A FRUSTRATING weekend for the City of Whittlesea’s football teams saw both Mernda and Whittlesea’s season come to an end, while Laurimar will have to go the long way around to make the Northern Football Netball League division 3 grand final after losing to minor premier Ivanhoe.
The Power’s game on Saturday at Lalor Reserve was an unexpected crackerjack – especially so when you consider Ivanhoe managed to kick seven goals in the first 10 minutes to sit 42-0 up.
Shocked into action, Joel Lawson kicked a much-needed goal, while Ethan Jones added another, but it was still 49-13 at the first change.
The Power got to work in the second term. Lawson kicked his second, before Patrick Fitzgerald and Matt Keys sandwiched an Ivanhoe goal. With Lawson adding his third, and Ethan Bateman adding another, it was a 10-point game all of a sudden, but a late Ivanhoe goal meant it was 62-46 at the main break.
Two early goals to Ivanhoe looked as though it was an answer to the Laurimar challenge, but the Power never gave up. Goals to Jones, Fitzgerald and Lawson meant the game was still on at the final change, trailing 66-81.
Fitzgerald kicked the first of the final term, and the Power got as close as six points. But Ivanhoe had another gear, and added four goals in five minutes to put the Power away, eventually winning 19.4 (118) to 12.12 (84).
Ruckman Josh Leather enjoyed his best game of the year and was a deserved best for the Power. Joshua Campbell had a great head-to-head with Ivanhoe star Riley Loton, while Lawson, Luke Wilson, Matt Keys and Noah Mooney also played well.
In comparison, Mernda was outworked by Watsonia after quarter time on Sunday at Lalor, and had a poor finish to lose by 62 points, going out in straight sets.
The Demons had their chances early on, but kicked five behinds. However, they did get their game going late in the term, with goals through Christian Evans, Jett Philips, Joshua Caputo and Jayden Bell giving the Dees a 16-point lead at the first change, 29-13.
The second quarter was the start of Watsonia’s dominance, and kicked five goals straight to turn a 16-point deficit into a 17-point lead.
A late goal from Beau Moorcroft helped the Demons, but it was still 36-47 the Saints’ way at the main break.
With the first four goals of the third quarter, the Saints sat 39 points up and it looked game over. But two goals from Kyle Green kept the Demons interested, before Evans added another to make it 56-75 at the last change.
The Demons had come from behind twice against Watsonia this year, and would need to do it again to keep their season alive.
But this time, it was all the Saints. They kicked seven goals to two behinds in the last quarter, and just like that, it was all over for the Dees in 2026, 8.10 (58) to 18.12 (120).
Jacob Russell had a great finals campaign given he was plucked from the reserves, while Lachlan Potter, Zach Ciacia, Bell, Chris Roussos and James Sekulovski were also named in the best.
Also on Sunday, Whittlesea’s magic run to get into the finals came to an abrupt end at the hands of Old Paradians at Eltham Central Park.
A good battle in the opening quarter saw the Eagles in the game, but trailing 23-22.
Each team kicked a goal in the opening seven minutes of the second term, but the Raiders were able to find two more to lead 43-30 at the main break.
It was all the Raiders in the third quarter, dominant, but still only managed two goals. It was enough to see them lead by 28 points at the final change, however, 59-31.
The Eagles were at their most competitive in the final term, kicking four goals, but the damage was done. The Raiders added four of their own, and it brought an end to Whittlesea’s season, while also celebrating their first ever division 2 finals win, 12.15 (87) to 8.10 (58).
Thomas Falls, Deakin Tennant, Liam Tyrrell, Taidhg Bland, Clancy Bland and Mitch Andrews were all named in the best for Whittlesea.
South Morang had the week off, and will play St Mary’s in the second semi-final to look to make the division 2 grand final.
