South Melbourne defy the odds, heartbreak for Bullants

Round 10 in Division 2 Men’s was one of the closest rounds of football we’ve seen yet, with four of the five matches decided by single figures, in what was a weekend of unexpected twists and turns.

South Melbourne Districts became the first team to defeat the table-toppers Brunswick in Division 2. The Swans defeated the men in purple by 5 points at Gillion Oval, ensuring nothing is impossible in this competition.

Brunswick’s Hayden Parker was lively from the get-go with each of the two first quarter goals for the hosts.  Barely anything could split the two sides all day, with a game-high margin of just 10-points through three quarters. A late third-term goal from Swan Michael Carter gave the visitors that slender goal lead heading into the last.

It was in the final term, where the game was strung wide open. A couple of unanswered goals for the Bloods had the unbeaten Brunswick 19 points down through 10 minutes of the fourth quarter.  But as all good sides do, they fought on with courage and persistence, drawing the margin back to a single kick at the 23-minute mark.

A chance went begging for Brunswick in the dying moments as they succumbed to their first loss of the year, 9.6 (60) to South Melbourne’s 9.11 (65).  Parker was at his best once again and did everything he could, ending the day with 4 goals, but South Melbourne’s Leigh Sfetkidis kicked in 2 goals and got support from his teammates, which was enough on that day to end Brunswick’s run.

After the game, South Melbourne’s coach, Nick Abbott, said, “We’ve got a lot of respect for Brunswick and knew that although both teams were missing players, it was going to be a highly contested game.”

“It was a big step in the right direction for us, but it’s also a very even division this year, so we just need to keep winning.” 

St Mary’s Salesian hosted MHSOB at Ferndale Park and fell just short by four points.  In the first three quarters, MHSOB were clearly the better side over St Mary’s, but in the fourth quarter, the Saints responded started playing with real intent.

However, as the old saying goes ‘bad kicking is bad football’ and that was apparent in this contest with a combined 28 behinds and just seven goals.  Either side could have comfortably claimed the four points, but given the game at hand, MHSOB proved stronger and tougher narrowly holding onto to the 4.13 (37) to 3.15 (33) win.  MHSOB’s Mathew Pereira kicked in 2 goals, whereas St Mary’s James Barrie also kicked 2 goals, but it was too late for the hosts.

St Mary’s coach Clay Tait expressed his frustration after the game and a common factor behind some poor form.

“We played well overall, but were wasteful with the ball, both in front of goal and entering our forward 50.”

“MHSOB defended well; however, we quickly turned the ball over and made poor decisions. Five goals and 33 behinds in two games don’t win you games of football.”

In another close encounter at Whitefriars College, the hosts Whitefriars defeated the Bulleen Templestowe by 4 points.  The Bullants are currently in 9th place in the points table and are struggling to put together consecutive wins. This time, they came close to doing so, but ultimately to no avail.

In the first quarter, the Friars were extra clinical in front of goal, kicking 5.0 (30) whereas the Bullants despite more scoring shots trailed at quarter time by 7 points.  The Friars blew out the contest, to a massive 33 points on the back of a five-goal to one heading into half time.

But Bulleen Templestowe’s defenders rallied together on the other side of the break. The Bullants didn’t let the Friars score a single goal, reducing the three-quarter time deficit to just 11-points.  The Bullants continued their third term dominance in the last, kicking the first three unanswered goals to lead by 9 points heading into time on.

Whitefriars were on the back foot as the hosts nailed one at the 27-minute mark to bring the game to within a kick.  Then in a miracle turn of events, the Friars put through another major with just about the last kick of the game to pinch the victory back from the Bullants.

Sam Kieseker of Whitefriars was the player of the game, booting in four crucial goals. Bulleen Templestowe’s Anthony N Lucisano was pretty close, booting three goals.  The final score: Whitefriars 12.9 (81) defeated Bulleen Templestowe 11.11 (77)

Hawthorn and Aquinas were both hungry for their fourth wins, having faced a tough season so far. Played at Aquinas College, the game saw Hawthorn surge ahead to secure a commanding 17.12 (114) to 12.12 (84) victory.

Aquinas failed to start strong; hence, they couldn’t keep up with Hawthorn’s relentless pace and skill. The Hawks didn’t let the hosts come within striking distance on the scoreboard in all four quarters.

This win not only renews faith among Hawthorn’s fans, it also helps substantially, if they were to make a late charge to the finals, now just six points and percentage from the top four.

Hawks’ forward William Meehan charged his way up and kicked in 5 goals, and his teammate James Southby kicked 3 goals.  Aquinas captain Michael Di Donato and his teammate, Harry Dwyer, combined for  6 goals in the defeat.

Hawthorn coach Mark Murray expressed his happiness with his team’s effort.

“I’m pleased with the team’s performance. Both teams were looking for a win. Players contributed well, but Justin Raiti was exceptional on the field” he said.

In a hard-fought clash at Bennettswood Reserve, Wattle Park and Elsternwick fought tooth and nail, but it was the Wickers who prevailed. It a strong start for the Animals, who slotted five majors to two in the opening quarter, holding a commanding 22-point lead at the first change. But as we’ve come to know from this Wickers side, never count them out. They turned the tide in the second, drawing the contest back to just seven points at the half time break.

The visiting Wickers kicked two quick goals to recapture the lead for the first time since early in the first term. Then Wattle Park kicked truly late in the quarter to take a handy nine-point lead turning for home.

In what proved to be a ‘scoring end’ of the ground now with Elsternwick, they pumped the scoreboard with the first four goals of the fourth quarter and claiming a 12.9 (81) to 10.13 (73) victory.

Elsternwick’s resilience and determination won them the game and showcased their potential as serious contenders. Once again, Elsternwick’s Spencer Hankin scored a hat trick of goals, and Baxter Newbegin scored three goals from Wattle Park.

The league is heading towards the eleventh round, as South Melbourne will face Elsternwick at the Lindsay Hasset Oval, which is said to be a game to watch out for.

MHSOB will be hosting Aquinas at the Melbourne High School, and St Mary’s Salesian will be looking forward to making a comeback against the Whitefrairs.

Brunswick will surely eye a big win against Wattle Park, and Hawthorn will look to maintain their winning streak against Bulleen Templestowe.