Sport / Football
Monash gives Brunswick a fright in wet conditions
Brunswick NOBs 9.15 (69) defeated Monash Blues 7.6 (48) at Frearson Oval
Tim Purdey
UP against the winless Monash Blues at Frearson Oval on Saturday, Brunswick needed to bank the four points to stay in touch with the top half of the Division 1 ladder and in wet conditions they managed to do so, but it was an ugly 21-point win.
The game started brightly enough, with Oscar Watt using his pace to run onto a clever kick from Andre Jaycock to slot a goal after six minutes, but things took a turn for the worse thereafter as the NOBs went on a behind scoring spree, first by blazing away at the big sticks, then, as the yips took hold, by missing set shots from directly in front.
The result was eight straight behinds, before Monash scored the obligatory goal against the-run-of-play to reinforce Brunswick’s wastefulness. Another miss before the quarter-time siren made it 1.9 to 1.1 and, instead of establishing a match-winning lead, it was a case of bad kicking is bad football.
A set shot miss in the first minute of the second term made it 10 behinds in a row to the NOBs, before Gabe Banova finally broke the drought with an on-target snap, followed soon after by a goal to Tom Wilson in his 100th game.
Then the rain began to fall and Brunswick seemed to lose their way, tending to over-possess the ball in the slippery conditions, while Monash defended well before kicking their second, aided by some poor defence on the goal-line. The NOBs replied through a ‘Joe the Goose’ goal in the square to Gus Coverdale to establish a 21-point lead at the 16-minute mark, but the Ashes were up for the fight and by halftime had reduced the margin to just seven points.
Monash started the third quarter as they had ended the second, defending well and creating scoring opportunities on the counterattack, as the NOBs struggled to execute basic skills in the slippery conditions.
An early major to the Ashes made it a one-point game, then neither team scored for the next 10 minutes, before a Monash behind tied things up.
To Brunswick’s credit they responded, with Joe Gale kicking their first major in over half-an-hour courtesy of an errant handball from an opposition defender at the top of the goal square, followed in quick succession by goals to the opportunist Watt (for his second) and ruckman Ben Young, who turned his opponent inside out on the boundary line before slamming it through. At the final change it was NOBs by 19 points.
Desperate for their first win for the season, Monash refused to yield and, with good ball movement from half-back, kicked the opening goal of the last quarter after a couple of minutes.
The game then became a real scrap, with the next major coming at the 18-minute mark in fortuitous circumstances for the NOBs as Mitch Hicks was paid a mark from a kick that went about seven metres, before going back and slotting it from the boundary.
The Ashes replied quickly to stay within 13 points with 6:30 left on the clock, but Brunswick did enough to hold on, with Gale snagging his second with only seconds remaining to ice a hard-fought victory.
Brunswick’s best player was reigning best-and-fairest Rowan Hogenbirk, who, with sure hands and penetrating kicks, showed how to play in the wet. Key defender Tahj Haddock was another who relished the conditions by running straight at the ball and repelling attacks, while Fletcher Banfield was tireless in the midfield.
Coverdale worked hard to make himself a target in the forward line before moving to the wing and winning plenty of ball, while Whitlam Bishop was very good in the backline and Ben Wilson was hard at it as always in the middle.
As Brunswick seek to extend to extend their winning run, a big test awaits this Saturday in the form of second-placed Kew at Gillon Oval.
Brunswick Voice is looking for a volunteer correspondent to file a 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.
Renegades get bogged down in Gillon Oval mud
Brunswick Renegades 1.1 (7) lost to Aquinas OC 2.5 (17) at Gillon Oval
Trelawney Skye Edgar
IN dreary conditions at Gillon Oval on Saturday, the Brunswick Renegades suffered a tough loss at the hands of a tenacious Aquinas side hungry to claim their first victory for 2025.
After being gifted dry surfaces and sunshine in the previous rounds, it was a slow start for Brunswick on the scoreboard as both sides slogged it out in sleeting rain, but they were as physical as ever when the ball was on the ground.
After an early goal for Aquinas in the opening term, an answer came in the third quarter with a well-earned and heavily celebrated major from a driven Emily Collins. However, despite contesting fiercely and there being several promising forward entries, the Renegades were unable to take the lead off the visitors.
In the end, a stellar backline performance managed to hold Aquinas to only a ten-point margin, including keeping them scoreless in the fourth term.
Angela Snowden stepped up as sole captain for the day, leading from the jump with precision, persistence and voice.
Brunswick were bolstered by a welcome guest appearance from Gabrielle Milton adding some legs to a hard-working midfield and saw a strong debut from Elizabeth Walshe who laid a killer bump on an unsuspecting Aquinas player.
Emma McTaggart served up a huge effort in the ruck as usual with seemingly endless energy against a powerful opponent, and Josie Brown put on an absolute defensive clinic.
There will be much to learn from the game as the Renegades prepare to take on Parkside in a twilight clash in Alphington, with both clubs hunting their third win of the season.
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.
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