Hampton Rovers end Old Carey’s winning streak

After a two-week break, Premier C Men’s action resumed in Round 12 with two top four encounters and some surprise results that keeps the competition well and truly alive and unpredictable.

Old Carey hosted the Hampton Rovers at Bulleen, in which the Rovers came away 47-point winners, bringing to a halt Old Carey’s nine-game winning streak and mighty average winning margin of 70 points. This game had ebbs and flows with both sides having periods of resurgence and stagnation.

The Rovers started flat, but burst out of the blocks in the second quarter, whilst Old Carey had a dominant third quarter, and by three-quarter time, the Rovers lead by a narrow three points. This game would be won by the side with the most hunger and determination, and despite the best efforts of Old Carey, it was the Rovers who stood up in the final quarter kicking towards the scoring end, piling on seven goals to Old Carey’s single behind. Hampton’s win sees them draw level with Old Carey on the ladder, with the Panthers ahead on percentage.

The other top-four battle this round saw AJAX defeat Parkdale Vultures by 19 points to see them finish the round in top spot, one game clear of second and third. Parkdale controlled the game in the first half with good ball movement and many scoring opportunities inside 50 which resulted in a 21-point lead at half-time.

However, the Vultures fell away in the third quarter as AJAX changed the momentum of the game with four goals spread amongst their key forwards, and continued that charge in the final term to win comfortably in front of their home crowd. Jordan Cohen, Richie Simon and Justin Vogel starred up forward for AJAX, whilst despite the loss, Nathan Sullivan and Lloyd Bailey each had a good game for Parkdale.

The Monash Blues returned to form with an energetic 54-point victory over Marcellin. The Blues came out firing early as accuracy in front of the scoreboard aided them to a 27-point lead at quarter time. Marcellin turned things around in the second quarter to outscore the home side and work down the deficit to 22 points, however Monash quickly accounted for Marcellin’s resurgence with a further six goals in the third quarter and another four in the final term to comfortably win the game and claim the four points.

This was a good day out for Monash, reminding Premier C why they won the premiership in 2022, as they finish the round on 9^th, equal on points with Marcellin who sit 8^th. Alex Bennett impressed for the home side with four goals, whilst Elias Stapleton likewise kicked four goals for Marcellin.

Mazenod, continuing to push for a top four spot, defeated PEGS by 50 points at Central Reserve. Mazenod skilfully controlled the game throughout the first half with a 43-point lead amassed by half-time, which could’ve been higher if not for some inaccuracy in front of goal. PEGS struggled to build on moments of good play in the third quarter as Mazenod grew their lead to 55-points, too much for PEGS to work down in the final term as Mazenod won comfortably. This result has negative ramifications for PEGS who drop down to 7^th which will make a run for finals more difficult, whilst it is better news for Mazenod who finish the round in 5^th, just one game and a percentage difference out of the top four.

The meeting of the sides promoted from Division 1 resulted in Glen Eira/Old McKinnon defeating Oakleigh by 39 points and climbing the ladder up to 6^th position. The Gryphons got off to a positive start, scoring 5.1.31 to Oakleigh’s 1.1.7 in the first quarter. Both sides had good bursts in the second quarter so by half-time, Oakleigh trailed by 25 points. Unfortunately for the home side, they were picked apart in the third quarter as the Gryphons were dominant in the front half scoring a further five goals and keeping Oakleigh goal-less.

Despite a much better fourth quarter in which Oakleigh dominated the play, the deficit was too large to work down as the Gryphons claimed the four points. Luke Ashen continued his good season, contributing three of Oakleigh’s seven goals for the afternoon, whilst Ben Reid, Jesse Maxfield and Nicholas Mavropoulos were amongst the best players for the Gryphons.

The competition continues in Round 13 as the top four sides push for a top two finish, whilst Mazenod, in particular, continue to hunt for a finals berth.

6^th meets 7^th when Glen Eira/Old McKinnon play PEGS. This promises to be a great game as the Gryphons look to settle the score after going down to PEGS earlier in the season. Coming off a big win to Old Carey, the Hampton Rovers host the Monash Blues at Trevor Barker Oval. A win for the Rovers will keep fourth placed Parkdale at bay, whilst the Blues will be looking to keep the good performances going after their win against Marcellin.

The Parkdale Vultures host Oakleigh in an intriguing game for both sides. The Vultures have lost three of their last four so will be looking for a win to return to their early season form, whilst Oakleigh have shown they have a lot of potential and will put up a serious challenge. Elsewhere, Mazenod host Old Carey as they look to keep their finals hopes alive, whilst top of the table AJAX will meet Marcellin.