THIRDS:

It was always going to be a tough ask for the Thirds, who were tasked with facing ladder-leaders Whitefriars at home at Bennettswood Reserve and were ultimately defeated by 138 points. 

The away side jumped out of the gates in the first term to get seven goals from 12 scoring shots, before Wattle Park slowed them down just slightly in the second. Two consecutive 50m penalties gifted the Animals their only real chance at goal in the second, but it was an otherwise lopsided game, despite 80 minutes of solid effort from the entire squad. A few terrific passages of play and chains of possession throughout were the only rays on sunshine for the home side. 

It was once again the usual suspects for the Thirds who were best-on-ground, with Patrick Leevers, Darby Allen, Lachlan Killeen, Sam Heydon, Nick Gunn, and lone goalkicker Noah Heydon the top six. 

Ten rounds into the season, the Thirds sit seventh on the ladder with their three wins and seven losses, and a percentage of 62.59%. 

WP 1.0.6

WHI 21.18.144

RESERVES:

It’s getting harder and harder to find new words to describe the Reserves and their winning ways as La Trobe University again joined the list of teams the Animals have dismantled this year. A slow start to the game saw the home side up by 8 points at the quarter-time break, before the Reserves got their act together in the second term to take a 14-point buffer into half-time. 

The Animals went goalless in the third term as La Trobe cut the margin, but in true Reserves form, they showed everyone why they are on top of the ladder with their fourth-quarter performance. The boys in the blue and blue kicked five goals from nine scoring shots while starving their opposition of the ball, who only managed just one behind for the final 25 minutes, to run out 37-point winners. 

Dan Hill was back to his old tricks, kicking four goals, while both Anthony Smiths managed to get on the scoreboard and were joined by Jordy Rodda, Ray Kuhnell, and everyone’s favourite Animal Michael Davis in his return game. Harrison Jones was named best-on-ground, with Henry Tickner, Lachie Hicks, Liam Elso, Rodd and two-goal Smith rounding out the list. 

Unsurprisingly with only one loss on the board, the Reserves still have first on the ladder in their grasp, with nine wins and a percentage of 197.53%. 

WP 10.12.72

LTU 5.5.35

SENIORS:

A five-goal haul from Seniors stalwart Nathan Bird has seen the boys down La Trobe University by 71 points at TS Sheehan Oval on the weekend. After going goalless in the first term and taking a 6-point deficit into the first break, the Animals came out in the second eager to get on the scoreboard. Four goals from twelve scoring shots allowed the Seniors to get the game on their terms as they limited La Trobe to zero score.

The third quarter had both sides scoring relatively freely but missed opportunities inside 50 to the home side kept the Animals further in front, before a foot-to-the-floor, seven-goal final term well and truly got the boys over the line. 

Joining best-on-ground Bird on the mutiple goalkickers list was Baxter Newbegin with three, while Scott McCarney, Ethan Phillips, Ben Collins, Guy Donovan and Tom Wales rounded out the top six best players. 

At this stage of the season, the Seniors are fourth on the ladder, with seven wins, three losses and a percentage of 147.16%. 

WP 14.12.96

LTU 3.7.25