Important victories and a hard-fought draw

Billy Bolch

Round 10 kicked off with what was the match of the season (so far) in Division 4, between the undefeated North Brunswick and the always-game Box Hill North. The first quarter saw a bit of a chess match between the two sides as they battled control, however, the Bulls were able to gain a small 13-point lead at the quarter time break. The Demons fought their way back into the game in the second term with a 4-goal quarter that saw them take the momentum of the game and take a 3-point lead into halftime.

North Brunswick was able to find their way back into the game in the third quarter with a 3-goal to 2 quarter that saw them bring the game back into their terms with a 7-point lead, setting the stage for a thrilling final quarter. Box Hill North found themselves in prime position for a win with the first 2 goals of the quarter to take a 6-point lead. However, with less than 20 seconds on the clock, Bulls player Luke Russell was able to slot a goal to force a draw in what was a thrilling conclusion in the match of the season so far.

Amongst the best for Box Hill North were Blake Williams, Aaron D’Amato and Rowan Lawrence. Amongst the best for the Bulls were Zac Dicianni, Simon Woodward and Nicholas Dimarco. Multiple goal kickers for the Demons were Michael Trkujia (3) and Blake Williams (2). Multiple goal kickers for the Bulls were Jake Horwood (3), James Miralles Lombardo (2) and Luke Russell (2). The Demons will now make a trip down the road as they face Eley Park. North Brunswick will make the trip to Albert Park as they face off against the in-form Falcons.

The second match of the round saw one of the division’s most in-form sides in Albert Park take on the always unpredictable St Johns. Albert Park got off to a very strong start kicking 4 goals for the quarter whilst keeping the JOCs scoreless to take a 33-point lead into quarter time. The JOCs were able to rebound in the second quarter with a 4-goal to 2 quarter, reducing the margin of the Falcons down to 18 with a half of football to play.

The Falcons once again were able to take control and use the wind to their advantage with a 5-goal to 2 quarter extending their lead out to 41 points with 30 minutes of football to be played. The final quarter saw a hard-fought battle with both teams defending their goals well as only 2 goals were kicked for the quarter with each side only managing 1 major. In the end, it was the Falcons that won in fairly a convincing fashion by 45 points over the JOCs, extending their win streak to 3 as they face a tough task in round 11.

Jack Lee, Jack Amies and Christopher Marson all led the charge up forward for the Falcons with 3 goals each. For the JOCS it was Jed Dexter and Liam Salisbury who impacted the most with 2 goals each. Amongst the best for the Falcons were the previously mentioned Jack Lee, and Christopher Marson whilst the best for the JOCs were Nicholas Terrill, Daniel Cattolico and Brendan Ash. Albert Park will now put their winning streak on the line as they face league leaders in North Brunswick. St Johns will face rivals Masala, a side they haven’t managed to defeat since round 13 of the 2022 season.

The final match of the round saw the two teams who needed a win the most battle it out as Eley Park took on Masala. The first quarter saw both teams struggle to gain an advantage over the other, but it was Masala that was able to hold a small 5-point lead at quarter time. Masala was able to begin to take control of the match with a strong 5-goal second quarter which saw them extend their lead out to 28 points heading into halftime. As both teams headed for the rooms the downpour of rain began, setting the stage for a tough 2nd half.

Both teams headed out as the rain continued to fall and it was clear that the rain had changed dynamic of the game, as both teams struggled to gain the upper hand over the other. Masala however was able to gain a slight advantage with a 2-goal to 1 quarter, extending their lead out to 33 points. As the sun began to shine, Masala was able to take control of the change in conditions adding on another 3 goals whilst only allowing 1 goal from the Sharks. As the siren sounded, it was the Tigers that defeated the Sharks by 45 points in convincing fashion.

Among the best for Eley Park were Jacob Rose, Bailey Boeyer and Kane Scanlon. Amongst the best for Masala were Mitchell Rebecchi, Jordan Gibbon and Patrick Ellis. In front of goals for the Sharks Andrew Yeo, Drew Crawford and Angus Fowler all found their way onto the scoreboard, whilst for the Tigers multiple goal-kickers included Zac Pahos (3), Luke Decarne (3), Dave Velardo (2) and James Dekel (2). Eley Park will now host rivals Box Hill North who are currently on a great run of games. Masala will also host their rivals in St Johns in what is always a great matchup.