Just two games on the windiest Saturday since Adam was a boy . . .

SENIORS DOWN BUT NOT QUITE OUT

Old Brighton defeated Old Xaverians by 19 points at BBO, and barring two longshots saluting next weekend, ended the Red ‘n’ Blacks finals’ chances.

The home team won the toss and had most of the early going, applying plenty of pressure. The Xavs defence bent, but did not break, as the Tonners were a little wayward with the strong but erratic wind. Still, with 15 minutes gone, the ladder-leaders led 21-0, though the X-Men were showing enough to suggest we wouldn’t know much until the visitors had enjoyed their turn with the stiff northerly.

Brighton struck again at 18 minutes. Another reversal and a free kick gave the home team another two shots in time-on, one of which was a goal. At 27 minutes, Stirling Phipps-Parsons opened Xavs’ account with a minor score. But the Beach Boys would not be denied, adding another goal with some nice team play. The quarter ended with Brighton 42 points to the good.

There were at least two non-negotiables for the Red ‘n’ Blacks in the second term. They would need to start winning the centre clearances and they would need to kick straight. A seven-goal lead was not insurmountable in the conditions, but the Claret and Stout would need to be on target.

In a 40 kph gale that was gusting to 62, Tommy McRae skipped through traffic to boot the visitors’ first at 5 minutes. Alec Spralja goaled from a set shot at ten minutes after the Tonners had enjoyed plenty of possession. Things got worse when the Tonners scored their seventh goal at 18 minutes. For the remainder of the term, Xavs couldn’t get a decent shot at the sticks and at 33 minutes, the inevitable happened when the Red Sox kicked their eighth. At the long break, Xavs trailed by 38.

So began the premiership quarter. Brighton opened up with a goal, but the X-Men won the centre clearance and Soccio marked and goaled. The home team would not be denied, however, despite Ed Delany’s Mark of the Year by the scoreboard, and a goal in time-on from Phipps Parsons. Brighton by 48 points at the lemons. It wasn’t over yet, the Red ‘n’ Blacks believed, but they would need to be very good.

Shaun Cross snapped an early one for the Red ‘n’ Blacks. Skipper Marcus Stavrou slammed one home from fifty. At seven minutes, Delany goaled, and the margin was into 30 points. McRae snapped truly, but 21 points still seemed a long way with perhaps ten minutes maximum to play. And so it proved.

There were several lessons from the game and the respective coaches will no doubt impart these to their charges.  

The Xavs can mount a last-ditch effort against the Cardinals at Camberwell next week and hope that resurgent Fitzroy clips the in-form Lions. Otherwise, the golf courses beckon.

Fitzroy (61) stayed alive when they defeated Uni Blacks (45).

Old Scotch (58) fell at home to Collegians (65), who go into the four.

St Kevin’s (83) brushed off a challenge from the Snow Dogs (65) to regain second spot.

Under the spires, Uni Blues (91) beat Old Melburnians (78)

Ramifications:

St Kevin’s tipped Old Scotch out of second spot, but it remains up for grabs next week.

Collegians displaced Old Xaverians and took fourth spot.

Fitzroy must beat Collegians next week and hope Old Melburnians, who are now officially gone, can beat St. Bernard’s.

If Fitzroy does win, and Xavs beat Old Scotch, the Red ‘n’ Blacks will meet the Cardinals again a week later in the first semi.

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A DRAW: XAVS STEAL HALF POINTS LATE

Slow starts have plagued the unbeaten Xavs on occasion this season, so the first term yield of four goals into a strong breeze against a strong Old Brighton promised great things. Charlie Whitehead kicked two, Makuc Mahmommed and Bobby Knott one apiece in the term, which failed to separate the teams on the scoreboard.

It was a different matter in the second term. Wade Brusnahan snapped from distance to provide the Red ‘n’ Blacks their only goal, along with seven minor scores for the stanza. By contrast, the Tonners added five goals without a miss into the gale, which had become a zephyr, to lead by 17 points at the long break.

The third stanza saw both teams holding their cards close totheir vest. The action didn’t produce too many highlights, as the choppy breeze had its effects. The Tonners added a goal, then Bobby Knott kicked his second. At the lemons, 19 points to the advantage of the Tonners, but the Red ‘n’ Blacks to come home with the wind.

Ben Bilston-McGillen goaled at four minutes, then again at seven. Bobby Knott, one of the best afield, slipped one through at 10 minutes and Fraser Pearce snapped one a minute later. Xavs in front. But not for long. At 14 minutes, Brighton goaled and took a one point lead. At 17 minutes, the Tonners goaled again to lead by seven. Still, the feeling was that this was going to the wire.

With 2:20 remaining, Harro Bell hit the post. Knott had another chance and didn’t score. Hugh Basset snapped a corker from a stoppage in the pocket with just 40 seconds left to tie it up. And apart from a heavy clash at the centre bounce, that was it.

‘It was the tie they had to have’, as one well-seasone dobserver noted. The teams might meet again in September on the Elsternwick plains, though the Tonners will first need to win their knockout final against Old Scotch. The Xavs will be wearing the black shorts when they meet SKOB in the second-semi final.

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