Therry Penola cause an upset in the wet

On the wettest Saturday of the season, teams had to acclimatise to the conditions with some doing it better than others. Therry Penola were one of the sides to adjust quicker, defeating Parkside. Round 13 hasn’t made things any clearer on the top four race which is what we all want to see coming into the last five weeks of the regular season.

Prahran remain two games clear on top after defeating UHS-VU by 28 points. Coming into the match it was the top two sides on the ladder facing off and at quarter time you still couldn’t split the two sides with a goal apiece. 

Vultures captain Harrison Kennedy kicked the first while some good pressure by Prahran forward Ethan Plaza helped square it up.

The second term saw Prahran take control with Matt Clifford kicking the first with the help of some great evasion by Thomas Seaman. Taylor Bamford picked off a kick out from Harrison Kennedy as they continued to extend their lead. 

Shallow entries made it tough for the Vultures forwards as Luke Gorman played a great game on the leading goal scorer in the competition Brandon Jackson keeping him to just one goal. Defender Jayden Williams was a clear standout for Prahran adding some great run and carry for his side. 

Vultures ruckman Liam Starzer battled hard but Rory Brodie was too strong aerially, with the skipper’s side having a handy 26-point lead at half time. In the third term, Matt Clifford continued on his good form with the first major, Mackenzie Mayne spun out of trouble when Vultures midfielder Esubalew Ramsay decided to bump rather than tackle and kicked another. 

Meanwhile, Matt Dimattina was the shining light for the Vultures, being skilful in tough conditions, to help his side get two in a row before three-quarter time. With the Vultures almost coming from behind against the Preston Bullants last week they had some hope they could do the same 27 points down but some defensive half turnovers put an end to that.

Therry Penola got their third win of the season defeating top four hopefuls Parkside by five points. With only seven goals kicked for the match, it was hard to separate both sides for the majority. It was back to basics as time in forward half and winning contest was the key to success. 

Therry Penola were able to convert their opportunities when it counted better than the Devils with forward Brenton Egglestone kicking two match-defining goals. In the absence of Therry Penola captain Joel Costello, Lucas McKinnon and Matthew Lyons have really stepped up in the past fortnight.

The Old Yarra Cobras brought up their second win of the season after a gutsy 22-point win over West Brunswick. In the wet, the Old Yarra Cobras understood the vital need to win contest and leaders Tom Bell and Nicholas Zappala executed brilliantly in the midfield. 

After a handy two-goal lead at the main break for the Old Yarra Cobras it was a real arm wrestle between both sides and a late goal by the Old Yarra Cobras brought up the first for the quarter. 

Six scoring shots to one in the third for the Old Yarra Cobras but only one goal for their domination opened the door ajar. West Brunswick couldn’t get going in the last as Nathan 

Monaco’s side, who has had a lot of changes to the side recently got the four points.

Old Peninsula continues to surge up the ladder, beating the Kew Bears by 18 points. The Pirates midfield set the tone early with a five-goal to-one first term. Jake Lovett excelled through the midfield as the Bears struggled to find a matchup for Bailey Payze kicking six goals. 

Pirates ruckman Lochie Baczyk gave his midfield first use for the majority of the match and was dominant aerially. 

Meanwhile, in the last quarter, the Bears kicked the first two goals to bring themselves back within nine points helped by the great ball use from Max Poletti. The Pirates were given a fright but credit to their leaders George Fletcher and Ben Williamson who stood up as their side kicked the next two to close the deal.

Ormond responded strongly after last week’s loss to Prahran, defeating the Preston Bullants by 66 points. Both teams were figuring out the best way to combat the conditions as the Preston Bullants had an 8-point lead at quarter time. 

After the first term, it was all the Monders as the elite pressure applied was too hot to handle. Ethan Hanley and Jackson Hille played well through the midfield as their side continued to control territory. The Monders have a great crop of young players including 16-year-old Samuel Bailey. Making his senior debut, Bailey was one of the best on ground kicking three goals.

It was a dirty day though for the Preston Bullants as they managed just one more goal after quarter time.

Round 14 sees the Bears and the Devils fight it out for a top-four spot with both on eight wins.

Old Peninsula are another team wanting the number fourth spot and a win against Therry Penola will assist their quest.

The Preston Bullants will want to respond after a disappointing loss but it won’t be easy as they face the top of the ladder Prahran. 

The Old Yarra Cobras will be looking for two in a row as they take on the Vultures needing to find some form.

The Monders are back at home against West Brunswick and will be hard to beat if they bring the intensity from last week.