VAFA ROUND 2.indd - Victorian Amateur Football Association

DIVISION 4
Simon Fuller
SHARKS TOO
STRONG
With just one club dropping from on high, the
chances are that Div 4 could be hotly contested
by most clubs. Forgive me if I’m not yet tempted
to include Chadstone in that group, but it is a
long year and plenty of premiership teams have
suffered early drubbings before.
To open the 2011 season, Manningham travelled
to Shark Park. The Sharks were able to get their
season off to a perfect start with a hard-fought
win over the Cobras. Manningham had trouble
negotiating the breeze, squandering several
opportunities. A ten goal to one onslaught in the
second quarter set things up for the Sharks. With
half of the Cobras lineup comprised of debutants,
expect to see improvement over the coming
weeks. Sean Leonard toiled manfully in the ruck,
Dan O’Regan was lively on the wing and Conn and
Trinchi martialled the defence. Ira Israel kicked five
for the winners and was ably supported by Viola
and Edlich. Matthew Costorphin was BOG.
North Brunny hosted the Demons and peppered
the goals in the opening stanza, only managing
to get the twin calicos raised once to go with ten
misfires. After putting the foot on the accelerator
in the third quarter to the tune of seven snags, the
Brunny boys opened up a match-winning lead. Pat
Notaro was eye-catching, kicking seven goals and
with five from the middle, Sahand Ghasimzadeh
showed enough to suggest he will prove a
constant nemesis for opposition defences (and
Division 4 scribes) in 2011. In Temperley’s absence,
the job on Dan Penny went to Andrew Cooper,
who did a great job in quelling the Box Hill North
star’s influence. Leon Desmond was very good for
the Demons and Cam Liston played almost a lonehand
in the ruck.
Jordan Reserve was the venue for the Chadstone
vs Swinburne Uni clash and the Razorbacks
sounded a warning to all Division 4 rivals with a
171 point win. Chadstone had the aid of a stiff
breeze in the first term, but any encroachment
of the students’ defensive zone earning a hostile
rebuke from Phil Wild. After getting a few scoring
opportunities in the first quarter, the floodgates
opened in the second and the game was well and
truly over by half time. Chris Kilmartin showed
why there are big raps on him this year, dobbing a
lazy seven for the visitors.
Out at KB Reserve a topsy-turvy match
unfolded between Richmond Central and South
Mornington. An inspired half from Dylan Nicholson
and Dean Sutherland opened up a handy four
goal lead for Centrals going into the main break.
But, after being given time to regroup, the South
Mornington boys bridged the gap and opened up
a lead of their own by the time the oranges were
distributed with an eight goal blitz for the term.
The wind died down in the final quarter, killing
off a shell-shocked Central’s hopes of a revival.
Will Spencer bagged six, Ben Price chimed in with
three and Scott Smith was everywhere. Seb Angus
jagged five on debut for the Centrals.
St Francis Xavier travelled to Point Cook for their
Round 1 match. And, with a 37 point triumph
chalked up by the final siren, the SFX boys would
have gone home with growing confidence for
the year ahead. SFX opened up a five goal lead
at quarter time and the Bulldogs chipped away
at it in the second. Kicking into the wind in the
final term, SFX finished all over Point Cook with
a four goal to one quarter getting them over
the line. It was an even spread of goalkickers for
the victors, their sixteen goals shared by eleven
players. Dimakopoulos was prominent. Mark
Pozzuto kicked four and Henwood was busy for
the Doggies.
TODAY
Selections in BOLD
ST FRANCIS XAVIER v CHADSTONE
BOX HILL NORTH v POINT COOK
MANNINGHAM COBRAS v RICHMOND CENTRAL
SOUTH MORNINGTON v NORTH BRUNSWICK
SWINBURNE UNIVERSITY v ELEY PARK SHARKS
14 THE AMATEUR FOOTBALLER 2011
SPORTS INJURY CASUALTY - OPEN 1-7 SATURDAY