BY DYLAN BOLCH AND MAE JAMES
Round 4 of the South Metro Junior Football League (SMJFL) 2021 official season was a day full of action with SMJFL kids playing to big Mother’s Day crowds across the league.
Here’s the Round 4 Monday Monash Review.
Under 17 1/2 Boys Division 1 – East Sandringham Rovers vs Ajax Under 17 Comets Division 1
East Sandringham capped off a brilliant day of football at Boss James Reserve with a resounding 73-point win over Ajax. The scoreboard didn’t quite reflect the competitive nature of the contest. Ajax put up a good fight and threatened to reduce the margin to eight points in the second quarter. SMJFL Media were at the ground to report on the game and spoke to Rovers’ coach Ryan Fogarty following the match.
Fogarty was full of praise for his side, crediting their ability to gel as a group.
“I thought our desire to do the team stuff was great,” Fogarty said.
“Our ability to get the ball from the inside to the outside was really promising. If we can continue to do that more consistently, we will continue to be competitive against everyone we come up against.”
Fogarty said he was buoyed by the inclusion of tough midfielder Sam Parker, who played his first game of the season on Sunday.
“[Parker’s] ability to win the footy for us in the contest was really helpful and he is such an asset for us,” said Fogarty.
Fogarty also spoke highly of Ethan Liu, who dominated the midfield in the first quarter of the contest.
Liu said he felt proud of his side’s ability to win back-to-back games following their Round 1 loss to Beaumaris.
“We have our running game going now. We’ve got our handball chains up and running which is great,” said Liu.
James Keys and Maxwell Blackie were others who were strong contributors for the day for East Sandringham.
For Ajax, Brodie Mond and Maor Chrapot made an impression in the forward-line.
Mond booted three goals, playing mostly as a forward, and was a handful for the Rovers defenders.
Chrapot was heavily involved in numerous scoring chains and ran hard all day.
Under 17 1/2 Boys Division 2 – St Bedes / Mentone Tigers U17 Div 2 vs DJFC Under 17 – Thomas
Mentone Reserve played host to the Round 4 St Bedes / Mentone and Dingley clash, with the Tigers overcoming a valiant Dingley side by 22 points. Both sides displayed their credentials as premiership contenders in Division 2, putting on a tough and competitive game. Dingley led at every break throughout the game and held a four–point advantage going into the final term. Ultimately, St Bedes / Mentone proved to be too much of a force, kicking four unanswered goals to secure the game. Charlie Davidson (St Bedes / Mentone) kicked three goals in a game for the second time this season whilst Kyden Vella (Dingley) continued his hot streak kicking two goals himself.
Under 17 1/2 Boys Division 3 – Oakleigh JFC vs Ormond JFC
The Oakleigh Dragons were sizzling at W.A Scammell Reserve where they defeated the Ormond Monders by 99 points. Dragon George Pappas seemed untouchable, scoring four goals throughout the game. Pappas was joined by dynamic duo Jonah Guergues and Ashwin Mehta who scored three goals apiece. Still, even with the second highest percentage in the division, the Dragons are sitting in fourth place on the Under 17 ½ Boys Division 3 ladder after their Round 3 loss to Highett, the current top dogs. It turns out Dragons also have a sweet side, as a few of the boys headed over to the Marketplace Fresh flower stall after their win to buy their mums some flowers before hopefully taking a well-deserved rest.
Under 17 1/2 Boys Division 3 – Highett Under 17 vs East Malvern JFC (Red)
Highett has pulled off a come-from-behind victory over East Malvern in what was one of the games of the round. Having trailed East Malvern at each break, Highett kicked four goals to one in the final term to clinch victory by nine points. Nick Penrose booted three goals for the Knights whilst Jack Carter kicked three of his own for the Doggies. Damon O’Shea had a big impact for Highett, continuing his strong form this season, as did Jack Phillips and Joshua Dudley, who kicked two goals apiece. East Malvern has seen some tight games so far this season and will be looking to make a comeback in Round 5 with another win on the scoreboard.
Under 18 Girls Aqua – Mordialloc Braeside JFC U18 Girls Aqua vs Beaumaris FC U18 Girls Sharks
Mordi Brae fell 43 points short of Beaumaris on Sunday when they came face–to–face at Beaumaris Secondary College. In the first term it seemed the victory could go either way, but after the Sharks scored four goals unanswered in the second term the Sharks asserted a clear lead. Still, the Mustangs put up an excellent fight, their leading goal scorer Rebecca Thompson kicking two majors. But Sharks star Portia Ronsberg seemingly came from nowhere, scoring a massive seven goals, one more goal than the Mustangs’ registered.
Under 18 Girls Aqua – Ajax Under 18 Girls Comets vs St Kilda City JFC Inc.
Coming off the back of a 63-point win over East Sandringham JFC (1) in Round 3, the Saints were gleaming with confidence heading into Round 4. After a strong start kicking three goals unanswered in the first term, it seemed the game was all but done. In the second term Ajax showed morale with an outstanding comeback, bringing the scores to a one-point difference. St Kilda managed to run away with the win in the last term after a solid effort by both sides, with Saints player Nuttaporn Masu bagging three goals.
Under 18 Girls Aqua – Oakleigh JFC vs East Sandringham JFC
In what was a busy day of footy at W.A Scammell Reserve, the East Sandy Zebras obtained a 34-point victory over the Oakleigh Dragons. The two top teams of the Under 18 Girls Aqua division met for a highly anticipated top–of–the–table clash. The Zebras broke away after the halftime break to boot four goals before the final siren, securing their win and the highly sought-after spot at the top of the Under 18 Girls Aqua ladder.
