Rye Eclipses Somerville in Round 6

The Somerville Swooper

In a closely contested MPNFL Round 6 fixture, Rye (12.6.78) edged out Somerville (8.14.62) at Somerville Recreation Reserve.

In ideal conditions, the teams couldn’t be separated at quarter time, locked at 25 points each. At the main break, Rye nudged ahead to lead by five points.

Conditions deteriorated in the third quarter, with solid rain making clean possession difficult. Rye, however, capitalised on its accurate goal kicking to open up an 18-point lead at the final change.

Across the previous two fixtures—against Chelsea and Devon Meadows—kicking accuracy proved costly for Somerville, recording 16 and 11 minor scores respectively. The trend continued against Rye with another 14 behinds. In total, across the last three matches, Somerville has kicked 23 goals and 41 behinds, highlighting a failure to convert strong field play into scoreboard pressure.

Best players for Somerville included Daniel Marshall, Luke Burton, Jack Moroney, Jordan Hayter, and Lachlan Gill-Furness.

For Rye, Ed Greene dazzled with four goals, while Billy Swayn, Justin Barnes, Peter Hampton, and Brady Egan provided strong support.

With captain Mason De Wit and commanding ruckman Tom Roberts both tipped to return from injury in Round 7, Somerville is expected to bounce back strongly against traditional rivals Crib Point.

Reserves and Under 19s

Somerville’s Reserves continue to set the benchmark, sitting comfortably atop the ladder with a whopping percentage of 407%. Established firsts players Ben Neilson and Corey Battams pressed their case for senior selection with dominant performances.

In the Under 19s, Somerville were eclipsed by Rye, but remain in fifth place and continue to showcase the club’s promising future. Standout performances came from Tom Ridout, Max Mantell, Jack James, George Verveniotis, and Jesse Garner.

Other Round 6 Results:

• Bonbeach 115 def. Hastings 48
• Pearcedale 94 def. Crib Point 74
• Frankston Bombers 122 def. Tyabb 35
• Chelsea 123 def. Karingal 47
• Devon Meadows 70 def. Seaford 38

Round 7 Fixtures:

• Crib Point v Somerville
• Chelsea v Tyabb
• Devon Meadows v Frankston Bombers
• Hastings v Karingal
• Pearcedale v Rye
• Seaford v Bonbeach

Round 6 Netball Results: