Bulleen Templestowe cause an upset, as Whitefriars fly into fourth

The excitement continues as we delve into the second half of the Division 2 Men’s season. The Bye round presented an opportunity for teams to recharge the batteries and pull together a game plan with finals on the horizon.

Brunswick, leading the table, continues to dominate post-break, solidifying their status as the most formidable team this season and are yet to drop a game. They extended their winning streak by defeating Hawthorn by 17 points, marking their second victory over the Hawks this season.

Despite the final margin, this win was all but convincing. Hawthorn to their credit led the charge right through the first half putting the pressure on the visiting side. Although the Hawks held an 8-point lead at the main break, the Nobs staged a late comeback to charge home to the finish line. Brunswick switched up a gear and started playing a more aggressive style of football to retain possession and convert on the scoreboard.

The Hawks did have their chances late, but were unable to convert on the scoreboard, scoring 1.6 in the final term, with the final scoreboard reading 84-101.

Angus Coverdale was the player of the match, booting 6 goals to take Brunswick to the top. Hawthorn’s Justin Raiti kicked 3 goals, and William Meehan supported him kicking 2 goals.

After the game, Hawthorn’s coach, Mark Murray, said, “Overall, it was a good game, and we just didn’t take our chances. We are getting a few crucial players back for the next week. Brunswick is an excellent side in the competition, and it will be hard for every team to defeat them.”

The Bye round has stunted the momentum of a fiery St Mary’s Salesian outfit, with Elsternwick putting an end to the Saints three-match winning streak with a 42-point victory. The Wickers defeated the underdogs St Mary’s for the second time this season.

The match at Elsternwick Park got off to a slow start, as defenders from both teams were excellent at stopping the attack, with just one goal scored at each end. Elsternwick turned on the jets in the second quarter to score 5.4, with the ever-reliable Spencer Hankin leading the charge, while the Saints registered just 3 behinds.

Things went from bad to worse for the Saints in the second half with inaccuracy plaguing their ability to get themselves back in the game. They scored 1.15 after the main break; a total number of scoring shots that could well have produced a very different outcome than the final score of 72-30.

Hankin kicked 4 goals for the game, while Dylan Jones finished with 2 and Paul Sanderson was deemed best afield. For the Saints, Ben Tricarico and Joel Mattiske stood out in an uphill battle.

After the game, St Mary’s coach, Clay Tait, said, “We didn’t play a good game, and we were kicking the ball inaccurately. We must pick ourselves up from this loss, make a comeback, and be accurate while kicking the goals.”

Meanwhile, the winning coach, Peter Higginbotham, said, “The first quarter was very high pressure, with both sides not backing down. Getting a clear possession was tough. We spoke about maintaining the pressure around the contest and moving forward quickly at every opportunity, which worked for us.”

Whitefriars are back with a bang after the break, defeating Aquinas 121-58 at Whitefriars College Oval.

The hosts trailed by 11 points in the first quarter. But slowly and steadily, the Friars clawed their way back to hold a 7-point advantage at the half. This marginal buffer turned into a full-blown safety net after the Friars produced a mammoth 7.5 goal premiership quarter. Aquinas were slipping away and could not hold on as the Whitefriars ran away with a 63-point victory.

Credit to Sam Kieseker’s 5 goals, which helped the Friars gain considerable momentum, with James Perrin kicking 4 of his own. Aquinas captain Michael Di Donato booted 3 goals and was one of six individual goal scorers.

Friars coach Luc Matthews expressed his happiness after the game, saying, “We knew they would be physical, so we had to absorb them and their pressure and then get the game on our terms.”

At Lindsay Hassett Oval, South Melbourne Districts secured a convincing 76-39 win over MHSOB, marking MHSOB’s second loss to South Melbourne this season.

South Melbourne began the game impressively, establishing a commanding 24-point lead in the first quarter, setting the stage for what appeared to be a one-sided match. However, MHSOB players rallied in the second quarter to stage a resurgence.

In the third quarter, South Melbourne came out of nowhere again, and MHSOB only scored a single point, which ultimately cost them the final result.

South Melbourne’s Jesse Andrew kicked 4 goals for his team, while Vincenzo Armenia was best on. At the other end, Cleve Westley and Nick McKinnon led from the front for the Unicorns.

In the upset of the round, Bulleen Templestowe emerged victorious for the third time this season, defeating a strong Wattle Park outfit in tightly contested matchup. The final margin of 11 points was not indicative of the dominance the Bullants asserted over the duration of the game right from the outset.

The game kicked off with a goal from Lachlan Sticca of Bulleen Templestowe. Throughout the first three quarters, the match remained tightly contested. The Animals attempted to gain momentum in the final quarter but fell short by a few points.

To their credit, both sides held strong defensively, which made it difficult for players to attack the footy and hit the scoreboard.

Lachlan Sticca and Bullants vice-captain Corey Shiels slotted 2 majors each for the victors, while Baxter Newbegin scored 3 goals to further Wattle Park’s agenda.

The tenth round will be a must-watch as the teams are eager to climb the points table. At Gillion Oval, Brunswick will face South Melbourne Districts, which is also said to be a must-watch game. Whitefriars will indeed look to maintain their winning momentum against Bulleen Templestowe.

St Mary’s Salesian will play against MHSOB at Ferndale Park, Aquinas will host Hawthorn at Aquinas College, and Wattle Park will look to make a comeback against Elsternwick.