Two Blues Topple Ladder Leader

Seniors:

All wins are good wins, but sometimes there are special wins and Prahran Assumption’s triumph over Ormond in Division 1 on Saturday at Toorak Park comfortably fits into that category.

Against quality opposition this was the best standard match all season and clearly the Two Blues best win. The sixth placed Two Blues now sit one game out of the four, but with a superior percentage to the fourth and fifth teams. The 22 point winning margin doesn’t reflect how tight a game it was and the effort it took for the Two Blues to topple the ladder leader. With finals hopes barely flickering this was a must-win game for the home team and that is exactly how they played. Coach Ash Mills had planned to the Two Blues strength, it’s running game, but to get the motor running the pressure meter had to be on high and the mid-field needed to set the scene. And how, Brett Dickinson and Ryley Conlan dominated ruck contests and the Two Blues on ballers James Musster, Dan Freeman, James Falcone and Harry Taylor took control in a see-saw contest. The Two Blues were first out of the blocks with four of the first five goals highlighted by a Musster snap. Twice Ormond threatened to take control. The second quarter saw the visitors dominate and kick the last three goals of the quarter. A fourth unanswered goal after an early third quarter conversion from a free looked ominous, but the Two Blues stayed firm. Goals to Taylor, Jack Matherson and Nat Martin reversed the trend, only for Ormond to hit back with three of the next four goals. James Falcone‘s conversion after the siren gave the Two Blues a slender one point lead. In a frenzied opening to the last quarter, goals to Martin, Chapman and Taylor in the first seven minutes gave the Two Blues true belief. In contrast to the previous game the Two Blues were on target extending a 5-5 scoreline to 14-6. Any thought of a late Ormond rally were snuffed out by an amazing intercept mark by an airborne Joe Whiting deep in the forward pocket midway through the quarter which exemplified the Two Blues dedication to the cause.

PRAHRAN ASSUMPTION 5-5 6-6 11-6 16-11 (107) d ORMOND 3-5 6-7 10-11 12-13 (85)

Goals: Matherson, Chapman 3, Falcone, Taylor, Martin 2, Maya, Musster, Conlan, Quinn.

Best: Musster, D Freeman, Quinn, Conlan, Dickinson, Falcone.

Reserves:

PRAHRAN ASSUMPTION 2-1 5-1 6-4 6-5 (41) lost to ORMOND 3-3 10-7 17-9 22-13 (145)

Club XXIII:

PRAHRAN ASSUMPTION 4-2 7-3 9-11 15-15 (81) d OLD XAVERIANS 0-1 3-4 3-4 6-4 (40)

Goals:  A. Phelps , E. Papageorgiou , A. Vine , J. Rundle , N. Gouin 2, J. Langford.

Best: E. Papageorgiou, N. Keohler, C. Berger, J. Rundle, A. Phelps.

Women's:

PRAHRAN ASSUMPTION 8-4 10-6 13-10 17-14 (116) d SOUTH DISTRICTS 0-0

Goals: Guest 7, Peel 3, Stewart, Bransden, Buttolph, Emilie, Spokes, Hastie, Mohammad-Zayee.

Best: Guest, Peel, Spokes, Bransden, Stewart, Buttolph.