Local Footy Wrap: A match was abandoned, a spearhead kicked a ton and there were a stack of upsets

A match was abandoned, the longest winning streak fell, two spearheads cracked the ton, ex-AFL stars lifted and there were a stack of upsets. All that and more in our local footy wrap.

Sunshine’s Nathan Carrol is swarmed after he slots his 100th goal. Picture: Andrew Batsch

It was some day of action.

Local footy delivered one of the busiest Saturday’s of the year.
There was an abandoned match, Keilor’s sizzling run was finally broken, there were two tons kicked and much, much more.

Catch-up on all the news right here …

WEATHER IS NICE … HALF DAY?

A Western Football Netball League match between Sunshine Heights and Newport was abandoned on the halftime siren after a melee.

But a source at the match, who declined to comment publicly, said the melee was nothing out of the ordinary and pointed out that both sides left the field in good spirits and shared a beer post game.

Newport was leading the match by five goals at the time.

The WFNL was contacted for comment.

KEILOR’S RUN IS OVER

Keilor’s winning run is over.

Airport West recorded arguably the biggest win in its history, 13.16 (94) to 11.16 (82).

Skipper Ned Gentile starred with three goals while the EDFL’s leading goalkicker Luca Muratore kicked three of his own.

MARBY’S PREMIERSHIP STATEMENT

Maribyrnong Park might just be the team to beat in Division 1 of the Essendon District league. The Lions recorded a 79-point thumping of fellow premiership contender West Coburg at Monk Oval.

OLD SCOTCH DO IT AGAIN

Old Scotch proved its well in the premiership VAFA Premier mix with a 48-point win over St Kevin’s. The Cardinals have now won back-to-back games against the division’s top-two. Angus Symons, Ryan Valentine and Will Clark each kicked three goals.

WHITEFRIARS STATEMENT

Whitefriars had been in hot form before Saturday — but they are now a premiership contender. They smashed Division 2 VAFA ladder-leader Brunswick to the tune of 81 points. Sam Kieseker led the way with five goals.

East Malvern edged out Doveton on Saturday. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Logan Berryman fights off a strong tackle. Picture: Valeriu Campan

PANTHERS POUNCE

East Malvern will take confidence into the first week of the Southern league Division 2 finals after it edged out likely opponent Doveton.

The Panthers had all of the play but failed to capitalise in front of goal.

Luckily, the wasteful Panthers weren’t made to rue their missed opportunities and held on for a 8.12 (60) to 9.3 (57) win.

The result secures a double chance in the first week of the finals for East Malvern, where it should meet the Doves again.

Elsewhere in Division 2, Highett’s defeated St Kilda City which confirms the Saints’ drop to Division 3 next year.

GET YOUR CALCULATORS OUT

It all came down to the last day of the Eastern league Division 3 home-and-away season — and Oakleigh District has denied a raft of clubs a finals berth while securing its spot.

The Oaks simply had to win to sew up fifth as a second-half blitz put paid to opponent Ferntree Gully’s finals hopes in the 16.13 (109) to 12.8 (80) victory on Saturday.

The Gully, which entered the match in eighth position, had to win by more than five goals to make up a percentage gap on those above it (dependent on both teams’ scores) — and have Upper Gully and Fairpark lose to pacesetters Surrey Park and Donvale.

Donvale ended up defeating Fairpark and Surrey Park did the job over Upper Gully. Oakleigh District will now play Coldstream in an elimination final next Sunday.

The final home-and-away round threw up several possibilities:

Fairpark (seventh) could have played finals if it beat Donvale, and Ferntree Gully simply defeated Oakleigh — and it needed Upper Gully to lose to Surrey.

Meanwhile, Upper Gully (sixth) needed to maintain its percentage gap on Fairpark and Ferntree Gully — and have the Gully simply beat Oakleigh.

Leigh Montagna during his St Kilda days. Pic: Michael Klein

JOEY LIFTS MAGPIES

The presence of former St Kilda champion Leigh Montagna has inspired Castlemaine to a powering victory over Kangaroo Flat.

Montagna pulled on the Magpies’ jumper in the final edition of the Carlton Draft on Saturday afternoon.

The rebuilding Magpies rinsed Kangaroo Flat 23.12 (150) to 9.7 (61) to record their seventh win of the year.

Prior to this season, Castlemaine — the junior club of recently-retired great Dustin Martin — had won only seven of its past 101 matches.

With only one Carlton Draft participant playing in a win before him, Montagna said his aim was to get the four points … after getting a few kicks, of course.

“Only one of the boys (in the Carlton Draft) has had a win, so my aim, if I don’t get big numbers, is to have the second win,” he told this masthead during the week.

HARE TONS UP

Allansford forward Robbie Hare has become the latest player to kick a century of goals in local footy.

The spearhead went into the Warrnambool and District league match against Panmure on 97 majors after kicking 12 against Old Collegians last week.

He kicked just one goal to the main break but ticked over the ton during the third quarter on his way to six in Saturday’s come from behind win.

Hare’s mighty haul follows his 89 majors last season.

CARROLL CRUISES TO CENTURY

Sunshine’s Nathan Carroll has raced past triple-figures in another comprehensive Western league performance.

Carroll entered the match on 98 goals — an impressive 25 better than the competition’s next best.

He kicked his 100th goal after the quarter-time siren, giving him that extra few minutes of elation.

Sunshine enjoyed an enormous win over the struggling Tarneit.

Nathan Carroll kicked his 100th goal today. Pictures: Andrew Batsch

Sunshine supporters took to the field.

PADDY’S PYTHONS PARTY

Pines has celebrated Paddy Swayn’s 200th game as coach with a rousing win over Sorrento, 14.18 (102) to 11.11 (77), at Eric Bell Reserve. Swayn is Pines’ longest serving coach, having steered the club in two stints — in 2008-09, and from 2015 to currently.

He took the Pythons to a memorable premiership in 2018, when they beat Sorrento by a point with a kick after the siren.

On Saturday, a six-goal second quarter set up Pines’ seventh victory of the season in Mornington Peninsula Division 1.

Pines coach Paddy Swayn. Picture: AAP/ Chris Eastman

UNI’S BLUES

University Blues’ chances of a VAFA Premier finals berth are continuing to fade as it suffered a sixth consecutive loss on Saturday.

The Blues started the season with six wins from nine matches but have dropped each of their past six games since.

Saturday’s match with Collegians (fifth) was a perfect opportunity for the hosts to bounce into form but they eventually fell, 15.13 (103) to 11.9 (75), and now sit three wins — and a chunk of percentage — out of the five.

Alex Lukic was tremendous for the victorious Lions with four important goals.

ROVERS FIRM UP SECOND SPOT

Wangaratta Rovers has moved closer to securing second spot on the Ovens and Murray league ladder with a superb win over fellow finals contender Wodonga.

The Rovers set up the win with a glistening five-goal-to-one first stanza.

The 55-point win pushes the Rovers two wins clear of North Albury (third) with two matches to go and sets up a mouth-watering top of the table clash with Yarrawonga in the final round of the home and away season.

Former AFL player Sam Murray playing for Wangaratta Rovers. Picture Yuri Kouzmin

CREEKERS RUIN EAGLES’ PERFECTION

Whittlesea’s bid for a perfect season is over.

The Eagles’ 16-0 run came to an end at Coventry Oval as premiership rival Diamond Creek claimed a nine-point win.

In a tough, tight, low-scoring affair, the Creekers overcame woeful inaccuracy to still claim a critical win in the lead-in to finals, 6.13 (49) to 6.4 (40).

Holding a one-point lead at three-quarter-time, Diamond Creek booted two goals to one to seal victory.

STARS MAKE HISTORY

For the first time in club history, Fitzroy Stars have claimed the minor premiership.

A 36-point win over Kilmore at JJ Clancy Reserve on Saturday sealed top spot on the NFNL Division 3 ladder and a week-one finals bye.

The Stars finished with a 14-2 record and will look to bounce back up to Division 2 after suffering relegation in 2022. In a razor-tight finals race, Old Eltham Collegians jumped into the top-five, leapfrogging Ivanhoe and Epping and pushing the Hoers out of finals in a stunning finish to the home-and-away season.

WOODEND UPENDS TIGERS

It hasn’t been the season grand finalist Woodend-Hesket wanted but, while they will miss finals, they’re taking teams down with them.

Kyneton’s bid for a debut RDFNL finals campaign is all but over after a 15-point loss to the Hawks at Gordon Gilbert Oval. The Tigers are now a game and significant percentage behind Macedon with only one game to play.

Bowen Medallist Daniel Toman was prolific, while Will Wiseman booted four goals in the 11.7 (73) to 9.4 (58) victory.

Somerville coach Chris Gamble. Picture: Valeriu Campan

BULLDOGS BITE

South Croydon has stunned Balwyn in a major boost to its Eastern Premier Division finals hopes.

The Bulldogs moved a game clear in fifth following the 12.12 (84) to 6.12 (48) victory over the second-placed Tigers after leading comfortably at all changes.

Meanwhile, Blackburn’s bid for a finals berth has taken a hit, falling out of the top five and into sixth following a 10.8 (68) to 6.13 (49) defeat to seventh-placed Noble Park.

Jackson Sketcher was best afield for Noble Park while Kevin Kean kicked three goals.

Two rounds remain in the Premier Division home-and-away season, with East Ringwood two games clear on top of the ladder.

SOMEY STORM HOME

A barnstorming Somerville has grabbed a finals berth in Mornington Peninsula league Division 2 with a dominant win in the last round of the season.

The Eagles thrashed Hastings 16.25 (121) to 7.8 (50) to climb from sixth to fourth, having won eight of their last nine games.

Pearcedale also made the finals, despite a heavy loss to Devon Meadows, 19.10 (124) to 9.14 (68), while Crib Point fell out of the top five in heartbreaking circumstances when it lost narrowly to Tyabb, 13.6 (84) to 11.12 (78).

BIG GOAL HAUL

Nathan Power fired off nine goals as Belgrave beat Powelltown 32.14 (206) to 9.4 (58) to edge closer to a finals berth in Outer East league Division 1.

Aaron Green, Kyle Nunn, Zachary Prizmic, Josh Brown and Ben Holland were also in the Magpies’ best as they improved their record to 8-6.