Finals places – who wants ‘em?

Hugh MacLean

The top two sides continued their good form whilst the merry-go-round continued to circle in the lower half of the top four.  Here’s what took place…

A real finals-type atmosphere came to Boss James Reserve with Hampton Rovers keen to continue the chase of Old Geelong, and Mazenod looking to make a big statement regarding their aspirations. This was an intense, physical affair in which no quarter was asked or given.  

Hampton’s Christian Carnovale and Cameron Morris finished the match with reports against their name; and their periodic absence was quite the hindrance to Rovers, as was their notoriously fickle goalkicking with six behinds registered before their first major. Mazenod had three goals on the board by this time, but two late six-pointers to Hampton cut the quarter time margin to a point.  

This was doubled in an even second term, but Rovers started to win the arm-wrestle in the third quarter.  Mazenod showed that they were certainly worthy of their place in the top echelon of teams, but it was Hampton Rovers that held sway and put them out of the top four at the end of the round. Morris kicked four goals for Hampton Rovers and Carnovale was their best on the day. Rovers had few answers for Mazenod small forward Nick Pascuzzi, who kicked five goals, whilst Matt Fewings stood out for them around the ground.

For the second match in a row, Monash’s opponents had no answer to their all-ground defence. This week it was the turn of Old Mentonians, and if it were not for some wayward kicking in the second half the margin may have become truly ugly.  The Panthers were kept to a single goal to half time, by which the Blues had kicked eight to take a 42-point lead into the rooms with them.  

The rout continued after half-time, with Old Mentonians able to add one more goal in each of the last two quarters. Monash Blues kicked only three goals in this period themselves, but registered 14 behinds as the Panther defence scrambled to limit the damage.  This was not a problem here, Monash’s winning margin being 60 points, but they may need to address this in the run into finals.  

Nick Darling added three more to his 2022 goals tally with Macgregor Cameron their best. Mitchell Newman stood out for Old Mentonians, for whom Lucas Haig kicked two of their three goals.

UHS-VU had been in good form in recent weeks, but they came crashing back to earth at the hands of Old Ivanhoe at Holland Park. Three goals were all they managed for the day, whilst the Ivanhoe boys managed ten in the first half and eleven in the second in a consistent display.  

Old Ivanhoe had winners all over the park, with Luke Scuderi kicking six goals and Jack Bradley, Darcy Teele and Michael Mitris registering three each. Fraser Campbell and Shane Horton battled hard for UHS-VU, for whom there were three individual goal kickers, but this 20-goal margin was a great percentage boost for Old Ivanhoe, and one the University boys will want to forget very quickly.

Marcellin dealt Parkdale’s finals hopes a savage blow in a stirring victory at Marcellin College. Parkdale probably had more of the play early, but the hosts kicked straight to lead by two at the first change.  

Marcellin established a break by kicking three goals to one in the second quarter, and the Vultures did not have the wherewithal on the day to make an impression. Three more goals in the third term increased the margin to 21 points turning for home, and although Parkdale had slightly the better of the last quarter the defences held sway enough for the home side to keep the lead and take the four points.  

Lachlan Rush kicked four goals for Marcellin, for whom Mitchell Jones and Daniel di Paola were best. Parkdale were best served by the ever-reliable Charlie Yee and Kai Colella, with Sam Hart kicking three goals.

Preston continued their trend of pushing their opponents for a good portion of the game, but falling away in the second half. In this match they conceded a five-goal break in the first quarter, but kicked six goals to four in the middle quarters to be within only 24 points at the final change. 

Had they started well in the final quarter it may have been an interesting finish, but Old Geelong put the hammer down, kicking ten goals to one and establishing a crushing 78-point margin to solidify their position in the top four.  

Best-on-ground Joseph Griffiths kicked seven goals for Old Geelong, with Nick Freeman contributing four and Connor Dixon three. Dimitri Stamatakos and Conor Howard kicked two goals each for the hard-working Bullants, with Nathan Parkes their best on the day.

Ormond bye