Heartbreak for the Preston Bullants as Therry Penola surge

Round 7 proved Division 1 is an even competition where any side can beat anyone on their day as the Preston Bullants narrowly miss out on the points again.

UHS-VU remain undefeated after they beat Ormond by 53 points at E.E Gunn Reserve. It was a much-anticipated game, and it was the Vultures who came to play from the very start with a six-goal to two first quarter.

The methodical ball movement in the first term from the likes of Todd Cracknell in defence was hard to stop early for the Monders and the size of Vulture midfielders really challenged them. A great stoppage goal in the second quarter by Esubalew Ramsay alongside James Dimattina with two crafty finishes personified this.

Meanwhile, In the third term the pressure from the Vultures resulted in three goals from turnover early, but credit to the Monders for not falling away as they kicked four goals in a row late with the help of Sam Stait who has had a brilliant fortnight. Vultures forward Ned Couper-Johnston kicked a goal right on the three-quarter time siren for a much needed steadier.

When the game was there to be won it was the Vultures skipper Harrison Kennedy who led from the front having a great highlights package of his own for the day. This included a great centre clearance at the start of the last term which resulted in a goal and added three of his own to the scoreboard throughout the game. Vultures forward Brandon Jackson was instrumental kicking six goals including three in a row in the last term to come out trumps.

The Parkside Devils won yet another close game this season defeating the Preston Bullants by two points. It was a game of momentum shifts with the Bullants skipper Tom Hill kicking the first two goals of the game followed by three in a row from the Devils in the first term.

The biggest margin of the game was only 16 points and Preston had control in the midfield for the majority of the match thanks to the help of Sean Calcedo and Rory Howard leading them to a nine-point lead at three-quarter time.

Meanwhile, at the 13-minute mark the Preston Bullants had one hand on the four points with a lead of 17 points until the Devils stormed home, kicking three in a row to snatch victory. The newly promoted Devils continue to impress, now in in second place on the ladder and clearly have a great pressure game which should definitely stack up in finals.

The Old Peninsula Pirates had another great performance defeating the West Brunswick Magpies by 54 points. The Pirates were on from the very start and so was their midfield mix with the likes of Jake Lovett and Kurt Thiele getting it done in ground ball which helped them get a 12-point buffer at quarter-time.

Another highlight was the defensive pressure from the Pirates with Ben Williamson having a superb day out in his 100-game milestone and Finn Bardolph making a reputation for himself as one of the leading half-back runners in the competition.

Meanwhile, the Pirates midfielders proved they have great versatility around the ground with skipper George Fletcher alongside Bailey Payze who both kicked four for the day.

Prahran got over the top of the Kew Bears in a hard-fought win by 30 points. The way Prahran defended for the day was the highlight as their team defence restricted leading goal scorer in the competition Ned Waters and top 10 leading goal scorer William Llewelyn to zero goals between them.

They also showed they have other avenues to scoring with their methodical ball movement out of their back half on display as Jayden Williams excelled. The game was never out of reach for the Bears only trailing by 16-points at three-quarter time, but Prahran’s midfield of James Musster and Mackenzie Mayne proved too good.

The Therry Penola Lions brought up their second win of the season defeating the Old Yarra Cobras by 25 points. It was a battle between both forward lines as the Cobras connected well inside 50 early with Anthony Raso having another solid performance with three goals. Each quarter was a tight tussle with lead changes in each break, but the Lions had the fresher legs having a six to two goal last term to claim the four points.

Jack Pelosi had a dominant game for Therry Penola with five goals and really showed his forward craft when it mattered most. While it hasn’t been the best start of the season for the skipper Joel Costello, he continues to lead from the front.

Round 8 entails must-win games for the Bears and the Preston Bullants if they want to make a surge towards a heated top four.

UHS-VU are back at home as they play the Magpies. The Magpies pride themselves in the contested ball game and were well beaten against the Pirates in that department. The Magpies midfield this week will have to find an extra gear to negate the big-bodied Vulture engine room.

The Therry Penola Lions take on the Preston Bullants at John Pascoe Fawkner Reserve. The Preston Bullants are playing some really good football at the moment with their senior players stepping up but can’t quite do it for four quarters.

The Pirates are up against Prahran in the game of the round. Pirates defender Killian Doyle will be unavailable for another week which is a big loss for his side in the fight for a top four spot. The midfield battle will no doubt have a huge say on who prevails at Dallas Brooks Park.

The Bears will face an Ormond team ready to respond after the loss against the Vultures. Efficiency going inside 50 continues to be a problem for the Bears especially when their top flights aren’t firing.

The kings of the close finishes, the Devils are up against the Old Yarra Cobras who are still looking to get on the board in season 2024.