Three undefeated as Ivies fall short

Aidan Sinclair

UHS-VU vs Ivanhoe

The undefeated UHS battled the winless Ivanhoe in the first game of Round 3. Ivanhoe were switched on from the opening bounce and were able to nullify the impact of UHS’s big name players. Both sides kicked two goals each in the first quarter as Ivanhoe led by a single point. UHS showed their class in the second term, however, as they piled on five goals to nothing to take a rather large 30-point buffer into half time. Ivanhoe came out after half time with some fight as they tried their hardest to not get blown away. They kicked one goal to UHS’s two as the margin was extended to 35 points at the final change. Ivanhoe were very competitive in the last quarter, kicking one goal and five behinds to UHS’s one major, going down by 30 points. Madeline Hince played well, once again, for UHS , booting six goals as she took her season tally to 18. Zoe Doyle, Abbey Marcuccio and Charlotte Toussaint all had good games for Ivanhoe. UHS have a huge challenge ahead of them with Aquinas away from home next week as Ivanhoe will continue to search for their first win when they host Richmond Central.

Aquinas vs Mazenod

This game was set to be match of the round, with both sides heading into it with two wins from their first two games. Aquinas outplayed Mazenod in the opening term but were unable to apply scoreboard pressure as they kicked one goal and four behinds, leading by four points at quarter time. Mazenod were then unable to capitalise on their chances in the second quarter as they kicked five behinds. Aquinas were able to hit the scoreboard with a goal and extended their lead slightly to seven points at the main break. Aquinas looked to close out the game in the third quarter but once again failed with their kicking for goal as they managed one goal and four behinds. Mazenod were kept scoreless as Aquinas led by 17, heading into the last quarter. Aquinas closed out the game well as they ended up keeping Mazenod scoreless for the entire second half. Aquinas kicked two goals and seven behinds in the last quarter as they cruised to a 36-point win. Laura Mchugh, Amber Saunders and Meg Dargan were all amongst Aquinas best. Abbey Walton, Stephanie Smith and Madeleine Pahlow all played well for Mazenod. Aquinas will look to remain unbeaten as they take on the also undefeated UHS next week. Mazenod will look to bounce back as they play host to the Renegades.

Brunswick Renegades vs St Bedes/Mentone Tigers

Brunswick would go into their clash with the Tigers as heavy underdogs as they were winless after the first two rounds and the Tigers were yet to lose. A low scoring first term saw the Tigers keep the Renegades scoreless and they took a seven-point lead into the first change. The strength of their backline was on display again in the second quarter as the Renegades could only muster three behinds for the first half. The Tigers added a second goal and were able to extend their lead to 10 points at the main break. The third quarter was controlled by the Tigers again, but the Renegades hunger hadn’t died. The Tigers added two goals to none and increased their lead again to 21 points heading into the final term. The Renegades found plenty of life in the last and gave the Tigers a scare as they came home strong, kicking two goals to no score, only to fall short by nine points. Eliza Cole was arguably the Renegades best as Kelly Dungate and Jessica Brown were their goalkickers. Olivia Steinfort, Nina Coghill and Ina Brodahl all had strong performances for the Tigers. The undefeated Tigers now roll on to host North Brunswick next week as the Renegades remain on the hunt for their first win when they play Mazenod.

North Brunswick vs Richmond Central

The final game of the round saw the Bulls and Snakes battle it out as one side would come away with their first win of the year. The first quarter saw an almost dead even contest. Both sides were hard at it, as expected, as they were desperate for the win. One goal was kicked for each team and the Bulls held a slender one-point lead into quarter time. The second quarter was the one that would break the game open, despite only one goal being kicked. With scoring being hard to come by for either side, the Bulls second quarter goal would end up being the winner. They went into half time with a six-point lead. Only one behind was scored for either side in the second half, meaning the Bulls held on to a one goal victory. Susie Worthington and Ruby-Rose Haywood were the Bulls goalkickers. Stefanie Talarico kicked the Snakes lone goal, while Laura McKay and Kirsten Noffke were also amongst the best Snakes players. The Bulls travel to St Bedes/Mentone next week for a date with the Tigers as the Snakes continue to search for their first win when they play the also winless Ivanhoe.