August 30, 2026
THREES TO GF
Prem Thirds playoff is all Xavs
A Century of the Red & Black
The Seniors and Reserves had their last chances to impress the selectors, while the U19s had to win to secure the double chance.
Any thoughts of an easy win over the Cardinals vanished quickly, as the visitors, with little to play for, pushed the Red 'n' Blacks all the way. With the home team over-using the ball in the first term, the Caledonians set themselves for a day-long stoush with a two goal lead at the first change. The X-Men clipped this to ten points after ther turn with the light breeze.
Coach Donati reinforced his pre-game messgages and told them that to win the third term was to win the game. And when the Red 'n' Blacks, resplenrdent in their Indigenous guernseys, hit the front mid-trerm, any sense of doom vanished. But the Redcoats made some use of Xaverian turnovers and bolted away to a 17 point lead at the lemons.
The X-Men kicked four goals in twelve minutes to begin the final stanza. They maintained their lead and then added another goal when they entered time-on, but then the visitors kick two quickly to reduce the margin to less than a goal. Big Ed Delany plucked a screamer from a Tex Wanganeen shank and the home team was past-the-post.
And so the action shifts to Elsternwick, and the Xavs will take on Blues in two weeks' time.
Old Haileybury joined St Bernard's on the Premier B bus when they fell to Uni Blacks. Uni Blues overcsme an early deficit to beat St Kevin's on TH KIng by 23 points. At Glenhuntly, the Hoops pushed Old Brighton to seven points. Old Trinity hunted down St Bernard's who entered the contest with no hope of survival.
A Ted Kenedy mark from the opening bounce, which the Senator converted into the maximum, and then an Oscar Duncan mark which then produced the most ridiculous kick in the history of our great game that was akin to a golf ball falling off a tee. Nonetheless, little damage done, as the pair shared another eight goals and Will MacIsaac landed four of his own as the Red n' Blacks launched a barrage that did not cease.
Next up, in a fortnight, Uni Blues, with the winner going through to the big one.
Looking for the win to hold on to second spot, thre Red 'n' Blacks got away early but could never quite put the Brindisians away, a goalless final stanza gave the visitos a sniff, and the X-Men got home by 11 points.
