R5 2024 | Thirds at Swinburne

The Thirds came up against Swinburne and were looking to consolidate their winning form over the previous couple of weeks.

The team started strongly in the first quarter with a real focus on winning the contested ball early, especially considering the dewy and slippery conditions. This worked in the Unicorns favour early, but the intensity and application dipped slightly keeping Swinburne in the game in the first half. 

The Unicorns came out with real intent in the second half and got off to a great start thanks to a crafty goal courtesy of the returning Liam Ferris. The momentum really started to swing in MHSOBFC’s favour as the midfield took control of the ball and the team began to get sustained pressure, locking the ball in our front half. Aaron Turner was dominant from half back scoring a brilliant running goal from outside 50 and capped off the day with a second major. Chris Fotinos was forced to fill an unfamiliar role in the ruck but was able to capitalise on his athleticism as the game went on.

A real focus on team defence held the Unicorns in good stead as they only conceded four points for the entire second half. Conversely, due to the sustained pressure in the front half, the Unicorns began to see some real reward for effort on the scoreboard, kicking 5.2-32 in the third quarter and 7.8-50 in the last quarter to run out comfortable 96-point winners. 

The Thirds will look to carry this momentum forward again with a focus on maintaining their strong start to the season.

Final Score: MHSOBFC 17.12-114 defeated Swinburne 2.8-20

Goal Kickers: Liam Ferris 5, Aaron Turner 2, Jye Gillespie 2, Lachie Goodey 2, Josh Kulasingham 2, Avinash Nair, Nathaniel Arullappan, Dinesh Francis, Tony Xie

Best Players: Jye Gillespie, Liam Ferris, Aaron Turner, Chris Fotinos, Dinesh Francis, Avinash Nair