Xavs secure their second win, as Old Brighton put themselves back in the finals race

Lauren Atkinson

Round 12 kicked off with another show of dominance from Beaumaris, who ended Marcellin’s four-game winning streak with a 25-point defeat.

Marcellin put up a fight in the first half and went into the half-time break only 4 points in arrears, but they could not keep it up for the whole game, allowing Beaumaris to seal the game with a five goal second half.

For the Sharks, Ella Southgate (4 goals) and Simone Marinelli (2 goals) were formidable in front of goals as always, while Cassandra Newman continued her excellent season with another best-on performance.

A shining light in her team’s loss, Annie Xanthos provided more evidence that she is one of the best players in Division 1 and well-deserving of her spot in the Big V squad.

Hawthorn AFC’s difficult season continues with another loss at the hands of Old Xaverians.

Old Xaverians may have felt a bit uneasy going into the main break only two goals ahead, but they quelled any fears with four unanswered goals in the third term. When the final siren sounded, Old Xaverians led by a game-high margin of 46 points.

Holly du Plessis and Mia Mathias ensured Hawthorn did not go goalless two weeks in a row, while Joelly Firmin did what she could to stop the game from blowing out. Meanwhile, a four-goal haul saw Sophia Rothfield receive the best-on-ground nomination for Old Xaverians.

Old Haileybury drew a line through Hampton Rovers’ finals aspirations, beating them comprehensively at Castlefield Reserve.

Struggling for numbers at this point of the season, Hampton Rovers started without any players on the interchange, which was always going to make for a tough day at the office. On the other hand, Old Haileybury came out firing, already with a 23-point lead at the first break. The game persisted in a similar manner, with the final score line reading 0.6-6 to 10.9-69.

Maxine Behnke and Jasmina Andros continued their strong individual form for Hampton, finding themselves in the bests once again.

It was a team performance from Old Haileybury, with eight players recording goals to help their team over the line, but Elizabeth Simkin and Eloise Mccrae were the cream of the crop.

Old Brighton may just have saved their season with an important victory over second-placed Old Melburnians. Both sides have been inconsistent in the second half of this season so there was a lot on the line when the two sides met at Holmes/Todd Oval on Saturday.

Old Brighton came out firing, kicking four goals in the first term while not allowing Old Melburnians to reciprocate. This strong start ultimately set them up for the win, with neither side managing a goal during the middle two quarters. The Omelettes finally managed to gather some momentum in the final term, kicking two unanswered goals of their own, but they had left their charge too late and ended the day with a deficit of 17 points.

Sophie Fraser put in a solid case for her selection into the Big V final 22 with another team-best performance, while 2022 Rising Star nominee, Kitty Smyth, had a blinder for Old Brighton, kicking a goal and running hard all day.

After only winning one of their first five games, Old Geelong have found their form and are playing finals worthy football, having notched another impressive win on the weekend, this time over Old Camberwell Grammarians. Old Geelong led all day, denying Old Camberwell of a single goal, and ending with a final margin of 31 points.

Danielle Trott, Vicky Tan and Jessie Gleeson combined for the visiting side’s four goals, while Amy Halaby was their best player. For Old Camberwell, Olivia Honore’s performance stood out as the best.

The bye this weekend for representative football will provide a well-deserved break for the ten teams in Division 1, before they return for the pointy end of the season.

Round 13 will kick off with Hawthorn AFC travelling to Brighton Beach Oval to face Old Brighton in a game that should allow the Tonners to push to reclaim their spot in the top 2.

The rest of the Round 13 matches will see similarly placed teams battle, with no certainty of how the results will fall.

Old Geelong will host Marcellin OC, with the win likely to have a direct impact on who makes finals, while Old Melburnians will travel to Banksia Reserve to challenge Beaumaris in a top-of-the-ladder clash.

At the same time, Old Xaverians will have the chance to save themselves from relegation when they take on Hampton Rovers, who only sit one win above them on the ladder.

The final match of the round will see Old Haileybury fight it out with Old Camberwell Grammarians, in what is do or die for both sides if they wish to keep their (slim) finals hopes alive.