Old Ivanhoe win fourth thriller of the season, Old Haileybury still on top

Thrillers at Glen Huntly Park and Fearon Reserve highlighted the resumption of Premier B VAFA football, but it’s Old Haileybury with a one-game hold on top spot at the end of Round 9.

Daniel Ward’s Bloods, after beginning the season with losses to Old Trinity and Beaumaris, have peeled off seven wins in a row, this week belting Old Camberwell thanks to a forward line clinic from Andreas Stefanakis – but there’s a bit of contention around exactly how many goals the spearhead kicked.

“In the last quarter, he kicked one on his left, but Lach Vaughan got a boot on it on the line,” explained coach Ward, with vision unclear to whether Vaughan flicked Stefanakis’ high-arcing snap as it fell through the big sticks.

“If you ask ‘Dre,’ he kicked nine!”

Stefanakis – we’ll go with eight goals for the sake of argument – certifiably kicked six of his goals in the second half of an Old Haileybury romp, the Bloods enjoying a 21.11 (137) to 9.7 (61) win at home.

“(A) pleasing performance with our best side on paper all year,” said Ward, with James Magner (five goals), Brede Seccull (34 disposals, 10 inside 50s) and Josh Gasparini (34 disposals, seven clearances) contributing to the 76-point victory.

“We…play(ed) some patches of good football,” said Old Camberwell coach Anson Brownless, “but generally (we) were overwhelmed by a very powerful team who will take some beating for this year’s flag.”

Josh Gale, Pat Blew and Ben Carlisle were among the Wellers’ best.

A meeting with Beaumaris is ahead of Ward’s unit, the Sharks having dealt a 43-point loss to Old Haileybury last time the sides met in Round 2 – the Bloods largest and most recent loss.

Beaumaris will certainly be out to respond this week in Caulfield South after registering its lowest score of the season, kicking just 1.9 (15) after quarter time in a 63-point loss to Old Trinity.

Second on the ladder by percentage, Old Trinity was in control of the football from the get-go, registering 102 more disposals and 60 more uncontested marks than the Sharks.

Skipper Hugh Beasley kicked four goals on the day, all after half time – with a few key outs for Beaumaris proving difficult to cover.

Coach Donald McDonald, while aware of a few missing Sharks, said he was happy to take a defensive victory considering the closeness of the competition.

Old Trinity remains in second separated by a win and 28 percent from Old Geelong in sixth.

Beaumaris, along with Caulfield, is now two games outside of the top four with a 4-5 record.

Old Geelong secured an important victory at home over De La Salle, making the most of its opposition’s poor conversion to run out 10-point winners.

Nick Hyland’s squad was “sloppy” in the first term and trailed by 11 points at the first break, registering a disposal efficiency of 48%.

Across the middle quarters though the visitors hauled their way back into the game but struggled to convert their opportunities in front of goal, punting 3.12 (30) from 28 inside 50s.

“It seemed every time we’d build momentum, they would answer with a quick goal,” Hyland explained.

“They took their chances and made us pay. Their ball movement was slick and we gave them too much time and space.”

Leading by eight points at three-quarter-time, Nathan Brown’s side held firm, kicking the first two goals of the quarter and holding off the De La charge to win 9.7 (61) to 6.15 (51).

“(It) was really even in contest, ball movement, but (we) just took our chances a little bit better to finish in front,” said Brown.

The Old Geelong coach lauded an “excellent” day out for Tim Jones, who racked up 30 disposals for the sixth time this season, while a returning Jack Sheridan was dominant at stoppage.

At 5-4, De La Salle’s aggregate losing margin comes in at a stunningly low 23 points – an average of a 5.75-point deficit per loss.

“(I) can’t fault our effort, just need to tidy up a couple of things which are within our control,” said Hyland.

Like De La, Old Ivanhoe have experienced its fair share of thrillers this season, playing in its fifth game decided by six points or less last weekend in a tight clash with Caulfield Grammarians.

With a five-goal wind blowing, the Hoers leapt to 31-point quarter time lead, only to trail at the long break as Guy McKenna’s men rampaged back into the contest.

Caulfield’s Archie Loughnan (four goals) resumed his dangerous partnership with Julian Dobosz (three goals) up forward, the Grammarians were able to snatch the lead in the third term with three quick goals against the wind.

Ivanhoe found control however, kicking six of the remaining seven goals of the quarter, tasked with holding an 11-point lead in the last term.

It was up to Caulfield to respond – but in a tight final term, the home side managed only three goals to two in the last, Old Ivanhoe holding on 15.12 (102) to 14.12 (96)

“Like our guys have done all year, we just found a way,” Old Ivanhoe coach Jarrod Gieschen said.

“The players have built such a strong connection. It means such a lot to them; they never want to concede.”

Old Ivanhoe is 4-1 in its five thrillers, third on the ladder with a percentage of 104.2%.

Billy Murphy was dominant all day for the Hoers, while year 12 student Tyson Nagel (playing with his brother Tiger for the first time at Premier level) was excellent on debut with three goals.

Keen watchers would’ve seen Michael Mitris’ name bob up on the Old Ivanhoe team sheet. A former captain of the club, Mitris announced his retirement at the end of 2022, returned to play in Old Ivanhoe’s winning run and Premier C flag in 2023, and featured on the weekend after recovering from a hamstring tendon injury.

Mitris kicked what would be the final goal of the game, his third, at the 13-minute mark of a tense final quarter.

Finally, Williamstown CYMS won its own thriller at Fearon Reserve, holding off a fast-finishing St Bedes/Mentone Tigers that, for the second round in a row, fell agonisingly short of its first win of the season.

Remarkably, having started the match 7.1 (43), the CYs proceeded to kick 1.13 (19) over a period stretching from the three-minute mark of the second quarter to the opening minute of the final term.

“(We) squandered an opportunity to put some distance between us and them,” CYs coach Con Terzoglou said.

With eight minutes gone in the final term, the Tigers had a 25-point deficit to make up – and duly did, piling on four goals in 13 minutes to tie the scores in time on.

It was then half-forward Will Bokma who grabbed a loose ball and snapped truly from 40 metres to put the CYs back in front with what would be the final goal of the game.

St Bedes/Mentone had its chances late, but Matthew Lehpamer’s shot in the final minute from beyond the arc faded to the left, seconds later the siren sounded with the home side victorious, 11.16 (82) to 11.12 (78).

Josh Cowan continued his outstanding season for St Bedes/Mentone, the midfielder racking up 34 disposals, 12 clearances and a goal in another outstanding display.

It’s Williamstown CYMS’ second win of the season, with an opportunity for a third against Old Geelong at Como Park this weekend.

Next week, Old Camberwell host Old Ivanhoe, Old Haileybury meet Beaumaris, Caulfield pay a visit to De La Salle while St Bedes/Mentone will look to go to the break with a win in its match-up with Old Trinity.