With the ladder leader in Brunswick playing bottom side St Mary’s Salesian at Gillon Oval on Saturday the expectations may have been for a one-sided encounter, but what we got instead was a cracking contest that remained in the balance until the final 10 minutes when the home side kicked the last two goals of the game to scramble to a 24-point win.

On a soft surface, with the centre in the heavy range, it was the Saints who made the early running, before the consistent Tom Hedley snapped the opener for the NOBs, followed by Hayden Parker’s first for the afternoon, aided by a 50-metre penalty. With their talls creating some real problems, the away side then got back on top with the next couple of majors, but a second to Hedley after the siren reduced the deficit to two points at quarter time.

Coach Tom Hunter asked his charges to lift at the first change and got an instant response, with Parker slamming through back-to-back goals inside the opening three minutes of the second term, followed by a nicely taken set shot to Tom Wilson, and after ten minutes the NOBs led by 18 points, but St Mary’s fought back with the next two to again make it a one-goal game. Then, as had happened in the first quarter, Brunswick snagged an important major on the siren, as the impressive Gabe Banova sent a bullet pass to Parker who converted for his fourth.

It was again nip-and-tuck in the third quarter, with the Saints drawing first blood, then the livewire Oscar Watt stamped himself on the contest with back-to-back majors of his own, to again make it a three-goal game. But the away side were not going anywhere, kicking the next two majors, and it was back to seven points at the final change.

The first goal of the last quarter would be crucial, and it was small forward Paul Scamporlino who was Johnny-on-the-spot to snag it for the home side after four minutes, but St Mary’s again quickly answered, before Parker’s fifth put the NOBs 15 points up in the 13th minute. An unfortunate downfield free, however, dragged the margin back to nine points, as the game began to really open up, before birthday boy Gus Coverdale, in his first match for the season, slammed one through to restore Brunswick’s 15-point lead. Then the Saints hit back, and it was again a nine-point game with plenty of time left, but the NOBs had the answers, first through Josh Mackie, then Parker put the cherry on top of his day with a sixth goal in the dying stages.

In a tough encounter, Brunswick had many good contributors, led by Banova who seemed to relish the conditions through the middle. Up against some tall timber, Tom O’Farrell was untiring in the ruck, while Lewis White showed his class in defence. Ben Wilson played the role of general in the midfield, while Hedley was again very good, as were the McKenzie brothers, Lewis and Will. Watt continues to catch the eye and Parker’s great season in front of the big sticks rolls on – now up to 31 goals.

Brunswick face Aquinas away this Saturday in what is bound to be another tough challenge. See you there!