EFNL 2025: Warrandyte edges Division 4 ladder-leader as Nick Sharpe stars

It has now beaten every team in its division, and suddenly, Warrandyte sits second after hunting the ladder-leader on Saturday – led by one of its emerging talents.

Warrandyte young gun Nick Sharpe was best-afield on Saturday. Picture: Trewalla Sports Photography

Could Warrandyte be this year’s bolter?

Suddenly, the Bloods sit second after a sixth win on the bounce, heading ladder-leader Chirnside Park in a 7.14 (56) to 7.9 (51) Division 4 thriller on Saturday.

Starting the season 1-5 after relegation, senior coach Paul Donahoo kept faith in his charges to turn their fortunes around.

Well, they last lost on May 10 – nosed out by Chirnside Park to the tune of 17 points – and they’ve now beaten every team in the division.

In a finals-like clash, the Bloods, aided by the breeze in the first and third terms, led narrowly in the first half, extending the margin to 15 at the final change before the Panthers gave victory one last shake.

With Chirnside Park spearhead Jake Cawsey looming large – kicking three last-quarter majors in 10 minutes – the hosts threatened to break Warrandyte hearts a second time this year.

“I think in a relatively low-scoring game, it was a real battle of defences played between the arcs,” Donahoo said.

“I was really pleased with the way they stood up to that (Chirnside Park charge) … we were lucky enough to hold on and be in front when the siren went.”

Bloods’ best-afield Nick Sharpe took the job on Cawsey, who leads the Division 4 goalkicking with 53 and had enjoyed hauls of eight and 10 in the previous fortnight.

On Saturday, he finished with three.

“We knew the damage he (Cawsey) could do, and Sharpe is just a young kid learning the game and we gave him the challenge and he was up for it,” Donahoo said.

“Jake got three goals late in the game … he (Sharpe) won some really important one-on-ones.

“We’ve got them (Chirnside Park) again in four weeks and potentially again in finals, so it was a good test to see how that went as well.”

Up the other end, Josh Beasley booted a leading three.

“I thought he really stood up and kept Chirnside’s defence honest all day,” Donahoo said.

But Warrandyte’s big shift from cellar-dweller to heavyweight this season hasn’t just happened in six weeks.

The Bloods’ pre-season was overseen by former Melbourne co-captain Jack Grimes, which Donahoo lauded as a big difference at the business end of the year.

Former Melbourne co-captain Jack Grimes has made a difference at the Bloods this season. Picture Andrew Tauber

“I think it’s had a huge impact,” he said.

“He helped set up a lot of our fitness programs and we’ve had significantly less injuries than we had any other year.

“From an injury point of view and a fitness point of view, we’re seeing the benefits as a club – to have someone that’s played at the elite level and has a passion for the fitness industry himself, it can only benefit us.”

With a 7-4 record, the coach declared: “We haven’t got it right every week but that belief is growing.”

“We know we can beat everyone, but we’ve still got to perform every day to do it, as there’s still that chance we can miss finals. We’re travelling nicely, but you can’t rest on that either.”