Tight finishes aplenty in Premier B Men’s

Paddy Grindlay

Old Trinity and De La Salle have perhaps played the match of the year in Round 3, stunning the competition with a Saturday afternoon thriller that went to the final kick of the game.

Trailing by 33 points at three quarter time and with vice-captain Fraser Cameron out of the game after an early head clash, Nick Hyland’s team came out inspired, piling on seven goals in fourteen minutes to hit the front at Waverley Oval.

It was a deluge that Donald McDonald’s Old Trinity couldn’t seem to halt, De La’s midfield unit dominating from centre bounce after struggling to assert itself through the middle of the game.

“As much as it was disappointing that they tipped in what they did, full credit to our (defenders) – they could’ve kicked ten (goals) in that last quarter,” McDonald said on Sunday.

From there it was goal-for-goal, Trinity’s Tom Ferrier kicking truly from a free kick to put the visitors in front at the 30-minute mark.

But De La Salle forced the ball forward, and in the dying seconds, Trent Shannon was taken high in the right forward pocket and given the opportunity to win the game for the home side after the siren from a tough angle.

Shannon’s right-foot drop punt drifted to the left hand side for a behind however, Old Trinity holding on to win 16.8 (104) to 15.11 (101).

Had Shannon’s shot sailed through, it would’ve been De La Salle’s ninth goal of the final quarter, after only seven goals to three quarter time.

Coach Nick Hyland told VAFA Media on Monday a win “would have felt like a bit of a robbery” considering Old Trinity’s dominance through the middle portion of the contest.

Hyland noted a “proactive and physical” midfield unit focused on forcing the ball forward at all costs helped De La mightily in the final quarter, but wants to move on from the heart-wrenching result quickly.

“We can’t dwell on that – we had plenty of other opportunities to win the game.”

For Old Trinity, defensive trio George Belcher, Lachie Mulcahy and Louis Davidson were outstanding, while Adrian Indovino (five goals) and Nathan Scollo (four) led De La Salle’s scoring.

It was a similarly tight and tense contest between Caulfield Grammarians and Old Geelong – Caulfield forwards coach Jono Nash taking the coaching reins with Guy McKenna away and subsequently treated to a nailbiter, broken open late by the Grammarians for a 12.15 (87) to 11.11 (77) win at Glen Huntly Park.

The home side got away cleanly in a first half highlighted by clean disposal and an outrageous goal from midfielder Pat Bannister in the second term.

Bannister broke through a stoppage at left half back, taking a bounce before launching a kick forward from behind the centre circles that carried his high-pressing forwards.

Coach Guy McKenna during his game review on Monday afternoon was as shocked as anyone to watch the football roll through for a goal, giving the Grammarians a 21-point lead

Old Geelong came storming back, booting six goals to two in the third term to take a three-point lead at the final break.

Coach Nathan Brown lauded the performances of midfielder Sam Barnett and ruck Tim Breadmore, who were able to create opportunities for outside run. Breadmore, filling in for typical first ruck Jack Sheridan, was one of a host of inclusions for Old Geelong.

Caulfield’s Jono Moren and Old Geelong’s Mickey Nicholls traded a goal apiece to start the final term, before a stalemate that continued well into time-on ensued – neither side able to break through for a major with the Grammarians trailing by under a goal.

But it was Caulfield who broke the goal drought – Dylan Ting snapped out of a stoppage to put his side in front at the 27-minute mark of the final quarter, before a mighty Moren blow shortly afterwards from outside 50 put the Grammarians clear by nine points.

“It’s the land of the giants down there,” said coach Guy McKenna.

Archie Loughnan, Jasper Rouget, Hugh Sandilands and Josh Hutchings make for a formidable foursome up forward – Rouget booted three goals from just five kicks, while Loughnan was unable to reap the rewards of his dominance, booting 2.5.

Julian Dobosz didn’t feature – but Caulfied could easily present a forward line with five players standing 6’3” or taller should he return.

Moren was Caulfield’s best – “a bull by name and a bull by nature,” said McKenna, with Caulfield banking an important win to move to 2-1.

“We’re a work in progress – we’re still learning and finding out about ourselves,” McKenna said.

“When the competition’s so close, (a close win) is like eight points.”

Nathan Brown was proud of his side’s efforts in a close loss.

“I thought it was a really good performance. It sets us up for something to build on,” he said.

In yet another Round 3 humdinger, a last-minute goal from Beaumaris’ Will Skinner gave the Sharks their second win of the season, completing a second-half turnaround over Old Camberwell to win 11.10 (76) to 10.11 (71).

Trailing by one point, Damien Johns hauled down an opponent on the wing to win the ball back for the Sharks, kicking the footy into the corridor where Callum Lineham escaped into space.

Lineham’s long punt to the goal square found a well-positioned Skinner, who leapt backwards to take a strong overhead mark and converted the resulting set shot from 10 metres out.

Old Camberwell won a free kick in the centre at play’s resumption, but the final siren sounded as James Allen’s kick went inside 50.

Beaumaris coach Josh Bourke was elated with the win after his squad kicked six goals to Old Camberwell’s two after half time.

“In my 10 years as a coach, I haven’t seen a team this buoyant after a win,” he said on Sunday.

Callum Heath starred in the ruck and worked forward to kick three goals, while defender Riley Mihailovic overcame a tight hamstring to be “terrific” through the middle.

Heath, brother of St Kilda ruck Max, has been one of Beaumaris’ best in the opening rounds of the season.

“Cal’s probably capable of playing some really good VFL footy,” Josh Bourke said.

For Old Camberwell, Harry Veitch was manful in the middle, while Josh Gale and Patrick Blew held down their wing positions superbly.

“We’ve got to get back quickly,” said coach Anson Brownless.

“You can’t drop your heads at all in this grade.”

Daniel Ward’s Old Haileybury side won its first game of the season, running out 126-point winners over Williamstown CYMS in Caulfield South.

Tom Antonis was exciting on debut, while on-baller Hugo Nosiara and ruck Jack Bell waxed nicely at stoppage.

The home side had to make do with limited rotations, down to two on the bench early in the second term, one on the bench in the third, and finally to no bench at all in the final quarter.

“The 18-19 that played most of the game without a rest did a great job,” said coach Daniel Ward

Harrison Jones booted seven goals for Old Haileybury while Sam Loewe added five of his own.

For Williamstown CYMS, coach Con Terzoglou highlighted a younger group of players including Harry Miller, Zayne Galea, Dean Cutajar, Cooper Brown and Zach Provest who will enjoy opportunities at senior level.

Of his side’s 0-3 start to 2023, Terzoglou says his team needs to find its rhythm.

“We’ve just got some early season challenges right now that we need to work through,” he said.

A “wound-up” Old Ivanhoe captured the eye on Saturday, Jarrod Gieschen’s men leaping to an early 31-point lead and cruising to a 16.12 (108) to 6.10 (46) defeat of St Bedes / Mentone at Chelsworth Park.

In Luke Scuderi’s 100th game, the home squad came out firing, having kicked nine goals to two at half time with Billy Murphy and Toby McLean on top in the middle.

Defender Reed Jepson had his hands full with Tigers forward Jack Behnk but kept the spearhead to two goals, while Max Whiteman booted four majors on return from having his appendix out.

Zac Calvez and Josh Cowan continued their solid starts for St Bedes / Mentone.

This week looms as a key contest for Old Ivanhoe as they pay a visit to Old Trinity – the only 3-0 side in Premier B.

“(They) seem to be one of the benchmark teams,” said coach Jarrod Gieschen, his side rising from Premier C last year to an early-season top-of-the-table clash in Premier B in 12 months.

St Bedes / Mentone will host Old Haileybury, Caulfied Grammarians will head out to Beaumaris, Old Geelong will look for its second win of the season against Camberwell while De La Salle will pay a visit to Williamstown CYMS.