Ivanhoe AFC for Top 2. Lock it in Eddie

Round 8 in Division 2 gave us a certainty. Ivanhoe AFC will play in the finals. They will finish in the top 2 which leaves the battle for the other double placed getter out of Brunswick and MHSOB. 

The best part about locking in a certainty when it comes to football, is how rarely the certainties come to fruition, and this far out too. You only need to look to the second half at the MCG on Saturday afternoon to know nothing is ever 100% certain. 

The reason for such a bold call is the way Ivanhoe AFC has gone about their business in recent weeks. They’ve been challenged within games and responded emphatically. Not only are they running away from the top sides, they’re not letting up when they tackle the bottom sides. 

A 145-point win over Manningham Cobras on Saturday underlined that, 39 scoring shots. 15 goals in the first half, 11 goals in the second. Ash Close returned to the field kicking seven majors, alongside him Vivian Blackmore-Moore rammed home seven too. Aaron Marks was named the best player on the ground. 

Greater challengers will come in the back half of the season, and you may even see on the team sheet more of S.Selwood and a former St Bernard’s power forward Chad Jones, which makes their line up even more dangerous. The Ants make the trek to Ivanhoe Park this Saturday with one thing in mind: Spoil the Hoers run, upset on the cards.

For Bulleen Templestowe they would have gone into three quarter time against Old Parade at Garvey Oval, full of confidence, breathing fire and ready to run out the last 30 minutes. After fighting back from a 14 point deficit at quarter time, they held onto a 16 point lead at the final change. 

The Green Army after some words of inspiration from the coaching staff had other ideas as they kept the Ants goalless and kicked four of their own to finish the stronger of the sides and claim victory. Anthony Cafari (4) and Daniel Comande (3) were pivotal in attack for the Paradians while at the other end Jack Cowell (4) and Anthony Lucisano (3) provided headaches. 

Alexander Ouzas was the pick of the bunch amongst the best on ground performers, as Anthony Lucisano is stringing together a season to remember, with 20 goals to his name and regular appearances in the Ants best players. 

Old Parade are outside the top 4 by percentage only, they’ll see round nine against Yarra Old Grammarians as an opportunity to build on that and keep West Brunswick and Aquinas on their toes. 

Speaking of Aquinas, they were pushed well into the last term against the Bushrangers and walked away with an 11 point win. The 25 point half-time margin was sliced to under a goal at the final change as an intense last quarter followed. 

Michael Scott (6) put in his strongest performance in front of goal for Yarra but it wasn’t enough as they fell short in their bid to snatch victory. Liam Marshall (4) also fought valiantly for the afternoon. They will take some confidence from keeping a contender to just five goals in the second half. 

On the winning side of the coin, Billy O’Loughlin (4), Ash Naulty (3), and Josh Robertson (3) all had a hand in the win as Matt Allwood ran amok to be awarded best on ground honours. In their five wins this year, they’ve led at half-time of each game. This weekend when they tackle the dominant force of Brunswick, they’ll be looking for that trend to continue. 

After a classic after-the-siren win last weekend, the momentum Brunswick rolled into Saturday with, kept on going. With a thumping 47-point win over MHSOB. 

A tight tussle in the opening term saw Brunswick kick the only goal. The second term saw both sides trade four goals each. It was after half-time that the green, purple and white brigade broke the back of the Unicorns with nine goals to two. Taking them out of top spot, and placing them in third. 

Jasper Paevere (3) led the goal kicking for the winning side, while Larry Hanly (3) took those honours for the Unicorns. The competition’s sharpshooter Ashan Wijayakumara was held goalless for the first time since Round 10, 2021 which no doubt went a long way to assisting Brunswick in their efforts. 

Despite the opening line at the top of the recap, do not dismiss the Unicorns by any stretch. You’re a braver person than some if you are, they’ve shown on their day they’re one of the most formidable outfits in Division 2 and to West Brunswick, who face them this coming weekend, we say: good luck. 

The Magpies responded emphatically to the heartbreak of round 7 with a comfortable 50 point win over the hapless Power House. The margin could have been much greater had the accuracy in front of goal gone in their favour. 

Luke Buckler (4) and Tommy Cottrell (4) led the way for the black and white, while Michael Turnbull is making a habit out of being in the best three players on the ground for his side in recent weeks. 

Jeremy Hill (2) continues to be a shining light in an otherwise bleak start to the season for Power House, along with Ben Circosta. The two can hold their head high and when the tide turns in their favour, they’ll be very hard men to stop. 

And maybe, just maybe, that tide has the chance to turn this weekend when they face Manningham Cobras. In a game where there’s more than just pride on the line.