scoreboard MORNINGTON NEWS
Stonecats seal top five spot DIVISION ONE
By Brodie Cowburn FRANKSTON YCW have secured their place in the upcoming finals series with a convincing win over Rosebud at John Coburn Oval. Both sides got off to a scrappy start in wet conditions, with only five goals scored between the two sides by half time. The Stonecats held the lead at the main break, but only by an eight point margin. The game again failed to open up in the third term, as Frankston YCW scored the only goal of the term to stretch their lead to 12 points. The final term wasn’t much prettier, but the Stonecats got the job done with a gritty win over Rosebud 7.8 (50) to 2.7 (19). The win confirms that the Stonecats will play finals, but they cannot move any higher than fifth in the final round next weekend. They will have to play in an elimination final first up, and will have no double chance to fall back on should they slip up. Frankston YCW Coach Wayne Capp said he was “rapt” to have secured a top five spot. “We’re absolutely rapt to make finals, and we were pretty lucky that the other games went our way this weekend as well. We always thought we’d be in finals, obviously we had a lean patch with injuries and some guys unavailable but we were always confident of getting there,” he said.
“It definitely was a hard fought win against Rosebud, but now we’re there we’ve got the belief we can do anything. It’s such an even competition this year so we believe we can go all the way.” The Stonecats’ most likely opponent in the elimination final will be Pines, who couldn’t progress up the ladder despite beating Mornington at Alexandra Park. Their game got off to a thrilling start, as both sides traded goals in
the first half. By the time the half time break came along, Pines found themselves ahead by three points, but the Bulldogs were showing plenty of bite. In the second half, Pines showed the quality that has made them a genuine premiership contender this season, as they opened up a more comfortable lead over the plucky Bulldogs. It wasn’t easy, but Pines got the job done over Mornington in the
end, with the final score reading 13.9 (87) to 16.9 (105). Aaron Edwards put four goals on the board for the winning side, while Nick Boswell and Shaun White also performed well. Pines could escape that dreaded elimination final should other results go their way next week. Another game with finals implications took place at Emil Madsen Reserve, as Mt Eliza leapfrogged Edithvale-Aspendale to claim second spot on the ladder. Up against an under strength EdiAsp, the Redlegs got off to a red hot start. They kicked the opening three goals of the game and held their opponents scoreless in the first term. The Eagles’ cause wasn’t helped by an injury to Charlie Martello in the first term, which would rule him out for the rest of the game. Edi-Asp responded well in the second term to wrestle back the lead, but after half time it was all Mt Eliza. The Redlegs kicked eight goals to Edi-Asp’s three in the second half, which ensured they would run away to a comfortable win 11.11 (77) to 8.7 (55). Robbie Turnbull was Mt Eliza’s best on ground, as he helped his side dominate in the midfield. With Edi-Asp slipping up, Sorrento had a chance to go a match clear on top of the ladder if they could beat Frankston Bombers. The typically slow starting Sharks were sure to make certain that the
over the line in a nail biting clash against Chelsea, a result that would have put them in the top five had the Kangaroos slipped up. Hastings endured a difficult start, as Chelsea held them goalless in the first term. They quickly got things back on track though, as they took the lead over the Seagulls going into the second half. Chelsea weren’t content to be second best however, as they kept touch with Hastings throughout the whole afternoon. The lead stood at just two points at three-quarter time, with the game looking likely to go down to the wire. Both sides traded blows in a thrilling final term, but ultimately it was Hastings who took the four points in a 9.19 (73) to 11.10 (76) win. With Chelsea’s loss, the door opened for Karingal to snatch third place and a double chance from the Seagulls if they could beat bottom of the ladder Crib Point. Despite a good first term, the Bulls were not clinical enough to drive the final nail in the Magpies’ coffin, only holding a 20 point lead at half time. The Bulls’ frustrating afternoon didn’t get much better, although they were still able to keep Crib Point at bay. Karingal held on to claim a less than inspiring victory, but more importantly the win meant they jumped up to third spot and claimed a double chance for finals. The final score read 2.8 (20) to 8.10 (58). Karingal will now face Red Hill, while Chelsea will have to do it the hard way next week in an elimination final clash against Langwarrin Tyabb finished their year off with a bang, capitalising on their good run of form to claim a win over Somerville.
The Yabbies have improved with each game this season, which finally culminated in an impressive win at Bunguyan Reserve. Somerville let Tyabb get the jump on them in the first term, and were left playing catch up throughout the rest of the game. Although they were able to whittle down a 26 point margin to three points at half time, Tyabb quickly regained control of the contest. The final siren sounded with the Yabbies ahead, as they claimed the win 12.20 (92) to 12.10 (82). Tyabb also announced during the week they had re-signed head coach Aaron Pacey for 2019. The final match of the round saw Red Hill cement their spot in second place with a thumping win over Devon Meadows. Red Hill raced out to a stunning 71 point lead in the first quarter, kicking a remarkable 12 goals and no behinds to kill the contest early. Devon Meadows were left shell shocked, and although they were a little better in the second half, they still fell short by 95 points. The final score read 20.9 (129) to 5.4 (34). Red Hill remains the only team to have beaten Dromana this season, and may yet be their biggest threat in finals. Next week’s finals matches will be as follows: Qualifying Final - Red Hill v Karingal at Somerville Recreation Reserve - Saturday 18 August 2pm Elimination Final - Chelsea v Langwarrin at RJ Rowley Reserve - Sunday 19 August 2pm The Division Two Grand Final will be played at Frankston Park on Saturday 18 September 2.30pm
On the up: Mt Eliza were victors against Edithvale-Aspendale in their Division One clash. Picture: Andrew Hurst
Changing places: Mt Eliza got to grips with Edithvale-Aspendale to jump above the Eagles to second place on the ladder. Picture: Andrew Hurst
Bombers didn’t get the early jump on them. They held a 9 point lead at the first break, which they stretched to 42 by half time. With Chris Dawes sidelined, Sorrento needed someone to step up and help in front of goal. It was Leigh Poholke who would prove the difference, kicking six majors to put Frankston to the sword. Despite their season being on the line, the Bombers could do nothing to get the game back on track, as they eventually fell to the Sharks 15.15 (105) to 6.13 (49). The result ruled the Bombers out of finals contention. With one round to play, Sorrento have put themselves in pole position to finish first and enjoy a week off in the first week of finals. The final match of the weekend saw Bonbeach’s finals hopes dashed after a shock loss to bottom of the ladder Seaford. Bonbeach got off to a slow start, but still found themselves level with the Tigers at the half time break. Although a win would’ve kept them in contention for a finals spot, Bonbeach were woeful in the second half, kicking no goals and eight behinds. Seaford capitalised on the goalkicking woes of their opposition to run away with a fairly comfortable win over Bonbeach, with the final score reading 10.5 (65) to 4.15 (39).
Tigers close out season in style DIVISION TWO
By Brodie Cowburn DROMANA will go into the finals with momentum on their side after claiming a comprehensive win over Rye in their final game of the home and away season. Although already eliminated from finals contention, the Demons showed plenty of fight in the first half, battling hard to keep the margin at just five points at the main break. In the second half though, Dromana were simply too strong. They kicked 11 goals to two to put the contest to bed. Although it looked as if it may be a close game early on, the Tigers quickly ran away to an easy win 9.11 (65) to 18.17 (125). Dromana had 11 individual goalkickers for the afternoon, and will go into finals having only lost one game for the year. With fifth place still to play for, Langwarrin had to win their match against Pearcedale to hold onto their finals spot. With their season on the line, the Kangaroos played like a team possessed in the first half, holding Pearcedale scoreless on their way to gaining an 80 point lead at the half time break. From there it didn’t get much better for the helpless Pearcedale, as Langwarrin secured their finals spot in the most convincing fashion possible with a 21.19 (145) to 5.8 (38) win. Jesse Murphy kicked seven goals for the Kangaroos, which ensured he finished on top of goalkicking leaderboard. His final tally for the year stood at 72. Murphy will play on for the Kangaroos in 2019. Langwarrin’s win made all the more important by the fact that Hastings got
Mornington News
14 August 2018
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