The Amateur Footballer 2025 - Week 6 by VAFA

SEASON 2025 - May 17

The challenges of re-grading...

Prior to the start of each season, Clubs submit their team entries, alert us to challenges or opportunities within certain teams or programs, and together with ﬁnal ladder positions from the year prior, we rank each team subjectively as to where they should start Round 1.

With a fresh start, this also allows us to evenly spread-out teams in similar sized divisions, have an even number of teams so that there are no byes, which in turn allows us to plan ﬁnals venues knowing the number of Grand Finals we will have.

A lot can happen between August and April, from a list management perspective, number of players, and changes to top end talent. Knowing this, the VAFA (in place of a promotion/relegation method) if required, has a re-grading policy for Women’s, Holmesglen Under 19 Men’s, and Thirds Men’s competitions.

This regrading process allows us to view results over the ﬁrst four rounds of competition, to then determine as objectively as possible if a team is being overwhelmed or is too dominant requiring regrading.

Taking data on wins/losses, number of players used, scores for/against, margins, and strength of the opposition, highlights teams that are required to be re-graded from four rounds of data.

Dale Christie General ManagerFootball & Umpiring

19 Men’s divisions, and all six Thirds Men’s divisions: a total of 16 divisions needing to be completely re-ﬁxtured.

On top of the complexities in re-ﬁxturing entire divisions with the standard venue availability issues, club ﬁxture requests, and games already played, this also means adjusting ladders for those teams being re-graded.

Having to re-do 16 ﬁxtures and getting Round 5 and 6 out within one week has its own internal challenges, but to Club’s this also then means uncertainty around short term and long-term scheduling, event planning upheaval, geographic changes to opposition, and alterations to the home and away sequence.

the purpose of regrading is to provide a fairer and more competitive balance

While the purpose of regrading is to provide a fairer and more competitive balance to divisions, this however often means losing our structural integrity. As with promotion/relegation where you have for instance two teams down and two teams up, there is no set parameter when it comes to regrading – it may very well be 2 down and none up.

The cascading effects of re-ﬁxturing...

What this can then cause, is uneven teams in a division creating a bye, needing to re-ﬁxture entire divisions, and losing our ﬁxture integrity in terms of playing the same opposition again, playing an uneven number of matches, and changing the Finals set up from a Final 4 to a Final 5 method.

Unfortunately, this season, we needed to regrade teams that affected all six Women’s divisions, all four Holmesglen Under

While it was never our intention, nor did we ever envisage needing to regrade 16 divisions, I must acknowledge the work, additional hours, and commitment from VAFA staff to ensure ﬁxtures were done and umpires allocated for Round 5 all in under 4 days. And then also to thank the Clubs for your patience, who acknowledged and appreciated the monumental task at hand.

Representative Football...

Player nominations are now open for Clubs to recommend their players to be selected in one of the VAFA’s four representative teams in 2025.

• Big V Men (Coach – Daniel Harford) – 3:30pm Saturday 12 th July at Elsternwick Park v Perth Football League

• Big V Women (Coach – Paul Groves) – 1:15pm Saturday 12 th July at Elsternwick Park v Perth Football League

• Big V Premier B – Division 3 Men (Coach – Luke Mahoney) – 2:30pm Sunday 13th July at Queen Elizabeth Oval, Bendigo v Bendigo Football Netball League

• Big V Under 19 Men (Coach – Paul Carrigan) –11:30am Sunday 13th July at Queen Elizabeth Oval, Bendigo v Bendigo Football Netball league

Nominations close May 28, 2025, with players selected in the initial squads to be contacted via their Club by June 4, 2025.

WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER

Jason Bennett

Tonners turn tables while Bloods double down in GF rematch

Old Brighton reversed last season’s Premier Men’s Grand Final result to remain undefeated in 2025 with an emphatic win over Old Scotch at Brighton Beach Oval. The Tonners were wayward early and trailed by 4 points at the ﬁrst break –0.9 to 2.1! By half-time, their lead was just 20 points, despite 20 more Inside 50s and 15 more scoring shots.

The Cardinals evened up the territory battle in the third quarter, but were outscored by the hosts, who had a 34-point lead at the last change, before ultimately cruising to a 45-point victory that could have been signiﬁcantly larger if not for their remarkable 8.28 scoreline. 36 scores to 11 was a clearer indication of the Tonners’ dominance as they scored their 13th consecutive victory at Fortress Brighton, remaining a game clear at the top of the table.

Marcel Bruin (Old Brighton): “Really pleased with the method and the way we were able to generate scoring opportunity against what was a really well organised defence for much of the game. “Scotch put us under a lot of pressure despite being down on personnel and forced us to adjust our entries, which added to some challenging shots on goal, but we were able to keep creating opportunity off the back of good defensive structure and our own pressure.”

Mark Gnatt (Old Scotch): “Old Brighton are deﬁnitely the benchmark of the competition, so it was great for a number of our boys to experience what it feels like against the best in the top ﬂight. “Sam Grant was outstanding in the ruck against two high-quality opponents with 59 hitouts. We will continue to develop and educate the group as each week is a learning opportunity.”

Old Haileybury has posted back-to-back wins after kicking away in the 2024 Premier B Grand Final rematch against De La Salle at Princes Park. De La was within 3 points at the major break, before dynamic Bloods’ small forward Andreas Stefanakis booted 4 goals in 10 minutes early in the third term.

That 6-goal-to-2 third quarter propelled the Bloods to a 30-point lead, and while De La Salle narrowly won the ﬁnal quarter, the overall result was never in doubt. Stefanakis has 10 goals in his last 3 games, 13 for the season, and is as difﬁcult to contain as any forward in the competition.

Antonio Giampa was a shining light for De La Salle. The 17-year-old, still at school at Mazenod, announced himself at VAFA level with a superb 32-possession performance as a wing/half back in just his second senior game.

Daniel Ward (Old Haileybury): “Scrappy win against a side that came to play. Full credit to De La, who put a lot of pressure on us, and we couldn’t get going early. “We set the win up with a third quarter where we got on top in the middle of the ground and gave our forwards more opportunities.”

Nick Hyland (De La Salle): “We started the game really well and had a strong ﬁrst half. Our attack on the contest was excellent, and we felt we set the tone early with our intensity. “A ﬂat 15-minute period in the third quarter proved the difference in the game. Haileybury gained ascendancy around the ball, and combined with our sloppy turnovers, meant we really struggled to stop their momentum.”

An in-form Old Xaverians overpowered St Bernard’s at the Snake Pit. The hosts got a ﬂying start with the opening 2 goals, before the visitors booted 6 of the next 7. But just as it shaped to be one-way trafﬁc, the Snowdogs kicked the next 3 goals to tie things up early in the third term.

Xavs responded with the next 2 majors to re-establish a handy buffer, then 2 more to start the last term before St Bernard’s rallied to kick 2 goals in 3 minutes to keep the game alive. But Old Xaverians’ last three majors extended the ﬁnal margin to 35 points in a contest that was much closer in general play.

Dan Donati (Old Xavs): “Super competitive game against a very good Bernard’s outﬁt at the Snake Pit. No easy possessions, lots of contest-to-contest stuff and both sides were pretty evenly matched across the ground for most of the day. “There were some great one-on-one battles at both ends and through the midﬁeld, but in the end, we had a few more good looks Inside 50 and were able to put the score on the board at crucial moments.”

Steve Alessio (St Bernard’s): “We were keen to start well this week and try take the game up to Old Xavs who have been in great form. “We had our chances early in the last to get close, but lacked poise in front of goal and ultimately weren’t able to match their cleaner ball use.”

Collegians scored a pivotal win over University Blacks at Melbourne Uni Oval. The Blacks led by 9 points at the ﬁrst break but were left to rue wasted opportunities as the Lions got their possession game going, adding 5 goals in 12 minutes to open up a 17-point half-time advantage. Blacks stabilised in the third term but just couldn’t ﬁnd the middle

of the big sticks in the last, adding 0.4 to the Lions’ 2.2, ensuring a vital 27-point victory for Collegians.

Jordie McKenzie (Collegians): “Blacks got the jump on us with 3 quick ﬁrst-quarter goals. From that point on, our contested and pressure game lifted, and we were able to concede only 2 more goals for the day. “We were able to ﬁnish the game strongly, which was pleasing, given our drop off the previous week.”

Dale Bower (Uni Blacks): “It was a very tough, physical contested game. Unfortunately for us, Collegians were able to create more scoring opportunities and take more of those opportunities. “We are still working to ﬁnd four quarters of the type of football we are after. We are currently showing glimpses of it.”

The final game of Round 5 was at TH King Oval as St Kevin’s hosted University Blues. It was a free-flowing opening term with 10 goals kicked – SKOB holding a 2-goal quarter-time lead, then seizing the initiative with 4 of the first 5 goals in the second term. But the Blues dug in and responded with 3 goals in 7 minutes during time-on to claw their way back within 12 points at the major break.

The third term saw a change of pace, with just 3 goals kicked for the quarter – 2 of them to SKOB, who extended their advantage to 21 points at the last change. The hosts ultimately had the answers, kicking the ﬁnal 3 goals of the game to extend the ﬁnal margin to a game-high 42 points – forwards Paddy Kerr (5 goals) and Sam Barnett (4 goals) looming as a major factor in the race for the 2025 premiership.

Anthony Lynch (St Kevin’s): “I thought it was a terrific contest for a large part of the game, in particular, the first 3 quarters. “We challenged our group at three-quarter time to put together a full 30-minute quarter for the first time this year with no lapses, and I was very proud that they delivered on that, which allowed us to kick away in the final term. “It was extra special as we had four debutants who all showed that the future is very bright.”

Matt Smith (Uni Blues): “A recurring theme for us is that our ‘good footy’ stacks up and is dangerous against anybody. But our ‘poor footy’ is very easy to play against and is seeing teams take control of games. “St Kevin’s were just too polished and better organised, and pounced on every opportunity we gave them. “We were within touching distance at three-quarter time but just ran out of legs.”

ROUND 6 TIPS

ROUND 5 RESULTS

WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER MEN’S

St Kevin’s:

University Blues:

GOALS: St Kevin’s: P. Kerr 5, S. Barnett 4, O. Gill 2, W. Pfeiffer 1, S. Duffy 1, S. Critchley 1, L. Gunson 1, C. Jones 1, A. phillips 1

GOALS: University Blues: J. Stewart 5, B. Townson 3, C. Furphy 1, T. Quinn 1, D. Chirgwin 1

BEST: St Kevin’s: J. Andriske, S. Tucker, A. Seaton, P. Kerr, S. Barnett, L. Winter

BEST: University Blues: J. Curran, J. Stewart, I. Dykes, C. O‚Äôshea, W. Carrington, D. Chirgwin

Old Haileybury:

De La Salle:

GOALS: Old Haileybury: A. Stefanakis 4, L. Vaughan 2, M. Rose 2, C. Harrop 1, C. Goonewardene 1, B. Seccull 1, J. Docking 1

GOALS: De La Salle: J. Williams 3, L. Healy 3, E. Bowden 1, A. Indovino 1

BEST: Old Haileybury: B. Seccull, A. Stefanakis, M. Rose, O. Hotton, M. Sievers, N. Conway

BEST: De La Salle: A. Giampa, J. Williams, T. Filipovic, L. Healy, F. Cameron, T. Deane-Johns

University Blacks:

GOALS: University Blacks: T. St Clair 2, M. Grocott 2, L. Vescio 1

GOALS: Collegians: A. Lukic 3, L. Smith 2, Z. Bowes 1, L. McCleary 1, J. Walker 1, W. Pewtress 1, K. George 1

BEST: University Blacks: J. Clark, L. O’Neill, J. Ernest, H. Robertson, M. Grocott, B. Clay

BEST: Collegians: C. Walker, M. Warren, W. Pewtress, D. Thomas, J. Walker, M. Pinchbeck

St Bernard’s:

Old Xaverians:

(58)

GOALS: St Bernard’s: B. Huggard 2, E. Sibbald 2, L. Papley 1, K. Bharathi 1, L. Di Lizio 1, M. Watson 1

GOALS: Old Xaverians: D. Tuddenham 3, C. MacIsaac 3, J. Soccio 2, W. Brusnahan 1, N. Guiney 1, D. Symeopoulos 1, C. Knott 1, B. Moyle 1

BEST: St Bernard’s: L. Di Lizio, K. Bharathi, H. Schumann, L. Said, X. Smith, D. Sullivan

BEST: Old Xaverians: A. Trigar, J. Whitehead, C. MacIsaac, C. Knott, H. Woodhouse, C. Lane

Old Brighton:

(76) Old Scotch:

4.7 (31)

GOALS: Old Brighton: S. Flockart 2, J. Hope 2, Z. Travers 1, M. Szonyi 1, H. Hill 1, J. Segar 1

GOALS: Old Scotch: R. Spark 1, W. Clark 1, A. Symons 1, H. Brown 1

BEST: Old Brighton: H. Hill, K. Dimattina, M. Szonyi, M. Benier, S. Linder, J. Segar

BEST: Old Scotch: S. Grant, A. Franetic, H. Brown, B. Easton, B. Hays, J. Lipscombe

WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER MEN’S RESERVE

GOALS: University Blacks: O. Bouchez 3, S. Ackland-Evans 3, S. Henning 3, J. Hansen 1, J. Mbibi 1, M. Bennett 1

GOALS: Collegians: h. stack 2, B. Hill 2, L. Castine 1, W. D’Amico 1, F. Ekins 1, M. Mckeown 1, L. Payne 1

BEST: University Blacks: O. Bouchez, S. Robertson, H. Attiwill, T. Palmer, J. Hansen, S. Ackland-Evans

BEST: Collegians: A. Gebert, L. Heriot, A. Mackay, J. Mashni, J. Meacham, F. Ekins

St Bernard’s:

Old Xaverians:

GOALS: St Bernard’s: D. Barker 3, D. Colaco 2, N. Foley 2, D. Pollock 1, S. Miceli 1, D. Restuccia 1

GOALS: Old Xaverians: H. Bell 7, W. Golds 2, C. Westcott 2, H. Basset 1, c. Whitehead 1, D. O’Loughlin 1, J. Cumberlidge 1, O. Duncan 1, E. Kennedy 1, N. Brown 1, M. Mahommed 1

(65)

BEST: St Bernard’s: S. O’Keeffe, F. Shannon, M. Bateman, D. Restuccia, S. Miceli, D. Barker

BEST: Old Xaverians: C. Westcott, W. Golds, H. Bell, c. Whitehead, D. O’Loughlin, J. Kennedy Old Haileybury:

De La Salle:

(54)

GOALS: Old Haileybury: W. Barrie 2, L. Wood 2, J. Tuffley 1, S. Stefanakis 1, C. Goonewardene 1, A. Bonwick 1, J. Adams 1

GOALS: De La Salle: D. Kaminaris 1, D. Ford 1, T. Martin 1, H. Pietsch 1, J. Tyquin 1, J. Brooker 1, B. Boscacci 1

BEST: Old Haileybury: E. Hardeman, A. Bonwick, J. Adams, W. Barrie, L. Wood, P. Mcphee

BEST: De La Salle: M. Doherty, L. Liakakos, K. Rossiter, B. Boscacci, D. Ford, A. Stanton

St Kevin’s:

University Blues:

(86)

(69) GOALS: St Kevin’s: T. Williams 3, H. Lefoe 2, J. Smith 2, A. Butler 2, J. Luscombe 1, L. Mazzeo 1, W. Cooper 1, T. Davidson 1

GOALS: University Blues: J. Harrington 4, A. Dowsley 4, J. White 1, J. Muhor 1

BEST: St Kevin’s: H. Lefoe, o. white, T. Davidson, G. Delimitrou, J. Smith, J. Romanin

BEST: University Blues: M. Crocker, A. Dowsley, O. Sleiman, J. Harrington, N. Evans, M. Akoch Old Brighton:

(87) Old Scotch:

GOALS: Old Brighton: C. Hathway 5, M. Ho 1, A. Edgar 1, F. Murray 1, M. Freeman 1, T. Marriott 1, D. Lynch 1, Z. Bowen 1

GOALS: Old Scotch: H. Wild 1, H. Robenstone 1, H. Japp 1, J. McCorkell 1

BEST: Old Brighton: L. Travers, D. Lynch, M. Speirs, A. Edgar, Z. Bowen, C. Hathway

BEST: Old Scotch: N. Troon, J. Livingston, F. Morrisby, T. Clarke, C. Schilling, F. Leeton

WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER WOMEN’S

Roys edge out the CYs in a thriller

Round 5 of William Buck Premier Women’s saw a thrilling weekend of footy in which the Beaumaris Sharks were thrown into the fold. The Sharks faced Caulﬁeld Grammarians in their ﬁrst taste of Premier football, whilst St Kevin’s battled it out with familiar rival Kew; Fitzroy faced Williamstown CYMS and Old Scotch travelled to West Brunswick to face the Magpies.

Caulfield Grammarians continued their hot start to the season with a comprehensive victory, defeating newcomers Beaumaris 11.10 (76) to 0.3 (3). The win takes the Field’s to five wins without a defeat and top spot on the William Buck Premier Women’s ladder. Sarah Kenny continued her terrific start to the season for Caulfield, kicking three majors and Leanora Aruci matched Kenny’s effort with three of her own.

The Sharks applied themselves well in their ﬁrst hitout in Premier football against one of the best teams that the division has to offer. Beaumaris Head Coach Sam Calogero was pleased with the efforts of his side and admitted there will be plenty to learn from the performance.

“I was pleased with our unrelenting efforts and ability to play the game out; we displayed some great passages of play but need to consolidate on this to maintain our composure and structures around the ground.”

Calogero was similarly pleased with his side’s ability to adapt to the change in competition after a strong start in Premier B. “After a week of change I was pleased with our players efforts, intensity and positivity.”

The Sharks will look to adjust on the ﬂy from this ﬁrst up performance heading into a crucial clash with Old Geelong next Saturday.

Old Scotch asserted their dominance over West Brunswick in a hard-fought contest at McAlister Oval. The Cardinals took the chocolates over the Magpies 3.8. (26) to 1.2 (8) and improve to four wins and one loss to start the year.

Leaders for the Cardinals led from the front with Captain Katie Hunter-Scott, Maggie Wilson and Maxine Wells all putting in strong individual performances.

Old Scotch Coach Dean Anderson praised his side’s efforts as well as noting how strong of a competition William Buck Premier Women’s is in 2025.

“That was a hard-fought win. A great competition this year. The opposition were physically strong and held up very well in defence making scoring very difﬁcult for us. We were really pleased.”

West Brunswick Coach Ryan Wardel was similarly positive about his side’s performance, in particular the Magpies decisions to take the game on which he believes will put them in good stead moving forward.

“I was happy with the team’s performance, our intensity and appetite for contest and risk taking was the best so far this year. We’ll take conﬁdence from that, knowing that if we can clean up our offensive structure and connection, we can turn that game into a win.”

St Kevin’s looked to continue their undefeated start to the season when they travelled to Victoria Park to face Kew. The 2025 Grand Finalists were able to prevail in a nail-biting contest that went down to the ﬁnal minutes, 5.2 (32) to 4.4 (28).

The victory sits the Saints at ﬁve wins and zero losses with a mouth-watering clash against similarly undefeated Caulﬁeld Grammarians next Saturday.

St Kevin’s coach Tom Purcell was full of praise for the effort from his side and noted the continued development of some of the younger players in the Saints squad.

“Really pleased with the team’s ability to grind out a win against an opposition that served the contest up to us all day. The development of our younger players continues to impress, especially the progress of Molly Wilson and Mischa Beaconsﬁeld.

The Bears have continued to impress throughout the early stages of the 2025 season without putting many wins on the board. Nevertheless, coach Emily Avery was full of excitement when discussing her team’s performance.

“Best game of the season so far. We contested the footy well and were able to stop their fast ball movement. We had a few lapses late in the game and they capitalised on

Cooper Watkins

PREMIER B MEN’S

Paddy Grindlay

Thrillers everywhere in Premier B as Wellers take top spot

Four games decided by 11 points or fewer, three games decided by less than a goal and a new ladder-leader - Round Five of Premier B competition delivered excellent football for the on-looker and a brutal level of anxiety for its coaching fraternity.

Old Ivanhoe’s undefeated run to start 2025 came to an end on Saturday afternoon, Old Camberwell swiping ﬁrst place on the ladder from the Hoers in what was a top-of-the-table blockbuster at Gordon Barnard Reserve.

After weathering Old Ivanhoe’s third-quarter charge, a threegoal-to-zero Wellers ﬁnal term saw them home 10.11 (71) to 8.12 (60).

The highly-respected Old Ivanhoe stoppage unit was the focus of Connell’s preparation, the coach desperate to at least break even around the ball and keep with the Hoers’ midﬁelders, who have this year shown an ability to spread rapidly from the ﬁrst layer of the contest. “The biggest thing I say to our players is ‘don’t get beaten by what you know,’” said Wellers coach Neil Connell.

The loss is an opportunity for Old Ivanhoe coach Jarrod Giechen and his group to learn from a Wellers side that was “too good” for them in the end. “A real arm wrestle which is not uncommon for our two clubs - we’ve been playing hard footy against each other for a few years now,” said Gieschen.

“(I was) impressed with some of their new younger players and Veitch stood up big time in the last quarter when the game was on the line. It’s such an even competition and you need to be on every week.”

After a tough fortnight and a 1-3 start, the Caulﬁeld Grammarians are back on the winners list after outlasting the Old Melburnians in a four-point thriller.

In a game of twists and turns, the Fields took a four-goal lead at the long break after a seven-goal-to-three quarter, in which 32-year-old forward/ruck Julian Dobosz kicked all three of his goals. The Old Melburnians had all the play in the third quarter with 11 scoring shots to three, but ﬁnished poorly in front of goal and kicked just the three majors, trailing at the ﬁnal break.

It was a goal-for-goal fourth quarter, Tom Williams putting the Fields in front as the game entered time-on. There wouldn’t be another goal kicked at Glen Huntly Park, the tense ﬁnal

moments of the game largely played out in the OMs’ forward half - but the Fields defended grimly, winners 12.8 (80) to 10.16 (76).

“They threw everything at us, and it could’ve gone either way. It was that sort of game. We got in front just at the right time, and we’re able to hang on for the last three or four minutes,” Fields coach Paul Satterley said.

Old Melburnians coach Nathan Brown would be forgiven for feeling a little unlucky at 1-4 and eighth position on the ladder - of his side’s four losses, three have come by a margin of ﬁve points or fewer. “(We) had our chances but could not take them, and full credit to ‘Satts’ and Caulﬁeld (for) playing some great footy all day,” he said.

In what was a clash between second and third, Old Trinity prevailed by the barest of margins over Old Careythe Ts have now won eight of their last ten games and at 4-1 have enjoyed their best start to a season since 2018.

It’s the second one-point result of the season for Old Trinity after its Round One comeback against Old Camberwell fell a point short - Donald McDonald and his side were thrilled to ﬁnd themselves on the other side of the ledger.

“Old Camberwell (were) clearly the better side for the three quarters … in the end, whether they tired a bit, we started to get our act together,” said McDonald when comparing the two nail-biters on Monday morning. “We led from the start (against Old Carey), that two-or-three-goal buffer was there right until the end. And they just went bang, bang, bang.”

Old Trinity’s ﬁnishing could’ve cost them dearly, but McDonald’s men were able to hold off the Panthers’ late charge 13.15 (93) to 14.8 (92). “We had six (players) out, so we were really happy with the way we competed,” said Panthers coach Luke Giles, without the likes of Luke Kelvie, Will Green and Riley Thompson. “We gave ourselves a chance to win the game with two late entries but just didn’t get it done. If that game goes two minutes longer, I feel we win, to be honest.”

For the ﬁrst time Round 5, 2018, Williamstown CYMS has defeated Old Geelong, snapping a run of six losses against the OGs for the club’s best start to a season since 2019. It wasn’t without a fair chunk of anxiety though, the CYs holding a slender lead grimly at Fearon Reserve, ultimately 12.11 (83) to 11.13 (79) victors after a frantic, defensive ﬁnish to the match.

PREMIER B WOMEN’S

Lauren Atkinson

Round 5 regrade sparks big wins across Premier B

Heading into Round 5, Premier B Women’s experienced a shake-up, as the results of re-grading saw Beaumaris promoted to the Premier grade, while winless sides, Coburg and Parkdale Vultures, moved out of the Prem B competition. In their place, Premier B Women’s welcomed Melbourne University Women’s (MUWFC) and Old Yarra Cobras.

It was a tough introduction to Premier B for MUWFC, who travelled to Brighton Beach Oval to take on top-placed Old Brighton

The match was effectively won in the first term, with Old Brighton dominating the play and successfully converting their opportunities. Captain Indi Tait started the match tremendously, kicking three of their six first-term goals to earn the Tonners a 39-point lead at the first break.

Showing no mercy, Old Brighton went on to extend their lead at each break, with the ﬁnal scoreboard reading 12.13 (85) to 0.0 (0).

“Again, a very even contribution from the team and a willingness not to relax at any stage of the game,” said coach Andrew Grant.

In terms of areas of improvement, Grant highlighted the team’s need to continue working hard on tackling and pressure, which is likely to prove an important factor when they come up against second-placed Port Melbourne Chargers next week.

Over at Elsternwick Park, Old Melburnians got back on the winners list, with a convincing 5.9 (39) to 0.3 (3) victory over Old Xaverians

With the Omlettes coming into the match off the back of two consecutive losses, it was vital that they got their season back on track with another win, while Old Xaverians were looking to continue building momentum after producing two good wins in the previous weeks.

It was a hotly contested first term, with the Omlettes scoring the only major of the quarter, allowing a 6-point lead at the first break. Old Melburnians continued to pepper away at the scoreboard, gradually extending their lead across the next two terms, until a strong final term (14-0) saw the Omlettes secure the win by 36 points.

Old Melburnians coach Nic Stephens lauded his team’s ability to stay conﬁdent after a tough couple of weeks, as well as their successful implementation of the improvements they had been working on at training.

Stephens was also full of praise for the Omlettes backline, with defensive trio Steph Barnett, Em Fraser and Emma Chamberlain all stepping up on the day.

“I give our backs a lot of credit for the weekend. We’d asked the whole team to tighten up our structures and they went out and got the job done this week. In particular, our defensive zone really held up as we moved it higher up the ground to try and choke off rebounds before they became a threat.”

Ellen Williams continued her hot form with another best on ground performance, while Millie Peterson had the best game of her career, playing a selﬂess game in the forward line.

For Old Xaverians, Mel Clarke and Melissa Poulton continued their streaks of form, named the best players for their side.

The four premiership points sees Old Melburnians claim third place on the ladder, while Old Xaverians sit in seventh.

In their ﬁrst game in Premier B after moving down from Premier A, Old Yarra Cobras faced a tough challenge against the in-form Port Melbourne Chargers. The Chargers, who had won all their matches since a narrow loss in the season opener, ﬂexed their muscles once again to triumph by 74 points.

The Chargers set the tone early, leading 3.2 (20) to 1.1 (7) at the end of the first quarter. With the first break message a reminder to stay composed with the football, Port Melbourne extended their lead significantly by halftime, with the scoreline reading 7.8 (50) to 1.1 (7).

The Chargers continued to take charge in the second half, hitting a ﬁnal score of 13.10 (88) to Old Yarra’s 2.2 (14).

Port Melbourne coach Harriet Cooper attributed the win to their midﬁeld dominance and pressure around the ball, which provided the forwards with ample opportunities.

Cooper also commended the team’s intensity and teamwork, as well as their defensive efforts, highlighted by the forward pressure brought by Olivia Box and Amelie Kamberis, who helped to keep the ball locked in the Chargers’ forward half.

Star forward Georgia Harris claimed top spot in the league goal tally with another ﬁve-goal haul, while Charlie Pritchard also caught the coach’s attention, kicking two after moving up from the Reserves.

Back at their home ground for the ﬁrst time this year, Westbourne Grammarians celebrated “Family Day” with a 40-point win over Marcellin

A dominant ﬁrst quarter set Westbourne up for the win, with the home side kicking four unanswered goals in the ﬁrst term, much to the delight of coach Chris Grant.

“Our girls started the game very well which was great as it’s been a focus for us over the past few weeks. We gave our forwards plenty of opportunities early in the game and they were able to capitalise.”

Marcellin ﬁred up in the second term, whittling the margin back to 20 points before the main break, however, they were unable to maintain momentum in the second half, as Westbourne made the most of their time on home deck to win 8.15 (63) to 3.5 (23).

Flagging the focus on development for his side this year, Grant praised the performances of emerging young players, Sarah Dickie and Mia Graf, who had their best games of the season so far.

In front of goals, Stephanie Williams (2 goals) and Temeika Cathery (1 goal) starred for Westbourne, while Alana Pane, Maddy Rush and Zoe Glascott were the goal scorers for Marcellin.

Tania Carpinteri and Charlotte van der Vlies were the key performers for the Sheagles on the day.

After a heavy defeat in Round 4, St Bedes/Mentone Tigers had a bye to regroup and prepare for their Round 6 clash against Old Xaverians.

ROUND 4 TIPS

Port Melb Chargersv Old Brighton

Westbournev Old Melburnians

ROUND 5 RESULTS

PREMIER B WOMEN’S

Old Yarra Cobras: 1.1

Port Melbourne Chargers:

GOALS: Old Yarra Cobras: A. Murray 1, L. Moussa 1

GOALS: Port Melbourne Chargers: G. Harris 5, M. Clifford 3, A. Kamberis 2, C. Pritchard 2, O. Box 1

(14)

(88)

BEST: Old Yarra Cobras: A. Hitchcock, C. Moody, Y. Budic, L. Moussa, e. watson, C. Coleman

BEST: Port Melbourne Chargers: T. Clark, A. Kamberis, C. Pritchard, C. Millias, O. Box, G. Harris

Westbourne:

Marcellin:

GOALS: Westbourne: H. McMahon 2, S. Williams 2, S. Dickie 1, T. Cathery 1, C. Parnell 1, I. Choate 1

(63)

(23)

GOALS: Marcellin: A. Pane 1, Z. GLASCOTT 1, M. Rush 1

BEST: Westbourne: S. Dickie, m. graf, S. Williams, E. Kikidis, R. Sefton, T. Cathery

BEST: Marcellin: T. Carpinteri, C. van der Vlies, O. Frost, A. Xanthos, L. Robertson, A. Pane

Melburnians:

GOALS: Old Melburnians: S. Fraser 2, P. Harvey 1, E. Williams 1, Z. Mildenhall 1

GOALS: Old Xaverians:

BEST: Old Melburnians: E. Williams, S. Barnett, E. Fraser, E. Chamberlain, G. Dunlop, S. Fraser

BEST: Old Xaverians: M. Clarke, M. Poulton, S. Poulton, C. Chiarelli, I. Harries, O. Benston

GOALS: Old Brighton: I. Tait 3, C. George 3, A. Day 3, K. Grant 2, C. Hodgson 1

GOALS: MUWFC:

BEST: Old Brighton: I. Tait, K. Grant, S. Scott, A. Day, C. George, M. Mcgregor

BEST: MUWFC: M. Noack, E. Molnar, J. Collins, G. McDonald, B. Hudson, B. Hennessy

Harrison McIlwaine

A schoolboy’s stunning debut and a game of the year contender

Early dominance, sublime accuracy in front of goal and a best on ground performance from Jack Sullivan saw Mazenod handle Parkside, 17.5 (107) to 10.6 (66). After conceding the opening 5 goals of the match, Rick Frost’s Devils outﬁt were playing ‘catch up’, and were left frustrated by the ease with which Mazenod scored.

“Although our boys tried, Mazenod had some key forwards that got the job done, whereas we had to work hard for scoreboard pressure,” Frost explained.

Both coaches applauded Sullivan’s performance postmatch, with Nodders coach Peter Banﬁeld nominating Mitch D’Angelo and Jarrad Raffa as similarly strong contributors to the victory. Mick Romano and Max Balassone continued strong veins of form for Parkside, while livewire Matt Holden contributed 3 goals in the losing effort.

In Albert Park, schoolboy Phoenix Janover impressed in his senior debut for AJAX, with his three goals from the wing a telling factor in the Jackas’ 15.14 (104) to 9.14 (68) victory over PEGS. Lachlan Buszard’s men won all four quarters en route to their ﬁfth straight win to start their 2025 campaign.

Particularly exciting for Buszard is that Janover is the seventh debutant his side has blooded in the season’s early sledding. Exposing new players to the level, while remaining undefeated, coming off a successful campaign last year, bodes incredibly well for the storied club’s chances this season.

Adam Caplan starred up forward, scoring four goals, but what most pleased Buszard was another even spread of goalscoring contributors, with eight players kicking majors in the victory.

For PEGS, forward Jack Fenner was customarily productive up forward, supplying three of his side’s nine goals, while Mitch Baker-West drew Buszard’s praise as ‘one of the comp’s best mids’.

In a game of the year contender, St Bedes/Mentone Tigers survived an almighty scare from an improving Marcellin side.

At home, the Tigers trailed by as much as 29 points early in the second quarter, before kicking six of the next seven goals to head into the main break with scores level at 56.

5.1 to 3.3 in the third saw Marcellin take a 10-point advantage into the ﬁnal change, but territory dominance, on a ground the Tigers play extremely well, saw them reverse this margin in a tense ﬁnal quarter, with the match ending 17.14 (116) to 16.10 (106), in St Bedes/Mentone Tigers’ favour.

The result sees the Tigers stay nipping at the heels of the undefeated pair atop the ladder, while Marcellin sit in 8th, with plenty to take from the narrow defeat.

“It was a great game of footy – a real credit to both teams,” said Eagles coach Bernie Dineen. “We went there (Brindisi St) with a clear purpose, having trained elements of getting the game on our terms.”

Dineen credits dedicated time to both individual and collective craft with his side’s improving output. “Our ball movement, team defence, stoppage and kick-in methods are all a work in progress, but we’re seeing growth.”

Heading into the fixture on a two-game losing streak, Dineen alluded to a focus on having his side’s worst be closer to its best. “Our theme on the weekend was lifting the floor, not the ceiling, and we got real buy-in from the players around that,” he finished.

Selection integrity is about to become real for the Eagles, in a manner Dineen hasn’t experienced throughout his early tenure in Bulleen. Between three and six players are in line for returns over the next fortnight, particularly favourable ahead of what, on paper, appear to be winnable ﬁxtures, although that’s not something the experienced coach subscribes to. “I preach utmost respect for every opponent, and we’re not getting ahead of ourselves,” he espoused.

Another team remaining committed to growth is Beaumaris, who ran out 48-point victors over Prahran. The 14.14 (101) to 8.5 (53) result pleased coach Josh Bourke, who has steered his Sharks to a winning record, after starting the season 1-2.

A depleted Two Blues side continue to comport themselves admirably, drawing Bourke’s praise. “They did a fantastic job taking some things away from us…they were ultimately quite impressive and physically combative, and really, except for some periods of heavy scoring, it was quite a tight game,” he said.

Regarding his own side, Bourke adds, “We feel like we’re getting into our season which is exciting – starting to clarify and rectify some things we had to work on. (We are) certainly remaining in a learning phase, looking to improve weekly.” Riley Virtue was praised for his impact, while Tom O’Rourke and Callum Linehan were also afforded mentions in Bourke’s post-match.

Guy Martyn lamented the effect of ‘patches’ last week, and again this week, one quarter has condemned his Glen Eira/ Old McKinnon side to a loss. In touching distance of the Parkdale Vultures at quarter time, the Gryphons conceded 5.4 in the second stanza, while registering a solitary behind of their own, with this 33-point difference, larger than the game’s ﬁnal margin. Martyn’s side steadied, winning the second half, but losing the match, 14.14 (98) to 10.10 (70).

Four goals from returning Vultures weapon Mitch Brown were enough for most on the ground at Packer Park, with Brown one of ten goalscorers for coach Owen Lalor on the day. The win marks the third time in the season’s opening ﬁve matches that the Vultures have had 10 or more goalscorers, emphasising their scoring prowess. The Vultures are also the only side to register more than 600 points so far this season; another feather in Lalor’s cap.

In Round 6, Beaumaris host Mazenod, Parkside welcome AJAX to Alphington and Marcellin host Glen Eira/Old McKinnon in Bulleen. Prahran heads to the Vultures Nest at Gerry Green Reserve, where a red-hot Parkdale will be waiting, and PEGS travel to St Bedes/Mentone Tigers.

ROUND 6 TIPS

Beaumarisv Mazenod

Parksideq v AJAX

Marcellinv Glen Eira

Parkdale Vulturesv Prahran

Bedes/Mentonev PEGS

ROUND 5 RESULTS

PREMIER C MEN’S

GOALS: Glen Eira / Old McKinnon: S. Bass 3, J. French 3, S. O‚ÄôBrien 2, C. Kadish 1, N. Pruscino 1

GOALS: Parkdale Vultures: M. Brown 4, K. Day 2, R. Macdermid 1, H. Lynch 1, H. Wright 1, M. Phillips 1, N. Sullivan 1, L. Castle 1, C. Howell 1, D. Brown 1

BEST: Glen Eira / Old McKinnon: J. French, R. Weidemann, D. McDonald, C. Kadish, J. Chilcott, D. Irvine

BEST: Parkdale Vultures: L. Marshall, M. Emmanouil, D. Brown, J. Ricco, N. Sullivan, L. Bailey

Mazenod:

Parkside:

GOALS: Mazenod: H. Boyce 4, J. Raffa 3, S. Lovell 3, M. D‚ÄôAngelo 3, J. McCluskey 2, D. Byrne 1, M. Whiting 1

(107)

(66)

GOALS: Parkside: M. Holden 3, M. Lawson 2, J. Moylan 2, M. Romano 1, C. Lawson 1, H. Kenny 1

BEST: Mazenod: M. D‚ÄôAngelo, J. Sullivan, F. Ford, S. Lovell, J. Hall, J. Raffa

BEST: Parkside: M. Holden, L. Logozzo, L. Caldwell, M. Balassone, H. Kenny, L. Talalla

AJAX:

(104)

GOALS: AJAX: A. Caplan 4, P. Janover 3, T. Sheezel 2, J. Vogel 2, S. Hendler 1, N. Lewis 1, L. Siegel 1, T. Marabel-Whitburn 1

GOALS: PEGS: J. Fenner 3, M. Baker-West 1, D. Nesci 1, J. Young 1, D. Pleban 1, B. Roach 1, O. Bales 1

BEST: AJAX: M. Chrapot, A. Caplan, J. Vogel, P. Janover, B. Efron, T. Lipton

BEST: PEGS: R. Stathis, M. Luisetto, D. Nesci, J. Akhurst, C. Livori, B. Roach

GOALS: St Bedes/Mentone: B. Murphy 4, X. Russo 3, J. Behnk 2, S. Buck 2, M. Sullivan 1, N. Taylor 1, L. Hanson 1, J. Harding 1, f. groves 1, J. Ryder 1

GOALS: Marcellin: L. Rush 6, J. Daniel 2, J. McArdle 2, J. Robertson 2, S. Tyquin 1, J. May 1, P. Howe 1

BEST: St Bedes/Mentone: L. Palfrey, D. Fountain, J. Behnk, B. Murphy, J. Harding, S. Buck

BEST: Marcellin: L. Rush, P. Howe, J. McCarthy, J. Daniel, M. Gigliotti, J. Harrowell

Prahran:

GOALS: Prahran: J. Stefanutti 3, P. Marks 2, R. Hogan 1, M. Clifford 1, J. Simonetta 1

GOALS: Beaumaris: C. Heath 10, T. Spencer 2, J. Weightman 2, J. Florent 2, M. Harms 2, J. Trew 1, T. O‚ÄôRourke 1, P. Pecer 1

BEST: Prahran: M. Mayne, R. Hogan, B. Chapman, P. Marks, J. Stefanutti, D. Brousse de laborde

BEST: Beaumaris: J. Weightman, M. Harms, T. Spencer, C. Heath, R. Virtue, P. Pecer

PREMIER C MEN’S RESERVES

Prahran:

Beaumaris:

GOALS: Prahran: M. Juricic 2, S. Bach 1

(21)

(138)

GOALS: Beaumaris: M. Kornberg 5, L. Daniels 5, Z. Gorsuch 2, A. Baruhas 2, A. Marcombe 2, M. Cartwright 2, J. Davidson 1, N. Plevritis 1, R. Whitehouse 1

BEST: Prahran: T. Loomes, B. Graham, P. Ahern, T. Beddison, C. O’Sullivan, M. Hughes

BEST: Beaumaris: J. Challands, M. Cartwright, L. Daniels, B. Forster, B. Young, N. Plevritis

Glen Eira / Old McKinnon:

Parkdale Vultures:

GOALS: Glen Eira / Old McKinnon: F. O‚ÄôDonnell 2, G. O’Donnell 1, T. Dobson 1

(26)

(146)

GOALS: Parkdale Vultures: J. Brown 3, J. Hesline 3, A. Stefanec 3, D. Williamson 3, B. Dillon 2, N. Petty 2, A. Bartel 1, N. Farnbach 1, C. Williamson 1, B. Macdermid 1, B. Austin 1

BEST: Glen Eira / Old McKinnon: j. hattingh, J. Ludik, T. Clayson, F. O‚ÄôDonnell, T. Shalev, A. Hunter

BEST: Parkdale Vultures: A. Stefanec, A. Haverfield, J. Hesline, J. Brown, A. Kenny, N. Petty Mazenod: 2.1

(97)

GOALS: Mazenod: M. Boyce 5, A. Palleschi 4, J. Mucha 3, A. Rubino 1, J. Telford-Coy 1, J. Smith 1

GOALS: Parkside: Z. Blay 3, J. Manthorpe 2, C. Cotter 1, A. McEvoy 1, P. Vlahos 1

BEST: Mazenod: K. Tellis, J. Mucha, M. Boyce, A. Rubino, A. Palleschi, D. Huggins

BEST: Parkside: A. Bianchi, A. McEvoy, Z. Blay, A. Wells, P. Vlahos, A. Balassone

GOALS: AJAX: J. Fibishenko 5, N. Micmacher 3, C. Wasbutzki 2, Z. Nissen 2, T. Kavallero 1, M. Lincoln 1, B. Caplan 1, D. Rothschild 1, J. Tonkin 1, J. Nirens 1

GOALS: PEGS: T. Cartwright 1, B. Murphy 1, E. Caddeo 1

BEST: AJAX: B. Caplan, R. Herman, J. Fibishenko, O. Sormann, O. Tobias, T. Kavallero

BEST: PEGS: L. Nimorakiotakis, L. Flaherty, D. Cooke, C. Lawlor-McNamara, A. Carlini, l. leeds St Bedes/Mentone:

GOALS: St Bedes/Mentone: E. Hale 5, N. Hughes 3, T. Grech 3, J. Cain 3, A. Barba 1, L. Carey 1, L. Bowles 1, S. Beasley 1

GOALS: Marcellin: L. Carletti 1, H. May 1, A. Radatti 1

BEST: St Bedes/Mentone: N. Hughes, E. Swain, K. Thomson, K. Chandler, L. Ritter, M. Arthur

BEST: Marcellin: P. Bourke, S. Billinge, L. Mackie, J. Keenan, S. Bartholomeusz, C. Kemp

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

Fevolution sparks Masala

Last Saturday saw the largest crowd ever assembled for a Masala Dandenong home game, when former AFL superstar Brendan Fevola & pop superstar Guy Sebastian pulled on the yellow & black for the Tigers’ Thirds, after the club was selected in a FOX FM ‘Fiﬁ, Fev & Nick’ breakfast radio promotion. Thousands turned up to witness Fev at his brilliant best, booting 6 goals as the team rebounded from a 229-point loss the previous week to win a 2-point thriller over South Melbourne Districts in what turned out to be an incredible celebration of VAFA community footy.

Kew FC Black Dog Institute Function/Match

Last weekend, Kew Football Club hosted their charity round in memoriam of Danny Delbridge, a member of one of Kew’s most committed families, who sadly passed away in 2013 after a battle with MND.

The round supports a different charity every year, with the Senior Men and Women both wearing specially crafted jumpers from the colours of the charity of choice. This year, the Black Dog Institute was chosen as the major partner for the day. Considering the huge weight mental health has had on the football world and beyond, this felt like a crucial choice. The day itself includes a Mother’s Day Luncheon with all 6 teams playing at home. At the conclusion of the day, there is an auctioning of the custom jumpers held in the clubrooms with all donations from the day going towards the charity.

HOLMESGLEN U19’S REPORT

Callum Farquhar

Top four battle heats up as De La Salle puts league on notice

The race for a spot inside the top four is already heating up in Holmesglen Under 19 Premier as the restructured division becomes as competitive as ever.

Williamstown CYMS and Hampton are no longer in the Premier competition following last week’s regrading across the VAFA, meaning just eight sides are battling for a position inside the top four.

St Kevin’s are one side forging a strong case for September action, and have continued their hot start to the season with yet another triple-ﬁgure win over Caulﬁeld Grammarians

SKOBS’ defence was as stingy as it has been all year, holding the Fields to just one goal at the main break, although the play was scrappy as the two sides kicked the dew of the turf in an early morning start with a waterlogged football.

St Kevin’s coach Paul Greenham said that the game “opened up” after halftime, as his side went on to score another 13 goals, while Caulﬁeld improved their conversion rate in their forward half as well.

Ultimately, St Kevin’s recorded a 118-point win, but Greenham admitted the Fields were still admirable in defeat.

“I could really see what (Caulﬁeld Grammarians coach) Cooper Rule is trying to instil into his very young Caulﬁeld side. They play a pretty good brand of footy,” Greenham said.

“At the end of the day, I was really happy with our ferocity at the ball and opposition for four quarters.”

Johnathon Gambaro provided first use to St Kevin’s’ midfielders through his hitouts to advantage in the ruck, earning him player of the game, while Lucas May kicked six goals to become the comp’s new goalkicking leader. Lucas Riseley was Caulfield’s best.

After managing just a slim quarter-time lead, Old Brighton would make light work of ﬁnals contender University Blues to maintain their undefeated record this season.

The Tonners led by just eight points at the end of the ﬁrst term, but a second quarter deemed to be the side’s “best

quarter of footy for the year” by coach Travis O’Donohue set the wheels in motion for an emphatic victory.

Spearheaded by skipper George Hill in the midﬁeld, the Tonners kicked nine second-quarter goals to one in a scary display for opposing onlookers. Boasting quality inclusions of Bailey McKenzie, a VFL-listed member of the Sandringham Dragons, and Oli Goodger, the pair combined for seven goals on gameday.

The Uni Blues continued to battle in patches, with William Furphy and Rudy Webster each kicking multiple goals, but Old Brighton were unstoppable in full ﬂight, claiming a 78-point victory by the ﬁnal siren.

Meanwhile, De La Salle ofﬁcially put the league on notice and made a statement loud and clear – don’t rule us out.

De La currently sits second-lowest on the ladder, but a comprehensive away victory over Old Xaverians has shaken up the general consensus of who the top teams are this season.

De La Salle lost last week by a mere ﬁve points to Caulﬁeld, which remains their only win thus far, however that performance was quickly avenged a week later against a formidable Old Xaverians side.

The game was quickly on De La Salle’s terms, opening up a 26-point lead at quarter time, before continuing to grow the margin out to 38 at halftime.

Arguably De La Salle’s most complete four-quarter performance this season, they held off the Xavs’ ﬁred up third term following the halftime break, before breaking the dam wall in the last to kick six goals to one behind.

Jody Cripps, Mark Higginbotham, and Joshua Stewart all kicked three in the 78-point win, with the spread of goalkickers highlighting the whole team effort.

Darcy Pelz kicked two goals for the Xavs while Will Gossan was deemed their best on ground.

A brave effort by St Bedes/Mentone Tigers has seen Old Scotch only narrowly avoid their ﬁrst defeat of season 2025, claiming a 16-point win to remain ladder leaders after ﬁve weeks of action.

The Tigers entered the game with one of their youngest squads for the year, featuring ﬁve 17-year-olds on the park, but immediately took it right up to the benchmark of the competition.

SBMT trailed by just 11 at quarter-time and at the half, with coach Paul McCormack stating that the Tigers were holding up well defensively.

“The game was played between the arcs and although they had nine more shots, we deﬁnitely defended them well with loads of rushed ball,” McCormack said.

That defence continued into the second half, as Old Scotch’s lead reduced to just six points, providing St Bedes with a glimmer of hope that an unbelievable upset could be achieved.

The Tigers charged out of the three-quarter-time huddle as the start of the ﬁnal term went goal for goal. SBMT managed to snare a rare lead with 10 minutes remaining, and suddenly pressure turned to the ladder leaders to make their move.

However, the firepower of the Cardinals came to fruition late, as they peppered the goals with nine scoring shots in the final term, and despite the Tigers’ defensive prowess, Old Scotch regained the lead and held on for their fifth win of the year.

The Cardinals remain in top spot, while the other undefeated pair in St Kevin’s and Old Brighton follow behind in second and third. Fourth place is well and truly up for grabs however, as the Uni Blues hold just a one game advantage over ﬁfth through seventh, with St Bedes/Mentone, Old Xaverians and De La Salle all sitting with two wins and three losses.

In Round 6 action, SBMT will be tasked with an attempt to upset yet another undefeated side in the Tonners, although they’ll have home advantage this week.

Uni Blues will be hoping to avoid a third straight defeat as they take on Old Scotch for the second time in three weeks. The Blues will be desperate to make up for their fourth quarter efforts in Round 4 after they squandered a solid three-quarter-time advantage last time they met.

De La Salle host St Kevin’s for their second matchup for the year, while Old Xavs and Caulﬁeld meet for the ﬁrst time at Toorak Park.

ROUND 6 TIPS

St Bedes/Mentone Tigers v Old Brighton University Bluesv Old Scotch De La Salle v St Kevin’s

ROUND 5 RESULTS

HOLMESGLEN U19 PREMIER MEN’S

St Kevin’s:

Caulfield Grammarians:

GOALS: St Kevin’s: L. May 6, N. Nankervis 3, B. Palmer 3, D. Tomarchio 3, J. Morice 2, J. Kerr 1, B. Cantwell 1, T. Fernandes 1, H. Noble 1, N. Spiteri 1, T. Conlan 1

GOALS: Caulfield Grammarians: j. fountain 2, J. Smith 1, L. Turner 1, A. Ioannidis 1

BEST: St Kevin’s: J. Gambaro, J. Kerr, E. Burley, D. Tomarchio, T. Bromhead, N. Nankervis

BEST: Caulfield Grammarians: L. Riseley, H. Dawson, H. Dyt, W. Allen, E. Gibb, H. Lane

Old Brighton:

University Blues:

GOALS: Old Brighton: B. McKenzie 5, T. Keyte 3, O. Goodger 2, A. Langworthy 2, t. farrell 1, J. Thomas 1, H. Richey 1, l. robinson 1, j. farrell 1

GOALS: University Blues: R. Webster 2, W. Furphy 2, J. Robinson 1

BEST: Old Brighton: G. Hill, C. Dowe, B. McKenzie, O. Newstead, A. Langworthy, Z. Garrett

BEST: University Blues: G. Walker, W. Vavallo, J. Robinson, W. Furphy, C. Hogan, R. Webster

Old Xaverians:

GOALS: Old Xaverians: d. pelz 2, M. Lightbody 1, G. Forrest 1, A. Hewitt 1

GOALS: De La Salle: M. Higginbotham 3, J. Cripps 3, J. Stewart 3, P. Russell 2, A. Margerison 1, J. Murray 1, E. Sawade 1, J. Fisicaro 1, c. mackie 1

BEST: Old Xaverians: W. Gossan, A. Rizzo, H. Glass, d. pelz, T. Hansen, N. Betts

BEST: De La Salle: P. Russell, L. Breguet, J. Stewart, c. mackie, H. Sheedy, M. Higginbotham

Bedes/Mentone:

GOALS: Old Scotch: T. Wenzel 2, R. Neville-Smith 2, N. Macmillan 1, A. Johnson 1, A. Sellers 1, S. Hunter 1, C. Hume 1, T. Meggitt 1, K. Greville 1

GOALS: St Bedes/Mentone: J. Robinson 3, J. McCormack 2, J. Meredith 1, J. Trumble 1, A. Duke 1, A. Shepherdson 1, J. Pugsley 1

BEST: Old Scotch: M. Mayes, W. Verge, A. Sellers, R. Neville-Smith, A. Johnson, G. Coldwell

BEST: St Bedes/Mentone: A. Shepherdson, J. McCormack, R. Fernando, L. Napier, A. Lamb, A. Duke

DIVISION 1 MEN’S

Raj Johnston

Kew drop their first in a dominant Preston display

The biggest storyline in the Division 1 competition this weekend was Kew losing top spot on the ladder after being defeated by the Preston Bullants. This leaves Ormond as the only remaining undefeated side to date, whilst at the other end of the ladder, the Monash Blues and Elsternwick, who both copped heavy defeats on the weekend just gone, are still searching for their ﬁrst win.

Kew suffered their ﬁrst loss of the season at the hands of the Preston Bullants, going down by 18 points. Preston dominated this game from the get go with the ﬁrst four goals going their way to bank a healthy 26-point lead at quarter-time.

Kew responded swiftly in the second term to build up a narrow lead at half-time, whilst the third quarter belonged to the Bullants who successfully converted inside 50 through the big sticks. It was clear at this stage that there was a “scoring end” at Victoria Park with ﬁfteen of the eighteen goals before three quarter-time being kicked at one particular end.

Unfortunately for Kew, they failed to capitalise on this statistic in the last quarter as the Bullants carried themselves home to the ﬁnal siren and claimed the four points.

A high-scoring affair at Scammell Reserve saw Oakleigh defeat UHS-VU by 20 points. The tone was set early on as both sides battled it out in a close first quarter with plenty of goals scored. UHS-VU edged ahead in the second term to be 19-points ahead at quarter-time, but the momentum turned in the third quarter as Oakleigh reduced their deficit to just 5-points, setting up a thrilling final quarter.

Oakleigh kicked an early goal in the fourth, and whilst UHS-VU quickly retaliated with one of their own, it was Oakleigh who owned the game from thereon in, ﬁnding their way in front and building their lead to win this match.

Luke Ashen continued his stellar season with seven goals to his name, whilst Brandon Jackson of UHS-VU deserves recognition for his six goals.

The Monash Blues had a tough day out, thrashed by an undefeated Ormond by 83 points. Ormond established their dominance from the early stages of this game, kicking seven goals to two in the ﬁrst quarter.

To Monash’s credit, they didn’t drop their heads and kept Ormond accountable in the second term as both sides matched each other on the scoreboard, but unfortunately, they couldn’t back those efforts up in the second half as Ormond surged out of the centre and time and time again scored goals, whilst the Blues only managed two more majors for the remainder of the day.

Despite their defeat, Andre Headberry was critical for Monash with four goals, whilst Samuel Bailey of Ormond kicked four goals of his own to take his tally this season to sixteen goals.

Old Peninsula notched up their fourth win of 2025 with an 89-point thrashing of Therry Penola. The Pirates started this game strong with a dominant showing right throughout the ﬁrst half to be up by 40-points at the main break.

They extended this lead in the third-quarter as Therry Penola struggled to stop their scoring opportunities, and brought the game home comfortably in the ﬁnal quarter with seven goals to two.

Bailey Payze impressed with eight goals for the Pirates, as did their captain George Fletcher with ﬁve of his own. Nathan Thomas, Damien Watson and Jarrod Egglestone were amongst the best players for Therry Penola.

The biggest margin in Round 5 saw Elsternwick fall victim to Brunswick by an emphatic 103 points in a re-match of last year’s Division 2 Grand Final. Brunswick started on top with seven goals to none in the ﬁrst term, leaving Elsternwick with a lot of work to do.

Elsternwick found the goals twice in the second term but it was clear the momentum carried with Brunswick whose fast start provided them a major mental advantage. The third quarter was similar with Brunswick continuing to ﬁnd ways to edge ahead.

Ultimately, Brunswick’s full four quarter effort was too much for Elsternwick to catch up on as Brunswick surged home in the ﬁnal quarter to win comfortably and push themselves up to 6th on the ladder. For the winning side, Oscar Watt and Joe Gale starred with six and ﬁve goals respectively.

DIVISION 1 WOMEN’S

Annie Ireland

The Vultures join Div 1 as the competition gets a shakeup

Round 5 saw Division 1 Women’s welcome the Parkdale Vultures to the competition after a regrading round. Parkdale have previously been playing in the Prem B comp but were winless to start their season and will be looking to start getting some wins on the board in Div 1. However, it was not the start the Vultures were looking for as they suffered a 53 defeat at the hands of Glen Eira/Old McKinnon.

Parkdale Vultures managed just one goal for the game, whilst Glen Eira/Old McKinnon piled on 9.8. After kicking 2.16 last weekend, it was a much-improved performance in front of goal for the Gryphons and something the team will want to continue improving as the season goes on. Monash currently sit ahead of the Gryphs purely based on percentage points, so they’ll want to start piling on some accurate performances if they are to move up to ﬁrst.

Sophie Goddard, Ellie Wilson and Charlotte Pate were best on for Parkdale on a tough day. Eleni Nicholls and Eliza Morrison were both impressive for the Gryphs with two goals apiece.

Parkdale will be hoping to get on the board for 2025 next week against Power House, whilst the Gryphs will host the Blues in what could be a grand ﬁnal preview and certainly on paper looks like match of the season.

Power House recorded their second win of the season, defeating Richmond Central by 19 points. It was an even game until the last quarter, with Power House capitalizing on their 10-point lead, piling on 2.3 in the ﬁnal quarter to run out victorious. Richmond would be disappointed with the loss, now coming off three close losses in a row.

Zoe Uwland was best on ground for Power House for the third week in a row, this week recording a handy goal as well. Georgia McHolmes and Sinead Doorley also had strong performances. For Richmond- Claire Kirwan, Tenille Moselen and Georgia Harris were impressive.

Next up, Power House will host Parkdale whilst Richmond will play Whitefriars away.

Hampton Rovers continued their strong run of form, defeating Whitefriars by 24 points. It was a strong performance all round, holding Whitefriars to just two points in the ﬁrst half whilst they piled on ﬁve goals straight to set up the game. Both teams managed just one goal in the second half, highlighting there are areas needed to improve upon in order to complete a strong four quarter performance.

Hollie Brodribb and Chelsea Bowen both had two goals each to be amongst the best for the Rovers.

Toni Robb and Rhiann Sterry were strong for Whitefriars, whilst captain Clare Fernandes and Ciara Knight kicked their only goals.

Next up Hampton will host Therry Penola as they look to continue their climb up the ladder, with the winner of that game to secure fourth on the ladder. Whitefriars will host Richmond Central with both teams looking for their second win of the season.

Oakleigh recorded an impressive win over Therry Penola, running out 29-point victors. This game looked like it would be a lot closer on paper, however Oakleigh were the stronger team on the day.

A strong ﬁrst half saw Oakleigh kick 5.2, compared to the Lions’ 2.2. Whilst the Lions needed to overcome a threegoal deﬁcit, they were wayward in front of goal, kicking four behinds in the second half which ultimately saw the game get away from them.

Sienna Bernardo continued her strong season, being mentioned in the best players for the ﬁfth time this year and kicking her ﬁrst goal of the season. Jasmine Ballestrin was also impressive and took her goal tally to eight for the year.

Captain Eliza German was impressive in defeat for the Lions.

DIVISION 2 MEN’S

Lincoln Tracy

Freak accident sees top-of-the-table clash cut short

The matchup between ladder leaders Whitefriars and Old Yarra Cobras was abandoned part way through the second quarter after a player fell awkwardly during a marking contest.

The injured Old Yarra player, who sustained a badly broken arm, required treatment from paramedics and was taken to Box Hill Hospital, where he underwent surgery on Sunday.

“We’re shattered for him,” said Cobras coach Nathan Monaco. “It was his ﬁrst game of seniors in over a year; he didn’t get a crack last year and had just worked his way back into the team. Footy’s just not fair sometimes.”

Both coaches praised how players and umpires handled the immediate aftermath of the accident.

“The umpires controlled the situation really well,” said Whitefriars coach Lucas Matthews. “It’s a tough situation with lots of emotions happening, but the way they handled things was ﬁrst rate.”

The match had been hotly contested prior to the incident, with the lead changing four times as neither team led by more than two straight kicks.

“It looked like both teams were up for it, it was a pretty high standard of footy with very different game styles,” said Monaco.

The match will be classiﬁed as a draw as the match was timed out in the ﬁrst half.

Canterbury was bought back to Earth after registering their ﬁrst win of the season last week, going down to West Brunswick by 88 points at Ransford Oval.

Magpies coach Regan Tait said his charges took some time to understand how Canterbury tried to move the ball before his side were able to get the game on their own terms, and that all their pre-season work was starting to pay off.

Tait highlighted the efforts of Joel Krauss of half back (“I don’t think he dropped a single intercept mark”) and Conor Fowler on the wing (“he was everywhere; there wasn’t a disputed ball that he wasn’t anywhere near”).

St John’s and MHSOB played a high-scoring thriller at Thomas Carroll Reserve, with the JOC’s overcoming a ﬁve-point deﬁcit at three quarter time to win by 14 points.

The Unicorns got out to a 24-point lead partway through the third quarter before two goals in quick succession to Harvey Emery got St John’s back in the game. The JOC’s continued to ride the wave of momentum after three quarter time, kicking four goals in the ﬁrst 10 minutes of the ﬁnal quarter to take a 19-point lead – one they would not relinquish.

St John’s coach Tim Edwards felt his team responded well to the challenge he had thrown down going into the game.

“It’s a long way back from one and four, so I put a lot on the guys and told them that while we’ve played some tough opponents, this was where we need to draw the line if they wanted to have a crack this year. And they never gave up, even when we got four goals down,” he said.

The two teams were accurate in front of goal, resulting in just the second game this season where both teams scored more than 100 points.

Unicorns coach Bernie Pretty said the high-scoring nature of the game was the result of both teams attacking well with ball in hand but defending poorly without it.

“The accuracy you can see on the scoreboard reﬂects both teams having really good opportunities to score goals. It wasn’t a case of dumb luck – both teams were scoring from between the point posts,” he said.

South Melbourne Districts broke their run of four consecutive losses and claimed their ﬁrst victory of 2025 with an 82-point win over Hawthorn

After an even opening stanza that saw South Melbourne take a four-point lead into quarter time, the remaining three quarters opened up somewhat as the Bloods extended their lead to 18 points at the main break and 41 points at three quarter time.

South Melbourne coach Nick Abbott was understandably pleased with the result, chalking the victory up to continuity among the playing group and holding their structure throughout the match.

ROUND 5 RESULTS

DIVISION 2 MEN’S

West Brunswick:

Canterbury:

“But now is the time where we need to continue to build and improve each week,” Abbott said.

St Mary’s Salesian bounced back after last week’s narrow loss to MHSOB, defeating Aquinas by 82 points on the back of a 10 goal to none second half.

Saints’ coach Clay Tait was pleased to see his team return to their run-and-carry style of play, rather than looking to kick long down the line when moving the ball forward.

“Aquinas came out and competed really well… We probably had a bit more control over the game than what the scoreboard suggested – we just didn’t convert in the ﬁrst quarter. But we didn’t panic,” he said.

Tait named ruckman Matt Douglas, who was playing his ﬁrst senior game in a number of years, among the team’s best.

Aquinas coach Craig Glennie said his side defended well in the ﬁrst half but were unable to sustain the effort as the game went on. The Bloods are now the only winless team in Division 2, having lost their ﬁve matches this season by an average of 93 points.

Round 6 sees the top four teams square off against each other, with West Brunswick looking to continue their strong home form against Old Yarra Cobras, while St Mary’s Salesian will welcome Whitefriars to Ferndale Park. Elsewhere, MHSOB will look to get back on the winners list when they host bottom-of-the-table Aquinas, South Melbourne travel to Canterbury to play the Cobras, and St John’s face off against Hawthorn.

ROUND 6 TIPS

West Brunswick v Old Yarra Cobras

St Mary’s Salesian v Whitefriars

MHSOBv Aquinas

Canterburyv South Melbourne Districts

St John’sv Hawthorn

(45)

GOALS: West Brunswick: H. Fithall 6, I. Rossi 3, B. Irving 2, D. Ferrier 2, C. Fowler 1, C. Ralph 1, H. McKendry 1, B. Ward 1, J. Hyslop 1, H. Paez 1, B. Ablett 1

GOALS: Canterbury: C. McCann 1, J. Smith 1, F. Castle 1, M. Topp 1, J. Roe 1, r. walmsley 1

BEST: West Brunswick: I. Rossi, H. Fithall, C. Fowler, J. Krauss, B. Ablett, H. McKendry

BEST: Canterbury: M. Topp, m. wheeler, r. walmsley, M. Szabo, S. Gotch, N. Beacom

Hawthorn:

Melbourne:

GOALS: Hawthorn: J. Kenny 2, P. Edgar 2, S. Eqbal 2, D. Quattro 1

GOALS: South Melbourne: A. Murphy 5, T. Rivers 4, H. Sinclair-Stanley 3, A. Dinler 2, B. Bajram 2, T. Bouwman 1, C. Jacoby 1, H. Twigg 1

BEST: Hawthorn: P. Edgar, T. Ktenas, H. Lewis, C. Loorham, T. McMaster, C. Fraser

BEST: South Melbourne: C. Jacoby, A. Murphy, T. Murrihy, B. Bajram, T. Rivers, V. Armenia

John’s:

GOALS: St John’s: M. Barry 6, H. Emery 4, J. Mourant 3, D. Abou-Karroum 2, B. Ayache 2, J. Ely 1, T. Siposs 1, K. Seing 1, C. Ely 1

GOALS: MHSOB: M. Pereira 4, W. Hellier 3, T. Golz 3, N. McKinnon 2, L. Judd 2, Y. Gunawardena 1, L. Littore 1, J. Lees 1, A. Mourtikas 1, B. Swenson 1

BEST: St John’s: M. Barry, N. Beer, C. Ely, K. Khodr, T. Siposs, J. Ely

BEST: MHSOB: R. Rae, A. Clarke, W. Hellier, M. Pereira, N. McKinnon, T. Golz

St Mary’s Salesian:

GOALS: St Mary’s Salesian: T. Ryan 4, H. Macmillan 3, M. Rao 2, J. Contencin 2, B. Tricarico 2, L. Russell 1, A. Stork 1

GOALS: Aquinas: D. Malvaso 1, J. Baxter 1, H. Flack 1

BEST: St Mary’s Salesian: T. Ryan, N. Evans, M. Douglas, J. Salloum, M. Baysinger, E. Bourke

BEST: Aquinas: D. Hieber, L. Robb, H. Flack, Z. Barnfield, T. Hogg, J. Clinton

Whitefriars: ABANDONED

Old Yarra Cobras: ABANDONED

DIVISION 2 MEN’S RESERVES

Whitefriars:

Old Yarra Cobras:

(102)

(65)

GOALS: Whitefriars: J. Berry 4, L. Stanborough 3, N. Geilman 2, M. Hardman 2, B. Galtieri 2, L. Garlick 1, K. Perrin 1

GOALS: Old Yarra Cobras: Z. MCLEOD 2, D. Esdaile 2, J. Buswell 1, F. King 1, A. Papatheodorou 1, C. Ambatzis 1, T. Endicott 1

BEST: Whitefriars: J. Guley, B. Galtieri, V. Midolo, T. Warrick, L. Stanborough, C. Skien

BEST: Old Yarra Cobras: Z. MCLEOD, S. Brown, A. Papatheodorou, M. Tsalikis, J. O’Neill, J. Allsop Hawthorn:

GOALS: Hawthorn: M. Zavarella 3, L. Morrison 2, L. Mercorillo 1, J. Johnston 1, T. Atchison 1, S. Neohoritis 1

GOALS: South Melbourne: J. Paxton 3, D. Carston 2, C. Geason 2, N. Wilson 2, C. Clancy 2, L. Galea 1, T. Seccombe 1, T. Dunne 1, N. Thomas 1, C. Brugeaud 1

BEST: Hawthorn: L. Mercorillo, S. Luth, M. Zavarella, E. Bendtsen, L. Morrison, C. Hicks

BEST: South Melbourne: C. Brugeaud, M. Bigwood, O. Edwards, M. Bennett, D. Carston

West Brunswick:

Canterbury:

(147)

GOALS: West Brunswick: C. Naldrett 6, T. Cottrell 4, M. Hofstein 3, S. Pritchard 3, A. Tilley 2, R. Blakers 1, C. Clery 1, M. Benstead 1, J. Beer 1

GOALS: Canterbury: S. Hill 1, P. Brenchley 1

BEST: West Brunswick: C. Naldrett, T. Cottrell, L. Keily, D. McMahon, G. Makabory, A. Tilley

BEST: Canterbury: T. Robinson, P. Brenchley, S. Hill, Z. Taylor, M. O‚ÄôMahony, D. Bell St John’s:

GOALS: St John’s: A. Unger 4, J. Proctor 1, K. Newland 1, J. Rudd 1, I. Anderson 1

GOALS: MHSOB: M. Fennessy-Kent 4, J. Lake 4, N. Anaan 3, D. Epa 2, A. Stikoltzik 2, L. Roughton 1, M. McLean 1, M. Eshwara 1, L. Stone 1

BEST: St John’s: D. Clark, J. Rudd, D. Allan, A. Unger, T. Heins, I. Anderson

BEST: MHSOB: N. Anaan, L. Stone, G. Beet, A. Nair, M. Giarracca, O. Seelander

St Mary’s Salesian: 4.4

(58)

GOALS: St Mary’s Salesian: Z. Gucciardo 4, B. Mcnally 3, J. Barrie 2, T. Coyle 1, L. Mcandrew 1, N. Bainbridge 1, M. Herbert-Morgan 1

GOALS: Aquinas: B. Redfern 2, J. Mccormack 1, L. Koetsier 1

BEST: St Mary’s Salesian: L. Turnbull, L. Mcandrew, L. Turner, N. Bainbridge, Z. Gucciardo, M. Herbert-Morgan

BEST: Aquinas: J. Mccormack, B. Redfern, N. Wright, N. Lawrence, T. Crouch, T. Kinghorn

DIVISION 2 WOMEN’S

Lachie Moir

Hawks hit the ground running in Division 2

The regrading has thrown up some new matchups across many divisions this weekend. The Division 2 Women’s competition welcomed two new sides into the league in Hawthorn and Coburg.

Hawthorn kicked off life in Division 2 with a bang, downing Aquinas by 8 points at Rathmines Road Reserve. A dynamic ﬁnal term from the Hawks saw them boot four goals and run away from Aquinas. Tessa Bodin was impressive for the home side, kicking three goals and putting in a true captain’s performance.

The Hawks will be relishing the division change, notching up their first win of the year. Aquinas still remains winless this season, in desperate need of their first win to boost the side’s confidence. Leading in many different stages of their games this season outlines how they have the players and system to win games of footy. They’ll be looking to snatch their long-awaited first victory when they travel to Gillon Oval to face Brunswick in Round 6.

Old Carey was ultra impressive against La Trobe, recording an important 11-point win away from home. Opposition head coach Samantha Greene was full of praise for the Panthers, impressed with their improvement. “Old Carey were one of the best teams we have seen and have had big improvement between the off-season,” Greene said.

Unable to handle the dew conditions early, La Trobe struggled to remain clean around the ball, suffering from some unfortunate turnovers. The Panthers were able to adapt to the conditions a little better and remain polished around the footy. Full credit to Old Carey, who were able to take advantage of La Trobe’s mistakes and put some scoreboard pressure

on in the third quarter. It seems that Old Carey are improving match by match and look like a side playing with great cohesion in all facets of the game.

De La Salle maintained their perfect record, defeating UHS-VU by six points. The win was certainly not an easy one after UHS-VU led for three quarters and really took it up to the undefeated side. Although they were tested throughout the early stages, the class of De La Salle prevailed in the ﬁnal term, keeping UHS-VU scoreless and securing the four points.

Their ability to defend the ground late on was a huge reason they were able to win, and the effort from the playing group was second to none. It was a gallant effort in the end for UHS-VU, a game from which coach Alex Henry can draw plenty of positives. The ability to go toe-to-toe with the competition’s best side for the majority of the contest is something to be extremely proud of. It has been a truly remarkable start to the season for De La, sitting top of the table and being the team to beat.

Brunswick was able to break the game open in the final quarter to snatch victory from MCC. Both sides were neck and neck all afternoon, sitting at two goals-three apiece at three-quarter time. Brunswick was able to capitalise on their chances and boot two majors to secure a much-needed win for Sasha Dougherty’s side. Club captain Clare Woodhouse was instrumental again for Brunswick, kicking a goal and driving a positive final term performance. Since beginning the season 2-0, MCC has lost three games straight and hit a roadblock. Being unable to stop the fast-finishing Brunswick over the weekend means they will have to defeat Coburg next round to kerb this string of defeats.

DIVISION 3 MEN’S

Nick Quinlan

Top four sides continue to break away from the pack

Round 5 of the Division 3 Men’s competition saw the continuation of the top four sides in Power House, Wattle Park, North Brunswick and Richmond Central continue to break away from the rest of the competition with three of these of sides winning in Round 5.

Box Hill North would return to winning ways after a comfortable 115-point win against local rivals Eley Park at Elgar Park.

The Demons created plenty of chances throughout the ﬁrst quarter, but were unlucky for it not to show on the scoreboard, only managing to score three goals and nine behinds in that period.

From there, they managed to kick a far more respectable 17.16 in the next three quarters, with their physicality proving too much for Eley Park.

Player-coach of the Demons, Beau Parthenides, was most impressed by his team’s fourth quarter performance, where they managed to kick 53 of their 145 points, demonstrating their ability to continue scoring and not switch off after securing the victory.

While Eley Park were held to their lowest score for the season so far, coach Matt Embling noted how pleased he was with his side’s pressure and intensity throughout the game, despite the scoreboard not reﬂecting it.

Power House made it ﬁve wins from ﬁve games with their 47-point victory against Richmond Central

It was a close ﬁrst quarter on the scoreboard, with both teams being tied at 21 apiece coming into quarter time. This was despite Power House coach Nick Cox conceding that his team should have been ahead, given the number of possessions and chances that they generated.

But after that, Power House were able to use their kicking game to break the game open in the second quarter. They would kick eight goals from eight shots while holding the Snakes to just 13 points. This would prove to be an unassailable lead despite Central’s best efforts to close the margin in the second half.

For the Snakes, it appears to be a similar story from last year of not being able to beat the top three teams. In fact, the last time that they beat an opposition who was in the top three was in Round 8, 2024 when they defeated at the time 3rd place Swinburne University.

Richmond Central coach Michael Motta did note that they are getting better when competing against the top sides. But admitted that they just need to improve on their forward connection and defence to remain competitive in those matches.

North Brunswick has delivered their biggest win for the season so far as they beat Swinburne University by 132 points.

The Bulls were dominant from start to ﬁnish as they continued their strong form from last week with coach Domenic Fontana believing that this was his side’s most complete performance thus far.

Leading the way for the Bulls was forward Matt David, who managed to kick 12 goals and four behinds.

It was quite the turnaround for David, with Fontana most pleased for him. He noted that coming into the match, David had put a lot of work into his goalkicking, having kicked 0.5 for the season.

For Swinburne, this loss further demonstrates their rollercoaster start to the year.

In the space of ﬁve games, they have had two 100+ point wins alongside two 100+ point losses.

There are signs that their game plan is a competitive one; it just needs to be a more consistent one.

Albert Park has made it back-to-back wins after beating La Trobe University by two points.

The game was very even, with the largest margin at any stage of the match being just 12 points.

But in a match that saw seven lead changes (with three of those in the ﬁnal quarter), the Falcons would kick three behinds late in the ﬁnal quarter to seal their second victory for 2025.

While coach Jack Aimes was not present at the match, stand in coaches Brett Tottenham and Dan Donaldson were impressed by Dan Harmer’s game in defence particularly in the fourth quarter which played a huge role in their win.

And while La Trobe just fell short, they certainly had their chances. In the ﬁrst and third quarter, the Trobers managed to kick ﬁve consecutive scores, but on both occasions only managed 2.3.

Had they been slightly more clinical in front of goal during these patches, they would have found themselves back in the top four.

DIVISION 3 WOMEN’S

Elly Kirlis

Newcomers impress and contenders emerge in dynamic Division 3

Round 5 of the VAFA Division 3 Women’s competition brought with it a fresh sense of excitement and unpredictability, following a re-grading shake-up that saw Wattle Park and the Preston Bullants promoted into the division. With a couple of blockbuster matchups on the ﬁxture, including a top-four thriller, the round delivered a mix of dominant performances, gritty contests, and some tantalising glimpses into what the new-look Division 3 ladder might look like moving forward.

It was a dream debut in Division 3 for Wattle Park, who wasted no time stamping their authority with a hard-fought win over South Melbourne Districts at Bennettswood Reserve, with the ﬁnal scoreboard reﬂecting 30-0.

Facing off against a seasoned opponent sitting sixth on the ladder, Wattle Park settled quickly into their new surroundings. While the ﬁrst half saw a relatively even contest, it was the third quarter that proved decisive. The Animals surged ahead, dominating play and controlling territory. Despite some inaccuracy in front of goal, they made the most of their opportunities and built a buffer that South Melbourne couldn’t overcome.

Wattle Park’s scoring was spread nicely, with Olivia Walker, Tabita Sutharsan, and Tegan Murphy each slotting a goal. The team’s cohesive ball movement and pressure around the contest were highlights, suggesting they will be a serious threat in the weeks to come.

Over at Ferndale Park, Ormond and St Mary’s Salesian turned on a thrilling contest that lived up to its billing as the marquee matchup of the round. In a clash between two in-form sides – Ormond undefeated coming into the weekend, and St Mary’s fresh off a strong Round 4 win –it was always going to be a ﬁery affair.

The match opened at a frenetic pace, with both sides hitting the scoreboard early. By half time, the teams were locked at 3.1 (19) apiece in a tight arm-wrestle, with midﬁeld pressure and contested ball proving decisive in shaping momentum.

Ormond edged ahead in the third term thanks to two crucial goals, giving them an 11-point lead heading into the final quarter. St Mary’s lifted in the fourth and kicked the only goal of the term, setting up a nail-biting finish. But Ormond held firm under pressure to clinch a memorable five-point win, 6.2 (38) to 5.3 (33).

Star forward Indiana Harrison was the difference, booting four of Ormond’s six goals in a standout performance. She was ably supported by Hannah Foran and Teagan Engelander, who added one apiece. For St Mary’s, Lucy Dobbyn and Ella Wallace showed their class with two goals each, while Emily Wedrian chipped in with a major of her own.

Albert Park registered their second win of the season with an emphatic 35-point victory over Prahran at Toorak Park, asserting themselves as a team to watch as they stay in touch with the top four.

From the opening bounce, the Falcons looked hungry and organised. They slotted two early goals in the ﬁrst term, then backed it up with another strong quarter before the half-time break, taking a commanding 28-point lead into the sheds.

Their structure around stoppages and transition play stood out, with Zoe Dragoi and Caroline Ma both contributing two goals each. Claire McGrath and Ashlea Wilson added one goal apiece, rounding out a polished forward line effort.

Prahran struggled to get their game going under relentless pressure, but Philippa Stevenson managed to get them on the board with their only goal for the day.

Albert Park’s ability to maintain intensity across four quarters was a clear sign of their development, and with momentum on their side, they’ll be eyeing more scalps in the coming rounds.

Mazenod continued their strong form with a gritty win over North Brunswick, coming away nine-point victors in a low-scoring but physical battle at W.A. Scammell Reserve.

With both teams playing tight, contested football early, scoring opportunities were limited. Mazenod edged ahead by eight points at the main break but were left to rue missed chances in front of goal.

ROUND 5 RESULTS

DIVISION 3 WOMEN’S

North Brunswick:

Mazenod:

GOALS: North Brunswick: C. Hoskinson 1

GOALS: Mazenod: B. De Blasio 1, L. Del Conte 1

North Brunswick rallied in the ﬁnal term and managed to close the gap with their ﬁrst goal of the game, but Mazenod’s composure under pressure ensured they held on for a 2.5 (17) to 1.2 (8) win.

Lara Del Conte and Belinda Del Blasio kicked truly for Mazenod, while Chloe Hoskinson was the sole goal scorer for North Brunswick. Despite the loss, North Brunswick showed promising signs, particularly with their defensive efforts and ability to stay in the contest.

It was a reality check for newly promoted Preston Bullants, who ran into a rampaging Old Camberwell outﬁt determined to continue their unbeaten run. In the most dominant performance of the round, Old Camberwell ﬂexed their muscles in a 117-point demolition, 18.15 (123) to 1.0 (6).

From the first whistle, Old Camberwell were ruthless. They slotted four first-quarter goals and then piled on six more in a commanding second term. The Bullants battled hard and managed a solitary major in the third quarter, but there was no stopping the league-leaders, who kicked another seven goals in a final term blitz.

Dilara Al-Sabbagh was unstoppable in front of goal, finishing with a bag of five, while Bridget Facey added four in a stellar performance. Rebecca Bellpieri kicked three, Bec Kertes chipped in with two, and Amelia Standfield, Olivia Willie, Jess Humphries, and Gabriella Bianco each added singles in a remarkable team performance.

Old Camberwell’s percentage now sits at a jaw-dropping 672.34, underlining their dominance and premiership credentials.

As the dust settles on Round 5, the Division 3 Women’s competition is beginning to take shape. With Old Camberwell and Ormond leading the pack, and new entrants like Wattle Park making an immediate impact, the middle of the table remains tightly contested. The next few rounds will be crucial for those looking to solidify ﬁnals contention.

(8)

(17)

BEST: North Brunswick: M. Ntalianis, S. Collins, S. Ulcoq, C. Hoskinson, E. McLeod goodman, D. Estrada

BEST: Mazenod: M. Bromley, L. Gartland, G. Di Petta, Z. Lukies, S. Smith, A. Walton

Old Camberwell:

Preston Bullants:

(123)

(6)

GOALS: Old Camberwell: D. Al-Sabbagh 5, B. Facey 4, R. Bellpieri 3, B. Kertes 2, G. Bianco 1, O. Willie 1, A. Standfield 1, J. Humphries 1

GOALS: Preston Bullants: E. Boylan 1

BEST: Old Camberwell: A. Frampton, I. Dedoncker, E. Sandy, L. Macdonald, I. Burke, A. Sandy

BEST: Preston Bullants: V. Giannopoulos, N. Petrevski, T. De Santis, . , M. Braini, E. Marks

Wattle Park:

South Melbourne:

GOALS: Wattle Park: T. Sutharsan 1, O. Walker 1, T. Murphy 1

GOALS: South Melbourne:

BEST: Wattle Park: N. Pietsch, E. Haylock, j. clancy, G. Ambrosini, S. Hood, C. Norton

BEST: South Melbourne: K. Chen, S. Porter, L. McRostie, F. Adinata, H. Singleton, K. Jaeger

GOALS: Prahran: P. Stevenson 1

GOALS: Albert Park: Z. Dragoi 2, C. Ma 2, C. McGrath 1, A. Wilson 1

BEST: Prahran: P. Stevenson, B. Elith, J. Brown, K. Perree, M. Stonnill, R. Rose

BEST: Albert Park: A. Smyth, C. Ma, K. Talbot, B. Grining, E. Sullivan, Z. Dragoi

GOALS: St Mary’s Salesian: E. Wallace 2, L. Dobbyn 2, E. Wedrien 1

GOALS: Ormond: I. Harrison 4, H. Foran 1, T. Engelander 1

BEST: St Mary’s Salesian: E. Wallace, M. Robbins, R. Johnson, K. Else, S. Kaur, G. Nibali

BEST: Ormond: I. Harrison, H. Foran, M. Harrison, S. Radlow, N. Smyth, I. Di Lecce

DIVISION 4 WOMEN’S

Sebastian Tehan

Cobras strike, Blues triumph: Division 4 action heats up!

After four grading matches, three new teams Old Yarra Cobras, Canterbury and Caulﬁeld Grammarians enter the Division 4 Women’s cauldron. This means there is a renewed look at the competition for Monash Blues, St Kevin’s and Fitzroy – teams that previously languished at the bottom of the Division 4 ladder.

Old Yarra Cobras and Oakleigh both endorsed BCNA Round by wearing pink socks. The comaraderie went deeper than the symbolic pink nods to Breast Cancer Awareness, with both sides embodying the values of community and inclusion. With Oakleigh 3 players short, the Cobras were more than happy to lend the required numbers to their opposition each quarter to even up the sides and avoid a forfeited ﬁxture; wanting to play For The Love Of The Game and depicting great sportsmanship.

Old Yarra Cobras made their presence felt in their first outing in the Div 4 competition making light work of an under-manned Oakleigh at Doncaster Reserve. Kate Caughey imposed her dominance in the first term to boot two first quarter goals, critical in commanding her side to a 14-point margin at quarter time. A third goal to Caughey early in the 2nd quarter with the help of Emma Elliot and Sidni Finch providing scoreboard movement saw the Cobras pull away from the jaws of the Oakleigh defence.

As both teams honored breast cancer awareness by donning pink socks for the ﬁxture, Oakleigh played in the spirit of the occasion by bouncing back in the third term, scoring 8 points of their own while keeping the Cobras scoreless.

Oakleigh coach Gavin Kenny highlighted the uptick in forward pressure in the second half stating, “we were able to lock the ball in our forward line for half of the game.”

Ultimately, Old Yarra got back on the horse after a quiet third quarter to kick 4.2 to Oakleigh’s 0.1, injecting their venom in a ﬁnal quarter blitz. Goals to Sidni Finch, April Jones, Tahlia Limburg and Hilary Donelan secured the 49-point win for the Cobras.

Familiar foes St Kevin’s and Monash Blues met at Jordan Reserve on Saturday morning producing a low scoring arm-wrestle that fell in favour of the Blues.

Monash burst out of the gates with a 2.2 ﬁrst quarter to a scoreless St Kevin’s. The second term was so highly contested that neither team was able to hit the scoreboard, a testament to both teams defensive units.

It was St Kevin’s who held the upper hand in the premiership quarter but failed to score that elusive major instead putting through 2 behinds. A rare Monash scoreless second and third term was put behind them in the final quarter with two more Monash goals dissipating St Kevin’s flicker of hope at their first win in 2025. The Blues came away with the four points and a 26-point victory under their belt.

Reni Guo (2 goals), Ashleigh Acunzo (1 goal) and Jessica Rose Bennnett (1 goal) were instrumental in Monash 26-point win, while Genevieve Holden, Mathanki Winayakan and Edenn Bacyck held their heads up high for their continued efforts in the contest for St Kevin’s.

Canterbury started their Division 4 campaign in style, demolishing West Brunswick by 41 points. However, it was a reasonably subdued start for both teams as exempliﬁed by Cauﬁeld’s 1.1 to West Brunswick’s solitary behind. The game opened up in the second term for Canterbury kicking away from West Brunswick with an impressive 3 goal quarter.

West Brunswick coach Hazel Theophania noted the effort of her chargers to stop the Canterbury run and carry. “We gave ‘em a run for their money in the third quarter where we adapted our stoppage strategy” Theophania said.

Unfortunately, for the Magpies the damage was done in the third term with the margin extending from 25 points at the third quarter break to 41 points at the ﬁnal siren. The game was played with such a great manner that both teams joined forces to sing Chappel Roan’s Pink Pony Club in the rooms after the game!

A few more months in the Division 4 system will be highly beneﬁcial for the Magpies after what has been a challenging season to date.

Unfortunately, the Division 4 Women’s competition can’t shake the pesky forfeit! Port Melbourne Chargers, a strong performer so far could not contest the game with Westbourne Grammarians

HOLMESGLEN U19 RESULTS

HOLMESGLEN U19 DIVISION 1 MEN’S

Williamstown CYMS:

University Blues 2:

(89)

(50)

GOALS: Williamstown CYMS: M. Patel 4, T. Stevens 3, A. Horsburgh 1, J. Daley 1, A. Baker 1, B. Tenaglia 1, C. Macleod 1, H. O’Brien 1

University Blues 2: D. Shier 3, C. Roberts 2

BEST: Williamstown CYMS: I. Gawne, R. Cockerell, M. Patel, T. Stevens, J. Daley, H. O’Brien

University Blues 2: L. Gill, L. Cameron, s. fisher, D. Shier, A. Gough, T. Rourke

Parkdale Vultures:

Old Carey:

GOALS: Parkdale Vultures: D. Kelson 4, W. Finch 4, F. Johnston 1, C. Sells 1, J. Deng 1, W. Kingston 1, J. White 1, B. Lamble 1, J. Ruberto 1 Old Carey: B. Morgan 3, A. Timms 1, R. Demir 1, N. Muller 1, L. Wheatley 1, H. Evans 1

BEST: Parkdale Vultures: D. Kelson, L. Sullivan, L. Kinsella, L. MacKenzie, W. Sargeant, W. Finch

Old Carey: J. Trevorah, N. Muller, A. Blake, B. Morgan, H. Giarrusso, M. Noble

(102)

(57)

University Blacks: O. Davies 2, S. McNamara 1, W. Sands-Morris 1, F. Japp 1, C. Craig 1, H. Thornton 1, A. Newman 1

BEST: De La Salle 2: K. Addison-Welbedagt, J. Katiforis, X. Burns, J. Sekker, B. Marinelli, A. Glover

University Blacks: F. Watson, E. Peucker, E. Vijayasekaran, C. Carmichael, A. Routson, S. McNamara

Collegians:

Old Xaverians 2:

Old Haileybury: 1.2 5.6 8.9 10.15 (75)

Old Trinity: 3.5 5.5 6.9 6.9 (45)

GOALS: Old Haileybury: J. Paitaridis 4, G. Brayshaw 4, F. Gregor 1, W. Hardeman 1

Old Trinity: R. Patterson 1, s. backwell 1, W. Ball 1, C. Comer 1, S. Tozer 1, M. Gontier 1

BEST: Old Haileybury: L. Burfurd, J. Harrop, L. Giliam, W. Gordon, F. Gregor, E. Jones

Old Trinity: C. Comer, F. McDonald, C. Dytor, O. Collinson, R. Myers, C. Lockyer

Fitzroy: 1.4 4.12 7.13 9.18 (72)

Old Melburnians: 2.2 5.3 5.5 10.7 (67)

GOALS: Fitzroy: B. Payne 4, H. Kooloos 2, G. McEvey 1, J. Oldfield 1, S. Kennedy 1

Old Melburnians: H. Dale 3, F. McIntyre 2, W. de Zoete 2, M. Woods 1, H. Hines 1, T. Bridger 1

BEST: Fitzroy: H. Kooloos, B. Payne, F. Culham, Z. White, L. Hamilton, I. GormanAndrews

Old Melburnians: F. McIntyre, M. Michaca, F. Newing, S. Pratten, B. Kam, A. Whitehead

St Bernards: 1.7 5.9 8.11 14.14 (98)

Old Camberwell: 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.1 (7)

GOALS: St Bernards: J. Restuccia 3, H. Coombs 2, A. Momesso 2, L. Guarnaccia 2, W. Harrington 1, C. Gilmour 1, F. Armstrong 1, J. Smith 1, B. Foley 1 Old Camberwell: R. Smith 1

BEST: St Bernards: C. Gilmour, B. Sauro, W. Harrington, H. Coombs, F. Armstrong, K. Hughes

Old Camberwell: F. Askew, D. Albert, H. Bourke, R. Smith, B. Gale, h. taylor

Old Brighton 2: 1.0

Beaumaris: 2.4

(47)

14.12 (96)

GOALS: Old Brighton 2: H. George 2, J. Kilgour 1, T. Orb 1, L. Farrell - scarff 1, W. Hoy 1, C. Perla-Dowdell 1

Beaumaris: J. Failla 4, J. Mathews 3, S. McLennan 2, M. Davidson 1, L. Caris 1, H. Jongen 1, C. Galvin 1, H. Czarnota 1

BEST: Old Brighton 2: O. Di Crosta, T. Orb, M. Tiver, H. Pollock, F. Hall, L. St Leger

Beaumaris: S. Lewis, M. Davidson, A. Bowd, D. Richards, N. Bodi, J. Failla

HOLMESGLEN U19 DIVISION 2 MEN’S

Parkside:

Old Ivanhoe:

GOALS: Parkside: Z. Dghman 1, O. Price 1, H. Ford 1

Old Ivanhoe: W. Hanlon 4, K. Papanagiotou 2, F. Cleary 2, O. Silfverberg 1, L. Vujovich 1, R. Johns 1, J. Tragardh 1, J. Rogers 1, K. Home 1

BEST: Parkside: j. mcauliffe, H. Ford, D. Edwards, O. Price, O. Neil, X. Garita

(21)

(96)

Old Ivanhoe: O. Silfverberg, W. Hanlon, K. Papanagiotou, A. McKenzie, B. Mierisch, S. McRobert

Kew: 3.2

(117)

(82)

GOALS: Kew: J. Stewart 4, O. Kerford 3, R. Meeuw 2, M. Hand 2, A. Scarff 2, O. Di Marzo 2, M. Holland 1, S. Di Parsia 1, O. Evans 1

Ormond: H. Brady 2, J. Land 2, A. Jobling 2, J. Werbik 1, L. Lockwood 1, H. Orfanos 1, A. Kalogeratos 1, R. Elsner 1, F. Pacak 1

BEST: Kew: J. Stewart, B. McGowan, S. Joseph, A. Scarff, P. Kwok, R. Meeuw

Ormond: J. Bridges, O. Whitney, J. Werbik, L. Lockwood, R. Hayward, T. Whitney

De La Salle 2: 3.3 5.5 8.7 9.9 (63)

University Blacks: 3.2

GOALS: De La Salle 2: J. Sekker 3, B. Marinelli 2, A. Glover 1, J. Katiforis 1, S. Motyl-Coverdale 1, K. Addison-Welbedagt 1

(54)

(120)

(46)

GOALS: Collegians: G. Bowes 3, H. Isaacs 2, B. Abrahams 2, H. Edwards 2, A. Walker 2, J. Archer 2, H. Robbins 1, C. Minogue 1, E. Davies 1, B. Budlender 1, J. Hyde 1

Old Xaverians 2: A. Salter 2, P. Kenny 1, E. Browne 1, F. Bailey 1, S. DOWLING 1

BEST: Collegians: H. Isaacs, j. cotchin, m. cerra, C. Tassone, J. Hyde, B. Abrahams Old Xaverians 2: F. Bailey, P. Kenny, W. McNamara, W. Allen, M. Sheehan, A. Salter

Hampton Rovers:

St Kevin’s 2:

(51)

(111)

GOALS: Hampton Rovers: S. Somogyi 2, J. Haines 2, J. Gibson 1, A. Zufic 1, J. Grima 1

St Kevin’s 2: W. Young 3, C. Gill 3, J. Hunt 2, L. Arthur 2, A. Kidman 2, H. Williams 1, F. Walshe 1, M. Curtain 1, S. Bearder 1

BEST: Hampton Rovers: C. Friend, S. Somogyi, H. Ockerby, J. Grima, W. Rogacki

St Kevin’s 2: L. Arthur, H. Williams, M. Curtain, S. Bearder, L. Teal, T. McCarthy

Preston Bullants:

Oakleigh:

GOALS: Preston Bullants: W. Saccone 2, D. Watson 2, C. Furman 2, T. D’Alessandri Weis 1, G. Brooks 1, G. Diab 1

Oakleigh: E. Manaras 1, N. Goodman 1, X. Green 1

BEST: Preston Bullants: W. Saccone, D. Watson, T. Maddison, L. Pappas, C. Furman, G. Brooks

Oakleigh: X. Green, H. Window, A. Lewis, N. Papageorgiou, L. Namdarian, J. Davey

HOLMESGLEN U19 DIVISION 3 MEN’S

Mary’s

La Salle 3:

GOALS: St Mary’s Salesian: C. Matthews 5, M. Skinner 2, S. Edney 1, X. Higgins 1, B. Hallas 1, Z. Dunphy 1, J. WALKER 1, F. Kenny 1, T. Voller 1

De La Salle 3: M. Signorelli 3, L. Goudie 2, G. Cain 2, R. Gauci 1

BEST: St Mary’s Salesian: o. hobday, M. Skinner, L. Greening, X. Higgins, J. Yannicos

De La Salle 3: J. Camilleri, H. Docherty, C. Howard, L. Goudie, G. Cain, M. Signorelli

Parkdale Vultures 2:

GOALS: Parkdale Vultures 2: P. Rayias 3, C. O‚ÄôConnor 2, T. Scurrah 1, A. Simonelli 1, L. O‚ÄôHara 1, C. Costa 1, O. Martin 1

UHS-VU: M. Tobin 3, A. McLeish 1, J. Shears 1, F. Morley 1, S. Posar 1

BEST: Parkdale Vultures 2: A. Simonelli, W. Watson, m. troc, C. Costa, T. Scurrah, P. Rayias

UHS-VU: M. Page, M. Tobin, W. Hey, A. Tsironis, B. Reid, A. McLeish

Beaumaris 2:

Caulfield Grammarians 2:

(64)

(33)

GOALS: Beaumaris 2: L. Grant 3, O. Lazzari 2, B. Whyte 1, B. Lauder 1, J. Lineham 1, J. McCall 1

Caulfield Grammarians 2: W. Lourie 1, J. Jillings 1, J. McVean 1, B. Ford 1

BEST: Beaumaris 2: B. Whyte, J. Griffiths, H. Hurlston, H. Risvanis, c. Dickson, L. Grant

Caulfield Grammarians 2: J. Vessey, K. Ozdemir, L. Emms, K. NTIMIH, C. Arendsen, T. Milton

Williamstown CYMS 2:

1.2 (8) St Bedes/Mentone 2:

GOALS: Williamstown CYMS 2: W. Mitchell 1

St Bedes/Mentone 2: R. Jewitt O’Reilly 5, o. gould 5, N. Mccolough 4, A. HooperDuffy 3, R. Francis 2, C. Mcgurgan 2, M. Weir 2, H. Crosby 1, M. Kitto 1, J. Fraser 1, H. Turner 1, M. Smith 1, R. Wilson 1, W. Zakic 1

BEST: Williamstown CYMS 2: J. Charlesworth, W. Yiannis, W. Inness, G. Mee, A. Cranage, W. Mitchell

St Bedes/Mentone 2: A. Hooper-Duffy, M. Kitto, R. Jewitt O’Reilly, J. Cutler, N. Mccolough, o. gould

Monash Blues:

(102) Whitefriars:

GOALS: Monash Blues: L. Mckern 6, D. Noonan 3, H. Mason 2, N. Hansen 1, H. Steele 1, j. upton 1

(31)

Whitefriars:

BEST: Monash Blues: W. Broom, L. Mckern, D. Noonan, h. balcam, K. Wellby, H. Steele

Whitefriars: J. Dorrat-Sims, D. Rowland, M. Gibellini, S. Parker, J. Heuston, D. Anastasiou

THIRDS RESULTS

THIRDS DIVISION 3 MEN’S

St Bedes/Mentone:

St Bernards 2:

GOALS: St Bedes/Mentone:

GOALS: St Bernards 2: l. chillemi 1

BEST: St Bedes/Mentone: BEST: St Bernards 2: M. Harrington, J. Borg, L. Flynn, F. Saade, l. chillemi, L. Mason

St Kevin’s 3:

Richmond Central:

GOALS: St Kevin’s 3: B. Griffin 6, H. Jones 1, T. Buultjens 1, S. Doyle 1, O. Garlick 1, J. Elsworth 1, D. Marangos 1, l. groves 1, J. McMahen 1, A. Leiner 1, P. Jones 1

GOALS: Richmond Central: M. Motta 1, H. Morgan 1, A. Fraser 1, L. Cartwright 1, F. Ruggieri 1

BEST: St Kevin’s 3: A. Smith, A. Smale, l. groves, T. Batchelor, N. McMahon, B. Griffin

BEST: Richmond Central: J. Foster, H. Barker, L. Cartwright, A. Fraser, O. Cox, M. Williams

Beaumaris:

Parkdale Vultures:

(54)

(76)

GOALS: Beaumaris: M. Kambouris 3, H. Gardner 1, T. McKinnon 1, C. Daddo 1, G. Finnegan 1

GOALS: Parkdale Vultures: L. Murie 3, T. Alexander 3, T. Jones 2, E. Marshall 1, S. Coukoulas 1, B. Hopcraft 1

BEST: Beaumaris: H. Gardner, T. McKinnon, E. Murray, C. Daddo, M. Kambouris, A. Tezay

BEST: Parkdale Vultures: N. Green, D. Harper, L. Murie, B. Keen, J. Bull, E. Williams

Kew:

GOALS: Kew: J. McCubbin 4, E. Clinch 3, M. Walsh 2, N. Bruce 1, N. Taylor 1

GOALS: Ormond: K. Baker Hill 2, N. Fato 2, O. Carvajal 1, A. Moalem 1, A. SeetoGrossi 1, N. Topakas 1

BEST: Kew: E. Clinch, M. Walsh, B. Pritchard, J. McCubbin, W. Balme, N. Taylor

BEST: Ormond: H. Penhall, O. Harrison, L. Walsh, K. Baker Hill, N. Fato, P. Beaves

Williamstown CYMS 2:

Caulfield Grammarians:

GOALS: Williamstown CYMS 2:

GOALS: Caulfield Grammarians:

BEST: Williamstown CYMS 2: BEST: Caulfield Grammarians:

(79)

(64)

THIRDS DIVISION 4 MEN’S

GOALS: West Brunswick: J. Chan 1, J. Coltish 1, L. Tomlinson 1, C. Deeney 1, T. Ingram 1, A. Katsiroubas 1, G. Vetma 1

GOALS: Old Melburnians: A. Howitt 2, G. Cleary 2, P. Vamvakitis 1, W. McMurrick 1, T. Landrigan 1

BEST: West Brunswick: A. Thorne, J. Shalders, C. Tysoe, H. Algie, J. Chan, A. Katsiroubas

BEST: Old Melburnians: J. Grimwade, S. Brockhoff, W. McMurrick, M. Stevenson, B. Wilson, J. Hope

Elsternwick:

Whitefriars:

(51)

GOALS: Elsternwick: M. Riley 2, J. Dunleavy 2, G. Takac 2, M. Garland 1, H. Brady 1

GOALS: Whitefriars: L. Fox 2, L. Zita 2, J. Zita 1, S. Franklin 1, C. Spurr 1

BEST: Elsternwick: B. Faiman, G. Takac, M. Riley, B. Irwin, J. Dunleavy, B. Glasser

BEST: Whitefriars: C. Sebafundi, C. Spurr, J. Mustafa, S. Franklin, Z. Kornitschuk, L. Fox

MHSOB: 4-8-32

Hampton Rovers: 28-14-182

GOALS: MHSOB: B. Mullin 1, C. Colman 1, A. Ashton 1, B. Munasinghe 1

GOALS: Hampton Rovers: T. Folino 5, J. Young 4, J. Baxter 3, O. Beaton 3, K. Upton 2, D. Merlo 2, j. ilias 1, M. Labib 1, R. Hunt 1, J. McLean 1, W. Hunter 1, R. ATKINS 1, J. Craig 1, N. Anderson 1, Z. Carbon 1

BEST: MHSOB: A. Ashton, T. Bulmer, C. Colman, A. Shulman, C. Hayden, H. Sides

BEST: Hampton Rovers: W. Black, T. Folino, O. Anderson, R. ATKINS, J. Lovig, J. Young

GOALS: Parkside: M. Ibrahim 2, T. Kenny 2, A. Irwin 1

GOALS: Marcellin: L. Bosio 2, N. Baggio 2, C. Curtin 2, G. Loucas 1, N. Crabb 1, M. Frost 1, K. Hesse 1

BEST: Parkside: P. Hannah, D. Martini, M. Daminato, C. Boldrin, e. rigney, X. Garita

BEST: Marcellin: G. Loucas, L. Bosio, C. Curtin, L. Baggio, N. Baggio, J. Pierce

MILESTONES

VAFA congratulates the following players on reaching these incredible milestones. Well done!

Juliet Grant (Old Geelong)

It is an exciting week for the Old Geelong Women’s program, with Juliet Grant, current Co- Captain and 2024 Premiership senior player about to play her 50th Milestone game with the club. Juliet is a clear example of how hard work and dedication can shape an AFL player. In 2024, and only her third year at the club, Juliet was awarded the Old Geelong Peter Lemon Best Clubwoman of the year award, a testament to her true commitment and passion for the club. A skilled left footer, Jules has often found herself playing the selﬂess role in the team with her magnet thrown around the board on more than one occasion. We are incredibly excited to celebrate this Milestone 50th game with Juliet this weekend, and we cannot wait to follow her journey as she continues to develop into an inspiring young leader of the club. Thank you, Jules, for all that you bring, the fun, the serious and everything in between.

Jess Lowry (La Trobe University)

Congratulations to La Trobe Women’s captain JESS LOWRY on reaching 50 games. Since joining the Trobers in 2022, JLo has become a cornerstone of our women’s program — both in the ruck and across the club. From the very ﬁrst bounce, she made the role her own, bringing strength, smarts, and a relentless work rate to every contest. She’s been consistently among the best, was our 2024 Best & Fairest winner, and now leads the side in 2025 as our captain. Off the ﬁeld, JLo has made just as much of an impact. She’s the energy behind our socials, a natural connector between the men’s and women’s programs, and was awarded the John Dumaresq Award in 2024 — one of the club’s highest honours for contribution and club spirit. We’re very lucky to have Jess at the Trobers and proud to celebrate this milestone. Well done, Jess — and here’s to the next 50!

Belle Connor (Caulﬁeld Grammarians)

A history-making moment for our club as we celebrate Belle Connor, the ﬁrst women’s player to reach 100 games for CGFC this weekend! Belle is one of our few remaining inaugural women’s players and has been a driving force behind the incredible growth of our women’s program since day one, both on ﬁeld and off. She gives nothing less than 110%, and you know you can always count on her to lift you up, crack a smile, and lead with heart. Through wins, losses, injuries, and triumphs Belle has set the standard for what it means to be a CGFC player and how to wear the jumper with pride. This weekend, we don’t just celebrate the incredible milestone of 100 games, we honour everything you’ve given to this club and the legacy you continue to build. Congratulations on 100 incredible games. You’ve earned every bit of this moment