Kew wins the VAFA Division 2 top-of-the-table tussle with St Mary’s Salesian

KEW came out on top in the Division 2 top-of-the-table local derby against St Mary’s Salesian on Saturday.

S10MM106 - VAFA (D2): Aquinas v Kew (elimination final) at City Oval, Box Hill. Kew coach Ian Aitken. Pic: HILTON STONE

Kew came out on top in the Division 2 top-of-the-table local derby against St Mary’s Salesian on Saturday.

After falling to its first defeat of the season, against Elsternwick the week before, the pressure was on the visiting Kew to bounce back.

By quarter-time, however, things looked far from positive with Kew kept to just two behinds while St Mary’s raced to a 26-point lead on the back of a favourable breeze advantage.

“The game was even early,” Kew coach Ian Aitken said.

“I suppose it was a two to three-goal breeze that they were kicking with.

“We didn’t convert early opportunities and they did. I could have copped a three-goal deficit at quarter-time but giving up four goals was frustrating.”

The visitors came back into the game in the second term, using the wind to kick four goals and bring the margin back to 19 points.

Aitken said he was pleased his side was able to drag the deficit back under 20 points given that in the corresponding game in Round 5 his side trailed by 38-points at half-time before coming back to win.

A three-goal-to-one third term, against the wind, brought Kew within seven points at the final change.

The visitors hit the front midway through the final term and held on to avoid back-to-back losses, 11.16 (82) to 10.12 (72).

“It was good we were able to stem their scoring in the third-quarter, I felt comfortable that with the wind in the last quarter we could score enough to get the win”, Aitken said. “We just need to continue to work on our starts and manage players to ensure everyone is ready come finals time.”

Tom Leeds was a big factor in the win, with a dominant performance at fullback, while Tim Allman kicked four important goals.

Meanwhile, in Premier, Old Scotch went down in a close tussle at Old Xaverians 11.18 (84) to 11.12 (78).

St Kevins moved to third on the Premier B ladder following a win over Caulfield Grammarians at home, 17.14 (116) to 8.10 (58).

In Premier C, Old Camberwell survived a scare but held on to win against the bottom-placed Banyule, 11.18 (84) to 11.12 (78).

Swinburne Uni moved two games inside the Division 3 top four with a win at Power House, 10.10 (70) to 6.10 (46).

And, in Division 4, Hawthorn won at Point Cook, 16.9 (105) to 5.4 (34) while Canterbury was defeated at home by West Brunswick, 8.6 (54) to 10.13 (73).