Jok rocks OX

SKOB Captain Tom Jok takes a soaring mark late in the game at TH King

An inspired performance from SKOB Senior's captain Tom Jok, saw him haul his side over the line in a tough and gritty affair in warm conditions at the King on Saturday afternoon. The lead changed a few times in the last quarter and the game could have gone either way, but the home team were the ones that found themselves in front as the final siren rang out. Earlier the Reserves gave a good sight against Xavs until a couple of horror injuries cruelled their chances and they ran out of steam in the hot sun. The SKOB Dogs kicked off the day in style, crushing the Krushers by a big margin. Over at Camberwell, the Saints Gold brought the fire and reversed the result of last year’s Grand Final, earning a tough win over the reigning premiers. The Blues all but won their game against Old Scotch - going down in a thriller. The Green machine ran into the Chargers and copped a reality check. Down at Hampton, the 19s Premier kicked a cricket score against the locals, whilst the 19 2’s got their season up and going, winning well at Uni Oval against the Blacks. The Academy received a forfeit and the Stingers brought back four points and plenty of smiles from Bulleen as they triumphed over the Panthers.

7 wins from 10 for SKOB in another great weekend.

Seniors prevail in a thriller

A big crowd descended upon the King Dome. The waft of sizzling snags from the Pablo Q gave promise of tasty offerings both on and off the field, and with no AFL in Melbourne to clash with, the main stage was set on High St. Hardly a hint of breeze, but baking sun would have the players comfort level a little on the high side. No such issues for the fans gathered on the balcony or nestled along the freeway wing in the comfort of the shade - they knew they were in for a treat.

The game was predictably a war of attrition right from the get go. Xavs bounced away early and had the best of the opening. They were dominating inside 50s, but couldn’t land an early killer blow. Once they got going, SKOB looked a bit more settled and were efficient in attack, landing a couple of goals to eke out a slender lead as teams huddled in the little shade on offer at quarter time. The arm wrestle continued in period 2, as again Xavs had the sway in the early going, only for SKOB to enjoy the better fortune as the quarter went on. Darmody kicked his second to give the home team a 10 point lead - the biggest margin we would see all day. Xavs had reeled this in to 3 points by the main break.

With jovial banter in full swing on the terraces, the fans strapped in for more of the same as teams ran out for the second half. It was in the third term that scoring really dried up. Remarkable to see how beautifully both teams transitioned the ball between the arches, only to butcher it terribly once they entered the paint of their respective forward 50s. Probably a bit harsh on each teams’ defences, who were both excellent and desperate acts - rather than just bad kicking - were as much responsible for keeping the scoreboard static. Ben Mansfield landed the only major for the term, and SKOB had a handy 8 point advantage as the teams turned for home.

The floodgates opened in the final stanza. Goal for goal until the visitors landed two in two minutes and it seemed that the red and blacks might depart the King with 4 points in their back pocket. Not on my watch, said Tom Jok, who put in one of the finest quarters of football you will see to lift his team over the line. As the clock ticked past 25 minutes, a long kick out from the Xavs defence saw the SKOB captain leap over the pack for a soaring mark. Playing on quickly, Jok’s kick into attack came off the pack and was sharked by Darmody who copped one high and then calmly slotted the goal from the ensuing free kick. SKOB now held a precious lead with just a few minutes left. It was still enough time for Xavs to press for the win - and they did - but Tom Jok was again on hand to take multiple game saving marks. Twice running back with the flight, and another amongst a pack of players. It was inspiring stuff and SKOB were able to lift and keep control of the ball as the last few minutes ticked by. The siren sounded with the ball in the SKOB front half as the crowd erupted upon hearing the bell. A fantastic effort from both teams who gave their all and will definitely enjoy a deserved weekend’s rest before we do it all again in a fortnight.

BEST: Tom Jok, Anthony Seaton, Cam Hodges, Liam Gunson, Jack Darmody, Sam Barnett

A Tale of Two Halves

In the early game the Ressies were looking on track for a rare upset against Old Xavs until a couple of horror injuries stopped them in their tracks. Rob Larcher was already off with a suspected broken ankle when Will Pearce - who was on fire, having kicked 4 goals up to that point - went down with an ACL (his fourth in a career of wretched luck) and the young SKOBBERS were overrun.

As always, our man Yanni was on hand to catch all the action

It’s the biggest day on the SKOBs football calendar—and to top it off, one of the hottest days in April. The SKOBs boys were looking to come out with another ‘W’ on their home ground, TH King, in front of a packed house against their bitter rivals, Old Xavierians.

The SKOBs boys came out with a bang, booting the opening two goals of the game, delivered by the two Williams—Cooper and Pearce. This was made possible by the quality clearances and ball movement from the midfield. Despite the SKOBs’ play being more pleasing on the eye, they found themselves a couple of points behind at the end of the quarter.

The second quarter began with the SKOBs putting their foot on the pedal, displaying their dominance across the field. This was particularly evident in the forward half, scoring five goals from just six entries, giving them a sizable twenty-point lead.

Heading into the half-time break, it was clear that whoever handled the conditions better and capitalised on key moments would walk away with the four points. In the third and fourth quarters, unfortunate injuries to two key players, combined with the testing conditions, impacted the team as a whole. This translated not only onto the scoreboard but also into general play.

The boys can hold their heads high knowing the first half showed they can match it with their rivals. There are strong positives and good learnings to take away despite the result. Now, the boys head into a bye, deserving a well-earned rest.

BEST: William Pfeiffer, Matthew Canning, Tom Davidson, Xavier Duke, Samuel Jones, Sam Milne

Stingers Sting, while Dogs do their thing.

The Stingers leapt out of the hive in the early going at Bulleen and pretty much had things in control for the rest of the afternoon. Xander Dietze (5 goals), Zach Close (4) and Angus Gorman (3 - brilliant Gorm) were the pick of the forwards, feasting on some great supply from the likes of Lachie Haig, Tommy Whelan and Finn Evans who headed up a very even team performance. Two from two for the Stingers with co-coach Jacko Ward glowing in his praise for the young group who are on track for another big season.

Kicking things off on Saturday morning at TH King were the SKOB Dogs who were clinical against the Krushers from Oakleigh. Goals were shared across the pound with 10 Dogs claiming at least one major snag apiece. Slammin’ Sammy Doyle has his young pups showing good form and they didn’t disappoint the fans who made their way down early to the King. Lachie Groves, Liam Hepburn, Gus Simpfendorfer, Angus Rolleston, Nelson Conwell and big bad Ben Griffin the best of them.

Our Academy team received a forfeit from AJAX

Fired up Saints bring the heat

A fired up Saints Gold team took to the Camberwell Playing fields to right the wrongs of the 2024 decider against the Old Scotch Stars. Just to rub salt into the wound, the Stars unfurled their flag before the start of proceedings - repeating the dose their men’s team did the week before. Standing to attention as the ceremony played out, the Saints were stewing, and when the ball bounced they pounced. A fierce opening with fear nor favour shown at every contest. Kate Stanton got things going for SKOB as they shut out the Stars in the first term to take a 9 point lead to the break. But the home team showed their class in the second and held a slender lead at the main break. A goal apiece in the third set things up for a massive finish as the teams went to the final huddle neck and neck. The desperate Saints were not going to leave this one on the table, and when Hannah Smith put her stamp on the game with a goal half way through the last, the Saints were finishing the better. The cream on the delicious cake was provided by newcomer Bella Rees who sealed the deal and the Saints took home the win - and the bragging rights - until next these two meet. Can’t wait for that.

Best for the Saints were Emily Condon, Ali Hynes (back for her first SKOB Saints game since 2019), Isabella Stutt, Bree Doyle, Kate Stanton and Mischa Beaconsfield.

Our Saints Blue were done at the death in a game they all but won against a very strong Old Scotch them. Coach Ledder’s team were stepping out for the first time after receiving a bye in Round one and they took it right up to the home team. With seconds on the clock, the Saints were charging forward again looking for the win, only to be beaten by the siren. Their performance showed great signs for the season, and they will come back from the break hungry as ever to atone. For the Blues, the better performers were Natsaui Kanhutu, Kellie Woodhouse, Bridget Gray - all on debut for the Blues - Lucy Kehoe, Remi Fiorentini and in her SKOB Saints debut, Teagan Berkowitz.

The Green Machine ran into a Port Melbourne Chargers outfit who were simply too slick on the plains of Rigret. Coach Mikayla tossed the magnets around, but had no answers for the Chargers who ran out comfortable winners. For the Greens, the better players were Zoe Kritikides, Bella Hoal, Pip Stephenson, Lucy Leckey, Charley Lupson and Gen Holden.

Bradmanesque

It was a cricket score down at Boss James reserve as the Under 19 Premier team ran rampant over an undermanned Hampton Rovers team. Ten goals in each of the first two quarters put the result well beyond doubt, and although very pleased with the result, Coach Greeny saw plenty of areas for the boys to improve on. With a Grand Final rematch against Old Brighton to come after Easter, he’ll be hoping the young SKOBBERS won’t lose focus over the break. Ben (brother of Chicken) Palmer dined out with 6 majors in a best on ground showing. Lucas May and Nick Nankervis each helped themselves to 5, with a bunch of others sharing the rest. Liam Edwards, Ged Saunders, Angus Phillips and Noah Spiteri were all fine performers.

Our 19 2’s chalked up their first win of the season with a solid team performance on the Uni Oval against Blacks. Coach Joey very happy with Luke Arthur, Dante Tomarchio, Alfie Kidman (5 goals), Daniel Deguara, Mark O'Mahony and Neth De Silva. But the team’s consistent performance over the four quarters would, have pleased him most of all.