After a tough month it was great to be back on the winners’ list against Bulleen Templestowe at Ted Ajani Reserve on Saturday.

It may have been a workmanlike victory against the ninth placed team, but make no mistake it was huge in the context of our season. It means we stay in fifth, just one game and percentage out of the four, and that we have the destiny of our season in our own hands. The next two weeks against up-and-coming Whitefriars (away) and fourth-placed St Mary’s will tell the tale.

The game itself was scrappy early as we had the majority of play but let ourselves down with turnovers (especially by hand in the first quarter) and poor inside 50 entries. At half-time Matt Keown (4 goals) and Adam Oakley (3) had kicked our all our goals and enabled us to hold a narrow lead.

We needed a big third quarter going to the scoring end and we got one. Chris Ford, unsighted in the first half, bobbed up with 3 goals, while Keown kicked another 2 and Oakley 1.3.

Strong defence in the last term held off a Bullants challenge and 2 more goals to Keown – giving him a haul of 8 in a brilliant best-on-ground display – sealed the win.

Keown’s co-captain Lachlan Ezard was also excellent through the midfield, while 100-gamer Mick O’Donoghue was supreme at full back, getting great assistance from the ever-reliable Gerard Bence and the improving Matt Close.

Our two recruits from Mildura – Jake Kerr and Andy Roberts – both made exciting debuts, adding much needed pace through the middle and classy disposal skills.

Get around the boys at Whitefriars College next week!