William Buck Premier: Beware the Wounded Warriors

Joe Pignataro

When we signed off on this forum a fortnight ago, it was a very different looking ladder and landscape to the one we’re now confronted with leading into Round 12. 

University Blues have been found guilty of breaching the player points system and have moved from fifth position on the table, to ninth. From 6 wins and 5 losses, they’ll enter Round 12 with one win, and one loss to their name. 

The club has seven games to get out of the relegation zone and remain in the William Buck Premier section beyond 2022. For all the off-field attention and focus they’ve had since the verdict was handed down, on the field, this may galvanise the side in a way we haven’t seen since the 2019 Premiership year. 

In that six-game stretch after the double bye, Blues had an average winning margin of 67.5 points. If a side has ever felt like their backs are right up against the wall, with something to prove to the competition. Beware the wounded warriors. Guy Martyn needs no further ammunition than this to get his troops up on Saturday. 

Finals are basically off the table. Pride and redemption is firmly seated in the head chair. Old Scotch will be the first team to feel the wrath of the Blues come Saturday afternoon. And, if the season opener between these two is anything to go by, the RSN Carnival Match of the Day has all the makings of a thriller. 

The Cardinals stormed home with eight final quarter goals to win the game in Round 1. The youthful exuberance of Scotch willed them over the line. This time around, Will Carrington faces off against his old side, Sam Grimley is red-hot in front of goal, and Ayce Cordy is well-rested from the double bye. 

Mark Gnatt’s side has produced pieces of magic through the opening 11 rounds, have they got a few more rabbits to pull out of the hat? They’ll need their best performance yet if they’re to stop the rage of the Blues. 

All of a sudden, there is more than just chit-chat around Collegians. It’s turned into a dull roar that could erupt come 5pm tomorrow. Now fifth on the table and equal with Old Xaverians in the wins and losses columns. This Saturday, against modern-day rivals St Kevin’s will they produce an upset for the ages?

Three games ago there were questions around the form of the group, the challenges of the depth, injuries to key players. Now, they’re back from the double bye, hellbent on keeping their momentum rolling and featuring in September is more than just a pipe dream for the Purple Army. 

Of course, to play with the best at the pointy end of the season, you have to beat the best. St Kevin’s sent an ominous warning to the competition with an opening term blitz when they took to the field. After back-to-back losses, the coaching staff has answered the challenge, and the past two matches have gone back to the St Kevin’s stranglehold, with opposition sides managing just 7-goals in both games. 

Collegians have mental scars when playing St Kevin’s considering the 2017 and 2018 Grand Finals. And while a home and away victory won’t replace the pain felt from those losses. Walking away with the four points to stop the wounding will help (if only for a moment). 

With the changing of the ladder, it’s the first time since the conclusion of Round 7 Old Trinity have found themselves outside the relegation zone. 

The T’s sole focus is staying up in the William Buck Premier section. They don’t believe in going down a section to regroup, restock and “go again”. Jamie Cassidy-McNamara has the utmost belief in his playing group that they’re capable of rebuilding without the need to play in Premier B. 

For the moment, they have a two-game buffer on University Blues (9th) and St Bernard’s (10th), Old Melburnians awaits them at the Daley Oval.

Despite being soundly wounded and comprehensively embarrassed against Caulfield prior to the bye. The ego took a dent after a terrific win against St Bernard’s in Round 10. The T’s come off the double bye with an inner confidence, strong resolve and a belief of belonging in the VAFA’s top section. 

The opening three quarters against OM’s they answered every challenge thrown at them, before the experience of playing at Elsternwick Park overran the young T’s. For Paul Satterley’s men, there’s a top two spot on the line. The next three weeks for the Navy Blue (Old Trinity, Uni Blues and Caulfield) can set up the final month of the year before the finals. 

They won’t mind for a moment that the attention is on teams other than themselves, I’d wager that’s the way Satts likes it. 

Even if they wanted to go under the radar. It’s impossible if you’re Old Xaverians. A double bye still doesn’t dismiss that considering the battle scars they walked off St Kevin’s College with. They’ll have had 21 days to think about “what if ” after going down a fortnight ago. 

Many St Bernard’s people will tell you that outside of finals. Beating Xav’s at Toorak Park is the home and away game that means the most to them. If you’re reading this thinking Uni Blues will want to respond to what’s happened in the past fortnight, the Xav’s mafia will be just as headstrong in putting to bed how they started Round 11. 

In Xav’s last three losses this season, they’ve been held to 7 goals. The following week, they’re averaging 31.5 scoring shots. Paul Groves’ defence better prepare themselves for an onslaught with the ball coming down with pace and frequently. 

Prior to the bye, Caulfield Grammarians made it three wins from their previous four matches. Simon ‘Punchy’ Williams gave some home-truths about his team on the VAFA’s For the Love of the Game podcast. 

No doubt, he’s gone about using this 2-week window as a chance to build his side further into the season and through this winter grind. They will come against an Old Brighton team that dominated the Fields earlier in the year. And, coming off a shock loss themselves to Collegians. 

A Fields win can keep their slim, mathematical finals chances alive while the Tonners can keep themselves above Old Melburnians in second spot. It may well be the biggest game of the round that could shape the top four. 

The last time Old Brighton suffered back to back losses was Round 1 and Round 2 of the 2019 season. Greg Hutchison and his army of troops refuse to wilt in consecutive games. 

After a fortnight off, I daresay there’s 10 Premier teams with 220 refreshed warriors. But always be weary of the wounded warriors, for they have nothing to lose in Round 12. 

2 o’clock Saturday, all the off-field talk stops, and the on-field action captures our attention.