A mixed bag of nail-biters and demolitions

Lauren Atkinson

Round 10 saw wild weather conditions wreak havoc on Saturday’s matches, with a mix of nail-biters and demolitions across the division.

Old Brighton have dropped to third on the ladder after a harrowing loss to Old Geelong at Brighton Beach Oval. Both teams struggled to convert early, with Old Geelong leading by a solitary point coming into the final term. However, it was Old Geelong that were able to use the wind to their advantage when it mattered most, kicking 3.6 to Old Brighton’s 0.1 in the last quarter to seal the win.

Lily Tait was back to her best for Old Brighton, kicking their only goal of the day, while Rebecca Egan and Amy Halaby contributed significantly to get Old Geelong over the line.

Old Brighton will look to redeem themselves when they travel to Marcellin College next week, while Old Geelong will host Hampton Rovers at Como Park in what should be a winnable game.

Old Melburnians are back on the winners’ list after defeating Hampton Rovers in a game of two halves. The Omlettes asserted their dominance early, kicking five goals to Hampton’s one in the first half. The Rovers were the better side for the second half, keeping the Omlettes scoreless while launching their own attack but they left their run too late, going down by 9 points at the final siren.

Stephanie Barnett was a welcome return for the Omlettes, earning the best-on accolade for her side, while Sally Peers showed off her skills in the forward line, kicking two goals for the day. For the Rovers, Jasmina Andros continued her strong season.

Old Melburnians will look to continue their winning ways when they face off with Old Xaverians next week. At the same time, Hampton will be hoping to repeat their round 5 win against Old Geelong.

Old Camberwell Grammarians have notched a back-to-back win for the first time this season, after overcoming Old Xaverians by a single point. After drawing in their previous encounter this year, both sides would have been feeling a sense of déjà vu when the scores were level at three-quarter time, but it was Old Camberwell who managed to kick the deciding point in the final term to break the hearts of Old Xavs.

Maggie Wilson and Vanessa Murphy starred for their respective sides, kicking a goal each.

Old Camberwell will need to work on their accuracy if they intend to avenge last year’s grand final loss against reigning premiers, Beaumaris, next Saturday. Old Xaverians will return home next week, hoping to cause an upset against the Omlettes.

Marcellin OC outperformed Old Haileybury by 54 points, putting forward a strong case for why they should be playing finals come August. The Sheagles were consistent all day, hitting the scoreboard each quarter, while only allowing Old Haileybury a total of four scoring shots.

Alana Pane has been in tremendous form this season, only missing from the bests for one match, and was recognised as the top performer for Marcellin once again with two goals to her name. Annie Xanthos (1 goal) also played an instrumental role in Marcellin’s dominant display, slotting back into her side seamlessly after a stint in the VFLW.

Arielle Cathcart and Pulomaja Gardiyawasam were shining lights for Old Haileybury, doing their best to prevent Marcellin’s damage.

Marcellin have been pushing to crack the top four and will have the perfect opportunity to do so next weekend when they host Old Brighton, who have been out of form lately. After this week’s disappointing loss, Old Haileybury will look to bounce back against the struggling Hawks.

The final game of the round saw a bloodbath at Banksia Reserve when first-placed Beaumaris played host to last-placed Hawthorn AFC. The Hawks did well to keep up with the Sharks in the first quarter, with both sides coming into the first break with a goal each, however, things started to get ugly in the second term when Beaumaris kicked six unanswered goals. The floodgates were opened and there was no return for the Hawks as the Sharks continued to extend their lead, ultimately crushing the Hawks by 16 goals.

Holly du Plessis was Hawthorn’s sole goal-scorer, while Tessa Bodin was named best for the visiting side.

Meanwhile, Pia Staltari led the way for the home side, kicking three goals and being named as best, whereas Simone Marinelli kicked a bag of five to launch herself into equal first on the goal-kicking tally.

Beaumaris should be able to continue their undefeated season when they host Old Camberwell next week, while Hawthorn will travel to Princes Park, Caulfield with the aim of securing their first Division 1 win.