St Paul’s dominates East Brighton in Southern Football League grand final rematch

ST PAUL’S smacked East Brighton in SFL division one action, while Bentleigh kept its finals hopes alive with a win over St Kilda City.

s12ms998 FOOTBALL .. SFL Preliminary Final Oakleigh v Highett ( Sat 11/09/10 ) Oakleigh 21 Paul Fermanis Picture: Guy Thayer

They say you can never write off a champion or a champion team.

And nobody would agree with that adage more readily than East Brighton, which felt the wrath of the re-emerging St Paul’s at McKinnon Oval on Saturday.

The team that vanquished the Vampires in last year’s grand final was back to its awesome best with a 73-point win in windy conditions.

So complete was the Doggies’ dominance that East could manage just three goals, two of them in the final quarter.

Tim Blackwood continued his recent good form for the Doggies with another polished effort, while the run of Harley Ambrose proved damaging.

Elusive goalsneak Travis Ridgway was far too slippery for the Vampire defence and finished with six goals, while the dashing Peter Mercoulia was everywhere.

Mitch Garvey, Peter Larsen and Tait Sabec were among the few vampires to stand tall.

Bentleigh is still an outside chance for finals following its 50-point win over St Kilda City at Bentleigh Reserve.

The Demons romped away in the last quarter of what had been a low-scoring arm-wrestle.

With Dale Hynes continuing his stellar form, the hosts slammed home seven goals to two in the final stanza to convert a 19-point lead into a comprehensive victory.

Ben Morrison was on fire up forward and finished with seven goals for the winners, while Luke Crozier, Daniel Jones and Scott Lambert all made major contributions.

The Saints offered plenty of resistance early, with Chris Economou, Jack Belkin, coach Gav Mahoney and Daniel McGee among their best.

Chelsea Heights eventually shrugged off a spunky Heatherton to prevail by 47 points at Beazley Reserve to open up a one-game buffer in fifth spot on the ladder.

The Tunners did some of their best work of the season early and were still within 20 points at the last change before the Demons finally asserted their authority.

Luke Newton and the dashing Jordan Perryman were instrumental in the Demon’s supremacy, while spearhead Nathan Davidson helped himself to five goals.

Phil Matheson and Joel Williams also showed out for the winners, with the hardworking Kane Tucker and the consistent Cameron Moon among the Tunners’ best.

Josh Bennett also proved handy up forward with three goals.

Dingley had to dig deep to eventually overcome a spirited East Malvern by six goals at Lucas Reserve.

With former Gippsland Power dynamo Kurt Gowers in full flight, the brave Panthers were mixing the ingredients of an upset when they led by 27 points at half-time.

But as they have done so often this season, the Dingoes responded to the challenge with a seven-goal-to-one third term to grab the initiative and keep their unbeaten record intact.

Suddenly the likes of young Adam Lloyd and former Sandringham and Frankston VFL-lister Jack Williams lifted a notch to put the game beyond East’s reach.

The Panthers also had no answer to the strength of full-forward Dean Francis, who finished with six goals.

Matt Morwood and Tom Dureau were also conspicuous for the visitors, while the Panthers’ many winners included Ralph Sadler, Andrew Johnston and Isaac McCrimmon.

Cheltenham led all day to post its sixth win of the season, scoring by 34 points over Clayton at Jack Barker Oval.

The Rosellas took their feet off the pedal a little in the final quarter but were always in complete control, with Jarrad Martin and Tom Donnell in vintage form.

Daniel Vaughan and Anthony Milesi also impressed for the hosts, while the outgunned Clays got plenty from Justin Mitrevski, who put in his best game of the season.

Chris Morrison and veteran Mark McHenry also toiled valiantly against the odds.

DIVISION 2

In Division 2, Oakleigh District snapped out of its recent lethargy to steamroll Springvale Districts by 58 points at Newcomen Road.

The Oaks looked a different side to that which lost the opening game to the Demons by a kick and have dropped the last four games.

“I can’t remember the last time we lost four in a row,” Districts president Greg Kiellerup said after the win.

“But we turned it around today and it will hopefully be the turning point of our season.

“We’ve got the list to do well but we just haven’t been putting it together,” he added.

But they certainly put it together on the open spaces of the Springvale ground, with young Johnny Walker enjoying it more than most.

The 16-year-old was a standout on his wing, with his fluent left foot doing plenty of damage. The silky skills of Paul Fermanis were also on show as he cut a swathe through the Demon defence, and Daniel Sgambelloni was also on fire until suffering a hamstring injury just before half-time.

Mladen Josic was another of the many Oaks to impress, while winners were scarcer for the hosts. An exception was skipper Gav Vassallo, who led by example, with Jackson Bolch, Dave Monaghan and big-hearted ruckman Dan Wilson among the few to follow.

The win has kept the Oaks in touch with the top five.

“We’ve got some winnable games coming up and are still well and truly in it,” Keillerup said.

Mordialloc proved too accomplished for Highett at Ben Kavanagh Reserve, coasting to victory by 42 points in yet another low-scoring affair, 9-13-67 to 3-7-25.

The Bloods did their best work in the final term with five goals after only six had been kicked by both sides in the first three quarters.

Nick Corda and Daniel Quinn led the way for Mordi, with Dave Ferraro and Lachie McIver also winning plenty of the ball.

The Bulldogs battled the game out admirably, with Ary Friedman, Pat Singh and Jacob Duscher among their more effective contributors.

Moorabbin may not have won a game this season, but the Kangaroos lost no friends when they succumbed by just 13 points to Murrumbeena at Murrumbeena Park.

The Lions had controlled proceedings for three quarters, with Will Voorham, Jason Cornish and Daniel Emmerson constantly in the action.

But Dave Stynes’ Roos refused to surrender without a fight and gradually whittled down the imposing 31-point, three-quarter-time deficit to little more than a few kicks.

Their brave fightback was led by the inspirational Matt Johansson, who finished with four goals, with strong support from Mark Russell, Peter Gerard and Tarek Dimachki.

Goals were at a premium at a windswept Peterson Street Oval when Skye accounted for Hampton by 39 points.

In a low-scoring slog, the Bombers restricted the Hammers to just two goals as they glided to victory 7-18-60 to 2-9-21.

Despite never being able to take the game by the throat, the visitors were always in control, thanks to the efforts of Aaron Harper, Andrew Hook and Daniel McEwan, among others.

Joshua Wood, Aaron Shedlock and Joshua Kerrigan did best for the Hammers, who are still just half a game out of the top five.

Doveton Eagles players and supporters belted out their victory song with gusto after avenging their first-round loss to Caulfield with a gutsy, come-from-behind, nine-point win over the Bears.

The hosts had trailed all day and visions of their four-goal loss to the Bears in the season-opener loomed large.

But in an impressive final-quarter effort, the Eagles found their wings and reined in the Bears to score 9-14-68 to 9-5-59.

Enayte Samadi led the way for the Eagles, with solid support from Matt O’Callaghan, Hayden Martin and Darren Ramsdale, while Peter Dye was active up forward with five goals.

Ashleigh Cooper, Tim Kennedy and Joel Butler did best for the Bears.

Amazingly, despite sitting ninth on the ten-team ladder, the Eagles are just one game out of the top five.

DIVISION 3

In Division 3, Ashwood collected its biggest scalp of the season when it knocked off previously undefeated Mount Waverley in blustery conditions at Essex Heights Reserve.

The Magpies led all day in a low-scoring tussle that saw them victorious by seven points, 9-4-58 to 6-15-51.

“It was a great win for us,” Ashwood coach Paul Wineberg said.

“We focused on putting physical pressure on them and closed up their runners.

“We didn’t give them any space to run the ball wide and although they were inaccurate, a lot of their shots were under pressure applied by our backmen.”

Michael Field played a key role in the victory by shutting down the dangerous Ben Stacey, while young Jacob Barker continued his improvement with another sparkling display, whether up forward or in the ruck.

Chris Meyers did a sterling job at full-back to restrict prolific goalscorer James Gough to just a single.

Coach Jarrod Wilkin and the busy Jack Dunn were the pick of the Mountain Lions.

Although the Magpies are still a theoretical chance for finals, it will be tough to make up three games.

“Our three-point loss to Lyndale earlier this season may well cost us dearly,” Wineberg said.

“Instead of being three games out, we’d only be a game, but whatever happens, we’ve simply got to keep winning.”

Hallam avenged its earlier loss to Endeavour Hills this season with a spirited 26-point win over the Falcons at Hallam Reserve.

With wind playing havoc with the skills, there was little between the two teams all day and just one point separated them at the final break.

But with former TAC Cup star Linden Fredericks and Bryce Neve leading the way, the Hawks sailed home with the breeze for a comfortable victory.

Kyle Kime (three goals) and Ben Worrell were also prominent for the winners, while Matt Neve also weighed in with three goals.

The Falcons were well served by the in-form Byron Hoe, Neil Peake, Aaron Brooks and Daniel Batson.

Last week was a good one for Sandown with the announcement of its pavilion upgrade. But the Cobras were unable to celebrate it with a victory at Edinburgh Reserve last Saturday.

However, they were brave as they eventually succumbed to division heavyweight Carrum Patterson Lakes by 15 points.

With the tireless John Frenken and Matt Menzies leading the way, the Cobras led at every break before being overwhelmed in the final term by the physically stronger Lions.

Jake Chapman and Scott Jackman were also impressive for the hosts, but in the end, the likes of Chris Mouritz, Rod McLeod and veteran Nigel Scott helped seal the issue for the visitors.

It was Black Rock all the way at Fritsch Holzer Park when the Jets outgunned South Yarra by 35 points.
With Cory Durie, Jay Williams and Joseph Kreiger in the thick of things, the Jets were always in control despite the dogged persistence of their hosts.

The Lions battled the game out, with Tom Hanney, Jordie Cellini and Oliver Smith among their good players.

Lyndale is almost assured of finals action this season after accounting for Dandenong by 26 points at Greaves Reserve.

Handling the windy conditions better and with ex-Springvale VFL man Taylor Irish in full flight, the Pumas set up their victory with five unanswered goals in the third quarter after an even first half.

Only two points separated the teams at the long interval but it was all Lyndale after that, with Alex Bertucci, Damien Wilsnach, Adam Read and Roman Zemlinsky among their many good players.

The Redlegs were well served by Brodie O’Loughlin, Steve Young, Rob Mackwell and Chris Arnold.