Two Blues dominant in game of two halves
THIS was the classic tale of a 'game of two halves' football match.
In the first half VAFA Division 1 finals bound Prahran looked every bit a potential grand finalist albeit against winless Old Yarra.
The scoreline read 15-4 to 0-2 and the ball movement and skill level from the Two Blues was impressive.
Not so the second half. The scoreline this time was 6-13 to a solitary point.
Predictably enough Old Yarra sent extra soldiers back to clog the forward line and it worked as the Two Blues repeatedly missed targets.
And when they did get set shots the ‘yips’ which cost them dearly against Oakleigh two weeks ago returned.
The positive, yet again, was a defence that did not concede a goal, the first time a team has been held goalless in Division 1 this season.
It must be said Old Yarra is at a low ebb, forfeiting the Reserves and talk of leaving the VAFA and joining the Eastern District League.
But that is still a noteworthy effort.
The Two Blues had some notable contributions from skipper Rory Brodie (five goals), Tom Selleck on a wing and Jake Stent-Powell who gathered possessions at will covering an enormous amount of ground. And Shaun Chapman, in his first game since round five following back surgery, showed enough to suggest he will be a bonus come finals time.
Jackson Devine and Zac Wood in their first senior games also showed promise.
PRAHRAN 8-1 15-4 17-10 21-17 (143)
OLD YARRA 0-2 0-2 0-3 0-3 (3)
Goals. Brodie 5, Marks 3, Stent-Powell 3, Cook , Atkinson 2, Selleck, Gottschalk, Clifford, Plaza. Bamford, Devine.
Best. Tom Selleck, Jake Stent-Powell, Rory Brodie, Liam Hepburn, Joshua Taylor, Zachary Wood
RESERVES won on forfeit
WOMENS
THE Two Blue Lions continued their strong run of form with a hard-fought seven-point victory over second-placed Old Haileybury in front of a passionate home crowd.
Old Haileybury came out of the blocks strongly, taking an early lead and putting the Two Blue Lions under pressure. The Two Blue Lions responded brilliantly in the second quarter, piling on three unanswered goals to wrestle back control and set up one of their most impressive wins of the season.
Old Haileybury came hard in the third and final quarters, but the Two Blue Lions’ defence stood tall across the ground. Laura Bird produced a crucial goal-saving tackle, while Chloe Cafferkey won a huge one-on-one contest deep in defence with just minutes remaining. Lauren Kenneally was outstanding all game, taking a number of important contested marks and providing composure under pressure.
Jessy Brown played her best game of the season, making a huge impact as a small forward. Their turn of pace and clean ball handling created several scoring opportunities and kept the Old Haileybury defence under constant pressure.
It was a fantastic all-round team performance, with every player playing their role and contributing when it mattered most. The composure, pressure and determination shown across four quarters were key to securing the win.
The Two Blue Lions now turn their attention to this weekend’s Elimination Final against the same team, Old Haileybury. With the confidence gained from an inspiring win and the expectation of another tight contest, the Lions are ready to embrace the challenge and give everything to advance to the Preliminary Final.
PRAHRAN-COLLEGIANS 0-0 3-3 3-3 3-3 (21)
Old Hailebury 1-3 1-3 1-4 1-8 (14)
Goals. Menzies, Schmidt, O’Driscoll.
Best. April Pierlot, Lauren Kenneally, Jessy Brown, Molly Crighton, Ciara Kelly, Sheldon Menzies