Round 3 Match Reports
Seniors
AJAX Senior Men’s continued their impressive Premier B campaign on Saturday with a composed 17-point victory over Old Melburnians at Elsternwick Park, winning 11.10 (76) to 8.11 (59).
AJAX set the tone early with an energetic opening quarter, moving the ball well and applying strong pressure around the contest to establish a 13-point lead at the first break. Old Melburnians responded in the second term, but AJAX remained in control and took a 20-point advantage into half time.
Ajax continued to dictate the contest after the main break, maintaining their defensive structure and controlling possession through the midfield. While Old Melburnians pushed hard late, AJAX stayed composed in the final quarter to secure a deserved victory.
Up forward, Hart and Wrobel were the leading contributors with two goals each, while the team was well served by several standout performers across the ground. Hutch Davis was influential across half back, while Max Herzel provided drive and class around the contest. Phoenix Janover worked tirelessly throughout the day, and Jethro Gunn made his impact felt at both ends of the ground.
Toby Sheezel again showed his composure and skill in key moments, while Sacha Levine rounded out the best players with another strong performance.
The win gives AJAX another important four points and plenty of momentum heading into next week’s clash as they continue to build strongly in the Premier B season.
Reserves
AJAX Reserves responded to last week’s loss with a hard-fought draw (58-58) against Old Melburnians in Round 3, earning a valuable two points in a tight contest at Elsternwick Park.
The visitors started strongly, piling on five goals in the opening term to take control early while restricting Old Melburnians to just two. Their pressure and forward efficiency set the tone, and although the home side worked their way back into the game, AJAX held a narrow one-point lead at the main break, 38-37.
The third quarter proved to be a grind, with both sides trading goals in a tense arm wrestle. AJAX edged ahead again at the final change, 51-44, but couldn’t quite put the game to bed. Old Melburnians surged late in the final term with the wind, drawing level as both sides finished on 58 in a dramatic conclusion.
While the result may feel like a missed opportunity after leading at key stages, the response after last week’s defeat showed resilience and composure under pressure. Standout contributors for AJAX included Manny Micmacher, Raphael Light, Jonah Micmacher, Ryan Herman, Tyler Southwick and Harry Edwards, who all played important roles across the ground.
After three rounds, AJAX now sit with one win, one loss and one draw, holding 6th position on the ladder. Attention now turns to a significant challenge next week, with a clash against 2nd-placed De La Salle at Waverley Oval providing a strong early-season test.
Sunday 1s (Premier)
Round 3 for the Sunday 1s took place at Xavier College against the Xavs Crocs team as AJAX looked for a return to form after a deflating loss to Uni Blues the week prior.
The game was setup to be a scrappy one from the start, with a strong wind and rain forecast inhibiting clean ball use. The game reflected the conditions, with both teams struggling with accuracy in a tight tussle across all four quarters. An undersized AJAX outfit competed brilliantly in the air, bringing everything to the ground where the smalls do their best work.
Ultimately the game was a back and forth affair, with every quarter break was split by a small margin. With the wind on their side in the final term, AJAX looked to be in a strong position to take control of the game and come home with a win. But Xavs scored late and then shut the game down with a strong passage of marks to wind down the clock, holding on to a 2-point lead to win the game. Ultimately, after a seesawing affair between two evenly matched opponents the chips simply didn’t fall our way. A tough loss for the Jackas, going down by such a small margin, but positives were to be taken from the game as it was a certain bounce back in intensity from last week's game, with tremendous fight and grit showed by the entire playing group.
Final Scores: Old Xaverians 6.11.47 defeated AJAX 5.15.45
Saturday Thirds (Div 3)
AJAX Thirds faced a tough challenge against Collegians, the top side in the competition, and while the scoreboard didn’t go our way, there were still plenty of positives to take from the game.
Collegians started strongly and got control early, putting us on the back foot in the first quarter. The boys kept working into the second, continuing to compete around the contest and trying to fight our way back into the game.
The third quarter was where Collegians were able to really take control, using the ball well and making the most of their chances. Even with the game getting away from us, the boys didn’t drop their heads. The effort stayed there, the pressure stayed there, and we kept fighting right until the final siren.
Zak Harris was a clear standout up forward, finishing with four goals and giving us a strong target all day. David Lipton was also excellent in the ruck, battling hard from the first bounce and giving everything in a dominant performance around the stoppages.
It was a hard loss against a quality side, but the effort and fight were there, and there are plenty of lessons to take into next week.
Final score: Collegians 14.8.92 defeated AJAX 5.7.37
Sunday 2s (Div 4)
AJAX Sunday 2s got the job done in a big Saturday Night clash against the Hampton Rovers under lights, overcoming a hot start, a tough arm wrestle, and a genuine challenge to come away with a strong win.
The Jackas came out flying, kicking four goals in the opening 10 minutes through midfield dominance led by Dov Paltiel, with JJ Balter and Doron Segal causing havoc up forward. But as the game settled, Hampton responded, and by halftime it was a grind – four goals apiece, with missed chances (eight behinds) the only separator.
The message at the main break was clear: this is tough, uncompromising footy – now respond. And respond they did.
A dominant third quarter led by Ayden Maron, Foli Tenenbaum, and a full-team lift around the contest saw AJAX take control, opening up a match-winning gap. From there, it was composure and discipline, holding firm in the last to secure an important 30-point victory.
A fast start, a real test, and the right response.
Final score: Ajax 64 def Hampton 36
On to the next one… go JACKAS!