EFNL 2025: Open season as Ayres’ Dees hunt Hawks in shootout

A combined 38 goals were kicked on Saturday as a young Montrose stunned one of the Eastern Division 1 teams to beat, setting up a scalding-hot finals race in the run home.

EFNL 2025: Montrose belts out the song after claiming a big scalp.

Montrose’s season demanded a scalp.

It got one.

Gary Ayres’ men put on a shootout in a 22.12 (144) to 16.11 (107) upset of Eastern Division 1 top-three outfit Boronia on Saturday to stay in touch with the finals race.

Behind by 14 points at quarter-time, Ayres, visibly frustrated, implored his charges to “play to instruction”.

What followed was an eight-goal-to-one second-quarter blitz, as the plucky, emerging Demons took the experienced, battle-hardened Hawks by the scruff of the neck.

“Probably what that says is when we play to instructions, we’re actually OK!” Ayres said with a laugh after the match.

“Considering we gave them the momentum when I thought we probably dominated early … I thought the second quarter, our efficiency, centre square stuff, stoppage (and) inside 50s (improved).

“Then it was almost like the third quarter was just going to be a shootout.”

Michael Schwab celebrates a goal. (Photo by Josh Chadwick)

Montrose’s multi-pronged attack put the visitors’ usually-steely back six under immense pressure – led by Isaac Tanzimat who finished with five goals, while Michael Schwab (four), Ty Galbraith and Birra Whyman-Coombes (three) also fired.

Trailing by 42 points at the 12-minute mark of the third term, Boronia – down a rotation after Zac Dower was met heavily in a contest – rallied to cut the deficit to just 23 ticking into time-on.

Enter third-gamer Whyman-Coombes, with two goals in as many minutes to snap the Hawks’ run, while Harry Whittle – of just 10 senior games’ experience – finished with two majors.

“Birra and Harry, they’re just babies when you think about it – they’ve both come out of the ‘19s,” Ayres said.

“I reckon what it is though, it’s a great lesson for staying in the game mentally.

“The game can fluctuate from quarter to quarter, but young Birra, the first half he didn’t impact but then in the second half he’s kicked three goals.

“Then in that third quarter, a couple of things that Harry Whittle did were really important in those crunch moments – they (Boronia) were certainly getting a fair bit of ascendancy.”

The result keeps Montrose in the hunt for the top five, with the gap remaining just one game and percentage behind North Ringwood.

The Demons have a bye next weekend before closing its home-and-away season out with Beaconsfield (fourth), Norwood (last), Mooroolbark (seventh), North Ringwood (fifth) and South Belgrave (first).

“We needed to win after dropping that one to Park Orchards last week – it’s a good reward for the boys,” Ayres said.

“They’re a good side, Boronia, they’ve been setting themselves for Div 1 for quite a while, and for us, home-game wins are important as well.”

Ayres will finish up as Montrose coach at the end of the season. (Photo by Josh Chadwick)

Despite the upset, the coach was left to lament a couple of key areas.

“144 is a great score for, but 107 is (too much against),” Ayres said.

“If we can just eradicate ‘blowtorch stats’ as I call them, where we give away a free kick when we shouldn’t … I think we can play some reasonable footy.”

But there was no shortage of contributors for the Dees, who counted Tanzimat, Brayden Laplanche, Schwab, Riley Hams, Greg Lord and Joel Tennant among the best.

Hayden Smith, Jordan Eales and Daniel Frith also earned a nod from the coach.

“Boronia are so even across the ground – they’ve got a wonderful player in (Mitch) Mellis in the middle – but I actually thought Brayden Laplanche did a super job on him around stoppages,” Ayres said.

“It was like at times, everyone had to do something – and I think that’s why clearly we kicked 144 points.

“I always say it mightn’t be your match, but it can be your moment.”