Two Blues move to second on the ladder
ON a day of upsets in round 9 of VAFA Division 1 with the top two teams both losing, Prahran emerged as the big winner.
Entering the round in third place, a game behind second placed Parkside, thanks to West Brunswick's upset win the Two Blues are now second with a much superior percentage of 175 to Parkside 138.
The Two Blues completed their part of the equation with a comprehensive 71 point win over injury depleted Therry Penola.
Prahran's win proved to be the outlier among the top three teams as the previously undefeated UHS-VU succumbed to fifth placed Kew.
At the half-way mark of the season the groundwork has been done and now the task at hand for Prahran will be consolidating.
Last Saturday’s clash with Therry Penola was always going to be a trench warfare style game.
The visitors tackle rating was high and but for inaccurate goal kicking deserved to lead at quarter time trailing 3-1 to 1-5.
The second term was more of the same with Prahran leading by just 11 points at half-time in a low scoring contest.
But in a matter of 10 minutes the momentum swung dramatically in the Two Blues favour with four unanswered goals courtesy of Matthew Clifford twice, Shaun Chapman and Tom Seaman.
The Two Blues ramped up their pressure rating and their superior skills and fitness were on display as the visitors fell away under the onslaught.
Therry Penola’s discipline deserted them and as a result conceded a rash of free kicks. The eight goals to one third quarter meant it was game over.
Clifford, with a season high six goals, was the game breaker despite close checking attention.
Ethan Plaza was as deadly as ever around goals with three majors and Chapman and skipper Rory Brodie held sway in big man duels.
As ever the Two Blues defence was rock solid with Joel Hume, Pat Ribbands and Jake Stent-Powell to the fore.
PRAHRAN 3-1 5-5 13-8 16-11 (107)
THERRY PENOLA 1-5 3-6 4-7 4-12 (36)
Goals. Clifford 6, Plaza 3, Seaman 2, Stent-Powell, Chapman, Bamford, Milward, Brodie 1.