THIRDS:

A low-scoring affair at Canterbury Sportsground has seen the Thirds get their fifth win of the season, after a 50m penalty paid in the dying seconds gave the Animals a set shot right in front of goal. 

With twelve goals total kicked across the game, it was no surprise the game came down to the wire, despite just one major from both teams in the first quarter. The Animals were ahead at each break, their misfiring in front of the big sticks the only thing keeping them there as they kept their buffer to less than a goal. With just seconds on the clock in the final term, the game was decided by a set shot and the Animals closed their penultimate chapter of the 2023 season to join the second week in a row of Wattle Park quadruple wins.

Continuing his good form, Padric Leevers was the Thirds best-on, with George Burgess, Lachlan Killeen, Fletcher Cooper, Nick Rodway, and the returning Alex Young joining him on the best players list. 

With one game left of the season, the Thirds sit sixth on the ladder with five wins and nine losses, and a percentage of 58.69%. 

WP 6.6.42

CAN 6.3.39

RESERVES:

A seven-goal final term has all but sealed the Reserves’ top-2 position on the ladder, as they demolished Power House by 80 points at Bennettswood Reserve. 

The first quarter was very much an arm-wrestle as both sides struggled to get ascendancy on the scoreboard through missed opportunities, but it was the Animals with their noses just in front going into the first break. 

Seven scoring shots to zero in the second term saw the Reserves power ahead, leaving Power House without answers and down by 35 points at half-time. With their foot slightly off the gas in the third, the Animals only managed to pile on three goals, priming themselves for an insane last-quarter effort. 

After finally deciding it was time to get serious, the Reserves limited their opponents to just a singular goal and one behind, while managing thirteen scoring shots of their own, seven of which being majors. It was the perfect finish after a rather lacklustre initial start as the Reserves joined another weekend of four Animals wins.

Matthew Price returned to his best once again to take best-on-ground honours in a 7-goal performance, while Isaac Waite and James Nelson kicked two majors each. Rounding out the best players list was Liam Elso, Greg Rollo-Walker, Waite, Connor Xipolitos and Ben Severin.

With twelve wins, three losses and a percentage of 171%, the Reserves currently sit second on the ladder with three games of the season left. 

WP 17.15.117

PH 5.7.37

SENIORS: 

The Seniors have sealed another four-wins-from-four-games weekend for Wattle Park with a 25-point win over Power House at Bennettswood Reserve. Nine goalkickers overall for the Animals got started in the first term with three, but the home side was still down by four points going into the first break. 

The second term began and slowly the Seniors managed to get results on the scoreboard, despite some of the traditional misfiring we’ve come to know and love from the boys in the blue and blue. With a 5-point buffer to start the second half, the Animals kept up their inside 50s to score three majors in the third term, before doing the same in the fourth to seal their top-4 aspirations. 

Both Zac Kearns and Jonathan Greensides managed two goals each as the only multiple-goalscorers, while backman Joden Crothers got on the board with another shot on goal from outside 50. 

Back to his usual best, Hugh Schaeche took top honours, with Nathan Bird, Matt Hill, Baxter Newbegin, Greensides and Guy Donovan rounding out the best players list. 

The Seniors currently sit fourth on the ladder with nine wins, six losses and a percentage of 117.93%. 

WP 11.14.80

PH 8.7.55