Local footy wrap: Keilor’s winning streak narrowly survives, contenders and pretenders emerge
The longest winning streak in local footy was given its biggest test, other contenders emerged, relegation battles were won and a milestone man delivered in perfect style. Catch-up on all of Saturday’s local footy action.
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The longest winning streak in local footy was given its biggest test, other contenders emerged, relegation battles were won and a milestone man delivered in perfect style.
All that and more in our local footy wrap …
BLUES HOLD ON
The longest winning streak in local footy is still rolling — but only just.
Keilor kept its chances of another perfect season alive with an exhilarating 9.13 (67) to 9.11 (65) win over Strathmore.
Christos Kosmas marked and snapped truly to put the Blues in front with 23 minutes gone in the last before the hosts went coast to coast moments later to give Mitchell Purcell a shot to win the game.
Purcell, who was about 30 metres out directly in front, skewed the kick left and gave the Blues the footy back.
A 50-metre penalty late added to the drama of a brilliant finish, as Strathmore mounted one final push forward.
A huge pack flew and fell inside Strathmore’s 50 just as the siren echoed across Lebanon Reserve.
The Blues’ now 34-game winning streak survives another day.
ALBION RISES TO THE OCCASION
Albion has reaffirmed its premiership credentials with a strong win over Sunshine in the Western league Division 2 top-of-the-table clash.
The Cats burst out of the blocks with five of the first six goals and added to that lead slowly throughout the day to win, 9.12 (66) to 4.5 (29).
The result allowed Wyndhamvale to jump over Sunshine and into second position on the ladder.
OLD XAVS CLIMB CHAMPS
Old Xaverians climbed over reigning VAFA premiers Collegians in a season-shaping win.
The Lions will rue their opportunities in front of goal, with the 6.15 (51) to 9.8 (62) loss pulling them down to fifth on the Premier ladder.
Collegians’ Edward King tied scores with a fourth-quarter goal before the efficient Old Xavs kicked two goals in short time to seal victory.
Jack Hewitt was among the best players on the ground with three important goals.
Old Melburnians, meanwhile, shared a draw with second-placed St Kevins.
While the Redlegs would be buoyed by the performance, they conceded the last goal of the game and had several chances late to win the match.
TIGERS EYE FINALS DEBUT
Kyneton has handed reigning RDFNL premier Diggers Rest a shock 19-point loss at Bloomdale Oval to stay in the hunt of a top-five finish in its maiden season.
The Tigers were in control all day, claiming a 8.5 (53) to 4.10 (34) victory.
After being kept goalless last week, it’s now back-to-back defeats for the Burras with the club’s double chance hopes in jeopardy.
Ryan Pretty was named best afield in the win, while James Gaff, Jack Pilbeam and Josh Smith also impressed.
HILLMEN CLAW TO VICTORY
Red Hill took another step towards a finals berth in Mornington Peninsula Division 1 with a vital win over Langwarrin, 4.9 (33) to 3.7 (25).
The Hillmen’s one goal in each quarter was enough as they improved their record to 8-7 and climbed to fourth spot.
Oliver Jackson drilled a goal after the quarter time siren to ignite Red Hill while an in-and-under Jake Mitchell relished the heavy conditions.
POWER MOVE CLOSER TO SURVIVAL
Laurimar is within two points of safety after a strong 25-point upset win over Northcote Park.
The Cougars had been in red-hot form before the late-season bye but after a strong start were overrun by the Power, 10.9 (69) to 6.8 (44) at Laurimar Reserve.
Aiden Clarke was named best-on for the victors, while Kaiden Arthur, Cooper Herbert and Joel Lawson impressed.
Laurimar is now just two points and three per cent behind Watsonia is the NFNL Division 2 relegation battle.
SIZZLING SEVILLE
Jake Roe-Duggan has produced a masterful display in the wet as Seville continued to lay the platform for an assault on the Outer East league’s Division 1 title.
Roe-Duggan fired off nine goals as the Blues blitzed Yarra Junction 31.21 (207) to 0.0.
Dean Eliades kicked five goals and ex-AFL Kangaroo Nathan O’Keefe four as Seville banked its 11th victory.
The Blues have won five games in a row and kicked 116 goals in that time.
PENDLES-BALL
Kris Pendlebury produced a best-on-ground performance to inspire Edithvale-Aspendale to its 15th consecutive win in Mornington Peninsula Division 2.
The Eagles playing-coach played on Paddy Ryder and kept the ex-AFL star goalless as Edi Asp pulled away after halftime to beat Devon Meadows 10.8 (68) to 5.7 (37) in the top-of-the-ladder clash at Glover Reserve.
Kurt Lo Po, Alexander Browne, Colby Nayna and Lachlan Busch were also influential for the 15-1 Edi-Asp.
BULLDOGS BITE THE BURRAS
Highett has all but escaped relegation from Division 2 of the Southern league with a sensational win over Keysborough.
The Bulldogs and St Kilda City were thrust into a potential relegation battle after Narre Warren and Berwick Springs were accepted into the competition.
The two sides were on level points heading into Saturday but the Saints were expected to jump ahead, as they hosted the winless Skye and were boosted by the addition of former No. 6 pick Fischer McAsey this week.
But the Bulldogs kicked seven of the first eight majors to stun Keysborough and eventually claim a 13.15 (93) to 6.6 (42) victory.
Youngsters Luca Guida and Ben Kenny (four goals) were the firestarters, kicking two goals each in the first term.
With Skye in the last round of the year, the Bulldogs are now in a commanding position to remain ahead of St Kilda City, regardless of what happens when the two sides meet in round 17.
McAsey, three goals, was brilliant on debut for the Saints.
AN UPSET IN THE OVENS AND MURRAY
Lavington has pulled off one of the upsets Ovens and Murray league season.
The Panthers (seventh) downed the second-placed North Albury, 9.12 (66) to 8.13 (61), in a stand-alone showpiece.
The Panthers led at the end of the first and third quarter and eventually ran out five-point winners.
Darcy Smith kicked two goals for Lavington.
EAGLES SOAR
Vermont has overturned a 20-point halftime deficit in the wet to escape with a 13-point win over Doncaster East.
The Eagles piled on seven final-quarter goals to three in the 11.8 (74) to 9.7 (61) victory.
Meanwhile, South Croydon upset reigning premier Rowville for a second time this season, 9.10 (64) to 7.4 (46), in a major boost to the Bulldogs’ finals hopes.
James Fasan and Max King kicked two goals apiece for South Croydon, while Jai Coleclough booted two for the Hawks.
COBRA ATTACK
A blitzing first quarter laid the foundation for Cora Lynn’s West Gippsland league statement.
The ladder-leading Cobras — who have now won 13 in a row — kicked the first six goals of the match against fourth-placed Inverloch-Kongwak to set up the 8.5 (53) to 3.3 (21) win.
The Cobras went down in round 1 to the Seagulls but have been on a tear since.
Every win in the West Gippsland league is like gold, with just two points separating first from fourth ahead of Saturday’s round.
The Cobras’ fierce first term was all the more impressive considering just one of their six goals came from spearhead Nathan Gardiner.
BROWN FIRES AGAIN
Former AFL forward Mitch Brown has fired off another nine goals for Parkdale Vultures in the VAFA.
Brown kicked nine of his side’s 16 majors in a 47-point win over Oakleigh.
His haul lifts his season tally to 57.
Kai Day, Nathan Sullivan, Jack Edwards, Jai Elcock and Thomas Jenkins were alongside Brown as the Vultures’ best.
LIKE A FINE WINE
Ormond’s Damien Cleary couldn’t have written a better script himself.
The Monders’ legend, in his record-breaking 431st VAFA match, kicked the last two goals of the game to catapult his side to a third-grade victory.
The win over Wattle Park has kept Ormond in touch with second spot on the ladder.
STATEMENTS MADE
Chirnside Park has consolidated second spot on the Eastern Division 4 ladder — and a finals double chance — after a 10.10 (70) to 3.6 (24) rout in a 2 v 3 clash with the Whitehorse Pioneers.
Ben Slattery finished with two goals for Chirnside Park, while ruckman Paul Thatcher was also among the best.
Meanwhile, ladder-leader Scoresby made a statement in its top-four encounter with Kilsyth, winning 14.9 (93) to 3.0 (18).
MORE COUNTRY FOOTY …
Golden Square fell out of the Bendigo league top five after it failed to hold onto Gisborne, 14.10 (94) to 11.9 (75).
The hosts stormed back into the match with a seven goal to one second term but they failed to kick another goal for another 35 minutes of football.
They kicked three goals in the final term but by that stage the result was already determined.
In the Gippsland league, Morwell gained its first win at Leongatha in a decade when it edged away from the Parrots for a worthy 22-point win.
It was the ladder-leading ‘Gatha’s third defeat this season – and two of the losses have been at the hands of the Tigers.
Scores were level at half time but the visitors kicked four goals to one in the second half to claim an important victory.
Brandon Bailey won his wing handsomely, midfielders Burkeley Macfarlane and Brandon Mcauliffe relished the rugged conditions and Charlie Burr battled hard in the ruck for Boyd Bailey’s team, which is fifth on the ladder and has Bairnsdale and Wonthaggi on its tail.
Bairnsdale had a 24-point win over Warragul, led by Ethan East, Hugh Longbottom, Lachlan Byrne-Jones, Cooper Harvey, Will Mitchell and Byron Vickery.
The ‘Thaggi did as expected and defeated bottom side Maffra, by 49 points, with Cooper McInnes kicking four goals. Prominent cricketer Jakeb Thomas and Jye Gilmour also did well for the Jarryd Blair-coached Power.
Sale had a thrilling three-point win over Traralgon, with former Port Melbourne VFL star Shannen Lange giving the best-afield accolade a nudge.
Ex-AFL player Jack Leslie, Hudson Holmes and Jonty McGuiness were also sterling contributors for Sale.
VFL-listers Luis D’Angelo and Tristen Waack led the Traralgon effort.
In the remaining game, second-placed Moe slogged out an 11-point win over Drouin in a match that produced only eight goals.
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