NO FINALS FOR THE SENIORS, BUT WHAT A WIN

Old Xaverians beat premiership aspirant Old Scotch in a thrilling contest at Camberwell today. Both sides need to win - but were relying on others for help to satisfy future needs.

Still, first things first: back to the present.

Five minutes in, the Red Men scored their first, but Xavs cancelled that early advantage when Charlie MacIsaac split the sticks after a one handed grab. Fourteen minutes had elapsed when the high-flying forward did it again, this time a long bomb after a contested pack mark. The hosts took back the lead with their second goal at 18 minutes and their third came at 23 minutes. The X-Men needed a steadier and it came at 29 minutes when MacIsaac again pierced the uprights after a chain of disposals from deep in defence ended with a Wade Brusnahan pass to the lead. Quarter-time and the Xavs were just two points adrift.

(A nervous glance at the Live Scores elsewhere showed the Roys 17 points to the good of the Purples. Before they resumed at Camberwell, that margin had blown out to an ominous 35 points.)

The Caledonians were playing for second spot and Old Brighton looked to be doing them a favour at the beach, leading St Kevin’s by three goals at the first change. They would of course, need to beat Xavs to claim that double chance. On form, they were shoo-ins, but the X-Men had already looked threatening.

MacIsaac slammed home number four before the home team landed a bouncing bomb from huge distance and took back a five point lead. At 26 minutes, the Reds kicked their fifth and led by nine points. A minute later, Ed Delany added the X-Men’s fifth. They hit the sheds for the long break with Scotch up by four points.

The Cardinals have been a better second-half team than all others this season. As for the Xavs, the rub of the green had not been to their favour and hanging with the home team all afternoon seemed a tough proposition. No, The visitors might need to break it open. Had the Xaverians not turned the ball over as often as they did in the first half when looking dangerous, they might have already enjoyed a handy lead. Still, no use crying over spilt milk. The job was still ahead of both teams.

(Looking elsewhere around Premier Section, both teams would have been happy, but the big result still very much in doubt, was this one.)

So away they went . . .

Xavs missed at two minutes and again at four. Scotch, at six minutes, didn’t. Neither did Julian Soccio, who drew the Red ‘n’ Blacks within a point at ten minutes. It was time for the Caledonians to lose their radar. They missed three times, but then straightened one up. Seventeen minutes in, the home team led by ten points. Xavs missed again at 21 minutes, but MacIsaac kicked his ffifth at 26 minutes to cut the margin to three. At 29, it was still three, but advantage Claret and Stout as Sam Fisher drew twin calicos. Finally, two in a row to the X-Men – a promising sign. The lemons . . . then perhaps the final quarter for the year for the Red ‘n’ Blacks.

(Elsewhere, there was encouragement for Fitzroy to keep fighting. They would have seen Old Melburnians pull within four points at the Snakepit, while they themselves were holding a sixteen point advantage by the Lake. That offered plenty of encouragement for Xavs, but Old Brighton led the Kevins by 21 points, which provided plenty for the men wearing red.)  

Out they went again.

Delany struck first for the X-Men after a strong grab. Nine points up at two minutes. Scotch missed at six minutes. At 12 minutes, the Xavs went clear by 14 points courtesy of a goal from a Hayden Troiani volley, but five minutes later, they led by just two after a pair of Cardinal goals.

(Into time-on at the Trott, and Collegians had jumped ahead, though by just five points. Late in the last, OMs were a point up at the Snakepit. Drama everywhere.)

And into time-on at Camberwell, Ed Delany put the X-Men eight points up after another big contested catch.  At 23 minutes, Scotch pulled back a goal.

(But wait, down at Brighton, St Kevin’s trailed by just two points. OMs win, but Fitzroy down and won’t recover.)

Twenty-five in, Xavs won’t be playing finals and fall four points behind after defenders copped a bad bounce. Then three points down, but it was getting late. Thirty minutes in, Fisher goaled again after a slips catch on the arc. Xavs by three points. They are playing for pride, but producing their best form in weeks. MacIsaaaaaac!!! Charlie intercepted cleverly, took his time and belted it home as the siren sounded at 31 minutes. Xavs by nine points.

Elsewhere, Collegians win by 12 points, so Xavs officially fell out. But what a way to finish. Old Brighton survive the Kevs’ challenge by a solitary point and the two of them will play in the second semi-final next week, while the Scotchies must face Collegians, who beat them last week.

A win such as this, too late in the year, as it transpired, underlined the potential of this Old Xaverians team.  

Xavs needed to win against the odds today, and did.

Marcus Stavrou's display was unrelenting and polished, and his fellow conspirators in the big square Sam Fisher and Dan Hannebery gave the Red 'n' Blacks plenty of drive. Tommy Dunne and Alex Trigar were perhaps the best of the defenders, but all played their part against a tall forward lineup that was always going to pose problems. Up front for the victors, Ed Delany continued his high marking and effectiveness near the sticks while King Charles was pure regal magnificence from the first minute through to the last.

Dan Donati’s side played some brilliant football at times on this campaign, but their worst was ugly indeed. Still, the season review will be left to others.

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A truly crazy end to a very even home and away year.

Collegians (84) finished fourth after beating Fitzroy (72). The Roys had led by 40 points ten minutes into the second term. For their sins, the Gorillas are relegated.

Old Melburnians (81) got over St Bernard's (80) at the Snakepit. OMs finished bottom and would have taken the Snow Dogs down with them had Fitzroy won.

Old Brighton (85) survived a late challenge from St Kevin's (84). SKOB stay second and will meet Brighton again next week.

Uni Blacks (77) beat Uni Blues (60) in the Derby, with Les Noirs dominating the Swamp Hens after quarter time.

The final table then, is this . . .

OUCH! RED MEN SLAY DIMITRI'S GLADIATORS

The unbeaten, but no longer un-tied, Old Xavs returned to the scene of their last loss some 31 games ago to take on Old Scotch. The Cardinals finished in second place last season after a tense Grand Final, and they have enjoyed another successful season. Win or lose this one, they’ll meet Old Brighton next week in the knockout first semi-final.

Old Scotch opened with a very early goal, but Makuc Mahommed put the X-Men back on even terms with less than 2 minutes gone. Harrison Bell goaled at 8 minutes and then Charlie Whitehead made it a two-goal lead at ten minutes. For their efforts, the Red ‘n’ Blacks added just three behinds more for the quarter, while a late Cardinals' goal brought the margin back to eight  points as the players headed for the huddle.

At eight minutes in the second, the Red Men pulled back a goal and then missed another opportunity two minutes later. Billy Kennedy booted Xavs’ fourth at the term’s mid-point. But the seesaw tipped again with the home team scoring its fourth at 16 minutes, and then another with just three minutes to travel to the half.  Having taken the lead, they found the sticks again with time running out. At the long break, Old Scotch led by ten points.

In their Round 9 clash, the Red ‘n’ Blacks had led by 17 points before accelerating in the second half and cleaning up by 56. With Scotch’s fire and enthusiasm for the contest, a repeat of this second half collapse seemed unlikely.

The third term backed that intuition. The Caledonians added another two goals in the first 13 minutes . A minute later, the Senator entered the chamber. Ted Kennedy kicked his first after two opening half misses. But the Reds replied and skipped outto a 22 point advantage. The Xavs missed three times and the Scottish made them pay with two goals in two minutes to finish the quarter. At the lemons, the Red Men led by 31 points, and the minor premier had kicked just 2.6 since the opening term. The home team had kicked 9.3 in the same 50 minutes.

Back in June, the Gladiators had added 5.4 in the third term against this team. A repeat of that today in the last quarter would be enough in the highly unlikely event the home team couldn’t split the sticks at all.  

The X-Men struck first at two minutes. Scoring shots were even at 15 apiece, yet the Xavs were 25 points down. Seven minutes in, the Senator nailed his second goal. Margin into 19 points.

But Scotch responded at nine minutes with their 12^th goal. It was now or never for the X-Men. The latter seemed more accurate as the Cards booted another and restored the lemon-time margin with 11 minutes gone. The teams traded minor scores before Xavs added another goal at 20 minutes. But the lights were already out. The hosts added a late goal to make their win more emphatic.

The Red 'n' Blacks went down to a strong team. Old Mr Reliable, Joe Tobin, was the pick of the back six, and skipper Ben Scala did his best to rally his team, which appeared to be either hung-over from last week's tie or else thinking about next week's semi-final.

The season’s final settling day is 20 days away, but there are two decisive Saturdays ahead where losses for either team just won’t do.

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