A trip to the zoo for the Animals has had a less-than-stellar ending, with the Thirds suffering their first loss of the year going down to UHS-VU at Brens Oval. It was a close game for the first half, if only because Wattle Park were kept in it by a misfiring home side who went into the main break, up 3.7 to 3.1. 

Unfortunately for the Animals, their inability to score in the third term gave their opposition a buffer they continued into the final quarter, where they kicked five goals to zero to ultimately win by 58 points. 

Club secretary Joe Anker took best-on-ground honours for a performance that included a goal, and was joined by Ethan Boyd and George Burgess on both the goalkicking list and the best player’s list. Rounding it out, captain Joe Caldow and Sam Cordy also performed well. 

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UHS 11.13.79

An eight-goal final quarter to Wattle Park’s Reserves has sealed a 98-point win against La Trobe University. Out of the blocks early, the Animals had 10 scoring shots early to take a 24-point lead into the first break, with snap shots at goal from plenty of forward stoppages, including one from Dan Quattro. Despite team efforts making it clear Wattle Park were hungrier for the ball than their opposition, it was only Anthony Smith’s two majors in the second term that provided more of a points buffer. 

The second half is really where the Animals went to work, limiting La Trobe to just two scoring shots and adding four goals of their own. But it was specifically the final term, despite arguably already having the four points in the bank, that Wattle Park showed what they truly can do. Smith and Matthew Price continued their merry goalkicking ways, as Isaac Waite and Henry Tickner also provided their own majors. 

Finishing with seven goals to his name, Smith was unsurprisingly named best-on-ground, but a bag of five goals two weeks in a row saw Price nipping at his heels on the best player’s list. Scott McCarney and captain Anthony Smith continued their strong midfield work to also get a mention, while ruck Matt Humphrey and backman Lawrence Virgo rounded out the list. 

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The Seniors are back on the winner’s list with a rather comprehensive win over La Trobe University at Bennettswood Reserve on the weekend. A six-goal-to-one first term, set up by Kieren Jenkins’ first major of the day after a holding free kick, really set the stage for the Animals. They then piled on another eight in the second quarter to take a commanding 57-point lead into the main break, with their opposition at a loss to match Wattle Park’s attack on the ball and their teamwork in contests. 

It only continued for the Animals in the second half, but with the game well and truly won, the foot eased off the accelerator just slightly. Joden Crothers and Bailey Hunt got in on the goalkicking party in the third quarter as La Trobe struggled to stop the chains of possessions from the Animals, before a three-goal final term for Nathan Bird iced an already very iced cake. 

Despite not returning to the field after a gnarly elbow injury in the third quarter, Hugh Schaeche still managed to take best-on-ground honours with a performance that included two goals. With twelve individual goalkickers, the Animals had no shortage of players to get the ball to. Bird and Ethan Phillips kicked four and three majors respectively to get a mention on the best player’s list, joined by defenders Baxter Newbegin and Sean Drummond after their work in the backline. 

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LTU 8.6.54

The Thirds head to Pitcher Park to face Parkside at 9:20am to continue their holiday away from Bennettswood Reserve, which is empty this weekend as the Women, Reserves and Seniors take to Canterbury Sportsground, welcomed by Canterbury.