Parkside fend off Bears in Top 4 battle

With four weeks left in the regular season, teams know it’s all or nothing in Division 1 Men’s.

Parkside applied some valuable lessons learnt in last week’s loss to Therry Penola to defeat the Kew Bears by 19 points. Conditions at Pitcher Park were extremely tough, so both sides had to take their opportunities when presented. The Bears hit the scoreboard in the first 90 seconds with a nice finish in the pocket. Devils midfielder Corey McKay kicked the first for his side not long after.

A 50-metre penalty gave a gift for Cody Lawson to kick two goals in a row for the Devils as Yanek Stecki provided great dash on the wing. Bears forward Tom Harbrow took a brave mark inside 50 to help give the Bears the lead on the quarter-time siren.

In the quarter-time huddle, Bears coach Bryan Cole told his men to stick to the basics in wet weather footy. The message was simple: keep playing one one-on-one footy and stay in front. In the second term, it was a real arm wrestle between two sides understanding the gravity of the game for their season.

Bears forward Ned Waters kicked a stellar goal over his head as the fast rebounds from Devils defenders Dominic Douglas and Riley Williams were hard to defend. Irishmen Richard Hughes played well at half-back for the Bears and was quite inventive with his kicks inside 50.

The game reached a stalemate in the second half, with goal-scoring opportunities at a premium. The Bears gave away another 50-metre penalty for Ciaran Cotter to make them pay.

The last term saw the Devils turn the heat up another level, kicking two goals and keeping the Bears scoreless. Devils defender Max Balassone stood up down back alongside Nathan McIntosh to keep their side a game ahead in fourth spot.

UHS-VU responded from last week with a hard-fought 15-point win over the Old Yarra Cobras. The first term was a stalemate with the Old Yarra Cobras kicking the only major to grab the quarter-time lead. The game suddenly opened up in the second term with 10 goals between the two sides.

The Old Yarra Cobras defence were gelling well with Matthew Young using the ball and William Fleming clamping Vultures forward Brandon Jackson to just one goal.

The second half saw the Vultures midfielders get their hands dirty as Ben Dimattina and Harrison Kennedy showed their class.

The Vultures looked like going away with it in the last but the Old Yarra Cobras kicked two in a row to give themselves within two goals with five minutes remaining. Old Yarra Cobras forward Anthony Raso played well adding three goals to his name but the Vultures ran away with the points.

Prahran flexed their muscles against the Preston Bullants in a 46-point win. There was a bit of chirp the last time they played against each other so it was always going to be an interesting battle this time around.

The pressure from Prahran’s forward line was excellent as Max Milward and Matt Clifford kicked the first two goals of the game. Preston Bullants Alex Johnston kicked a much-needed steadier before quarter-time.

The second term saw Prahran’s midfield get on top with Joey Bell finding some form and Mackenzie Mayne contributing on the scoreboard kicking two goals. Preston Bullants struggled to connect inside 50 kicking the four goals for the game as Prahran came out victors.

Old Peninsula played a great game in front of their home fans smashing Therry Penola to post the biggest win of the season (109 points) and a handy percentage booster.

The Pirates played exceptionally all around the park and were too good after quarter-time. Therry Penola were well beaten in the contest by Kurt Thiele and whenever they had the chance to enter inside 50 defenders Killian Doyle and Lachlan Gibbs were well positioned.

Half-forward James Bravo continued to nail the fundamentals and attitudes of Peter Williamson’s side throughout the day. Pressure and celebrating the little wins were top of mind as the Pirates defence kept Therry Penola goalless for the entire game.

Ormond had a huge second-half to defeat West Brunswick by 34 points.

The Magpies came to play early with their midfield applying great heat around the ball. Ben Ablett set the tone, wanting to respond after last week’s loss and they earned a four-point lead at half time.

However, the Monders didn’t want to let this one slip and their midfield lifted. Jackson Hille, James Van Oosten, Ethan Hanley and Jack Mason won the clearance battle as they started to control territory.

When the Monders are switched on, their pressure game is tough to play against and forwards Ben Williams and James Tsakonas worked hard all day and got some scoreboard reward in the second half.

Round 15 sees UHS-VU come up against the Monders in a top-four clash. Last time they played, Brandon Jackson kicked six goals including three in the last quarter, so the Monders’ defence will have a big challenge on their hands.

Therry Penola will want to respond after their poor display against Old Peninsula. They take on the Old Yarra Cobras at John Pascoe Fawkner Reserve.

The top of the table Prahran play the Bears at Victoria Park. Coming into the last stretch of the season the Bears are looking for another big scalp for their top-four fight.

Parkside are against the Preston Bullants, who are hard to peg at the moment. Devils defender Luciano Logozzo played in the forward line against the Bears in what looks like a role change and it will be interesting to see if it continues.

Old Peninsula play West Brunswick in what is a must-win game for the Pirates, one game behind the Devils.