Match Report: VFL Round 9 v Southport Sharks

By Zoe Greenhill, Borough Media on May 23, 2022

Round 9 provided absolutely perfect footy weather at ETU Stadium. The sun shone brightly for a full day of footy, the men’s opening the day in a clash against Southport Sharks.

The first quarter showed some strong defensive footy from the Borough, intercept marks were a key feature in holding possession of the ball and ultimately working the footy to the forward 50. Goals from Fletcher Roberts and Jack Briskey left the margin within a point, Sharks way, heading into the quarter time break.

The second quarter was a tough contest for Port Melbourne. The ball was hard to get a hold of for the Borough with the Sharks having a high dominance around the contested ball movements. The Brough were only able to get 3 minor scores to the board during the second, while the Sharks took off and managed a 40-point quarter.

Coming into the second half, Port Melbourne came out with a job to do, and every player had a role to play. Harvey Hooper broke the Sharks scoring streak with an impressive goal around the corner, from the boundary line. This boosted the mood of the Borough to go again. Anthony Anastasio also made an impact on the scoreboard late in the third. Despite the large score margin, the Borough still worked hard to hold 49% of the possession throughout the game and outplayed the Sharks with 19 more successful tackles.

The work didn’t stop in the final quarter, with everyone pushing to the end. Goals from Cody Stackelberg, Matt Signorello and a second one from Anthony Anastasio tightened the final margin and proved the Borough are a 4-quarter team, fighting until the end.

Marcus Lentini had a good impact on the game with 29 disposals, while Corey Wagner walked away with 28 disposals. The Sharks ultimately took the win, however the Borough have a chance to rest and rejuvenate going into a bye for round 10 before facing Williamstown Seagulls in round 11.

Port Melbourne 7.14.56 def by Southport Sharks 18.11.119