St Joseph’s win all-time epic over St Mary’s as Hunter Lewis spearheads comeback

Another Big Freeze game, another thrilling win for St Joseph’s over St Mary’s at the death. And it was perhaps the best GFNL game of all-time as the Joeys came back from nowhere.

St Joseph's James Gow celebrates a goal. GFNL St Mary's v St Joseph's. Picture: Alan Barber

Last year it was Austin Humphrey who stole a top-two epic at the death for St Joseph’s with a set shot in the final minute against St Mary’s.

This time it was Hunter Lewis who was the hero in even more thrilling spectacle between the two sides as the Joeys stormed home from 26-points down at three-quarter-time to win by five points at Anthony Costa Oval.

In a Geelong league match for the ages, Lewis put through three goals in the final quarter, including the go-ahead goal at the 25th minute mark to keep St the Joeys’ miraculous 25-game home-and-away win streak intact.

Many GFNL games have been unwatchable in 2025 with the season marred by one-sided blowouts and windswept slogs, but Sunday’s stand-alone Big Freeze game was enthralling from start to finish – and quite possibly one of the best GFNL games of all-time.

The high-scoring 106-111 affair had it all: momentum swings, sensational goals – none better than Paddy Dowling’s roost from the arc on the boundary – contested marks by the dozen, and countless moments of individual brilliance.

St Joseph's got over the line in a classic. Picture: Alan Barber

It drew similarities to Geelong’s win over the Western Bulldogs in the same sporting complex 10 days ago, notwithstanding the clear difference between the AFL and GFNL.

What’s also clear is these two sides are bound to go deep in September yet again, which is no mean feat for St Mary’s after it lost nine best-22 players over the off-season.

St Joseph’s peppered the St Mary’s defence with entries throughout the third term but still had its chances to take back the lead in the dying minutes.

With the margin at seven points, Geelong Falcons export Michael Rudd soared into the skies to take a towering pack mark to give the home side hope.

However, the versatile tall wasn’t able to cap his strong performance as he missed a set shot from 35 metres directly in front.

The Saints had another scrambled snap moments later in congestion which bounced through for a behind.

St Joseph’s streak was in jeopardy over when St Mary’s skipped out to a 27-point lead in the second term — which the Joeys pegged back to a solitary point by halftime — and then a 26-point lead when Chris Jansen kicked his second ont he stroke of three-quarter-time.

Geelong VFL forward Paddy De Grandi and Lewis bent through snaps to breathe life into the contest early in the final quarter as they cut the margin to 14 points.

Two minutes later it was De Grandi who gave away a 50 metre penalty to St Mary’s recruit Charlie Lang. A 50-50 chance on goal became a certainty when a second 50m penalty for abuse walked Lang to the goal line.

It was all St Joseph’s from there, with De Grandi and Lewis combining again to put the Joeys a goal behind.

Sure enough, De Grandi was the man delivering it to emerging ruckman Ed McCoy who levelled the scores, before a Mitch Chafer snap behind and Lewis’ third goal extended the margin to three points.

Joeys interceptor Luke Webb was important in the last quarter, while Liam Betson’s move to the ruck proved to be a masterstroke as the Joeys dominated at the source.

Ryan Pendlebury was a brick wall in defence for the Saints throughout the contest, while former Essendon player Brayden Ham was enormous.

St Mary's Brayden Ham celebrates a goal. Picture: Alan Barber

The Saints will be gutted to lose another close one to St Joseph’s but their young talents again rose to the challenge against the best side in the competition.

Fletcher Hughes, 19, continued his stellar season in the ruck, Jack Wilson sparked the Saints with three goals up forward – two of those snaps from the boundary – and Rudd used his engine to roam all over the ground.

Opposition coaches will be studying the tape scrupulously for the secrets to defeating St Joseph’s but three things stood out in the Saints’ game: centre clearance wins, elite ball use and relentless pressure around the ground.

They just couldn’t do it for long enough against the talent-stacked Joeys line-up.

But this game will stick long in the memory for the hundreds of fans who packed into Anthony Costa Oval.

Originally published as St Joseph’s win all-time epic over St Mary’s as Hunter Lewis spearheads comeback