. Beauy have solidified their position as a force to be reckoned with this season, as no bottom sides are yet to come close to The Sharks. Suring up to finals, if any of the third-place contenders are to snatch the crown, they’ll have to go through Beaumaris first. Beauy certainly have momentum on their side as they face Williamstown in round 14. With back-to-back home games for AJAX, they must continue their hard work, especially against the Uni Blacks next week. With their finals hopes still alive, The Jackers can’t take their foot off the gas just yet.
St Bedes/Mentone Tigers return home with the four points, defeating Old Carey by 36-points at the Carey Sports Complex. The light at the end of the tunnel is beginning to shine for the Tigers after a tough couple of weeks have finally resulted in some wins on the board. Christopher Mangoni’s persistence over the past few rounds was clear this weekend as his hard work and leadership were pivotal in this victory. Brayden O’Toole played his role in front of goal recording 4 goals as did Lachlan Willey with his 3. With Old Carey’s future now heading in the Premier C direction, The Panthers can work to unite their playing group for the last few rounds and end the year with some positive learnings. SBMT currently sit on 20 points, just shy of playing finals. Could they join the race for the top four? An all-important game against The Roys at Brunswick Street Oval could determine their September plans. No reprieve for Old Carey in round 14 as they face finals hopefuls in Old Haileybury
Melbourne University Oval hosted the battle between the Uni Blacks and Fitzroy, with the Blackers coming out on top. The Roys remained competitive with the Blackers for most of the day, trailing by 4 points at the quarter-time siren. Jack Mckay worked tirelessly through the middle with support from Donovan Toohey.
Rhys Seakins and Nathan Ligris worked hard all day to keep the Uni Blacks at bay, spoiling a number of crucial forward line entries. The composure of Henry Bennett and Bede Mahon ultimately saw the Uni Blacks keep control of the game’s momentum, with Nicholas Caris and Angus Mckinna, both securing themselves 2 goals each. With a final score of 8.15-63 to Fitzroy’s 5.5-35, the Blackers have officially rebuilt their winning streak. In the week to come, the Uni Blacks are up against AJAX down at Gary Smorgon Oval while The Roys are presented with a make-or-break opportunity to keep their spot in the four as they look forward to St Bedes/Mentone.
De La Salle got to work this week, proving too strong for Old Haileybury. De La had their eyes firmly on the prize in their battle against The Bloods, determined to secure themselves another four points on the board. Ryan O’Meara’s grit down back earnt him a spot among De La’s best as did Sean Fisher, disrupting The Blood’s forward line momentum time and time again. This perseverance coupled with run and carry from Hugh Nicholson had De La in front by 38 points heading into the halftime break. Old Haileybury weren’t going down without a fight as Rayner Seccull and Lachlan Treverton demanded the ball at each stoppage. A huge 5 goals from Durras Seccull kept the Bloods well in truly in this game, evening up the margin to 12 points. Despite this, Old Haileybury couldn’t quite snatch the lead, with the final siren awarding De La the victory by 9 points. Although they currently sit third, Old Haileybury have conceded some crucial points this year, going down to both SMBT and De La. Could these losses disrupt The Bloods finals campaign? Next week is likely to aid their mission as they head home to face Old Carey. De La Salle can enjoy their victory for another week as it is their turn for the bye in round 14.
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