Zoo News: Tales of despair on the road

Round seven was arguably a day to forget for the Wattle Park Football Club as all four teams suffered losses away from home, although for those concerned, Bennettswood Reserve was alive and kicking on Saturday night, don’t you worry. With the entire Animals squad spread across three different grounds and scheduled to start at similar times, it was a mammoth effort from all involved to get on the park. 

A best-on-ground performance from Reserves captain Anthony Smith ultimately could not stem the flow of a well-drilled St Mary’s Salesian side, who took the win by an unfortunate 82 points. Nine scoring shots to two in the first quarter set the scene before the Animals were left scrambling, the margin already at 60 by the main break. Without answers, the Reserves couldn’t do much else as the deficit continued to grow and scoring shots were getting harder to come by, before eight to three in the final quarter summarised the game. Five goals from the one-two punch of Dan Hill, who had three, and the older Anthony Smith with the rest kept the scoreboard ticking over in an otherwise tough day at the office. 

Not even three goals from defender-turned-forward Baxter Newbegin could get the Seniors over the line on Saturday, as St Mary’s Salesian kicked away in the final term, leaving Ferndale Park 22-point winners. Four straight to the home side versus 1.4 to the Animals in the first quarter left much to be desired before goalkicking worries in the second got the better of St Mary’s Salesian to keep the away team in it. The Seniors rallied to get within three by the final break but were unable to make it stick in the end. Backman Joden Crothers was deemed best-on, joined by some of the usuals in Tom Clarke, Ben Collins, Bailey Hunt and Nathan Bird. 

In his return game, Caden MacDonald kicked all three of the Thirds’ goals from 10 disposals as they suffered at the hands of South Melbourne Districts, going down by 53 points at Ian Johnson Oval. With just one major in the first quarter, the Animals started the game on the back foot and remained there for the rest of the day, with missed opportunities in front of goal doing little to lift the spirits. In more positive news, it seems like the backline suits Bailey McCabe, who managed 15 disposals and five rebound 50s, but it was fellow defender Aman Singh who was deemed best-on-ground. Resident Thirds in Jordy Rodda and George Burgess were also unsurprisingly part of the top 6 cohort.  

A slow first half with six goals kicked to just one has seen the Women fall by 39 points to familiar foe in Old Carey at Carey Sports Complex. With the midfield battle going all game long, it was the home side who capitalised on the dominance, where most of their goals came from clearances. But the game itself wasn’t all doom and gloom as the Animals dusted themselves off after the first quarter, kicking a major in the following three. A move from the backline to the forward line proved fruitful for Shannon Harris, who took a strong second-term, double-grab pack mark in the goalsquare before slotting a goal from right in front to open the Wattle Park account, before she provided an expert handball to teammate Caitie Power in the third quarter which resulted in another major. For the final Animals goal, you just can’t keep J Clancy away from the big sticks, solidifying another strong performance in the forward half of the ground. First-year Animal Ingrid Cain was staunch in defence for all 80 minutes, but Nyari Grzyb’s midfield work sees her top the best players list. 

This weekend we wipe the slate clean, with a traditional triple header on Saturday following a first-of-its-kind Friday night appearance for the Thirds. They’ll travel to Scammell Reserve to face Oakleigh for a 7:30pm start under lights, with a certain floral aroma rumoured to be in the air. For the Women, they return to their regularly scheduled time of 9:20am on Saturday morning hoping to even the ledger with De La Salle, while the Reserves and Seniors will run out for their  11:40am/2pm timeslots respectively, intent on getting on one back in the club stakes against South Melbourne Districts. 

FINAL SCORES - ROUND SEVEN

South Melbourne Districts v Thirds: 12.7.79 - 3.8.26

St Mary’s Salesian v Reserves: 19.15.129 - 7.5.47

Old Carey v Women: 9.8.62 - 3.5.23

St Mary’s Salesian v Seniors: 14.10.94 - 10.12.72

Here, there, and everywhere!

Thankfully for the only time in 2024, all four Animals sides are spread across three different grounds as we delve in to the mid-part of the season.

In a fixture “quirk” as well, all four teams will be involved in “overlapping” games, stretching the Animals Family across the metro area.

THIRDS: VS SOUTH MELBOURNE DISTRICTS - IAN JOHNSON OVAL 11.40AM

After surviving a scare from an inspired Parkdale side, Coach Checkers has made the sensational decision to bench himself and Jarra Davis ahead of the trip to one of Albert Park’s many grounds.

The infrequently used Ian Johnson Oval will see Will Taylor, statless last week, instead take the opening centre bounce in yet another attempt to counter opposition’s tailored gameplans.

George Burgess, Lachie Hicks, and Ben Kearns for a midfield trio the envy of the division, and will be flanked by the non-stop running of Vinnie Brigante and James Greaves.

Up front, injury returns for the prolific Caden MacDonald and the hard-working Joe Anker see the side boast a potent forward line ready to attack a South Melbourne side which has conceded on average 20 scoring shots in the last 3 weeks.

The bench sees the return of the enigmatic Sam Fernandez, Lachie Port, and Niles Sheridan.

women: vs old carey - carey sports complex 1pm

The peculiar timeslot of 1pm sees the Women travel to the middle of the NELP worksite to take on rivals Old Carey.

A fierce battle at this location last year saw the Animals draw within a goal late before the Panthers kicked two late ones to win, and there is certainly no love lost between the two sides.

Half back flankers Nyari Gryzb and Leesa Guastella move in to the midfield for this clash, a return for Gryzb to the position where in 2022 she ran away with the club B&F title.

The moves see captain Ebony Ratcliffe move to the back flank herself, with Charlotte Norton moving up from a pocket to join her. That move facilitated by the return of Emma Turner to the side.

The game will also be the first as vice-captain for Maddy Mazar, promoted to the role this week due to the season-ending injury to Lilli Fogarty.

reserves: vs st.mary’s salesian - ferndale park 11.40am

A relatively settled two’s side will head down the road to Glen Iris looking to bounce back after last week’s phase out against Melbourne High.

Matt Lewis moves back to the back flank to cover Jack Hernan, allowing Cooper Walter to start on a wing and Sam Barrah to return to the fold after some time away from the club.

Ben Severin is the other main inclusion to the forward line, after missing several weeks with an upper body injury.

seniors: vs st. mary’s salesian - ferndale park 2pm

Minor adjustments made for the late game at Ferndale Park, as the Seniors look to continue their stellar start to the 2024 season, with a win allowing the opportunity for the Animals to go second dependant on other results.

Tom Wales is back in for Sam Davis who sits due to concussion protocol, in the only change to a backline that left Melbourne High marvelling at their resilience and stability last weekend.

Up front, Jon “The Difference” Greensides will look to be just that as he starts this week, with Baxter Newbegin back as well after missing last week’s clash against the Unicorns.

The Animals dropped this fixture the last time they played competitively, but have bested Salesian twice in consecutive pre-season fixtures, and will look to reclaim the “Saints Cup” the two sides previously fought for.

Zoo News: Thrills and spills as day split at Bennettswood

A quadruple-header clean sweep opportunity has gone begging for Wattle Park’s 2024 season after only two round six wins at Bennettswood Reserve on Saturday.

The Thirds kicked off proceedings in the morning, taking down a Parkdale side no doubt rueing some missed opportunities in front of goal, while the Seniors continued their winning ways against MHSOB to win by 22 points. The Reserves didn’t fare so well against their own MHSOB opponents, coughing up a final-break lead. In their second game in a row under lights, the Women were unable to get the win this time against the division’s ladder-leaders. 

A goalless fourth quarter has unfortunately seen the Reserves suffer their third loss of the season as a late-game run of five majors from MHSOB got them home. The better team for arguably the better part of the game, the Animals managed to get on top on the scoreboard in the third term, taking advantage of some miskicking in front of goal by the away side. Unsurprisingly, the midfield work of Harrison Jones saw him top the best players list, while Dan Hill scored three goals. 

Despite kicking 18 behinds, the Seniors kept their noses in front from start to finish to get one back on MHSOB. In the end, a rather comfortable win for a side otherwise known for letting teams back in, the Animals kept their foot on the accelerator until the final siren, slowly increasing the margin at each break. Jonathan “#thedifference” Greensides, who has played in each of the Seniors’ wins and none of their losses this season, kicked one major to join a goalkickers list including Hugh Schaeche, who contributed two of his own. Bailey Hunt was once again named best-on-ground as his ability to be anywhere the ball is continues to impress everyone.

Redemption was earned for the Thirds on the weekend, winning a one-point thriller after the heartbreak of round five’s loss. A clutch mark in the dying moments of the game from Jarra Davis as the scoreboard read 62-62 meant all he needed to do was score something, and score something he did, just. Contested footy followed which allowed the Animals to hold on. With most of the Marmalade contingent leading from the front, including 18 disposals from Davis and two goals from Connor Rogers, it was Lochie Sketcher’s midfield performance that was deemed best-on-ground worthy. 

A battle against the top side was always going to be a tough ask for the Women, who fought hard against Therry Penola for much of the game but were ultimately beaten by a well-drilled side. J Clancy continued their goalkicking ways with a gather in the forward 50 and a nice finish during the second quarter to get the Animals on board, while Ashton Billing once again snuck forward to kick another fourth-term goal for the year. But it was unsurprisingly Maddy Mazar who topped the best players list, her contested work in the backline limiting her tough and physical opponent to just one goal for the game. 

Bennettswood Reserve is empty for round seven as all four teams fly the nest in search of their next win. The Thirds head to Albert Park for an 11:40am start, facing South Melbourne Districts at Ian Johnson Oval, while the Women will battle an old foe in Old Carey when they make the trek to Carey Sports Complex, with an unusual start time of 1pm. The Reserves and the Seniors travel to Ferndale Park, their opponents rather unfamiliar in St Mary’s Salesian at their normal times of 11:40am and 2pm respectively. 

FINAL SCORES - ROUND SIX

Thirds v Parkdale: 9.9.63 - 8.14.62

Reserves v MHSOB: 12.6.78 - 13.11.89

Women v Therry Penola: 2.2.14 - 9.8.62

Seniors v MHSOB: 10.18.78 - 8.8.56

Last quad header of the year sees changes four all sides

Changes up and down the four Animals sides as we head in to our second consecutive and last quad header of the 2024 season.

The revelation of the finals Thirds draw this year means that this will be the last time all four sides are in the same location at consecutive times.

With this, it’s set to be a bumper day of action at Bennettswood Reserve.

THIRDS: VS PARKDALE - BENNETTSWOOD RESERVE at 9.20am

With the promotion of several players down back, it’s a return for Junior Singh, Cam Muratore, and Daniel Thorson to the Thirds side to sure up the back 6, with the departure of Nic Glanville for the rest of the 2024 season set to leave a large gap to fill.

Up front, there’s returns of Cam Dapic and Ben Kearns, as well as Will Taylor moving in to the starting side, whilst Joe Caldow and Riley Srey drop back to the bench.

Vinnie Brigante also comes on to the wing to provide some run to the opposite side of Connor Rogers, who had a stellar opening half last week against Ormond and kicked the opening goal of the game.

WOMEN: VS THERRY PENOLA - BENNETTSWOOD RESERVE AT 4.45PM

A clash with table toppers Therry Penola awaits the Women under the lights for a second consecutive week.

Therry have conceded only 2 goals over their last 3 games, so the return of Rose Kennedy will be a crucial in this weekend to help a forward line ready to cut loose and kick a bag.

The game also sees the debut of Chloe Woolley. Chloe was the first new player down for the 2024 season, and has now become available. She will slot in to the open wing spot in what will be a crucial battle for supremecy down the flanks at Bennettswood.

Down back, Nyari Gryzb moves back to her new position coming off the half back flank in the only change for the back 6.

reserves: vs mhsob - bennettswood reserve at 11.45am

A resounding return to winning ways for the Reserves last week will look to be backed up against the only other side who is 3-2 in the Reserves competition in MHSOB.

Six changes are made from the winning side on Pink Day, with the promotions of Mason Laursen, Nick Rodway, Cooper Walter, Lachie Hicks, Max Warburton, and Louis Fasolino from the Thirds.

Laursen and Rodway slot in to a backline which kept Hawthorn scoreless in the first quarter last weekend, and will look to continue that strong performance.

These moves allow Harrison Jones to move in to the midfield after a stellar performance last week, to bolster what is already a strong unit.

Hicks and Warburton slot in to the forward line to try and crack a MHSOB defence that has not yielded 10 goals since mid April.

SENIORS: VS MHSOB - BENNETTSWOOD RESERVE AT 2PM

The Seniors will look to consolidate their early season form when they take on MHSOB for the first time at Bennettswood since Round 1 2018.

That day, MHSOB ran out comfortable winners, but the two sides have had different fortunes in 2024.

Popular new player Stavros Andronicos makes his senior debut after strong showings in the Reserves to start the season, and is one of four promotions from the Reserves.

Kieran Jenkins, James Moran, Mitch Lamb, and Jacob Glare all make their way up from the twos, with the latter three impressing as well on Pink Day.

Jono “The Difference” Greensides is also back in to the Senior fold after a recent absence, and will look to add so much needed height to the forward line.

Zoo News: Two minutes from perfection at Bennettswood

Just three points stood between a Wattle Park clean sweep on ladies luncheon weekend when all four teams ran out onto Bennettswood Reserve in dual-pink guernseys. The Thirds kicked off proceedings early, unfortunately suffering a three-point loss to Ormond after dominating much of the game, before the Reserves came out with a point to prove, dismantling a dismal Hawthorn side by 61 points. The Seniors arm-wrestled with their own Hawk opponents, ultimately coming out on top by seven points, while the Women valiantly prevailed in their first ever home game under lights, winning by 13 points in their grudge-match against Parkside. 

After a disappointing performance in round 4 for the Reserves, they knew there was work to be done. The competitive shift was almost immediate in the first quarter as Hawthorn were left scrambling to keep up. With ten scoring shots to none going into the quarter time, the Animals were well on top, before a nine-goal second term all but slammed the door on any kind of away side resurgence. Zero majors in the final 25 minutes did nothing to dim the celebrations as the Reserves got their season back on track. Harrison Jones was their best, while both Anthony Smith and Matthew Price kicked four goals each. 

Three goals from Nathan Bird has seen the Seniors home against their Hawthorn rivals. With nine individual goalkickers on the day, the Animals had an answer for everything. With just an 11-point lead going into the main break after some misfires in front of goal, the Seniors were able to keep a handle on the lead, just, despite some pushback from the away side. Bailey Hunt’s ability to be everywhere was best-on-ground worthy. In unfortunate news, Tom Hernan did suffer an arm injury, after contributing two of his own goals.

A dominant effort from the Thirds for all but the last two minutes of game time has seen them fall short by just three points to Ormond, despite leading at every break and controlling much of the play. After a strong first quarter for the Animals, the away side staged a fightback, managing to turn the game into a back-and-forth for the rest of it. Four goals to one in the final term arguably sealed the deal for Ormond as the Thirds are left to rue missed opportunities in front of the big sticks. Ethan Baker was arguably best-on for the Thirds, while Jarra Davis managed three goals and club stalwart Nic Glanville stood tall in the backline. 

Under the lights at Bennettswood Reserve for the first time ever, the Women came up trumps against Parkside, putting together four quarters of footy full of smart plays and connection. But it wasn’t until the second quarter where it finally yielded scoring opportunities, as a goal to Emily Severin saw the Animals up by five points at the main break.Kicking home and in front of a crowd full of Animals, both from the ladies luncheon and the men’s squad, the Women had a final quarter to remember. Down on the scoreboard, some Ashton Billing brilliance, who managed to rove a Severin ruck tap and kick truly, in the first couple of minutes kickstarted the Animals. 

Now with a lead to protect, the contest came alive. A behind saw possession go to Parkside who tried to clear it out of their defensive 50, but typical pressure on the kicker from J Clancy meant a miskick and the ball landed in Olivia Walker’s hands. After her hurried kick forward bounced towards goal, Clancy calmly collected to slot the major and hammer the final nail in the opposition’s coffin. Jas Ardern was undeniably best-on, toiling away in the midfield for the entire game. 

Footy continues at Bennettswood Reserve for round six, as the Reserves and Seniors welcome MHSOB in their usual timeslots of 11:40am and 2pm respectively, and the Women round out their three-game homestand with a visit from current ladder-leaders in Therry-Penola at 4:45pm. 

FINAL SCORES - ROUND FIVE 

Thirds v Ormond: 10.10.70 - 11.7.73

Reserves v Hawthorn: 16.18.114 - 7.11.53

Women v Parkside: 3.3.21 - 1.2.8

Seniors v Hawthorn: 12.12.84 - 11.11.77

Moves made ahead of biggest day on the Animals calendar

Whilst the main event happens inside the Bennettswood Pavilion, all four sides will be outside, at home for the first Quad Header of 2024.

THIRDS: VS ORMOND FC - BENNETTSWOOD RESERVE 9.20AM

The big news is the loss of Caden MacDonald from the side, with Jacob Mitchell coming back in to the side from his stint in the Reserves.

Ethan Baker is the big inclusion this week. He joins the Animals with an illustrious local footballing career, including a stint with Geelong’s VFL team. He slots in to the a dominant midfield with Checkers looking to continue his dominance of the ruck and Jarra Davis making sure that the Davis name is still on the field come Ladies Luncheon Day, even if he is not related.

Mason Laursen, Cooper Walter, and Max Warburton also return to the side after recent stints in the Reserves, and will be looking to push back up.

RESERVES: VS HAWTHORN - BENNETTSWOOD RESERVE 11.40AM

A slew of key returns for Ladies Luncheon Day with Harrison Jones, Jack Hernan, Stavros Andronicos, Kieran Jenkins and Sam Barrah all coming in to a Reserves side looking to arrest a two game slide.

Coming off kicking the Animals only two goals in the game last week in his 150th, Anthony Smith will be joined Jenkins up front and will look to see one the divisions more potent forward lines get ticking over again.

Jones and Hernan will flank either side of Jarrod Sandells across halfback, and look to provide run with fellow inclusions Andronicos and Barrah against a Hawthorn side more accustom to the stunted confines of Rathmines Reserve.

SENIORS: VS HAWTHORN - BENNETTSWOOD RESERVE 2PM

These two sides played an absolute barn burner on this day in 2023, and the Animals will be looking to exact revenge when they welcome the Hawks again to Bennettswood.

A raft of key inclusions for the Seniors include key forward Tom Hernan, 2023 Team of the Year wingman Matt Hill, and enigmatic tall Jonathan Greensides.

In the case of Hernan, it’s his first game of the 2024 season after a fantastic debut campaign last year, and will add so much needed overhead prowess to an Animals forward line that has historically played shorter.

Tom Wales also returns to the side after missing last week, and slots in to a backline looking to only be the second side to keep Hawthorn under 100 points this year.

WOMEN: VS PARKSIDE - BENNETTSWOOD RESERVE 4.45PM

It’s an historic moment for the Women as they run out as the sun sets at home for the first time ever, against a side they last met two years ago.

A lot has changed since that 2022 season, but not too much has changed this week.

Leesa Guastella will officially play her first game for the Animals, and become only the second Women’s player to debut on Ladies Luncheon Day (Grace De Cesare 2019 vs Oakleigh).

She takes up a spot across halfback, which allows former B&F winner Nyari Gryzb to move forward to re-create her goal kicking heroics in last year’s pink game. J Clancy returns to the forward line to add a much needed spark, replacing Emma Ferrall, whilst Nadine Pietsch is the third new forward, taking Rose Kennedy’s spot across half forward.

Heidi Lawrence impressed on debut off the bench last week, and will take Chelsea Brown’s spot on a wing.

The ever-popular former Vice-President Greg Rollo-Walker also features as fill-in Team Manager for the night as well.

Zoo News: Tough day both at home and on the road

It’s always good to be an Animal but on the weekend, it was slightly less true after three of four teams suffered losses.

The 9:20am gang were the first to fall as the Women took it to reigning premiers UHS-VU before ultimately suffering a seven-point loss at home, while the Thirds, away from Bennettswood Reserve, were beaten by Mazenod to the tune of 93 points. The misfiring Reserves went down by 44 points to a well-drilled Whitefriars side and the Seniors played out an all-time draw in front of a healthy crowd. 

A win wasn’t to be for the Reserves, who only managed two goals for the game, both off the foot of 150-gamer and club stalwart Anthony Smith. Defensively, Whitefriars stemmed the Animals at every chance, though their inaccuracy in front of goal wasn’t helpful either. Club president Cam Gardner was best-on, with backman Adam Jopling joining him on the top players list. The Seniors game couldn’t have been better scripted by the footy gods, as two loud supporting crowds on the pavilion were left silenced when the final siren sounded and there was no winner. The away side will be left to rue missed opportunities in the final term as plenty of chances went begging in front of goal. Backman Sean Drummond was deemed best-on, while first-year Animal James Marshall snagged two goals to keep his side in it.  

A six-goal second half did a little bit to pare the margin back for the Thirds, whose efforts can’t be denied against an arguably stacked opposition side. Goals from the Marmalade contingent saw Jarra Davis, Will Taylor and Connor Rogers get on the scoreboard, while Thirds constant and backman Nick Rodway was best-on. Despite the rather large final margin, there are positive signs the Animals will no doubt continue to build upon, including finding a way to score even when the chips are down. 

The defensive efforts of the Wattle Park Women through 80 minutes of gametime on Saturday were fantastic as they limited the reigning premiers to just one goal in the first quarter, and eventually the game. With much of the football happening in between the arcs, there were limited opportunities for either side to score. Despite not scoring a goal themselves, the Animals conducted passages of play which saw the ball reach the forward half of the ground numerous times, and utilised a team-wide defensive push in the back fifty for the last quarter to quell their opposition until the siren. These continued efforts will see the reward on the scoreboard come. Ashton Billing was back to her usual best and took best-on-ground honours. 

Round five is upon us and as usual, Pink Day awaits. All four teams will run out in the pink jerseys as the club looks to raise money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. With regrading made official, the Women will stay in Division 3, facing their already-fixtured opponents Parkside at 4:45pm, while the Thirds get the traditional 9:20am timeslot against Ormond. As normal, the Reserves and Seniors will run out at 11:40am and 2pm, welcoming Hawthorn to Bennettswood Reserve. 

FINAL SCORES - ROUND FOUR

Mazenod v Thirds: 21.19.145 - 7.10.52

Reserves v Whitefriars: 2.9.21 - 9.11.65

Women v UHS-VU: 0.3.3 - 1.4.10

Seniors v Whitefriars: 8.10.58 - 7.16.58

Milestones aplenty ahead of home triple header

It’s a handful of milestones for the Animals this week across the three home sides as the Animals host their second Triple Header of the 2024 season, with one player entering rarefied air. Meanwhile, the Thirds make a familiar trip east in a new competition.

women: vs uhs-vu - bennettswood reserve 9.20am

After a strong showing in Bundoora that ultimately fell short of the result, the Women welcome back Rose Kennedy to the lineup after her impressive debut a fortnight back against Preston.

The game will see only the fourth ever female Animals player reach the 50 game milestone when Sammy Hogarth runs out at Fullback. Hogarth played in the Women’s first ever game against Westbourne Grammarians and is one of only three women to feature in every season of the side so far.

Another of that group returns to the forward line in Sheridan Harris after missing last week’s loss up north, replacing the mecurial J Clancy.

Three more debutants for the Women this week, with Charlotte Norton and Leesa Guastella starting in the backline, whilst Heidi Lawrence will make her inaugural appearance off the bench.

thirds: vs mazenod oc - central reserve 9.20am

A number of changes for the Thirds including their division, as they now move in to an amalgamated Division 3 South.

The back 6 stays relatively unchanged, but does see Junior Singh make his return to what has been one of the tighter backlines in the comp so far.

Up forward is where the changes are aplenty, with Riley Srey making his starting debut for the Animals after starting off the bench the last three weeks. He’s joined by Layton Sketcher, Lukas Skaife, and Jordan Walter who are all in this week, with Jacob Mitchell and Max Warburton getting promoted to the Reserves.

This game will also see a club debut for Cam Muratore off the bench.

reserves: vs whitefriars - bennettswood reserve 11.40am

Jarrod Sandells, Max Warburton, and Jacob Mitchell have all had their superb start to the year in the Thirds rewarded with promotions to the Reserves, in a side that looks to bounce back from a rough day in the inner north.

Harrison Jones and Cam Price also return to the side in the backline which will look to be a lot tighter than last weekend.

Up forward, Anthony Smith will celebrate his 150th game for the club, a career that spans over 14 years and has seen him take out the Reserves goal kicking title as well.

Jacob Glare made his return in the Reserves last week, and this week it’s Mitch Lamb’s turn to make his 2024 debut alongside excitement machine Tom Mariadason.

seniors: vs whitefriars - bennettswood reserve 2pm

Three players will celebrate the half century this weekend when midfield duo Hugh Schaeche and Ethan Phillips join Tom Clarke on the field in the late game at Bennettswood.

All three will be crucial for the Seniors to write the wrongs of last weekend and look to take advantage of a sputtering start the Friars have made to 2024.

Sean Howard makes his senior return in 2024, his first appearance since last years Elimination Final against Canterbury, coincidentally at Whitefriars home ground in Donvale. Joden Crothers also drops back in to the backline after his week in the Reserves.

It’s also a return for the running machine Matt Hill up forward, where he’ll look to make up for lost time after missing the last two weeks for the Animals.

James Marshall will also make his return this week via the bench.

Zoo News: Trio of losses up north, Thirds grab third win

Round three just wasn’t to be for three out of the four Wattle Park sides on the weekend. In direct comparison from the week before, the Women registered their first win of the season against Preston while both the Reserves and Seniors took down their Bulleen Templestowe counterparts and the Thirds suffered a rather large loss at the hands of St Mary Salesian. 

It was an unfortunate trip to A G Gillon Oval for the Reserves and Seniors this weekend, who were almost cruelly welcomed to Division 2 by mainstays Brunswick, with respective 101- and 89-point losses. After shuffling a few magnets and with both sides eager to back up round two’s performances, ultimately the footy gods had other ideas as the Animals struggled to get a look in from the first bounce. Miskicking from Brunswick kept the Reserves close but they were unable to break down the home team’s defense. It was a very similar story for the Seniors. In his final game for a couple of months, Lawrence Virgo managed two goals for the Reserves, while Jack Hernan was best on. For the Seniors, vice-captain Hugh Schaeche led valiantly from the front, and two majors from Dan Hill stemmed the bleeding all but slightly. 

Although dubbed the Jarra Davis Cup, it was a best-on-ground effort from Caden MacDonald, who starred for the Thirds against the Monash Blues at Bennettswood Reserve, kicking three more goals than the opposition team itself to lead the Animals home by 72 points. Davis himself managed two majors, playing out of the midfield for much of the game, while on the defensive end, first-year player Jarrod Sandells and Animals favourite Nic Glanville stood strong.  

After rallying around vice-captain Lilli Fogarty, who suffered a season-ending wrist injury in round two, all week, the Women came out of the blocks with a point to prove at Tony Sheehan Oval. Unable to get the scoreboard reward despite four quarters of effort and passion, the home side ran away 30-point winners. Continuing her fine form in front of the big sticks, J Clancy kicked both of the Animals’ goals. Elli Haylock’s work from half-back was more than worthy with best-on-ground honours, encapsulated by a 30 second passage of play in the final term which saw her paddle the ball forward 40 metres before nailing a tackle to come away with a free kick. 

Redemption in round four kicks off with the Women at home against UHS-VU, starting at 9:20am, before the Reserves and Seniors run out at their normal times of 11:40am and 2pm, welcoming Whitefriars to Bennettswood Reserve. Hoping to run it back, the Thirds face 

FINAL SCORES - ROUND THREE 

Thirds v Monash Blues Yellows: 16.13.109 - 5.7.37

Brunswick v Reserves: 20.11.131 - 4.6.30

La Trobe v Women: 6.7.43 - 2.1.13

Brunswick v Seniors: 19.13.127 - 5.8.38

Changes aplenty ahead of trips north

All four Animals sides have seen a multitude of changes ahead of three trips to the northside this weekend, whilst the Thirds look to get back to winning ways when they return home.

thirds: vs monash blues - bennettswood reserve 9.20am

The move in to the middle for Jarra Davis headlines this weeks Thirds side as he faces against his former club. He’ll be joined by debutant Zach Kangelaris in the midfield along with George Burgess as they receive another feast of hitouts from Checkers.

Up front another debutant makes his way in to the side with Scott Walton coming in to the team, forcing Daniel Thorson down to half back to cover the move of Davis to the middle.

women: vs la trobe uni - tony sheehan oval 9.20am

A raft of changes for the Women’s first trip north of the Yarra for the 2024 season.

Another weekend of two debutants named with Nadine Pietsch and Hayley Lim set to play their first games for the Blue and Blue.

Pietsch replaces standout debutant Rose Kennedy in the forward pocket, whilst Lim slots into a bench which features 6 rotations for the second week running.

Ingrid Cain makes her way back in to the lineup down back in the only change there, whilst Emily Severin also returns on the half forward line.

reserves: vs brunswick fc - a.g gillon oval 11.40am

What shapes to be one of the tougher trips for the Twos in 2024 sees a bevy of senior experience play the early game in the inner north.

Senior fixtures Joden Crothers, Sean Bourke, and James Moran all feature for the Reserves, who also welcome back Jacob Glare for his first game back this season.

Former captain Sean Howard also features for the first time this year after serving a 2 game suspension he collected in last years Senior Elimination Final in Donvale.

seniors: vs brunswick fc - a.g gillon oval 2pm

The last game of the day sees the returns of Dan Hill, Sam Barrah, Keiran Jenkins, and Tom Wales to the Senior fold.

Barrah and Wales missed last week due to injury, whilst Hill and Jenkins were standouts for the Reserves in their domination of Bulleen-Templestowe.

Barrah’s inclusion sees prolific swingman Bailey Hunt start forward this week, whilst Tom Clarke holds down the cente half back role.

Fletcher Cooper retains his spot after his senior debut last week, looking to build on what was a promising start for the young ruck.

Women blood recruits, Men tweak after successful start

The first home triple header invites hordes of ants both red and blue to take on your Animals with Preston and Bulleen-Templestowe visiting Bennettswood this weekend. Meanwhile the Thirds were finally found a ground to play at with Burwood Reserve the locale for their push to go 3-0 to start 2024 when they face off an old foe in St. Mary’s Salesian.

seniors: vs bulleen-templestowe - bennettswood reserve, 2pm

It’s mixed news for the Seniors after a rarely-shown accurate display secured an opening week win out east against Aquinas.

Captain Harry Davis is in for his 2024 debut and right back in to the engine room, with fellow midfield bull Hugh Schaeche announced to start this week. He will replace the classy Ethan “Pickles” Phillips in the middle of the ground.

The big loss is to their outside, where 2023 Division 3 Wingman Matt Hill set to miss the clash against a side the Animals haven’t played competitively since 2018.

There is good news however in his replacement, with Ben Collins coming back in after missing the opening round to help fill the gap left by Hill.

Up front, Nathan Bird is in for Sam Barrah in what is the only other change made this week.

The game will see not one, but two 50 game milestones brought up by Zac Durrant and James Moran.

reserves: vs bulleen-templestowe - bennettswood reserve, 11.40am

It’s a vastly different look for the Reserves from the last time they faced Bulleen-Templestowe in 2018. That day in early August saw the media man Geoff Koop have to take the field to make up the numbers.

Thankfully this time round he is absolutely nowhere near the 22, but three players from that day are in Adam Jopling, Joe Anker, and the elder of the Anthony Smith’s.

After an impressive outing last week, Harrison Jones has to miss this week, with Matthew Lewis stepping up from the Thirds to take his place.

Also stepping up from the Thirds is Louis Fasolino after a stellar performance last week on the streamed game at Bennettswood Reserve.

David Ray makes his Animals debut in the backline, and lines up behind Stavros Andronicos whom made his own impressive debut last week at the foot of the hills.

Jack Hernan is the other change, finding his way on to Gerard Clarke’s bench this week for the Senior Clarke’s Bennettswood debut.

WOMEN: VS PRESTON - BENNETTSWOOD RESERVE, 9.20am

The Women take on Preston for the third time in their last four games dating back to the end of the 2023 season. Preston were both the Animals last win and loss of that season, as the Animals won in Round 16 to secure their finals berth, before succumbing to a very different looking Preston side in the elimination final the following week.

Six changes have been made this week following the 8 goal loss at De La Salle with four making their Animals debut this weekend.

Rose Kennedy is the lone starter of the debutant group, with Tahlia Hill, Lulu McKewan, and Olivia Frost all making their debuts from the bench.

The biggest shake-up is in the backline, with experienced defenders Sam Hogarth and Emma Turner making their season debuts after missing last week, whilst the debutant Kennedy takes the place of Ash Curtis up front.

THIRDS: VS ST. MARY’S SALESIAN - BURWOOD RESERVE, 11.40AM

After last weeks successful despatching of Elsternwick, it’s mainly cosmetic changes made by the Thirds ahead of the short trip down the road to Burwood Reserve.

Bailey McCabe and Oskar Godde come in to the backline, which sees the mercurial Nic Glanville move to a more central role.

Daniel Thorson moves back forward after starting on ball last week, making way for Ben Kearns to begin the game at the centre bounce.

Vince Brigante makes his Animals debut off the bench this weekend, replacing Connor Rogers who misses due to injury.

Zoo News: Triple treat for the men, Women with no delight at De La

Football has finally returned for Wattle Park after a lengthy and productive off-season. Both men’s and women’s head coaches Glenn Hopkins and Mel Dell’Olio have returned to their respective helms after successful first seasons, with the elevation of the men’s squad to Division 2 for 2024 and a first-time appearance in the finals for the women’s. Gerard Clarke has taken the reins for the Reserves this year, while social media group Marmalade has joined the club, hoping to take the Thirds to premiership glory, with Checkers taking on the role of playing coach. 

All teams have now officially kickstarted their 2024 campaigns, with three out of four tasting success in round one. 

Both the Reserves and the Seniors lulled their Aquinas opponents into false senses of security in their respective first halves as the two games played out in rather similar fashion, with the clubs no doubt trying to shake off the preseason rust. But the shackles were off in the second half and six goals each to both Animals sides in the final quarters were the difference-makers as the boys in the blue and blue banked the four points. Matthew “BagMan” Price continued his 2023 form with six goals himself for the Reserves, while Jonathan Greensides kicked three majors of his own in the Seniors to start his season. 

The Thirds consolidated their emphatic 119-point opening round win with another quality performance against Elsternwick at Bennettswood Reserve to go 2-0. The four points were Marmalade’s first of the year, as they officially began their flag tilt after missing the start of the season. Checkers finished the game with 62 hitouts, while Srey kicked three goals. 

The Women weren’t so victorious but were still valiant in defeat, going down to De La Salle at Waverley Oval. In a sparkling return from injury, J Clancy provided a ray of sunshine for the Animals, kicking a fantastic goal on the run and celebrating with a passionate jumper grab, and Ashton Billing’s efforts were best-on-ground worthy. 

Round two is the first triple header of the year at Bennettswood Reserve, with the Women opening proceedings at 9:20am, followed by the Reserves at 11:40am and the Seniors at 2pm, while the Thirds get to ply their craft away from home, heading just down the road to Burwood Reserve for an 11:40am start.  

FINAL SCORES - ROUND ONE

Thirds v Elsternwick: 13.14.92 - 6.13.49

Aquinas v Reserves: 16.5.101 - 20.10.130

De La Salle v Women: 9.14.68 - 1.1.7

Aquinas v Seniors: 9.12.66 - 14.4.88