The 2021 season has been pleasing so far for Emmaus St Leo’s reserves side, with Keegan Ledder at the helm. They currently sit one game clear in third spot on the ladder, but only by percentage as they share the same 5-2 win/loss ratio with Parkside who are in the top 2. Big victories over cellar dwellers Albert Park and the Westbourne Grammarians, as well as North Brunswick have cemented the reigning premiers well into the top four and has done them plenty of favours in their quest of going back-to-back.
With 2020 being the year that was, and the addition of a third men’s team for Emmaus St Leo’s, there’s been quite a few new Animals who have pulled on the blue and blue, while many have returned to take their shot at getting that premiership medallion.
The Emmaus St Leo’s reserves side midfield has always been a challenging beast to conquer, but with the addition of first-year players in Adam Bullivant, Noah Skiller and Guy Donovan for 2021, there has been no harder task for the opposition. Bullivant must in search of a new favourite number, being five from five in games played and best-on lists made, with five goals to his name and his sharp work through the middle making him hard to beat anywhere on the ground. Skiller has managed to play all seven games and snagged two majors of his own, earning himself a spot in the best-on-ground list once, while Donovan has kicked four goals in four games, and made the list three times, as well as run out with the seniors twice.
Backline player Cameron Price’s first year has started off incredibly well, his six appearances yielding top honours three times as well as a sneaky goal, while Dan Quattro’s introduction to the forward line has seen him kick 19 goals in six games to be one of the best three times, and become one half of the one of the best goalkicking duos to don the blue and blue.
For the familiar faces, the Animals’ very own VP Cameron Gardner has proven himself to be quite the VIP on the field this season, playing all over the defensive half of the ground and being one of the best three times in his six games. Joining him in defence has been Tom Wales, whose third year at Emmaus St Leo’s has been met with six games and three best-on-ground performances, while also wandering down to the forward line to kick a sneaky major, after missing his first chance seconds before.
Anthony Smith has also returned for his first season of Animals footy in three years, making the forward line his own to be second on the Division 3 goalkicking leader-board with 29 goals from seven games, earning top honours three times, and being the other half of the forward line’s dynamic duo. And in his second season at Emmaus St Leo’s, Connor Leevers’ five games have yielded three appearances on the best players list, and two goals.
Honourable mentions go to club stalwart and seasoned fullback James Rippon, who’s played all seven games and also kicked a cheeky goal, and first-year player Matthew Price scoring four goals from his six games to be one of the best twice. Isaac Waite’s five goals from five reserves games saw him finally earn his seniors debut after adding to his five reserves games in 2019, while Ben Severin has kicked a goal and earned two best-on-ground performances in six games in his first year for the club.
2019 was the year for the Emmaus St Leo’s reserves, but 2021 is shaping up to be great one too. The loss against Hawthorn was a game they arguably should have won, while going down to Canterbury by only three points was off the back of some poor kicking, finishing the game 10.15 to the Cobras’ 12.6. But it’s the comprehensive wins, particularly by 56 points against ladder-leaders in Richmond Central to gift them their only loss of the season so far and a close one against Parkside by 7, that has the Animals family healthily intrigued by what’s to come in the last half of the season.
After seven games, Emmaus St Leo’s reserves are well set for the rest of the season. Their forward line is formidable enough as it is, but they have enough depth both in the team and out of it to make it incredibly difficult for their opponents, and if past games are anything to go by, it’s going to be tough to score against their defenders. With footy’s return date still relatively up in the air, the Animals will face Hawthorn for the second time this season if the fixture remains the same. Like the Thirds, redemption is well on the cards for Emmaus St Leo’s to even the ledger at 1-1 as the Hawks make the trek over to Bennettswood Reserve.