Sport / Football
NOBs fail to reap rewards for hard work against ladder leaders
Brunswick NOBs 7.5 (47) lost to Ormond 10.13 (73) at Gillon Oval
Tim Purdey
UP against the VAFA Men’s Division 1 pacesetters in the form of undefeated Ormond, Brunswick gave an excellent account of themselves in a game that was high on quality, despite the bitterly cold and gusty conditions at Gillon Oval on Saturday, but in the end their forwards weren’t able to capitalise on the work of their gun midfield and fell short by 26 points.
The second term told the story of game. For the first 13 minutes there was good quality end-to-end footy played but both sides were struggling to score, then Tom Wilson slotted a classy major from alongside the cricket nets to again give Brunswick the lead, which sparked Ormond into action as they worked out how to attack with the breeze. Four straight goals and a 20-point lead at halftime was the result, which would prove to be decisive on the day.
Brunswick got the early goal they needed at the start of the third quarter through the unlikely source of Will McKenzie roving the pack and snapping from 20 metres, then both sides had a series of misses, before a free to Ormond and an undisciplined 50 metre penalty restored their 20-point lead. In the shadows of the final change, a free to NOBs was converted by Mitch Hicks to bring it back to a manageable 14 points.
By the last term, there was still a breeze to the Sydney Road end, but not the gale of earlier in the match, and when Tom Wilson cleverly goaled from a boundary throw-in in the 10th minute to narrow the margin to nine points there was plenty of self-belief in the Brunswick side. Ormond responded, as they had done all day, but then Ben Wilson hit Paul Scamporlino on the chest with a bullet pass 30 metres out directly in front – which was duly converted – and it was again a nine-point margin and game on at the 15-minute mark.
Mirroring the second quarter, Ormond raised their game from that point and added 2.5 to snuff out the NOBs’ challenge, as frustrations grew with questionable umpiring decisions that tended to go against the home side. The final margin wasn’t a true reflection of the closeness of the contest, but by the same token the NOBs can’t afford to continue to concede easy goals late in games.
Brunswick’s midfield again showed it was amongst the very best in the competition with a display that was at times quite dominant, led by Daniel Mott, Fletcher Banfield and Gabe Banova. The defence did well all day, with Whitlam Bishop and Marcus Foti the standouts, while Will McKenzie never stopped trying in the ruck and reminded us that his absence from here on will be sorely felt. Scamporlino continually presented as a target and was the best of the forwards against a tough opposition defence.
At the halfway mark of the season, Brunswick sit sixth on the ladder with 4-5, but starting with Therry Penola away this week can return to the winners’ list and start a run towards the top four.
Renegades brave the morning chill to run out winners over Demons
Brunswick Renegades 5.7 (37) defeated Box Hill North 3.3 (21) at Elgar Park
Trelawney Skye Edgar
BRUNSWICK ran out alive and kicking against Box Hill North on a chilly Saturday morning at Elgar Oval after a two-week break, fully defrosted and raring to go, before running away with a 16-point win.
In a promising first term, valiant attempts on goal from the tireless Mae Lesley-Otti and Emily Collins resulted in behinds, with the Demons responding well to the purple surge.
The second quarter opened with a gorgeous boot from Angela Snowdon, finally rewarding Brunswick with a six-pointer. Not a single Reno’s foot then come off the pedal as both sides fought for a hotly contested footy, spending equal time at both ends.
A determined Brunswick backline did not allow their hosts any joy in front of goal in the first half, while another classy goal from Snowdon and lovely chip from Stephanie Szuhai-Andrews both came in the final minute to extend the lead for the Renegades.
After multiple spoiled efforts through the third quarter, Theo Walden scored their maiden goal on forward line debut with a cheeky soccer off the ground from amidst the pack.
For the rest of the term, beautiful constant pressure from the Renegades continued – playing close, tackling hard, going in for the ball at all levels and making hard second efforts around the ground.
Shannon Colgan scored a lovely goal to open the final quarter, refocusing Brunswick’s game and buoying them through the last 20 minutes with renewed energy to fight right to the end.
Kiah Pearce had a commanding defensive performance in game number 50, with clever tackling and clean intercept marks. Classic captains’ games were played by Clare Woodhouse, laying down unwavering physicality, and Angela Snowdon, gripping every opportunity with both hands.
The Renegades will be taking confidence from this victory as they prepare to host Coburg at Gillon Oval for Indigenous Round this week.
Brunswick Voice is looking for a volunteer correspondent to file a combined weekly report about the progress of our three local clubs during the 2025 VAFA season. If that is of interest to you, contact editor@brunswickvoice.com.au with an example of your writing.
If you liked this story, have you thought about supporting our work?
We are an independent, volunteer-run hyperlocal news organisation owned and run by the people in your community. With your support, we can continue to produce unique and valuable local journalism for Brunswick, Coburg and the inner north of Melbourne.
