Upsets galore at the hands of MHSOB and St Mary’s

The excitement continues as Round 7 of Division 2 wraps up in power-packed action. Some teams impressively rebound after consecutive defeats, while others continue to struggle in the competition.

Bulleen Templestowe was no match for Brunswick on the weekend, who are the current table toppers and have been leading the charge in the Division 2 Men’s competition all season. Brunswick have once again produced a massive victory against Bulleen Templestowe, getting the job done by 111 points.

The Nobs were on their very best game right from the outset, surging ahead by 5 goals at the quarter time break. The Bullants to their credit were able to continuously hit the scoreboard every quarter, but they were strangled by the forward momentum of the Nobs, particularly in the third term when they produced a barrage of 8 goals.

Brunswick star forward, who is arguably on track to crack 100 goals for the season if he keeps going at this pace, slotted another 8 majors on the weekend, ably supported by Rowan Hogenbirk who had 7 goals of his own. Corey Shiels and Ashwyn Mohandas were both dual goal kickers for Bulleen.

The final scoreboard reflected a 151-40 annihilation. Brunswick coach Tom Hunter said, “We’re just looking for ways to be better week to week. The area we are most proud of is the way we’ve been defending. We’ve been hungry to be good in that part of the game.”

After a string of tough losses, South Melbourne Districts finally broke back onto the winners list, delighting fans with a thrilling 35-point victory over Aquinas at the Lindsay Hasset Oval. South Melbourne was dominant from the first siren kicking the first 4 goals of the game whilst keeping Aquinas to just 2 behinds with their defence standing tall like a brick wall.

In their recent string of matches, the Districts have run out of legs late in the game, but the side are to be commended for a full four quarter effort where they built on momentum to secure a percentage boosting win, 102-67.

Jesse Andrew kicked 4 for the winning side and Cameron Robertson put on a best on ground display, whilst Damien Pelosi led the charge at the other end booting 3 goals for Aquinas, with Joshua Glennie the best player for the travelling side.

After the team’s victory, South Melbourne’s coach, Nick Abbott, said, “I am pleased with the team’s performance. The last few weeks were disappointing, but now we have senior players returning to the side. We have nothing major planned for next week; we are just focusing on winning more games.”

In a thrilling, neck-and-neck encounter at the Melbourne High School, MHSOB secured an impressive upset over Whitefriars by 7 points with a final score of 101 to 94.

In a high scoring affair with lead changes all the way through the premiership quarter, the scoreboard read 74-apiece heading into the final change in a nail-biting contest.

MHSOB’s Mathew Pereira booted the final goal to close out the game, securing the four points for his side. Overall, Pereira kicked 5 goals and was unstoppable. The Friars fell just short in the last couple of minutes. Whitefriars’ Sam Kieseker’s 6-goal haul was a highlight, whilst Max Warrick impressed.

MHSOB coach, Bernie Pretty, said, “We are a relatively new group, and it was terrific. The last-minute goal was unexpected. We tried applying a lot of pressure against the opposition, and now we need to win more games as we are eyeing the top-four spot.

St Mary’s Salesian now have two wins on the trot in another upset of the round, defeating Wattle Park 94-72. In a gripping match full of twists and turns, St Mary’s surged ahead in the opening quarters, showing off their skills and teamwork. But when it seemed like the Animals were down and out, they rallied in the third quarter, showing true grit and determination.

Heading into the final term St Mary’s had their nose in front on 54 points, with Wattle Park in striking range on 51. In a high scoring quarter to round out the match, it was the Saints who were the stronger side, displaying heart and resolve to clinch the win on home soil.

Trent Ryan, Nathan Catherwood, Jos Op’t Hoog, and Lachlan Russell each scored a couple of goals for St Mary’s. Meanwhile, Baxter Newbegin took charge in the forward line for Wattle Park kicking 3 goals.

An elated St Mary’s coach Clay Tait said, “It was a competitive game against Wattle Park, especially the third quarter when they gained momentum. In the fourth quarter, we as a team only wanted to be positive and not feel a lot of pressure.”

Another disappointing day for Hawthorn at the Rathmines Road Reserve as Elsternwick surged to a 36-point victory, with the final score reflecting 113 to 77. It wasn’t until the second quarter when the Wickers really got going with a 7.5 rampage.

The Hawks tried their best to regain territory in the third kicking 5 to get themselves back in the contest but were too late to join the party. Once again, Elsternwick’s vice-captain Spencer Hankin kicked 5-goals, and his teammate Christopher Marinis finished with a 3-goal haul. Hawthorn certainly had their chances in the second but failed to convert them into goals, with their defence efforts unable to halt the onslaught from the visitors.

As Round 8 rapidly approaches, anticipation runs high as the middle order try to break into that illustrious top 4. Brunswick come up against Whitefriars at Gillion Oval, while the stage is set for a showdown between Aquinas and Elsternwick.

Bulleen Templestowe will need to strategise their path to redemption against MHSOB, as St Mary’s Salesian gears up to face Hawthorn in their annual Wings match at Rathmines Road Reserve. South Melbourne Districts will aim to keep momentum going after a recent victory while the hosts, Wattle Park look to get back on the winners list.