St John’s hand North Brunswick first loss since 2022 in weekend of nail-biters

After 30 wins and one draw, an undefeated streak spanning since 2022, North Brunswick has finally fallen to a determined St John’s outfit. The JOCs had previously lost to the Bulls in Round 2, and their hunger for revenge was evident.

After a tight first quarter, St John’s dominated the second term, scoring five goals whilst restricting the Bulls to one behind. The JOCs defended mercilessly, holding North Brunswick to 1.4 (10) at three-quarter-time. A four-goal flurry in the final quarter was the final factor of the top-of-the-table clash, St John’s winning comprehensively by 62.

“The boys were really keen to play this game, the vibe was up all week, and we executed our plans well in trying conditions,” St John’s coach Tim Edwards said.

Edwards remains grounded despite the significant victory, as his side holds a firm spot inside the top-five.

“North Brunswick are a terrific team, winning as many as they did in a row is an incredible effort. There’s still a long way to go in this marathon and we look forward to our next challenge.”

Adam Tsardakis was best on for North Brunswick as Simon Woodward slotted two of the Bulls’ three majors.

Michael Carnelley of St John’s kicked his 50^th goal for the season, remaining a clear first in Division 3’s goalkicking tally.

Despite trailing until the 13^th minute of the final quarter, Canterbury have snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat with a one-point nail-biter against Richmond Central.

The Cobras were held to just two behinds in the opening term, as the Snakes wrestled their way to a 12-point advantage. Canterbury fought their way back in the second, yet still trailed by five points at the main break.

The Cobras kicked the first major of the second half, however a late goal from Richmond Central increased the lead to eight by three-quarter-time. With momentum against them, Canterbury still came out firing in the last quarter. Nicholas and Mitch Szabo nailed a goal each to give the Cobras their first lead, but a quick reply from Richmond Central placed them on the backfoot.

With desperation and high-pressure acts at every contest, Canterbury forced through three behinds to lead by two points late. A behind in the 30^th minute to Richmond Central would be the heartbreaking final score of the game, Canterbury completing a miraculous comeback to win 6.11 (47) to 6.10 (46).

Nicholas Szabo and Robert Cox were best on for the Cobras, whilst Nicholas Poole and Cody Brook were nominated for the Snakes. Regardless of the loss, Richmond Central needed to prove they can contend with the top four, and their performance on the weekend demonstrated they’ll be a threat if they qualify in September.

Albert Park has held off a final-quarter surge from Box Hill North in an enthralling win that leaves them just a game and percentage outside the top-five.

A back-and-forth affair, seven lead-changes occurred in an intense first half, but the Falcons trailed after the first two sirens. The Falcons found their groove in the third quarter, scoring 3.4 to the Demons 0.2, soaring to a game-high 16 point lead.

Box Hill North’s belief never wavered though, in a late surge that Albert Park seemingly had no answers for. The Demons kicked three consecutive goals to tie the game at 66-apiece, whilst inaccurate goalkicking cost Albert Park.

The Falcons continued to rue late chances, however the Demons were unable to hit the scoreboard again. Kicking seven behinds without a goal in the final term, the Falcons ultimately held on for a three-point victory.

Blake Williams’ five goals was vital for the Demons, as Joshua Rennie was the key factor for Albert Park.

Although losing at every break, Eley Park have come from behind to stun La Trobe University.

The Sharks started the game on their terms, however inaccuracy in front of goal allowed La Trobe to sneak in front with a point at the quarter-time siren. The second quarter was then La Trobe’s turn to rue missed opportunities, scoring 2.4 to Eley Park’s 1.1.

The Sharks kicked two goals in two minutes to kick off the third quarter’s proceedings, but La Trobe halted momentum with a spare defender, allowing for uncontested intercept marks to terminate any Shark attack.

An instant centre clearance and mark inside 50 put La Trobe up by 12 in the fourth quarter, yet Eley Park quickly replied with two goals again to tie the game.

La Trobe wrestled the lead back out to seven points, before the Sharks surged once more. Cam Walkinshaw kicked truly from a free kick, as did Zac Hayes 90 seconds later from a contested mark. The match turned scrappy, with the Sharks desperately forcing stoppages as a slippery ball caused ill-afforded skill errors from La Trobe. In a 33-minute final term, the Sharks held on for their first win since Round 2, prevailing by six points.

“It was a strongly contested match, even throughout, without either team giving an inch,” Eley Park coach Matt Embling said. “The boys will take a lot of confidence into the remaining matches of the season.”

La Trobe’s Archie Conboy, Connor McCredden and James Toomey were defiant in defence, each having their moment as a spare backman. Midfielder Joel Kennedy was deemed best-on for the Sharks.

Swinburne University are just percentage behind from a finals position after outclassing a plucky Chadstone outfit. The Razorbacks led by 38 points at halftime, but the Synners charged in the third-quarter, reducing the margin to just ten points.

Swinburne responded to the challenge however, keeping Chadstone goalless in the final term to prevail by 29. Daniel Marquison earned best-on-ground votes, as Ben Ogilivie snagged two majors for Chadstone. Swinburne’s Riley Aranyos kicked three, joining Bradley Field and Zachary Cooke as best-on.

With the finals race heating up, Round 14 will be an intriguing fixture to watch.

Albert Park host Chadstone in another winnable clash to boost their finals dreams. Swinburne face La Trobe, whilst St John’s and Eley Park do battle. Power House will be smelling blood when they travel to North Brunswick in an enticing top four clash, as Box Hill North host Richmond Central. Canterbury has the bye.