Brunswick successfully fended off the challenge of last year’s grand final nemesis Elsternwick, who were desperately trying to keep their remote chances of avoiding relegation back to Division 2 alive, to notch up their sixth victory of the season by 41 points at a windy Elsternwick Park No. 2 on Saturday.

With a strong northerly blowing straight down the ground, onlookers expected the vast majority of goals to be scored at the southern end but that wasn’t how the game panned out.

Kicking with the wind in the first quarter, the NOBs started well with the ever-consistent Paul Scamporlino marking and goaling early, eventually followed by the next two (to Rowan Hogenbirk and Gabe Banova) due to good forward pressure. But the Bombers were winning plenty of contested ball and got reward for effort with two late majors to narrow the margin to a single kick, taking the honours for the term.

In the second quarter, it was Brunswick who relished the challenge of facing the breeze and they quickly slammed through four majors, making it six successive goals to the northern end. Joe Gale and Scamporlino were both on the end of handballs in the goal square, then the returning Mitch Hicks slotted a checkside from alongside the behind post, followed by a mark and goal from directly in front. Elsternwick finally kicked one halfway through the term and added a couple more, but a ruck infringement in the goal square to Tom Wilson handed the NOBs their fifth for the quarter and they led by a handy 18 points at the main break.

Hogenbirk kicked his second early in the third term to make it a four-goal lead, but a series a misses ensued as Brunswick took wide shots on goal. The Bombers then transitioned the ball well to make the NOBs pay, before Scamporlino pounced on a rare kick to the hotspot for his third. Elsternwick’s star small forward Marchese then slotted his fourth to keep the home side in the contest. Brunswick then put their foot down, with a roving goal to Andre Jaycock, a coast-to-coast effort to give Tom Wilson his second, a long bomb to best-on-ground Dan Mott and a third goal to Hicks, to extend their lead to 43 points. But the Bombers kept pushing, with two majors in the shadow of three-quarter time to ensure it was still game on.

Once again, Hogenbirk got things rolling for Brunswick in the final quarter with his third goal from a holding-the-ball free, but Elsternwick responded with the next two, including a fifth to Marchese. Scamporlino then snagged his fourth with a left-foot snap, but a controversial deliberate rushed behind free to the Bombers got them back within 24 points with plenty of time left. This week, however, it was the NOBs who ran the game right out, kicking the last three majors of the game, through Tas Kearney, Banova (for his second) and Hicks (for his fourth).

Mott was quite brilliant over four quarters, with his evasive skills and precise kicking a feature, while Hogenbirk was a big presence around the ground and up forward. Scamporlino’s excellent season continued as he continues to be a very reliable forward, while Fletcher Banfield got another case of leather poisoning. Tahj Haddock was again outstanding in defence and Zephyr Hooke worked hard for the team all day.

This Saturday the NOBs return to Gillon Oval to face Monash Blues, who will also be desperate to avoid relegation, in what will be a big game on Past Players Day. See you there for lunch!