THIRDS: 

A valiant effort to close out their season has seen the Thirds fall short in their quest for a last-round win against Mazenod, beaten by 57 points at Central Reserve despite appearances from a few stalwart Animals. 

Two goals in the first quarter for Wattle Park set the scene early, with a deficit of just eight points going into quarter-time. But the second term is where Mazenod started to show their class as the Animals kicked what would be their final two goals of the game, and the away side started to edge away, scoring four of their own majors to be ahead by 22 points at the main break. 

The Thirds were left without answers for the second half as Mazenod piled on five goals in the third term, before finishing the game with two, to Wattle Park’s four behinds.  

Once again in the goals was Brendan Ellwood, who finished the game with two, while Max Pringle and club legend Paul Baranello were the other two players to get on the board. Best-on-ground honours go to vice-captain George Burgess, who has been strong for the Thirds all season, Baranello and Zack Flaherty. 

The Thirds finish their season in seventh, with five wins, ten losses and a percentage of 56.60%. 

WP 4.5.29

MAZ 13.8.86

RESERVES:

An eight-goal first quarter for the Reserves has set up an eventual 136-point smashing of a goalless La Trobe University at TS Sheehan Oval, officially solidifying their top-2 spot on the ladder and giving them the double chance going into finals. 

Under the Melbourne sun, the Animals burst out of the gate, with the home side never given the chance to find their footing. 13 scoring shots to zero in the first 25 minutes of the game gave Wattle Park an arguably already insurmountable lead of 53 points going into quarter-time, before a two-goal settler in the second term allowed them to reset for the second half. 

Despite the 68-point lead, the Reserves came out after the main break with a renewed sense of purpose, getting six goals on the board, before four in the final term to finish their most comprehensive win for the year. A strong showing leading into finals while fine-tuning their loose, free-flowing style of play boosts the momentum of the Animals squad. 

With nine goalkickers sharing 20-goal load, the elder Anthony Smith managed four to take best-on-ground honours, while Connor Xipolitos, James Nelson and Isaac Waite all kicked three each. Matt Humphrey and resident bagman Matthew Price contributed two. The executive committee had a good showing on the best players list, with club president Cam Gardner and vice-president Greg Rollo-Walker making an appearance, with Harrison Jones, Ray Kuhnell and Mitch Lamb rounding it out.

Heading into the final two games of the home and away season, the Reserve sit second on the ladder, with thirteen wins, three losses and a percentage of 188.73%. 

WP 20.17.137

LTU 0.1.1 

SENIORS:

Nine individual goalkickers have helped the Seniors secure their finals spot, as they beat both La Trobe University and a typical four-seasons-in-one-day Melbourne downpour at TS Sheehan Oval to take the win by 67 points. 

Four goals in the first term set the Animals up well as the rain started, with the home side only able to get one of their own on the board. With a 19-point buffer at the start of the second quarter, slick ball movement through the middle despite the conditions continued to give the Wattle Park forwards supply inside 50. But the weather was also wreaking havoc, with much of the play between the arcs resulting in a lot of back and forth, it was just the Animals who were able to capitalise on their opportunities. 

With the game all but sewn up by half-time, the Seniors stuck to their set structures in the third term, using the wide span of the oval to switch the play and angle their kicks through the corridor to keep giving their forwards first look. Five goals from ten scoring shots to just three behinds continue Wattle Park’s ascendency, before they slightly eased their foot off the accelerator in the final quarter. Missed opportunities in front of goal, as seems to be a slight theme for the season, meant the scoreboard didn’t accurately reflect the dominance Wattle Park had for a majority of the game. Ultimately, their five-goal final term outscored La Trobe’s entire game score and provides some extra momentum going into the last two games. 

Matt Hill finished the game with three goals, while Zac Kearns, Reece Luehman and Dan Hill all managed two each after strong leading inside the forward 50. In his return game, captain Harry Davis kicked a major, while Jonathan Greensides, Tom Hernan, James Moran and Hugh Schaeche round out the goalkickers list. 

Tom Wales takes best-on-ground honours for his work off half-back and is joined on the best players list by fellow backmen Tom Clarke and Baxter Newbegin, as Bailey Hunt, Hill and Schaeche take the final three spots. 

With two games left of the home and away season, finals are locked in as the Seniors sit fourth with ten wins, six losses and a percentage of 148.80%.

WP 14.13.97 

LTU 4.6.30