A look back at the weekend’s junior results as teams took to the field for Round 10 of the 2016 Northern Football League junior season, following the Queen’s Birthday Long Weekend.
The Under-18 Girls competition saw Wallan and Greensborough engage in a nail-biting affair. The Magpies walked away with their first win of the season in a three-point result. That was despite trailing by one point at the final change and not kicking a goal in the final term. However four unanswered behinds in the last quarter got the Magpies over the line. Darebin continued its winning ways, easily accounting for Mill Park to take top spot on the ladder. Montmorency handed South Morang its first defeat of the season in a 25-point result, while Epping defeated Hurstbridge.
In the Under-17 competition, Greensborough upset Research to move into equal third on the ladder with a commanding 52-point win. Diamond Creek also beat a side above it on the ladder, downing a fast-finishing Yarrambat in a thriller by just three points. Wallan got the points over Epping to remain in first place on the ladder, while Montmorency and Eltham were the other winners for the round. The Magpies defeated Mill Park by 33 points, while the Panthers recorded an 18-point win away to Whittlesea, courtesy of a five-goal to two final quarter.
Eltham overran Laurimar Black in the Under-16 Blue competition, handing the Power just their second loss of the season with a 13-point win after scores were tied at the final break. Nicholas Reibelt and Lachlan Ross combined for five goals. Top of the table Montmorency registered its ninth win in far more convincing fashion against Wallan at Montmorency Park. South Morang moved into equal second spot with a big win over Greensborough at Anthony Beale Reserve. Mill Park was the other winner in the round, defeating West Preston-Lakeside by 51 points away from home to move off the bottom of the ladder.
Eltham held on in a thriller in the Under-16 Red competition, defeating South Morang by just two points. The Panthers led by 24 points at three-quarter time and claimed their fourth win of the season despite not scoring in the final quarter. Cooper Thomas booted five of his side’s 10 goals in the win. Whittlesea took Laurimar Teal’s spot on top of the ladder after a percentage-boosting win over Hurstbridge at Whittlesea Showgrounds. Research also recorded a win, accounting for Laurimar Teal by 46 points to move up into third place on the ladder.
Diamond Creek Women’s extended its winning streak to ten games in the Under-16 Girls competition, courtesy of a big win over West Preston-Lakeside. Research and Montmorency endured a far tighter encounter. The margin finished three points in favour of the Magpies after they erased a six-point three-quarter time deficit to consolidate fourth spot on the ladder. Laurimar, Eltham and Yarrambat were the other winners for the round, recording wins by 25 points or less over Wallan, Whittlesea and Greensborough respectively in a relatively close round of football.
South Morang maintained its unbeaten streak in the Under-15 Blue competition, easing to victory over West Preston-Lakeside at J.E Moore Park. Mill Park moved into second place on the ladder with a 32-point win over Montmorency at Redleap Reserve. Greensborough also cemented its place in the top four with a 40-point away win at Mernda.
Epping held off a last-quarter fightback from Wallan in the Under-15 Red competition, defeating the Magpies by nine points after leading by 41 points at the final change. The win pushed the Blues up into third place on the ladder. Diamond Creek moved to ten-straight wins and remained unbeaten after defeating second-placed Research by 33 points at Coventry Oval. South Morang and Yarrambat produced far more convincing wins, each registering victories in excess of 40 points over Northcote and Whittlesea.
Good luck to all sides in their Round 11 matches this weekend.
