Old Carey defeats AJAX to secure the double chance

An epic finish to the home and away season with the three top teams on equal points saw ladder leaders Old Carey defeat AJAX to lock in top spot, sending AJAX to third, replaced by the Hampton Rovers who have secured the double chance.

It sets the scene for what promises to be a fascinating finals series with two exciting match-ups looming.

All eyes were on Bulleen for Old Carey v AJAX with the winner to finish top of the table and secure the all-important double chance, whilst the loser would drop to third and face off with the Parkdale Vultures in a do or die semi final. Old Carey triumphed in style by 46 points, to claim bragging rights heading into the finals.

Despite a resurgence from AJAX in the second quarter, the day belonged to Old Carey who made an early statement with five goals to one in the first quarter, backing it up with a strong second half as they continued to build momentum. Tristan Borghouts and Timothy Newton impressed for the home side while Riley Thompson and Trent Warren contributed with three goals each. For AJAX, Remy Spicer, Nicholas Lewis and Jake Wrobel were amongst their best players. Old Carey have a massive match-up with the Hampton Rovers in the first week of the finals, whilst AJAX’s season will be on the line when they play the Parkdale Vultures.

Glen Eira/Old McKinnon continued their positive finish to the season with a 50-point victory over the Monash Blues. The Blues had a great first quarter in which they kept the Gryphons scoreless to take a 15-point lead into quarter-time, however their fortunes quickly turned in the second quarter as the Gryphons kicked 4.9.33 with Monash unable to score. The Gryphons managed to control the second half, albeit both teams were quite inaccurate in front of goal with the strong wind, blazing away in the last quarter with five goals as they claimed the win and ended their season on a good note.

Special mention to Alex Bennett who kicked all three of the Blues’ goals. Unfortunately for Monash, they finish in 9^th and for the second consecutive season will face relegation, whilst the Gryphons in their first season in Premier C would be pleased with the eight wins they collected, providing some optimism and hope for their chances in 2025.

Marcellin recorded their fifth victory as they defeated Mazenod by 12 points. This game was closely fought for three quarters as both sides kept each other in check as only 1-point separated the two sides at three-quarter time. Ultimately, Marcellin came out harder in the final quarter, and despite a couple of late goals from Mazenod, it was the home side who managed to get over the line and take the four points.

Marcellin would be pleased that they won three of their last four games, however were unable to get the wins when they mattered earlier in the season, so finish 2024 in 8^th position. Mazenod end the year 5^th in a season where they produced some great footy but could not break into the dominant top four.

Locked into fourth spot, the Parkdale Vultures defeated PEGS by 20 points. The Vultures dominated the first half, converting opportunities into success on the scoreboard as they banked a healthy 33-point lead going into half-time. PEGS had a brilliant third quarter to silence the home side and turn that deficit into a 4-point lead at three-quarter time, however despite inaccuracy, the Vultures managed to get over the line with three goals and six behinds in the last quarter.

This game was of little consequence for the Vultures who could not leave fourth position, whilst this result means PEGS finish the season in 7^th with 6 wins, providing the foundations for more growth in 2025. Jack Fenner was the standout player for PEGS with an impressive six goals, taking his tally this season to 53 goals.

The Hampton Rovers were successful in their pursuit of a top-two finish and a double chance for the finals series, with a big 66-point victory over Oakleigh. With a lot on the line, the Rovers came to play in the difficult conditions and were in control from start to finish, dominating on the scoreboard as the Krushers struggled to keep up.

Will Crawford starred up front with six goals for the winning side. This win sees the Rovers priming up to face Old Carey in the major semi final, and whilst Oakleigh showed their potential throughout the season in Premier C with some impressive performance, they ultimately could not piece together enough wins and have finished bottom, facing relegation back to division 1.

With the regular season now finished, only four teams remain to battle it out in the finals series as we wait to see who will be crowned the best team in Premier C.

A high-stakes elimination final looms between AJAX and the Parkdale Vultures at Trevor Barker Oval. On the two occassions these sides met this year, Parkdale won in Round 5 by 48 points, yet AJAX retaliated in Round 12 with a 19 point victory. AJAX would be favourites on paper considering they had three more wins than Parkdale during the home and away season, however any side would fear the Vultures at full strength.

The major semi final brings together Old Carey and Hampton Rovers at Elsternwick Park. It is hard to separate these two dominant sides who both finished the season with sixteen wins and a strong percentage. When they met earlier this year, Old Carey won by 12 points in Round 5, whilst more recently, Hampton won by 47 points in Round 12. Expecting a hard-fought contest here with both sides eager for a direct ticket to the Grand Final and immediate promotion to Premier B.