ROUND 15 – MATCH OF THE ROUND
MONASH UNIVERSITY 16 GIRLS DIVISION 1
EAST MALVERN KNIGHTS V ST KILDA CITY
SUNDAY 14 AUGUST – DW LUCAS OVAL
In a win or go home matchup, East Malvern have secured themselves a finals appearance after a tough win in a game that went down to the wire against St Kilda City at DW Lucas Oval.
Knowing what a win would mean for their season, both teams were playing their hardest footy from the very first bounce, preventing each other from having a huge impact on the scoreboard.
Throughout the second quarter, St Kilda City were dominant at holding possession, but the Knights made it difficult for them to find too many scoring opportunities, resulting in a tie at the main break.
The Knights switched up their play style in the third period, making every possession count, with accurate passing creating plenty of forward 50 entries.
“We had a couple of our key players out this week, which is never easy, but we had a lot of individuals stand up today and pick up the bits and pieces,” said East Malvern coach Josh Galbrahith.
Entering the fourth, St Kilda City were looking at only a 7-point deficit and were hoping to take advantage of the wind being in their favour, the stakes of the match were felt all around the ground as the intensity lifted.
Kicking off the fourth, St Kilda did well to contain the ball, and it felt as if they were going to close the gap as they kept possession away from the Knights’ forwards.
However, the constant pressure from the East Malvern backline was enough to turn their opposition’s scoring opportunities into rushed points and hold the lead.
“The windy conditions made it a bit tricky this week, but the girls fought it out until the last siren, and managed to get the win,” Galbrahith continued.
“This win was big for the girls, they’ve worked hard all season and I hope we can take our team effort from this week into the finals.”
U18s GIRLS DIVISION 1
St Kilda City 2.3.15 defeated by East Malvern Knights 7.7.49
East Malvern have their sights set on the finals after winning back-to-back games to end their home and away season, this week against St Kilda City at Peanut Farm Reserve. A couple of quick goals in the first put the Knights in the driver’s seat with their opposition not far behind. St Kilda City looked to even the scores before the main break, restricting East Malvern as they cut the deficit to just two points. However, the Knights kicked things up a notch in the second half, booting five goals over the next two quarters, resulting in a 34-point victory. Leading the charge for East Malvern was Rosie Finster with an impressive three goals kicked.
Cheltenham 7.6.48 defeated St Bedes/Mentone Tigers 1.1.7
Cheltenham have concluded their season with an impressive victory against St Bedes/Mentone at Le Page Park Oval. Cheltenham were hot out the gates, getting onto the scoreboard quickly whilst keeping their opponents goalless. The Tigers put up a fight in the second and limited Cheltenham’s impact on the scoreboard, heading into the halftime break with only 13 points to make up. However, as the game progressed, Cheltenham found their footing, concluding the game with a dominant final quarter and securing the win with their biggest margin of the year. The Panthers shared their scoring between five different players, with Tileah Carr and Charlee Ryan-Walsh at the top of the pack with a pair of goals each.
East Brighton Vampires 0.3.3 defeated by Beaumaris 8.9.57
Beaumaris have ended their season with a high, topping off their three-game winning streak with a statement victory against East Brighton at Hurlingham Park Oval. The Sharks got off to a hot start and held the same intensity for the remainder of the game. Whilst only two goals separated the Vampires from Beaumaris at the end of the first, the Sharks didn’t take their foot off the accelerator as that lead began to grow. As the game progressed, the Sharks’ confidence grew, their performance in the second half outclassed the first two quarters of play and they walked away comfortably as victors. Not only leading her team in scoring this week, but also concluding the season as league leading goal kicker was Aimee Farrow for the Sharks.
Prahran 1.0.6 defeated by Mordialloc-Braeside 11.6.72
Mordialloc-Braedside have capped off their regular season proving that they earned the top spot on the ladder this year, claiming victory over Prahran at Toorak Park. The first period of play saw the Mustangs get off to a very notable start, booting four goals and getting off to a quick 28-point lead. As the game progressed, Mordi-Brae didn’t let up and their lead continued to grow. Prahran gave it their all and whilst they fell short this week, they have their sights on the finals where these two teams may matchup once more. Up front for Mordi-Brae this week was Shalyn Phillips with her best return of the season, kicking four goals.
U17.5s BOYS DIVISION 1
Port Melbourne/South Melbourne Districts 5.10.40 defeated by St Bedes/Mentone Tigers 12.8.80
St Bedes/Mentone have brought home the win this weekend against Port/South at Murphy Reserve. A win this weekend was essential for both teams, the Tigers were fighting for the top spot, and PMSMD to make finals. With a solid first quarter from both teams, only two goals separated them on the scoreboard. The intensity was up and they each made sure to bring all they had. Heading into the half however, the Tigers stretched their lead to four goals and PMSMD had plenty of ground to make up. The consistency seen from St Bedes/Mentone was too much for Port/South to match as the lead was held through until the finals siren. The Tigers have gained some momentum heading into finals after walking away with a 40-point victory in the end. Star forwards for the Tigers, Luke Dunn and Max Hoult have once again led their team to victory with four and three goals respectively, giving these forwards the first and second place in league scoring.
St Peters Bulldogs 15.15.105 defeated East Sandringham 1.10.16
St Peters have made a statement to other finals teams this week with a big win over East Sandringham at Centenary Park. This victory locks the Bulldogs into the second standing on the ladder, and the margin of victory speaks volumes to the rest of the league as they are finals ready. Both teams struggled to convert in the first quarter, with only one goal finding its way onto the scoreboard. However, six goals to the Bulldogs before the half, was just what St Peters were looking for. Whilst East Sandringham had plenty of scoring opportunities, they were unable to convert them into goals, all while the Bulldogs were finding their rhythm and extending their lead. Paving the way for St Peters was Josh Hutchings with his best game of the season behind a notable four goals kicked.
Ormond 6.2.38 defeated by Beaumaris 13.11.89
Beaumaris are heading into the finals hot off back-to-back wins, this week was against Ormond at EE Gunn Reserve. The first period saw both teams contain each other, with only a seven-point deficit for Ormond to make up. The intensity of the game picked up from there with both teams getting into each other more, and at the half the Sharks were four goals up on Ormond. From then, Beaumaris dug deep into their bag of tricks during the main break as they came out swinging and sealed the game in the second half. Whilst Ormond also had a notable improvement after halftime, it wasn’t enough to knock off the Sharks. Calsher Dear did a great job for Beaumaris, securing four goals against his name, leading his team to the win.
