From Leader Community Newspapers
Reported by Paul Amy
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THE VFL won the possession and clearance counts, and had more forward 50 entries.

But the SANFL won where it mattered, on the scoreboard, in Saturday’s clash at North Port Oval.

Its 22-point victory made it three wins on the spin against the Victorians, in keeping with its record as the best performed state league at representative level in the past decade.

Goals from Scott Clouston, Nick Lower and Josh Scipione (from a dazzling snap) had put the VFL 11 points clear early in the final quarter.

But its run was done: it looked leg-weary as the visitors responded with six of the next seven goals.

The SANFL had the game’s dominant forward in Michael Wundke (five goals), another handy tall in Brett Eddy (three) and the brilliance of Ian Callinan (three).

From The Age
Reported by Samantha Lane
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Making history as a woman in football, Peta Searle has been recruited by St Kilda as a development coach.

It is the highest a female has climbed in AFL coaching ranks and comes after Searle, the trailblazer who was the first woman appointed to a VFL assistant coaching job, walked away from the post at second-tier level this season feeling disillusioned by the lack of opportunities to progress.

“I’ve been lost for words. Probably a little bit overwhelmed,” Searle told Fairfax Media, confirming her breakthrough with the Saints.
“I think it’s a bit like when you’re coaching or playing and you win a grand final - you feel a big sense of relief.
“For this situation to have turned around - it’s happening and it’s real – I’ve gone from being grumpy Pete to you can’t wipe the smile off my face.”

From the Port Phillip Leader
Reported by Paul Amy and Conor Ryan
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IT WAS a typical Port Melbourne-Box Hill Hawks match.

That is, it was compelling stuff, commanding the eye from the first siren to the last.

These clubs have played some engrossing games in the past few years and Sunday’s edition at the City Oval was of the same gold standard. It’s almost a given: when the Borough and Box Hill meet, spectators will be on their feet.

Port won by seven points to stay unbeaten after seven games, and the players gave an ear-piercing rendition of the club song.

Coach Gary Ayres had challenged them to produce their first four-quarter performance of the season and maintain their perfect record going into the week off for the state game. Mission was accomplished against a team Ayres said was clearly the best the Borough had met this year.

The first half produced 19 goals, with both teams scoring freely as the backlines frayed. But only nine came in the second as a shootout developed into hand-to-hand combat.

From the St Kilda FC website
Reported by Tom Morris
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SANDRINGHAM coach and St Kilda development coach Simon McPhee believes the alignment between the two clubs has been a success so far this year, following an impressive start to the season in which the Zebras have lost just two games.

Sandringham won four of its first five games this year, with a draw against Box Hill the only minor hiccup in what was an outstanding response to a lacklustre 2013 campaign.

“We were very happy with the way the team was playing early. The first month was great with everyone up and running,” McPhee told SAINTS.com.au this week.

“We didn’t have too many injuries and our side was full of quality players pushing for higher honours.”

However St Kilda’s spate of casualties began to take its toll before the bye last weekend and the effects filtered through to Sandringham against Footscray and Werribee in consecutive losses earlier this month.

“We lost our way a little bit in the last couple of weeks and we’ve had a few selection issues because we lost so many players to injury,” McPhee said.

SATURDAY MAY 31
VFL vs SANFL at Northport Oval 1:10pm(ABC1TV VIC,SA)
(Curtain Raiser Dev League Rd7 Port Melbourne vs Williamstown 10am)

Richmond vs Essendon at Punt Road Oval 2pm