Round 16 saw vital clashes in both netball and football for Monbulk, who were at home against Upwey-Tecoma. After overnight rain, conditions were close to ideal on game day.
The Monbulk Seniors were sitting just outside the Top 5 and needed to have results go their way over the next two weeks to make the finals. Facing Upwey at home was going to hopefully be a chance to snare a vital win. The Hawks had plenty of chances but were astray as the accurate Tigers claimed a better result on the scoreboard by halftime and got out to a 20-point lead. The never say die Hawks fought back to get within a goal but Upwey steadied with the sealer kicked on the final siren.
Monbulk 9.7.61 def by Upwey-Tecoma 11.3.69
Best: Pat Barge, Taylor Joyce, Benjamin Smith, Diarmid McClelland, Glenn Strachan, Thomas Taylor
Goals: Taylor Joyce 3, Mitchell Dekker 2, Pat Barge 1, Bailey Rutherford 1, Benjamin Smith 1, Steven Oates 1
The Monbulk and Upwey Reserves are at different ends of the ladder. With 23 players injured or unavailable for the Hawks across the Seniors and Reserves, this has meant that the seconds have been cobbled together with anyone who was available on the day. The Hawks started with just 17 players and finished with 15. A few Hawks Reserves players have played more games than they have attended training sessions but at least the emergencies have meant that the club hasn’t had to forfeit matches. The match result went accordingly.
Monbulk 0.2.2 def by Upwey-Tecoma 26.20.176
Best: Chris Separovic, Josh Rak, Dylan Goldberg, Joshua Hill, Shane Van Seters, Brandon Shambrooke
In the Under 19s it was second placed Upwey and Monbulk, a game behind in third spot, meeting in a match where the winner would claim 2nd spot. It turned out to be a game of two halves as the Hawks controlled the opening half to lead by 34 points at the long break. Upwey steadily worked their way back into the game and eventually kicked a goal after the siren to snatch a win in a thriller.
Monbulk 7.10.52 def by Upwey-Tecoma 9.3.57
Best: Noah Rutherford, Max Thornton, William Henderson, Nick Taylor, Riley Finlay, Ziggy Hatherley
Goals: Riley Finlay 2, Patrick Snoxell 2, Max Thornton 1, Harry Fleming 1, Jai Farmer 1
Monbulk reversed the football results on the netball courts with 3 good wins. The A Grade game was at times scrappy and at other stages quite physical. Monbulk had better execution of movement more often to come away with an 8-goal win and secured their spot in the finals.
Monbulk 48 def Upwey-Tecoma 40
Best: Paige Whitworth, Stephanie Puopolo, Nicole Macdowell
Goals: Stephanie Puopolo 42, Sophie Stubbs 6
B Grade produced the most convincing result of the day when they ran out comfortable 27-goal winners. The victory was set up primarily in the arcs where Georgia and Fleur were constricting in defence, well backed by the mid-court pressure, and Iris and Olivia were damaging up forward. Iris shot 54 goals which is the second-best Monbulk B Grade performance ever, only just behind Emma Mullinder’s 56 goals against Olinda-Ferny Creek in 2008.
Monbulk 63 def Upwey-Tecoma 36
Best: Olivia Crook, Georgia Himmelreich, Iris de Wit
Goals: Iris de Wit 54, Olivia Crook 9
Monbulk’s C Grade team notched their fourth win of the year when they scraped in by a single goal over Upwey. Monbulk actually led by one goal at the end of each and every quarter. The Tigers are the biggest scalp that the Hawks have taken down this year in C Grade, and this win may cost the Tigers a finals berth.
Monbulk 25 def Upwey-Tecoma 24
Best: Rhiannon O’Connor, Tasha Selby, Courtney Witt
Goals: Jamie Sands 20, Sammy Beecroft 5
The Monbulk Senior Women’s football team travelled to Yarra Junction to take on Seville in the Division 2 Preliminary Final on Sunday afternoon. With a good contingent of Monbulk supporters in the crowd, the Hawks started off strongly to score 3 early goals and apply pressure on the Blues. Seville reeled back a late goal in the first quarter while the second term remained similarly poised with one goal each. A leg injury to captain Indy Bakker just at halftime could have derailed things but instead, it galvanised the team to play inspired football. Running the ball in waves, Monbulk virtually secured a Grand Final spot in the third term with 5 team lifting goals, two of those to Kathryn Gow who stormed through the centre and nailed long bombs.
The 40-point three-quarter-time lead was formidable, however, the Blues threw everything at the contest in the last and two quick goals brought the crowd alive. Seville continued to attack as Monbulk defended bravely but the next six shots all registered behinds, including three that hit the post. The Hawks then steadied and took it to the other end where Grace Emmett kicked the sealer in a 29-point win, making it the first time this year that the team had kicked 10 goals in a match. Monbulk now faces Belgrave next Sunday in the Grand Final, to be played at Belgrave, as they attempt to etch their names into the history books.
Monbulk 10.2.62 def Seville 4.9.33
Best: Maddison Dodd, Kathryn Gow, Jade McCormick, Molly Horne, Shania Turner, Claire Scully
Goals: Kathryn Gow 3, Maddison Dodd 2, Jessica Willoughby 1, Lisa Totczyk 1, Grace Emmett 1, Laura Gillard 1, Brooke O’Loughlin 1
