Top teams hard to separate

Emerald''s Daniel Edwards marks strongly. 182224_01 Pictures: BETHANY HUTCHISON

By Cameron Hutchison

Round 9 was played in cold, slippery and sometimes foggy conditions.

There were some surprises with the wins and losses on Saturday and there is now a log jam in the Division 1 competition with the top 5 sides all sitting on six wins at the halfway mark of the season.

Division 2 sees Seville take top spot by percentage after Yarra Glen’s first loss for the season.

The winners in senior football: Wandin, Healesville, Monbulk, Olinda Ferny Creek, Woori Yallock, Alexandra, Gembrook-Cockatoo, Seville and Yarra Junction.

A Grade netball winners: Healesville, Woori Yallock, Belgrave, Olinda Ferny Creek, Wandin, Powelltown, Yarra Junction and Kinglake.

Division 1 Seniors Football

Wandin 10.7.67 d Emerald 6.18.54

Wandin share top spot but are fourth on percentage after a win over Emerald. Emerald were chasing tail all day as Wandin got off to a handy start but only had a slim lead of three points at quarter time. They kicked away in the second, with 6 goals to 1, and went into the main break 32 points up. Emerald won the third quarter, kicking 3.1 to 1.5, but the margin was still 20 points. Emerald peppered the goals in the last with 1.7 to 1 goal straight and really should have had the game won, but wastefulness in front of goal cost them in the end.

Wandin Best: S. Wettenhall (3 goals), B. Harvey (1 goal), T. Leech-Hines, P. Hodgett, P. Bruzzese, J. Byrne

Emerald Best: D. Edwards, S. Semmens (1 goal), J. Rich (1 goal), B. Wood, A. Quirk (1 goal), N. Jansen (2 goals)

Healesville 10.17.77 d Upwey-Tecoma 6.4.40

Healesville are also equal first, but fifth on percentage after a surprising win over Upwey-Tecoma. Healesville started well, kicking 4.5 to 2.2 in the first to set up a handy lead by 15 points. Upwey won the second quarter, just, and reduced the margin at the main break to 13 points. Healesville turned on the burners a bit in the third, kicking 4.2 to 1.1 and the margin was now looking tough for Upwey. Healesville peppered the goals in the last, but accuracy plagued them, and they were still able to come away with the win by 37 points.

Healesville Best: J. Nugent, L. Daly, J. Roe-Duggan (2 goals), D. Plozza, A. Fraraccio, B. Murphy

Upwey-Tecoma Best: W. Duncan, B. Bantoft, S. Waters, B. Neil, S. Dawson, D. Bell

Monbulk 13.18.96 d Belgrave 7.6.48

Monbulk sit one win out of the five after a solid performance against Belgrave. Monbulk were in control from the outset and had a big lead by 33 points at quarter time. Belgrave won the second quarter, kicking 3.2 to 1.3 and reduced the margin to 22 points. Monbulk jumped into action in the third, with 5.6 to 2.1 to put the game out of Belgrave’s reach. A lacklustre last quarter, but Belgrave still won it but the game was all Monbulk’s.

Monbulk Best: S. Williams (2 goals), N. Wall, M. Langworthy (1 goal), P. Barge (3 goals), N. McPherson, K. Linde

Belgrave Best: T. Stubley, J. McDermott (1 goal), J. Marshall, N. Somervaille (1 goal), C. Power, L. Caton-Thomas

Olinda Ferny Creek 19.21.135 d Warburton Millgrove 3.7.25

Olinda have bounced back after a 110-point win over Warburton and are back on top of the ladder by percentage. They were a bit wasteful in front of goal in the first, but had a lead of 22 points at quarter time. They increased that lead to 37 points at half-time. A big 7-goal to 1 third quarter, as heavy fog set in, and the margin had blown out to 73 points which was well out of reach for Warburton. A final 5.5 to 1 behind and the final siren was Warburton’s friend at the end of the day.

Olinda Ferny Creek Best: D. Troutman (2 goals), M. Wright (6 goals), B. Currie, M. Hottes, D. Noorda, L. Hill

Warburton-Millgrove Best: L. Barnard, T. McKail, J. Walker, S. Andueza, M. Leeds (2 goals), M. Read

Woori Yallock 19.18.132 d Mt Evelyn 6.8.44

Woori Yallock are second only by percentage after knocking over sixth-placed Mt Evelyn who are only 1 win behind Olinda at the end of the day. Woori Yallock kicked 5.4 to 2.1 in the first and really set up the rest of the game. A big 7-goal quarter to 1 and it was all Woori Yallock at half time with a lead of 55 points. Mount Evelyn could only manage 3 behinds in the third to Woori’s 4.9 and it was all over. It was goal for goal in the last but to no avail for the Mounters.

Woori Yallock Best: E. Clasby (2 goals), M. Batten, J. Smith, K. Thompson, J. Matthews (1 goal), C. Cameron (4 goals)

Mt Evelyn Best: C. Urquhart, A. Gibbons, L. Inaps, J. Thompson (1 goal), J. Beamish (1 goal), K. Jones (1 goal)

Division 2 Seniors Football

Alexandra 14.14 104 d Kinglake 15.11.101

This was certainly match of the day with just 3 points separating these 2 at the final siren. Alexandra got early honours, kicking 4.4 to 2.2 in the first and a lead of 14 points. Kinglake kicked 6.4 to 2.4 in the second to swing the lead in their favour by 10 points at half-time. Alexandra found some extra legs in the third, kicking 7.2 to 5.2 and the score was now Alexandra’s by 2 points. It was a tight, tough last quarter but Alexandra just managed to hang on.

Alexandra Best: L. Ragg, J. Daniel (1 goal), J. Goonan, S. Steiner (1 goal), P. Ferguson (1 goal), C. McKay (2 goals)

Kinglake Best: M. McAllister, J. Nixon (7 goals), J. Butterworth, B. White (2 goals), M. Newton, W. Graf

Gembrook Cockatoo 9.14.68 d Powelltown 8.10.58

In another tight game, Gembrook got home by 10 points to be sitting fourth on the ladder. Gembrook got the early break and led by 15 points at quarter time. Four goals to 3 in the second and Gembrook increased their lead to 19 points at half-time. Powelltown held Gembrook goalless in the third and kicked two goals themselves to reduce the margin to 8 points at the final change. Powelltown could not maintain it in the last and Gembrook ran away with a hard earnt 10-point win.

Gembrook Cockatoo Best: T. Lockyer (4 goals), T. Whytcross, A. Mitchell, D. South, B. Wareham, L. Henzen

Powelltown Best: B. Traynor, L. Walker, J. Iacono, J. Bruhn, J. Moore (1 goal), J. Garthwaite (3 goals)

Seville 43.17.275 d Thornton Eildon 1.3.9

Seville hosted Thornton on Saturday and now sit atop of the ladder by percentage after a very big win. Seville were in control from the outset and have kicked the highest score to date in this year’s competition. Thornton could only manage 1 goal for the day, but Seville amassed goals in the second quarter and 15 in the last to end with 43 goals for the day.

Seville Best: J. Neal (12 goals), D. Broadway (6 goals), G. Fraser (1 goal), J. Fraser (9 goals), M. Timmermeister, J. Young (4 goals)

Thornton-Eildon Best: A. Phelps, D. Creed (2 goals), J. Scotland, J. Dickson, R. Andrews, J. Parker

Yarra Junction 17.7.109 d Yarra Glen 8.10.58

In what some would say was the major upset of the day was the awesome effort made by Yarra Junction to inflict Yarra Glen’s first defeat of the season and drop them to second on the ladder albeit by percentage. Yarra Junction kicked 6 goals to 2 in the first and went into the second quarter with a 25-point lead. Both teams tightened things up in the second and only kicked 2 each so it was still game on at half time. Yarra Junction kicked 5.1 to a wasteful Yarra Glen’s 4.5 to be up by 25 points at the last change. Yarra Glen was still in with a show until the Eagles outclassed and outplayed them holding them scoreless in the last but still managed to kick 4.2 themselves.

Yarra Junction Best: C. Hoare, D. Brookes, J. Welch, T. Boxell (4 goals), B. Clark (2 goals), T. Fennell

Yarra Glen Best: A. Smith (2 goals), T. Russell, B. Binion, B. Ashton (1 goal), C. Tait, G. Filsell (1 goal)

Yea: Bye

Under 18s Football

Gembrook-Cockatoo 14.13.97 d Warburton-Millgrove 1.5.11

Monbulk 9.13.67 d Alexandra 1.6.12

Wandin 13.15.93 d Emerald 3.0.18

Healesville 15.12.102 d Upwey Tecoma 3.4.22

Mt Evelyn 9.9.63 d Woori Yallock 6.6.42

Division 1 A Grade Netball

Healesville 38 d Upwey Tecoma 37

Healesville Best: Kayla Wandin-Collins, Chenile Chandler, Georgia Ford

Upwey-Tecoma Best: Keira Venables, Peta Day, Gabriella Bull (13 goals)

Woori Yallock 67 d Mt Evelyn 26

Woori Yallock Best: Jasmine Evans, Lilly Walsh, Madeline Hargrave (39 goals)

Mt Evelyn Best: Georgia Marsh (14 goals), Stephanie Jones (4 goals), Nakita Singe, Brittney Smith

Belgrave 63 d Monbulk Hawks 25

Monbulk’s Best: Nicole MacDowell (9 goals), Kaitlyn Seamer, Sophie Stubbs (10 goals)

Belgrave’s Best: Petra Keogh, Lauren Bennett (26 goals), Kalen Winters

Olinda Ferny Creek 81 d Warburton Millgrove 20

Olinda Ferny Creek Best: Not provided

Warburton Millgrove Best: Natalia Petrucev, Zoe Abbruzzese (11 goals), Selina Fotia

Wandin 75 d Emerald 33

Wandin Best: Sinead Lumsden (31 goals), Madeline George

Emerald Best: Eilish Loveday, Sally Rush, Abbey Dejong (8 goals)

Division 2 A Grade Netball

Powelltown 77 d Gembrook Cockatoo 19

Powelltown Best: Demi Barber, Amanda Martin, Olivia Caneva (43 goals)

Gembrook Cockatoo Best: Brooke Munnerley, Lainey Williams, Kaitlyn Dullard

Yarra Junction 59 d Yarra Glen 50

Yarra Junction Best: Courtney Lever, Hannah Sciberras, Mia Motteram

Yarra Glen Best: Nicole Moate (25 goals), Edana Lacey. Kali Fraser

Kinglake 63 d Alexandra 41

Kinglake Best: Monique Nagle (39 goals), Caitlin Ryan, Bridget Waack

Alexandra Best: Ellie Hedger (20 goals), Louise Chapple (5 goals), Lauren Steyger (16 goals)

Seville: Bye

Yea: Bye