July 5, 2025
ROOM AT THE TOP
High-flying Seniors hit first
A Century of the Red & Black
The first interclub derby of the year produced a victory for the U23s over the Ménages. The WOX and both U19 teams went down, but the Ones, Twos and T-Birds had big wins and the Diles, with skipper Matt Perrett playing his 100, returned to the winner's list. Look at the gallery section on the front age to see the great pictorial content from Ari Hatzis, Bridget Wilson and Savanna Villis.
Old Xaverians ended Uni Blacks' five-game win steak with a comprehensive 43 point win under the spires. For the second year running, then, Red 'n' Blacks won twice in a season at the Varsity, a feat they had not accomplished for quite some time.
The hallmark of the Xavs win was their response to challenge. When Blacks looked their most dangerous, it was then the Red 'n' blacks lowered the boom. There were some lapses in the third term that allowed the home team some respite, but then the visitors went back to work and drove home their advntage.
After a slow start to proceedings, it was the Blacks who scored the first two goals. That ascendancy lasted until 18 minutes into the openng term, when Marcus Stavrou found Wade Brusnahan on the lead. He goaled from inside the centre square. Forward they went again immediately, with Charlie MacIsaac juggling a mark on the boundary and then punting into the goalsquare. Jack Boyd, back at the club after two years in the SANFL, took a strong mark and booted Xavs second.
Xavs developed an advantage at the stoppages, and did most of the attacking late in the term, but the home team did well in aerial contests and mopping up ground balls. Both defences held fast, and they went to the first break with everything still to be decided.
Blacks missed with their opening thrust in the second term. The next time they went forward, Xavs drove them out with a chain of handballs that ended with a Sam Fisher goal. Minutes later, another attack down the outer side paid dividends, with Hayden Woodhouse marking and kicking his first after some slick teamwork. Boyd booted his second when Blacks failed to clear, picking up the Sherrin off his bootstrings and snapping Xavs fifth on the trot. At 19 minutes, the Phoenix did reply. Xavs seemed to lapse into a slower tempo when their run and quick ball movement had begun to tear the home team apart. They went to the sheds just 15 points apart.
The home team drew first blood after the break with a goal at two minutes. They followed quickly with two close misses, and the pressure was on the X-Men to respond. At nine minutes, Charlie MacIsaac took a shot to the head and slipped home a goal from the arc, but an unforced error produced another Blacks’ goal. And then another. The visitors suddenly appeared vulnerable. Westcott marked and missed, but he made more of his second chance at 20 minutes. From the restart, the ball was knocked forward and Marcus Stavrou took a handball and kicked it home. Then, at 23 minutes, Stavrou sharked the tap, handballed to Fisher who snapped delightfully with his right and the X-Men led by 25. At thirty minutes, some textbook handball in tight space opened it up for C. MacIsaac, who goaled again with a great snap. On the buzzer, another Blacks goal from a 50m penalty reduced the margin to five goals.
Xavs attacked to begin the term but wasted an excellent opportunity. Again, the home team scored the first after working their way down the far side. But Woodhouse responded immediately when the handball flew his way in the pocket. At eight minutes, Blacks bounced back again with a strong mark and goal. But immediately, Xavs cleared from the centre contest, Brusnahan marked inside the arc and goaled. At 15 minutes, Charlie Westcott marked on the wing and brought 50 metres closer, made no mistake. At 23 minutes, Jed Feneley drifted forward and had his ear clipped. He belted it through from forty. At 28 minutes, King Charlie snapped his third from deep in the pocket as time wound down.
Xavs had many strong performers. The Red 'n' Blacks' dominance began, as it has so often, with big Alec Spralja, who gave his fellow midfielders a ride. Stavrou and Fisher combined brilliantly at times to move the ball with speed and precision. There was plenty of action in the forward line and the defence held together as it has done regularly this season.
Coach Dan Donati has plenty to work with in the weeks ahead. His team goes home next week to meet St Bernard’s before the double bye. The Snow Dogs have been strong performers on the road in most games, and the Red 'n' Blacks will need a solid performance to beat them.
Ari's gallery
BEST: Alec Spralja, Marcus Stavrou, Charlie Knott, Thomas Hart, Alex Trigar, Samuel Fisher
GOALS: Wade Brusnahan 3, Charlie MacIsaac 3, Jack Boyd 2, Samuel Fisher 2, Hayden Woodhouse 2, Jed Feneley 1, Marcus Stavrou 1, Charlie Westcott 1
At St Kevin's College, SKOB (103) crushed St Bernard's (35) in a percentage-boosting contest that revived the Tricolours' chances. They now are back in fourth, leading Scotch and Blacks on percentage.
Old Scotch (105) beat Old Haileybury (66) on the Scotch College Main Oval, restoring the Red Men's hopes of mounting a serious title defence. The Bloods hung in for a half, but the Caledonians pumped them with a solid third term. Haileybury lies third, a game ahead of the pack of three.
Old Brighton (97) outlasted a late challenge from Uni Blues (85) to win at BBO. At one stage late in the last, the scores were tied and there was much interest in the possibility of a third straight draw for the Varsity. But not so! Blues fell to ninth but will meet De La at Dairy Bell next week.
De La Salle (25) found no home field advantage at the Bell and fell to Collegians (95). The Lion moved off the cellar door but will face Scotch by the Lake next week.
With coach Dan Richardson on an international player scouting mission, the club braintrust turned to Matt O'Hanlon to resume his Magoos mentoring on a temporary basis. To no-one's surprise, the Ressies responded as they have done now for so many months (years?) with a crushing 108-point victory over Uni Blacks.
There were some heavy spots on the Varsity ground, but once the teams settled down, the ball-handling was sufficient to ensure that there some decent passages of play. A look at the scoreboard will tell one that the majority of these came from the visitors.
The X-Men had strong performers all over the ground. Charlie Whitehaead and Julian Gangi were great performers and responsible for many forward thrusts. In the first half, Harrison Bell was the major beneficiary with five goals. At 17 minutes, he kicked backwards from the pavilion wing and the switch was on. Five disposals later, Bell marked it in the goal square and booted it home. His was a remarkable half of football. Beyond the long break, by which time the X-Men led by 66, he was double-teamed, which allowed others a moment in the sun.
The third stanza was a quieter affair, with Blacks kicking their third, while the X-Men added another three to take an 80 point lead to the lemons. But not for the first time, the Red ‘n’ Blacks finished strongly, adding another five goals to one.
The table-toppers had plenty of good performers. Charlie Holmes was effective, Matt Exell was lively and Harry Bird made a welcome return from injury. Bailey Whelan has been in superb form and his game today was top shelf. Like Bell, he booted five majors. Ollie Britten-Jones was impressive on debut.
Ari's gallery
BEST: Charles Holmes, Matt Exell, Bailey Whelan, Harry Bird, Harrison Bell, Oliver Britten-Jones
GOALS: Harrison Bell 5, Bailey Whelan 5, Charles Holmes 3, Sam Asdagi 2, Oliver Britten-Jones 1, Matt Exell 1, Julian Gangi 1, Edward Kennedy 1, Ben Moyle 1
Goals were impossible to find for the Red 'n' Blacks as they went down to Westbourne at Andrew Park. Sienna McLeish continued her fine streak of form and was again best for the WOX. The loss has the Xavs remain in fifth, a game and a half behind the Westies.
BEST: Sienna McLeish, Olivia Benston, Emma Sheedy, Melissa Poulton, Molly McCarthy, Kasey Jobling
The Red 'n' Blacks fought hard all afternoon against traditional rival De La Salle, but could not never quite reel them in. Bridget's gallery
BEST: Alby Hewitt, Max King, Willem Hanegraaf, Tommy Trist, James Godde, Ted Hansen
GOALS: GerardForrest 1, James Godde 1, Alby Hewitt 1, Patrick Kenny 1, Charlie Landrigan 1
The U19 Twos had a tough day at St Kevin's, going down by 69 points.
BEST: William McNamara, Ethan Brown, Hugo Stevenson, Will Maxa, Rory Hogan, Jeremy Dalton
GOALS:
The Jackers pounded its second Old Xaverians team in eight days, this time sticking it to the Red 'n' Blacks Thirds. The Xavs and their stablemates the Crocs still sit one and two, but this AJAX team, currently fifth, is one to watch.
BEST: Jack Hansen, Will Sheedy, Oliver Tehan, Dan McCarthy, Ricky Wood, Tom Davine
GOALS: Jack Hansen 1, Will MacIsaac 1, Charles Ralph 1, Will Troy 1
The Crocs bit back hard and chomped the Caledonians at Scotch College. The Diles had a great first term and then hosed off the Cardinal revival in the third with a big last quarter. Skipper Matt Perret booted threee and was among the best in the Spearmint Stockings' return to form.
Bridget's gallery
BEST: Edward Ralph, Charles Connors, Matt Perrett, Sean Stanley, Julian Rickard, Seamus O'Shannassy
GOALS: Nicholas McGrath 3, Matt Perrett 3, Tom Williamson 3, Pat Frawley 2, William Bryce 1, Michael Speakman 1, Sean Stanley 1
Stefan Stangherlin (23s) and Rory Calvert (Ms) traded six packs and BOG votes, but it was the younger brigade who carried the day in the first Xavs derby of 2025. Will MacIsaac (23s) also shone in front of the sticks, booting five.
Savanna's gallery
U23
BEST: Stefan Stangherlin, Oliver Sheehan, Will Troy, Angus McCormack, Sam Noonan, Joshua Camilleri
GOALS: Stefan Stangherlin 6, Will MacIsaac 5, Luke McCarthy 1, Angus McCormack 1
MENAGES
BEST: Rory Calvert, Thomas Beaton, John Kenny, Finnegan Kuner, Nate Kaige, Murray Francis
GOALS: Rory Calvert 6, Thomas Beaton 2, Murray Francis 1, Will Mantesso 1
Eddie Paul was best and kicked five as the T-Birds caned third-placed Old Camberwell. The Xavs had eleven players hit the scoreboard in the big win, which leaves them in first place with a two game buffer.
BEST: Eddie Paul, Aaron Ivak, Jack Knaap, James McCarthy, Joshua Hynes, Charles Ralph
GOALS: Eddie Paul 5, Aaron Ivak 4, Connor Spears 3, Fred Visentini 2, Charlie Bourne 1, Joe Corser 1, Ed Dalton 1, Louis Kenyon 1, James McCarthy 1, Conor O'Brien 1, Hugo Tobias 1, Nicky Tyrrell 1
