Browsing: sport

MPNFL MEN’SROSEBUD and Sorrento took centre stage on Saturday at Olympic Park. Just one point separated the two sides at the first break. Sorrento were the better side in the second term, taking a 15 point lead into half-time. Rosebud came out of the half-time break looking fired up. They piled eight goals onto the scoreboard to open up a 17 point lead.Sorrento fought back in the final quarter, but weren’t able to do enough to grab back the lead. Rosebud beat the Sharks 14.11 (95) to 13.7 (85). Liam Tidd, Stephen Cumming, Miller Stewart, Mitchell White, and William Hartung…

SOCCER KYLE Eichenberger’s signing could be Baxter’s saviour as it heads into the second half of the season with renewed hope that it can maintain its State 4 South status. To do so would mean a top six finish for Billy Armour’s side given the effects of the upcoming league restructure which severely impacts State 4 and State 5 levels and creates new State 6 and State 7 divisions.Enticing Eichenberger to Baxter Park is one of the marquee moves of the season and hopes are high that he will provide the finishing touch so desperately needed. Eichenberger joined Peninsula Strikers…

MPNFL MEN’S DIV ONESORRENTO looked to get their season back on track last weekend on the road against Pines. The Sharks have endured a difficult 2025 season so far, languishing in the bottom half of the ladder. They conceded 22 goals to Frankston YCW in their last outing, and were looking to make amends against the Pythons.Sorrento put together a better defensive display at Eric Bell Reserve on Saturday, holding Pines to ten goals. Sorrento beat Pines 10.13 (73) to 14.13 (97). Pines led by 20 points at the half-time break, but were overwhelmed in the second half. Jordan Doherty,…

SOCCER SEAFORD United is on target for a top six finish in State 5 South with Saturday’s 2-1 win over Aspendale. This game was broken open by three second-half goals in contrast to the sometimes scrappy first-half that preceded it.Despite losing top scorer Dylan Waugh to injury at half-time Seaford struck just four minutes after the break. A deep free-kick from Conor Mcfall found Tristen Stass heading back across goal and Zain Ahmad’s deft touch made it 1-0. A defensive error cost Aspendale dearly in the 58th minute allowing Ahmad to square the ball from the right to Blake Hicks…

MPNFL MEN’S DIV ONEA RUTHLESS Frankston YCW piled on 22 goals to claim an impressive win over Sorrento at David McFarlan Reserve on Saturday. The two peninsula powerhouses came into the contest in very different positions. The Stonecats have been good this season, and Sorrento have struggled to garner any momentum.A dominant first half put Frankston YCW in the box seat. The Stonecats were clinical in front of goal, booting 12.1 in the first half. Sorrento showed more fight in the second half, but the damage had been done. The Stonecats prevailed 15.11 (101) to 22.7 (139). Riley D’Arcy and…

SOCCER FRANKSTON Pines’ senior men’s program is in disarray after reports emerged last week that Jason Grieve had resigned for the second time in five months. Neither Grieve nor Pines president Liz Diaz would respond to multiple attempts to make contact and director of football Ross Evans would only offer a terse “no comment” when asked who was the senior coach of the beleaguered club.At Saturday’s 7-0 thumping from Baxter the match started with Evans and reserves coach Cal Peacock in the Pines dugout and the official teamsheet listed Evans as coach and Peacock as his assistant. Baxter recorded its…

MPNFL MEN’S DIV ONEROSEBUD notched up another win on Saturday, getting the better of Frankston YCW.A five-goals-to-one first term put Rosebud in control. The Stonecats fought back in the second quarter, but their hopes were dashed after half-time. The Stonecats were held goalless in the third term. Rosebud ran out winners 11.9 (75) to 7.8 (50). Callum White booted four goals for Rosebud. Zac Maynard, Liam Tidd, William Hartung, Campbell Hustwaite, and Mitchell White were named their best. Christian Tsiampas scored four goals for the Stonecats. Rosebud sits on top of the ladder with five wins to their name. Edithvale-Aspendale…

SOCCER JAMIE Skelly and Gus Macleod are in the news for different reasons as Langwarrin fights to avoid relegation while Chelsea strives for promotion. Skelly’s Langwarrin was convincingly beaten 5-0 away to Caroline Springs George Cross in their VPL1 clash last weekend while Macleod’s Chelsea closed to within a point of top spot in State 4 South.n Langy is in the midst of a relegation battle with three teams facing the drop at season’s end.There was no stopping George Cross striker Saif-Eddine Sakhi on Saturday and his hat-trick underpinned a commanding display by the home side with Brad Blumenthal’s 76th-minute…

MPNFL MEN’S DIV ONEPINES piled on 20 goals last weekend to grab an impressive win over Mornington.After a tight opening quarter, Pines opened up a two goal lead in the second term. They put seven goals on the scoreboard in the third term to cement their lead. Pines kept up the pressure in the final quarter, and went on to grab a 14.12 (96) to 20.15 (135) win. Lachlan Sharp booted six goals for Pines, and Dylan Williams scored four. Kai Owens kicked four goals for the Bulldogs. Off the field, there was a strange sight on the sidelines. Mornington…

SOCCER THE revolving door through which senior coaches at Frankston Pines have been passing is spinning once more. Jason Grieve is the “new” Pines senior coach, the fifth man to grab that poisoned chalice in six months. However this is Grieve’s second stint in the role taking over from Donn Delaney late last year after the latter joined the committee and most of the senior players in the largest mass exodus from a local club this century. Grieve didn’t last long though and quit in January so what prompted this change of heart? “I always kept in touch with the…

MPNFL MEN’S DIV ONEPINES have handed Rosebud their first defeat of the 2025 season. A stirring final quarter comeback saw the Pythons topple Rosebud. Pines overcame a 22 point three-quarter-time deficit to claim a brilliant 15.8 (98) to 13.8 (86) win. Pines kicked seven goals in the final term, and restricted Rosebud to just one. Lachlan Sharp was the hero for Pines – he booted five goals in a best-on-ground performance. Callum White kicked four goals for Rosebud.Edithvale-Aspendale’s strong start to the season continued on Saturday with a win over Mt Eliza.Edi-Asp have lost just one game so far this…

SOCCER ARCHIE Macphee was the toast of Lawton Park on Saturday evening after a stunning late goal spree underpinned a remarkable 3-2 win for Langwarrin over high-flying Western United. No-one saw this coming least of all the visitors who were left shell-shocked after being in cruise control with a two-goal lead and just three minutes of normal time remaining.A Tobias Servin lay-off in the 30th minute was lashed home by James York and when Jake Najdovski had the luxury of a free header from a 40th minute corner Langy seemed certain to remain at the foot of the VPL1 table.…

MPNFL MEN’S DIV ONEPINES struck late in the game to beat Frankston YCW in a thriller on Saturday night.John Coburn Oval hosted the match last weekend. Pines was in control for most of the afternoon – the Pythons led by 29 points at three-quarter-time. Frankston YCW showed plenty of fight in the final quarter, and managed to sneak ahead in the dying stages of the game. A late goal saw the Pythons steal back the lead and grab the win. Frankston YCW succumbed to a heartbreaking 10.8 (68) to 10.12 (72) defeat. Cameron Olden was excellent for Pines, booting five…

SOCCER SKYE United’s 2-1 home win over St Kilda on Saturday was its fourth success in five games and lifted it into second spot in State 2 South-East. The local side’s start to the season is remarkable given the tumultuous pre-season overseen by head coach Phil McGuinness who had to rebuild his squad after losing many experienced player. McGuinness methodically sifted through a large group of triallists by playing more pre-season friendlies than any other side on the peninsula and the outcome so far has been stunning. “It’s almost a new squad with a lot of young lads in there…

PROVINCIALPINES has won the 2025 MPCA Provincial Grand Final.Pines played Red Hill in the two-day season decider at Eric Bell Reserve. Pines batted on Saturday, and put a formidable total on the scoreboard.At the end of the day, Pines finished up at 8/243. Pat Jackson scored a half-century for the home side, while Nick Christides and Billy Humphrey also made strong contributions.Brent Martin was a workhorse for Red Hill on Saturday. He bowled 40 overs, taking 3/113.Red Hill were in huge trouble from the get-go on Sunday. Opener Luke Jackson was dismissed for a duck, and his batting partner Riley…

SOCCER SKYE United made its best start to a league season since 2017 with a gutsy 2-1 away win against Noble Park United on Friday night. The locals have won their opening two games away from home and don’t play their first home match until their round 4 clash with Casey Comets. Skye went behind in the 18th minute when Shane Tagliaferro’s strike from the edge of the box found the bottom corner. However the visitors hit back 10 minutes later when Mitch Blake broke free and squared a ball for Tapiwa Kufakurowa to stab home. The second half was…

SOCCERNEW signings and player axings stole the limelight last week with Baxter featuring prominently. Noah Green, Joey Bucello and Robbie O’Toole were released by Baxter while Ryan Brown has left on a pre-planned overseas trip. Green had a stellar season last year and will likely join a club closer to his Southbank home. It’s believed that there has been an undercurrent of unrest among a section of the playing group throughout the season and head coach Kevin “Squizzy” Taylor decided that action had to be taken. That resulted in last week’s cull. But Taylor already has plans to reinforce the…

MPNFL MEN’S DIV ONESORRENTO won a thriller against Mt Eliza last weekend to improve their record to 4-1. The Sharks travelled to Emil Madsen Reserve to take on the Redlegs. The two sides were equally matched all day, with the lead standing at just 11 points Sorrento’s way at three-quarter-time.After a tense final term, Sorrento managed to drag themselves over the line. Some accurate goalkicking helped them wrap up a 13.15 (93) to 15.5 (95) win. Leigh Poholke scored four goals for Sorrento. James Brigden, Nicholas Jamieson, James Hallahan, Myles Poholke, and Dylan Clarke were named in their best.Sorrento have…

SOCCER SEVEN out of 14 local clubs remain in the 2024 Australia Cup after last weekend’s second preliminary round. The early stages of the prestigious national competition are regionalised along federation jurisdictions with Victoria using the Dockerty Cup name for its knockout rounds until A-League clubs enter the fray. Mornington, Peninsula Strikers and Skye United enter the knockout tournament at the next stage joining the survivors from round two – Frankston Pines, Chelsea and Mount Eliza. Langwarrin enters the Cup at the fourth round stage. In last weekend’s Cup action Pines came back from a two-goal deficit to overhaul Diamond…

CRICKET WOMENS BALNARRING are the champions of the MPCA Women’s division. Emil Madsen Reserve hosted Balnarring and Rye on 18 February for the women’s Grand Final. Balnarring was sent in to bat first. Opener Jemma Reynolds got her side off to a good start. She scored 39 runs before being stumped. Her opening partner Catherine Donlon scored 25. Balnarring went on to score 125 from 30 overs. Some excellent bowling wrapped up the win and the trophy for Balnarring. Rye was bowled out for just 66 runs. Kayla Turner was her side’s best bowler – she posted final figures of…

LACHLAN Vize, of McCrae, is making waves in windsurfing and wing foiling, having recently returned from the Windsurfer World Titles held in Perth, where he won the male youth title and came fourth out of a fleet of 250 boards in the slalom. He competed against local and international sailors in the light weight division slalom event and a marathon. His placing in the youth division means he also won a scholarship to help pay his way to the next windsurfer world titles. Vize also represented Australia late last year at the Pacific Games where he won silver and bronze…

SOCCER ONE of the greatest goalscorers in Victorian football history could be on the verge of a sensational comeback if a plan hatched months ago by Rosebud comes to fruition. When Stuart Johnston and assistant Stan Packer took over as senior coaches they identified a need to add to the team’s firepower. Johnson knew Nathan Yole from their days at Mornington while Packer was a long-term friend of Dave Greening and given that both forwards had joined forces at Baxter a couple of years ago it seemed logical to try and revive their partnership. The first part of the plan…

CRICKET PROVINCIAL LONG Island held on for a thrilling win over Sorrento last Saturday. Long Island scored 272 runs on day one, giving the Sharks a tough task to tackle on day two. After a few early struggles, middle order batter Matthew Rulach took control of the game. Rulach smashed 103 runs from 151 balls for the Sharks to keep them in the contest. Jake Wood’s late half-century also kept them in the hunt. The game ended up going down to the final over. With one run required to draw level with four balls left to face, Sorrento lost their…

SOCCER IF JAMIE Skelly thought about his debut as an NPL senior coach he’s unlikely to have imagined a more positive scenario. It’s the second minute of the season opener and Skelly’s newlook Langwarrin is facing NPL heavyweight Bentleigh Greens at Lawton Park. Luke Goulding sends a long ball forward and quicksilver Tom Youngs reads the defender’s intended header back to Greens keeper Andrew Withers. Youngs nips in and wins the ball and Withers flattens him. Referee Jackson Landy points to the spot, Youngs converts and it’s a dream start for Skelly’s men. Five minutes later any remaining naysayers among…

CRICKET WOMENS BALNARRING and Rye will face off in the MPCA Womens Grand Final this weekend. Balnarring hosted Tooradin in the semi-final on Sunday. Balnarring batted first and put a huge total on the scoreboard. An unbeaten century from Jemma Reynolds helped Balnarring reach a final total of 3/207. Tooradin batted well but couldn’t maintain the run rate needed to win. They finished up at 5/132 after their 30 overs. Rye and Somerville went down to the wire on Sunday in the other semi-final. Rye batted first last weekend. They set Somerville a target of 106 to score to win.…

SOCCER LANGWARRIN’S league season kicks off on Saturday evening when the local club hosts Bentleigh Greens in the opening round of the rebranded VPL1 competition. It’s been almost 15 years since these teams met in a league game at Lawton Park and the locals will be hoping for a different outcome to the 1-0 loss suffered on 4 July 2009. Langy head coach Jamie Skelly is under no illusions about the task ahead against an NPL heavyweight still smarting from last season’s relegation. “It’s probably as tough an assignment as we could have got for round one but I think…

CRICKET WOMENS DELACOMBE Park closed their season with a thrilling win over Mt Eliza. Mt Eliza scored 123 runs from their 30 overs. Ingrid Harvey top scored with 38 not out. The wickets were shared evenly among the Delacombe Park bowlers. They would have to bat well to chase down their target and grab a win. A brilliant 38 run ninth-wicket partnership between Trish Hawkins and Melissa Newham won the game for Delacombe Park. They hit the winning runs with an over and two wickets to spare. Hawkins, who returned to the game after the scorching weather forced her from…

FLINDERS Cricket Club will celebrate its 150th birthday on the weekend of 17 and 18 of February with a special round of matches, cocktail party and a family day. Mornington Cricket Club is the only club on the Mornington Peninsula that can boast about being older, having been founded in 1863. On Saturday, the seniors will be at home for the second match of the day with longtime adversary Balnarring. During the evening teams of six decades will be announced, culminating in the unveiling of a champion team. Flinders Cricket Club owes it origins to the Eastern Extension Cable Company,…

SOCCER IT’S the largest senior squad makeover on the peninsula and the Donn Delaney revolution at Frankston Pines continues apace. The former Peninsula Strikers head man has confronted a huge player exodus at Monterey Reserve and has responded with a recruitment drive the size of which is rarely seen in local ranks. So far 19 players from other clubs have been brought into the senior squad and there will be more. “The squad is by no means finalised,” Delaney said. “But I’ve been really impressed so far and the club has been very welcoming and inclusive of everyone who has…

CRICKET PROVINCIAL A MATCH-winning century from Simon Dart proved the difference as Red Hill wrapped up a thrilling final over victory last weekend. Red Hill played Baden Powell at Red Hill Recreation Reserve in one-day cricket. The visitors were sent in to bat first, and put 215 runs on the board. A knock of 91 from 88 deliveries by Rhys Elmi was the highlight of Baden Powell’s innings. Opener Travis Kellerman also scored 66 from 87 before being dismissed by Dart. After Red Hill fell to 2/33, Simon Dart came in and dominated. He scored an unbeaten 106 at a…