Saturday produced a bit of a mixed bag of results for Oakleigh Amateurs with the seniors getting back onto the winners list at the expense of Brunswick/NOBSPC at Alec Gillon Oval and the U/19s fixing up top side Old Camberwell at Scammell Reserve. The down side was the Krushers women unable to match it with Collegians at Scammell Reserve and a severely depleted reserves being thumped by Brunswick.

The seniors, sitting fifth and a game out of the four, need to win every game from hereon in to make the finals and they can’t afford to take any team lightly particularly those in the bottom five but with an ever increasing injury list the task gets harder. Slow starts have been a bane to the Oaks of late but on Saturday a marked improvement in that area saw the Krushers go to the first change with a 9 point lead. A low scoring second term realised only 2 goals, one to each side, with Oakleigh’s 5 behinds the main reason the difference between the two teams wasn’t more than 10 points at the long break.

An improved third quarter had the Oaks return 3-5 to the NOBs 3 behinds to go to the last change 5 goals up. They carried this momentum into the last quarter booting 5-7 to 2-2 and ran out comfortable victors by 53 points. Tim Scott led the Oaks goal kicking with 4 with Gary Bennett and Aaron Cloke adding 3 each. The best for Oakleigh included Nick Seel, Trevor Bromley and Jett Murphy.

The early game was a forgettable one for Oakleigh as they struggled to get enough players to field a side due to injury and possible indifference. The Oaks were never in the hunt and got thrashed by 119 points. The players who did have a go deserve praise for at least trying to make a game of it.

At Scammell Reserve the U/19s opened proceedings playing Old Camberwell and took the ladder leaders to task keeping them to a solitary point in the opening term and went to the first break 23 points up. Both teams broke even in the second with the same margin separating the sides at half-time but it was a 5 goal third term to the Oaks that broke the game open and they went to the last break with a 46 point advantage and were motoring increasing the lead to 12 goals midway through the quarter before relaxing and letting the visitors cut the final margin back to 52 points. Chris Galanos topped the Oaks goal kicking with 5, Izaiah Elisaia and Corey Moore added 3 each. Harry Bootjies, Callum Gillard and Justin McCarthy were some of Oakleigh’s best.

The women’s team, who had been travelling quite well of late, came back to earth with a bit of a thud after second top side Collegians outgunned them at Scammell Reserve. After conceding 4-4 in the first term, the Oaks managed to restrict the visitors to a goal in the second but, despite repeated forays into the forward 50, they couldn’t break their scoreboard drought. Although unable to trouble the scoreboard, the Krushers continued to keep pace with Collegians throughout the third term and finally broke the visitors defence with a goal in the last quarter to Jasmine Ballestrin. The Oaks battled hard but weren’t quite good enough on the day as Collegians showed why they’re in the top 2 teams. Ella Madigan, Madeline Bregazzi and Jordyn Bethune were in the Oaks best.

Final Scores:

Seniors: Oakleigh 13.18.96 def Brunswick/NOBS 5.13.43
Goals: Tim Scott 4, Gary Bennett 3, Aaron Cloke 3, Trevor Bromley, Jaryd Wines
Best: Nick Seel, Trevor Bromley, Tim Scott, Jett Murphy, Pat Ioannidis, Gary Bennett

Reserves: Oakleigh 1.3.9 lt Brunswick/NOBS 18.20.128
Goals: Michael Short
Best: Joed Cook, Rhys Hildebrand-Wise, Matt Pearson, Mark Bennett, Rod Gonzalez, Josh Abela

U19s: Oakleigh 15.14.104 def Old Camberwell 8.4.52
Goals: Chris Galanos 5, Izaiah Elisaia 3, Corey Moore 3, Calvin Toohim 3, Ed Standish
Best: Harry Boontjes, Chris Galanos, Callum Gillard, Corey Moore, Justin McCarthy, Calvin Toohim

Womens: Oakleigh 1.0.6 lt Collegians 7.13.55
Goals: Jasmine Ballestrin
Best: Ella Madigan, Madeline Bregazzi, Jasmine Ballestrin, Jordyn Bethune, Cassie Bethune, Jade Farrugia