Wild, Windy and wet footy was on the agenda for Round 12, as each side battled the sun, the rain, hail and mud. Early hail storms didn’t deter the players however. Whitefriars went on to collect their 11th win of the year, the Nobbers escaped a tight tussle and Bulleen brought the fire. Yarra Old Grammarians finally put another win on the board in a great game.
Let’s see how it all went down.
Brunswick vs MHSOB
In a battle closer than expected, Brunswick have come out to snatch victory from MHSOB by nine points.
Brunswick were held scoreless in the first quarter, as the Unicorns piled on 21 points to keep their distance going into the second quarter. But the second-placed Nobbers know better than to give up easily, coming out and playing some hard contested footy and closing the gap to trail by only 6 points at the main break.
Sean Gales booted an early goal for the Nobbers to level the scores in the final term, making it a tighter contest than expected. Then, Michael O’Donoghue from the Nobbers booted a crucial major to give his side the lead.
The mighty return of star Unicorn James Tran (1 goal) was the shining light for his side, alongside Lachie Whittaker.
For the winners, Jed Carey was strong, with Danny King booting one.
There were a number of missed opportunities in front of goal for both sides, which kept the game low scoring.
Bulleen Templestowe vs Power House
A tight early tussle between Power House and Bulleen eventually saw the Bullants prevail by 71 points in a dominant second-half performance.
The House came out early with the wind and booted two early goals, but were wasteful and missed another five shots before quarter time.
The Bullants took the House’s misses as a chance to redeem, working hard to push out to a 30 point half time lead.
The House came out refreshed at the start of the third, but the composure from Bulleen’s middle men kept them ahead. The final term saw a domination from a well-poised Bulleen outfit, who were too strong in the end for an injury-stricken Power House.
The House showed spurts of excitement, with goals from Harry Phelan (2) and Adam Collett (2) but the Bullants clean cut skills around the contest allowed them to play a quick game through the middle and stop the House’s structure.
Steve Devine in game 150 was awarded BOG votes for Power House.
This win is vital for the Bullants, as they keep their season in check. Jack Cowell booted four majors and was ably supported by stalwart Kristian Cherbakof in this strong win.
Hawthorn vs Whitefriars
The Whitefriars continue on their merry way as they defeated Hawthorn by a massive 153 points away from home.
An undermanned Hawthorn struggled like every other side has this season against an in-form Whitefriars.
It was a one-sided game from the beginning, with the Hawks defense struggling in the first quarter, allowing the Friars to boot 43 points, while holding the Hawks to seven points.
It was a domination from the Friars, as they hurt the Hawks around the footy all day.
Hawthorn booted one goal in the final term to finish off, but it’s hard to compete against arguably the best in D2.
The Friars had 51 scoring shots to the Hawks eight, proving that the top side are just simply too good to be worked out.
Kristian Height had six majors to his name for the Friars, with support coming from Marlon Simbolon.
Joseph Murfet booted one major and was awarded BOG votes for the Hawks.
Yarra Old Grammarians vs Ivanhoe
A great 16 point win for Yarra Old Grammarians puts them back on track for the back end of the 2019 season, as they defeated Ivanhoe at home.
Ivanhoe were held goalless in the first term, while Yarra booted two early. It was a low scoring tussle with wind and wild rain holding both sides back from dominating.
The mighty return of Luke Barker for the Bushrangers was a big help for the middle of the table side.
Jacko Ford kicked two late goals to seal victory for the Bushrangers and Matt Young was awarded BOG votes, as they went on to collect the 4 points.
The Yarra boys dominated in front of goal, but didn’t kick straight, meaning their percentage wasn’t boosted like they would have preferred.
This game could have been high scoring, but again, a lot of misses were costly for the winner’s percentage and didn’t truly reflect their early domination.
For Ivanhoe, Conor Mitchell was awarded best, with Sam Tansley booting one major.
Round 13:
Ivanhoe vs Glen Eira
Glen Eira have come from a handy double bye, meaning their side is ready to play some hard footy against a rising Ivanhoe side. Glen Eira are pushing to stay up in the top four, while the Hoers are still willing to work hard to keep their season alive.
The Hoers had a tough loss last week against Yarra, where they struggled to dominate from the first minute of the game. Their biggest issue is the slower start, so if they can come out and win the clearances early, they’ll just have to apply the scoreboard pressure which will allow them to get ahead early.
Glen Eira have proven themselves to be a possible contender and will come back refreshed. Look out for Gryphons explosive forward line, spearheaded by Waras-Carstensen.
Power House vs MHSOB
An injury-stricken Power House must take on a deflated MHSOB in a massive battle at the Ross Gregory Oval. The House were served a hard loss last week, while The Unicorns were leading all day and fumbled at the last hurdle, so this game will be a battle of the wills. When these sides met last time, the House played a tight game of footy for three quarters, but fell away in the final term when the fitness and composure of the Unicorns prevailed. The House are hungry for their second win of the year, but must overcome the James Tran factor that helps MHSOB remain a competitive side.
MHSOB still have the composure and poise to overcome Power House and should do so, as they dominate through the middle and break the game open.
Whitefriars vs Brunswick
The top two sides meet again after they met in Round 1. Last time, the Friars served the Nobbers their first loss of the season and showed off their skills in a tight battle. Now, the Friars are still the most polished side in the competition, while the Nobbers have had to work hard through some tough and close mid-season battles.
The Friars are showing no signs of slowing down, but the Nobbers are the most likely team to knock them off their throne. Michael Nitas and his forward crew are almost impossible to stop, but you’d think that Brunswick would have done their research into this side, especially with the possibility of meeting in the finals.
It’s hard to see the Friars losing from here on in….
Yarra Old Grammarians vs Hawthorn
Last week, had mixed results for these two sides as Yarra came out victorious, while the Hawks were served a dose of realists by the best side in D2. Hawthorn are looking to stay alive in D2, while Yarra’s finals chances are unfortunately looking harder and harder to reach.
This game will be a big one for both sides, as they have been struck down with an immense number of injuries throughout the season. Hawthorn enjoy playing a more contested game of football, which doesn’t suit the Bushrangers, who play a very open and free-flowing game through the wings. The ruckmen will have to contest hard to set up the important plays for their sides, which means it will be a big battle of structures. The smaller ground will suit both sides so don’t be surprised if it’s a high scoring game. The one issue for the Bushrangers is their kicking and scoreboard pressure, which they will aim to improve in this crucial match.
Last time these sides met, Yarra took the chocolates and although the Hawks are improving aspects of their game, it’s hard to see the Bushrangers going down- if they have a fighting fit team.
BYE- Bulleen