September 7, 2024
ONES STUN CARDS: RESSIES ROLLED
R18 was VAFA football at its craziest
A Century of the Red & Black
Things aren't much clearer after week one of a vital three game set before the next bye. The Reserves and the four Thirds teams, all travelling well, pocketed four points apiece, while the teams that need to win to stay apace couldn't get the job done.
Old Xaverians dropped their third game this season at Toorak Park, falling short by 38 points against a slick Old Scotch outfit. The Red 'n' Blacks closed the first half of the home and away season in sixth place at 5-4, but outside the top four only because of their inferior percentage.
The home team had the better of the first half, but failed to press home that advantage on the scoreboard. In the second half, there was no question of ascendancy, as the Cardinals dominated. At the lemons, the visitors led by 21 points. In each of those first three quarters, the Caledonians kicked the first and last goals quarters. In sharp contrast, the X-Men, who couldn't miss in the first half of their R8 game a fortnight ago, missed shots regularly. This inaccuracy and some poor mental lapses put the home team in peril.
In the final term, Xavs booted the last two goals, but only after Scotch had added another four to double the home team's score. In all, it wasn't a happy day for the Red 'n' Blacks, who were buoyant after three straight wins.
The home team lacked four-quarter stars. Ed Delany again proved a solid target up front and didn't get the rewards he perhaps deserved. He was tightly marked but persevered. Sam Ralph played well on the wing and with Marcus Stavrou, was the pick of the centre players. Julian Soccio and Stirling Phipps Parsons presented well and Charlie Whitehead never gave up any easy ball in defence. Others had their moments, good and bad.
Next week, the Red ‘n’ Blacks face a crucial test with SKOB arriving at Toorak Park. The Xavs’ margin for error on the back nine is slimmer because of the premiership points and significant percentage sacrificed today, but the table is tight. Every team is beatable and every team can win.
Ari Hatzis gallery here
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Round 9 threw some interesting results:
- at Elsternwick, OMs (105) hammered St Bernard's (55);
- at TH KIng, St Kevin's (102) finished too strong for Uni Blacks (49);
- at Uni Oval, Blues (94) outlasted a plucky Fitzroy (75); and
- at Brighton Beach, the Tonners (82) edged Collegians (80).
The ladder after nine rounds, looks like this:
Old Xavs cemented their position at the top of the table with a resounding win over Old Scotch at Toorak Park. A close contest between the two grand finalists from last year seemed a fair bet, but byond the long break, only the X-Men maintained their mojo.
The Red Men kicked the first goal, but Jack Hewitt replied at seven minutes. Three minutes later, Tommy Simmons shot straight tomake it 15-7 in favour of the home team. The scoring slowed, but another Scotch goal at 18 minutes signalled that this day was going to be no walk in the park for the unbeaten X-Men.
But Xavs struck twice more, with Tommy Simmons and then Senator Ted Kennedy drawing twin calicos in the final five minutes, sending the Claret and Stout to the huddle with a handy 15 point lead.
It took just two minutes of the second stanza for the reigning premier to stretch that to 22 points, courtesy of a goal from xxxx, but the remainder of the quarter was a Mexican standoff, with the teams swapping goals. At the half, Xavs led 42-25, promising, but far from definitive.
The Xavs’ season to date has seen them finishing more strongly than they start. This has been true of most games where the opposing team was formidable enough to throw down a genuine challenge. So it proved again in the third term against last year’s grand finalist.
After a first half that had ebbed and flowed, the Caledonian fortress was breached as Dimitri’s Gladiators rattled on 4.3 without response,with the Senator striking again on resumption, then Hamish MacIsaac booting two in quick succession around the ten-minute mark. PJ Petrucci stretched the lead again before the Cardinals scored a behind at 16 minutes. A minute later the visitors scored their first major of the term, but Sammy Turner responded late to give the X-Men a 44-point lead at the lemons.
The Cards scored the first of the final term just a minute in. Challenge on? No, the X-Men nailed four in ten minutes, and half-way home, they led by 61 points. Scotch kicked a goal on the full-time siren and escaped with a 56 point loss.
Sam Hansen was best afield and the Senator wasn't far behind in a team that continues to combine well and produce results.
Next week, the Red ‘n’ Blacks welcome St Kevin’s, who beat Blacks in a low scoring encounter on the King. SKOB is one game behind Xavs, but while its defence has conceded similar , its forwards have not produced anywhere near the output of the Red 'n' Blacks.
The strong Fitzroy outfit was too strong for the Red 'n' Blacks at Brunswick Street, setting up their big win with an attack that was tough to stop and a defence that didn't like conceding goals.
The WOX Twos have been travelling pretty well this seaon but today ran into a powerful team that showed them no mercy.
Matt Handley's U19 team lowered their colours at Crawford, falling hard to a Uni Blues outfit that overcame a first quarter deficit to win by 63 points.
Another powerful display from the U23 team, who rolled over the Tonners by 61 points. Oscar Smart was BOG that sees the Xavs two games and 50+ percentage points clear after ten rounds.
Old Xavs pulled off a thirty point win across the bridge, defeating the scrappy Seagulls by an even five goals. Xavs led by 20 points at the first change and 37 at the lemons, but the home team had better of things late and cut the margin by game's end. Rory Calvert booted three as
Josh Lyon booted 11 goals to take his season tally to 58 from eight games as the Reps ripped apart the Stationmasters. It was another comprehensive performance from the unbeaten Emerald Hose, who have a two games and 200+ percentage points gap over second-placed Old Carey, whom they won't meet before the finals.
Bridget Wilson gallery here
The Red 'n' Blacks waved off the early morning fog and handed the Cobras a 102 point pasting at CSG. the visitors systematically pounded the Cobs, increasing their lead at every change. Next week sees the Xavs meet the other Cobras, Old Yarra.
Bridget Wilson gallery here
