Glen Eira clinch minor premiership as finals race heats up

The ladder has steadied after the penultimate round of the home and away season. Glen Eira/Old McKinnon have secured the minor premiership, 10 points ahead of the rest of the pack with just one match to play. Meanwhile the race for that fourth and final spot in finals is mathematically still open, should the Whitefriars take a hit and Oakleigh win their final match.

Hampton Rovers have bounced back in fine fashion after a defeat at the hands of Whitefriars last round to take home the four points in a dominant performance over Richmond Central.

The Rovers now hold a 2-0 record against the Snakes this season: on this occasion defeating the home side by 16 points. Scoring opportunities were shared around, both sides with four individual goal kickers, while Hampton’s Alana Graham was the sole dual goal kicker.

After a slow start from both sides just easing into the contest, the Rovers took control in the second term to put 4.2 on the scoreboard, taking a 20-point advantage into half time. While Richmond clawed their way back in the third, the deficit proved too big a task to overcome with the final score reading 4.2 (26) to 6.6. (42).

Isla Tucker has continued an outstanding run of form earning herself best on accolades for her impressive ball use and support in the forward line.

After 15 rounds, Mazenod remain on just the two wins for the season, falling to Whitefriars on the weekend.

In a low scoring affair, there was really not much separating the teams early. Mazenod were quick out of the gates with a 3.2 (20) first quarter. Which outscored the Friars’ two straight goals. It was looking like there was a clear scoring end out at Central Reserve, as it was Whitefriars who took the reins after the first change to add 20 points of their own, taking a 10-point buffer at the main break.

Scoring opportunities dried up from there as fatigue set in and the wind played a factor. With a combined score for the second half of 3 behinds, it was Whitefriars who held on 4.8 (32) to Mazenod’s 3.3 (21).

Rosalie Priorello impressed for the home side, while Mia Smith found her season-best form for the Whitefriars leading the charge and finishing with a major of her own.

The clash of Old Trinity and Power House wasn’t to be with the T’s unable to field a team last round for the second consecutive weekend. The forfeit awards Power House the four points to keep them in equal second on the ladder, tied with Hampton Rovers, and comfortably ahead on percentage.

Old Trinity alas is out of the finals race and will close out their season next weekend with one final match against Richmond Central at Kevin Bartlett Reserve.

Over at Packer Park it was a forgettable encounter for Old Camberwell/AJAX who couldn’t handle the might of Glen Eira/Old McKinnon. The Gryphons exerted absolute dominance in a full throttle rampage that produced a final scoreline of 108 to nil.

The Gryphons had their chances and much of the footy, and boy did they take them. Lily Fitzpatrick and Zoe Rossiter finished the game with 3 goals apiece and were just two of nine individual goal scorers.

Glen Eira’s ascendency in the game was evident through their forward pressure but equally as so in defending their opponents from getting their hands on the ball, with the amalgamated Old Camberwell/AJAX side unable to register a score.

Accuracy is an area that the Gryphons could look to sharpen should they wish to have a clean run come finals, with a final score of 14.24 having the potential to produce a much higher margin if the ball had gone through the big sticks on a few of those occasions.

Glen Eira goes into the final round of the home and away season with full body confidence, while Old Camberwell/AJAX will have one final roll of the dice at securing a victory in Division 2 Women’s competition in 2024.

A win to Oakleigh over Hawthorn on the weekend sees their hopes of making finals still alive, should results go their way in the final round of football. The Krushers have held off the Hawks for the second time this season this time by a margin of 20 points.

It wasn’t until the second quarter where momentum started to build for Oakleigh surging ahead with 4.2 for the term, while Hawthorn only managed 2 points of their own. Kaitlyn Sidopoulos played out of her skin in the second with 3 of the 4 goals coming off her boot. This propels her into second on the competition’s leading goal kicker tally, just 1 goal behind Glen Eira/Old McKinnon’s Zoe Rossiter.

The only other goal scored in the match came in the final term and went the way of the Hawks thanks to seasoned forward, Lily Hutchinson who had another best on performance.

With a strong percentage, Oakleigh will head into Round 16 with an air of confidence that should they secure the win over a formidable Power House – which is no small feat in itself – and fourth-placed Whitefriars lose to Hawthorn, then they will have a crack at a finals berth.

The sixteenth and final round of the Division 2 Women’s competition has arrived with some big clashes to close out the home and away season. As aforementioned, there is none more significant than Power House v Oakleigh with finals on the line. Meanwhile, Whitefriars host Hawthorn in a must-win encounter should they wish to secure their top four position and make an appearance in the 2024 finals series.

Lookout for some exciting footy over at Castlefield Reserve as Hampton Rovers come up against minor Premiers in Glen Eira/Old McKinnon in what could be a finals preview, showcasing some of the best talent in the competition. Rounding out the weekend, and inevitable the season, Richmond Central host Old Trinity, while Old Camberwell/AJAX will face off against Mazenod in what could be their best chance at a victory.