BY DYLAN BOLCH AND MAE JAMES
Round 6 of the South Metro Junior Football League (SMJFL) 2021 Season will acknowledge National Volunteer Week, presented by SMJFL Premier Partner Storage King.
Storage King is the proud sponsor of the SMJFL’s Volunteer Recognition Program, with the Storage King Volunteer of the Year to be presented at the 2021 SMJFL Presentation Night.
This year’s theme for National Volunteer Week is ‘Recognise. Reconnect. Reimagine.’
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of community spirit, with multiple false starts to the season in 2020 having put pressure on volunteers throughout the league.
Thousands of volunteers from the SMJFL’s 25 member clubs lend their hands every season, all at the heart of each club.
Here’s the Round 6 SMJFL Preview.
Under 11 Mixed Division 1 – East Brighton Vampires JFC Brads vs East Brighton Vampires JFC Makiv
Sunday, 12:30pm, Moorabbin West
There will be an intra-club clash this Sunday when the East Brighton Vampires Brads meet the East Brighton Vampires Makiv.
Both teams moved up after the regrading process, Brads moved up from Division 2 and Makiv from Division 3, and will look to solidify their spots in their new division.
Makiv lost just one game in the first four rounds to Prahran JFC U11 Nutall by one goal, Nutall has since also moved to Division 1.
In Round 5, Makiv had a commanding victory over Murrumbeena JFC with the final scoreboard reading 52-nil.
Also in Round 5, Brads came out on the other end of the stick after a loss to East Sandringham JFC by 60-points.
It is sure to be a game full of fierce competition as the two teams go head-to-head to see what Vampire has the stronger bite.
Under 12 Mixed Division 4 – Waverley Park Hawks U12 Mixed Gold vs U12 SPMJFC Dave’s Doggies
Sunday, 10:30am, Columbia Park
Waverley Park Hawks U12 Mixed Gold and SPMJFC Dave’s Doggies will showdown at Columbia Park this Sunday at 10:30am.
Both the Hawks and the Doggies saw captivating victories in Round 5, placing them in first (Doggies) and third (Hawks) position on the Under 12 Mixed Division 4 ladder.
The Doggies most recently proved themself against East Malvern JFC (Smith), Young gun Sean Borreau booted five goals and teammate Braden Fischer not far behind, as he booted three goals.
Similarly, Hawk Charlie Sofocleous was vital in their recent victory over Murrumbeena JFC, kicking four goals.
The clash will determine how eagle-eyed the Hawks are, and whether they will continue to climb the ladder.
Under 13 Mixed Division 2 – Caulfield Bears JFC U13 vs Beaumaris FC U13 Mixed Sharks
Sunday, 8:30am, Koornang Park
It was the opening Round of the 2021 season when the Bears and the Sharks first went head-to-head, and this Sunday they will meet again at Koornang Park.
In their last match up, the Sharks reigned victorious with a 45-point win. Dynamic Beaumaris duo Quentin Hofman and Max Bedford Brown both scored two goals and Caulfield star Lewis Goudie kicked two goals.
The Sharks are coming off the back of a 34-point loss in Round 5 to the division’s top team, Ajax Under 13 Comets, and will look to secure some points on the scoreboard.
But, the Bears are sure to be confident following their victory against East Malvern JFC (White) by 15-points in Round 5, and will look again to add to their seasonal tally.
Under 14 Mixed Division 2 – Brighton Beach U14 Travers vs Bentleigh JFC
Sunday, 10:00am, Brighton Beach Oval
Both Brighton Beach and Bentleigh will be looking to atone for their Round 5 losses this Sunday at Brighton Beach Oval.
The Kangaroos put in a valiant performance against SPMJFC, but fell just short of victory and went down by two goals to the Doggies.
Bentleigh fell 49-points short to the Mordi Brae Mustangs in Round 5.
Kangaroos pair Ben Murphy and Max McMahon caught up with SMJFL Media following their Round 5 clash.
Murphy said he was enjoying the social side junior football in 2021.
“I love catching up with mates who I don’t usually catch up with and just being back playing footy,” he said.
McMahon has been playing for Brighton Beach since the Under 8s and said that he loves the club.
“Brighton Beach is full of great people, it’s a fantastic club,” he said.
McMahon said the team would focus on maintaining their high level of football for the duration of the match in Round 6.
“Making sure we play out all four quarters will be important,” he said.
The clash looks as though it will be a tough contest, with both sides looking to get back on the winners list.
Under 15 Boys Division 3 – Murrumbeena JFC vs Prahran U15 Schauder / Bourchier
Sunday, 11:00am, Murrumbeena Park Oval 1
Both Murrumbeena and Prahran played in fixtures decided by less than a goal in Round 5 and this promises to be another heated clash in the Under 15 Boys Division 3.
Prahran succumbed to a two-point defeat to PMSMD last week, as PMSMD came home strongly in the final quarter.
William De Zoete booted two goals to take his 2021 campaign to 15 for the season, a team high at this stage of the season.
Murrumbeena will be looking to continue their hot streak and make it three wins in a row on Sunday.
Ky Burgoyne, son of Hawthorn AFL legend Shaun, has been one of the key players for the Lions.
He has been a major threat around goal for Murrumbeena, headlined by a massive haul of seven goals in the Lions Round 1 clash with PMSMD.
Burgoyne has formed a dynamic duo with teammate Jack Kruse, who has been equally damaging, dazzling with a bag of five goals as recently as a fortnight ago.
If recent form is anything to go by, this could be another nail-biting encounter.
Under 16 Girls Division 2 – Port Melbourne Colts JFC vs East Brighton Vampires JFC Jones
Sunday, 3:00pm, Murphy Reserve – Woodruff Oval
The Port Melbourne Colts will battle it out against the East Brighton Vampires in the final game of the day on Woodruff Oval in Round 6.
Both sides are coming off impressive Round 5 victories and are the top two on the ladder in this division.
The Colts’ triple threat, featuring Tully Bunce, Cameron Millias and Jessica Thomas, were a force to be reckoned with last week, with five, four and three goals respectively.
The Colts defeated Beaumaris by 79 points at Jack Barker Oval and will be hoping to replicate their comprehensive win again this Sunday.
The East Brighton Vampires won their matchup against the Hampton Rovers by 16 points in Round 5, setting the scene for a fascinating contest this weekend against the Colts.
Grace Bonanno and Pepa O’Shea each kicked a goal for the Vampires in Round 5, in what was an extremely competitive game.
The stakes are high for this game, with the winner potentially moving into top spot on the ladder.
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