May 30, 2026
R7 THIRDS REPORT
Wins over Uni teams headline the day
A Century of the Red & Black
Two big wins at BBO, victory for the WOX and another four premiership points for the U19 Twos.
NB: Coverage of the five Thirds teams will be in a separate post commentcing today.
The much-anticipated Round 7 clash of the top two at BBO resulted in a comfortable 35-point win for the Old Xaverians, who went back up the Nepean in first place and in charge of the Dale Tapping Cup.
It was a contested and scrappy opening to the battle. The Tonners opened with a goal at two minutes, and immediately set about reducing the space for their visitors. As such, though the X-Men had plenty of the ball in their back half but couldn’t string anything together to get themselves into the act. They didn’t go forward of centre until six minutes, but it was Brighton who did all the scoring to lead by 15 points at nine minutes.
Momentum swung as the visitors applied pressure at the contest and the home team was muzzled. Still, it took another nine minutes before Xavs had a possession inside the front arc. Sam Ralph, who had begun well, found Jack O’Sullivan and he popped it through for the visitors first and only goal of the term.
At the first break, the Beach Boys led by nine points. That wasn't to last. A minute in to the second, Nick Guiney raced from defence and found Charlie Westcott. Off to Bobby Knott and then to MacIsaac, who drop-punted it through from 35 metres.
Brighton had an opportunity from the restart but missed and the X-Men dominated the next five minutes before Oli Sestan gifted a chance to Julian Gangi. The clever forward banged it home. Westcott hand passed to Campbell Lane who bombed it through and then Tommy McRae effected a miracle snap from the scoreboard and the X-Men had their engines purring, up by 14 points as they hit ten minutes.
Knott picked it up, propped while his opponent went past him, and put the ball up for Ed ‘High 5’ Delany. He kicked straight and the X-Men had kicked five goals in 11 minutes. Brighton threatened, but Alex Trigar rebounded. Suddenly, MacIsaac had it and chipped it to Delany, who kicked his second. At 20 minutes, Lane hit King Charlie and the Monarch booted his second and the visitors’ half ton was on the board. At 22 minutes, Brighton finally replied from the centre clearance, but they still trailed by 28 points. With 25 minutes elapsed, MacIsaac marked on the lead and goaled again, his third for the term. Five minutes later, Sestan marked in front of the scoreboard and kicked beautifully to Lane, who pumped it through as the siren sounded.
Xavs by 40 points at the long break, having picked apart a flagging Tonner midfield and a pressured defence with a nine-goal second term. The Red ‘n’ Blacks, when in their home kit often difficult to distinguish from Old Brighton, were easy to find in their clash hoops guernsey. But it was more than the colours. With aggressive running, pressure forcing pressures if not turnovers, and slick ball movement, the Claret and Stout looked in total control, while Tonners had swapped and changed players without finding a formula to stop, let alone hurt their guests.
The statistical balance in that second term was astounding. The Red 'n' Blacks had nearly 62 per cent of the disposals, took 20 uncontested marks to 10, and despite merely halving the wins at the stoppages, had 22 inside 50s to six. The Tonners coughed it up 13 times in their midfield to Xavs four and the Claret and Stout scored seven goals to none as a result of these turnovers. A first versus second clash it might have been, but no other Premier half-time scoreline was as lopsided.
As they went at it again in the third, the reigning premier looked to do better, but the Xavs did not appear willing to allow that. At nine minutes, O’Sullivan turned on a dime and speared it home from distance. At 11 minutes, a puzzling 50 metre penalty gave the Tonners an easy response. At 16 minutes, the home team struck again and the margin was inside six goals. At 19 minutes, they scored another one after Xavs had missed an opportunity, perhaps a case of mistaken identity. At the lemons, with Xavs threatening again during time-on, 28 points separated them.
The Tonners, regarded by some (but not the statisticians) as the best last quarter team in Premier section, gave themselves a chance. They missed their first opportunity, but not their second, after racing through the corridor at three minutes. Xavs forced it forward a couple of times but could not cross the front arc. At six minutes, Brighton went forward but were repelled by some big fists from Tommy Hart and Alwyn Davey. It was here the X-Men appeared to re-establish their advantage, but they still struggled to score.
But right on 18 minutes, some more MacIsaac magic as he scooped it up in a hurry and snapped it through from an impossible angle. Twenty-nine points the margin as they approached time-on, but the X-Men went forward again. King Charlie was scragged. He booted his fifth. At 23 minutes, the Tonners kicked their second for the term. At 25 minutes, O’Sullivan saw Delany who went back and smashed it home from a long way out. Game over, but not before the Beach Boys kicked a consolation major. Then Xavs went forward, and Lane responded for the visitors. And so it was that the X-Men ascended to the top of the ladder.
The Xavs backline, led this week by Nick Guiney, was superb with its pressure and it was only when the Tonners strung together some effective chains that they opened up real scoring chances. Big Al Spralja did well in ruck against a capable big fellow, and Wade Brusnahan played a linkage game further from the sticks than usual. Critics will point out that Xavs were outscored in two of four quarters and that is so. But Brighton, below their best yesterday because it wasn't allowed to be at its best, is finals bound and remains extremely dangerous.
At Camberwell, Uni Blues (107) raced away from Old Scotch (42) with James Stewart slotting six tosend the spiralling Scotchies into real danger.
St Kevin’s (119) beat Blacks (82) under the spires.
Caulfield (75) led all afternoon against Old Trinity (65), throwing the Ts from the top four.
St Bernard’s (105) beat Old Haileybury (86) at the Snakepit.
After a tight first term, the Red 'n' Blacks powered home over second-placed Old Brighton to win by 61 points.
The juggernaut kicked into gear in the second term, quickly erasing a deficit and dousing the chances of a Tonner win. Will Bowen was best afield and Ollie Britten-Jones played his best game yet in this company. Charlie Holmes and Hamish MacIsaac were influential, with the former playing game number 100.
Up front, Brighton had no answer to Xavs' talls, with Oscar Duncan and Will MacIsaac together matching the home team's goal output.
With the day off next week, the X-Men will return to Toorak Park where they will will meet the hitherto unbeaten University Blacks. That this is a chance to assume top position will not be lost on this team, which is building for another major assault later in the year.
Lia Siniakov added another four goals and a best on ground effort as the WOX beat Port Melbourne Chargers by 17 points at Murphy Reserve.
Port kicked inaccurately, but the Xavs held sway all day to record one of their best wins this season. They sit fourth, just a game off second spot, as they go to break and will be confident about competing wit the section's best. They've now won three on the bounce and their three losses this season have been by a combined total of 16 points.
Old Xaverians had radar trouble at Greythorn Park and registered their first goal just three minutes before they went to the lemons. The Wickers booted two first quarter goals and led by 12 points at the first change, then 11 at the half.
After the long break, the visitors struggled in the front half, and with just four points in it, the Red 'n' Blacks had a real chance to win. However, they too were becalmed and neither team scored until Brunswick kicked a point with five minutes left, then added another two minutes later. And 'that,' as they say, 'was that'.
The Twos have been competivive thus far, and their push for the finals would certainly be aided with a few extra numbers to enable the team to play with a full complement each week.
The U19s fell to Parkdale by 20 points at Stradbroke Park.
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A BOG performance from Jeremy Dalton and big efforts from the Red 'n' Blacks' forwards saw the home team salute at Stradbroke Park.
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