R4 2025 | Seniors at St Marys Salesian
Riley Maringoni seals it as the Unicorns faithful erupt. Image courtesy of Jim Wilson.
On a picture-perfect autumn afternoon at Ferndale Park, the Melbourne High School Old Boys put together a gutsy performance to claim a heart-stopping 2-point victory over St Mary’s in a match that lived up to every ounce of its pre-game hype. The Big Footy pundits may have tipped the Unicorns to falter by as much as eight goals, but the away side had other plans in mind.
The match was particularly special for debutant Al Clarke, brother of defensive general Duncan, who finally got to pull on the famous maroon and green after a frustrating hamstring niggle delayed his start to the season. The energy was buzzing with the return of 17-year-old wizard Yonnie, whose flair and pace added a spark to the Corns’ lineup. Despite not playing their cleanest football, the Unicorns kept themselves in the contest through sheer effort, with the contest tightening into a gritty midfield war. Will Hellier, finally playing his first full game for the year, made a serious impact playing closer to goal, kicking two vital majors.
Brayden Swenson was arguably best on ground, taking his game to new heights this year with another commanding display in the ruck. Speaking of the engine room, Liam Littore played like a true pig. Littore relished the scrap, winning countless contested possessions and laying a series of crunching tackles that lifted the side. Led by the experienced Zac Smooker and the towering Duncan Clarke, the Corns’ backline held up strong under siege. The cohesion they've been building throughout the season was on full display, frustrating St Mary’s forwards all afternoon. James Lees enjoyed his best game for the club up forward, clunking strong marks and presenting all day as a genuine aerial threat.
His efforts were complemented by Alex ‘Mourti’ Mourtikas and Riley Maringoni, who both slotted what were simply awesome goals to give the Unicorns a 14-point lead and what looked like a match-winning buffer. But St Mary’s weren’t done yet, surging late with two quick goals to set up a dramatic finish.
As the siren blared, St Mary’s had a set shot to steal the win. But under pressure and with a hint of wind swirling across the park, the kick sailed wide out on the full, and the Unicorns held on by just two points. Fittingly, it continued the trend between the two rivals: four of their last five encounters now decided by less than a goal. With that hard-earned win, the Unicorns take serious belief into the next chapter of their season.
Next up: a clash with St John’s, and with momentum on their side on the back of 3 straight wins, the Unicorns will look to consolidate their place in the top four.
Final Scores: MHSOBFC 10.14-74 defeated St Marys Salesian 10.11-71
Goals: Will Hellier 2, Will Cardwell, Lucas Judd, Riley Maringoni, James Lees, Brayden Swenson, Liam Littore, Petro Pirozek, Alex Mourtikas,
Best: Duncan Clarke, Alex Mourtikas, Brayden Swenson, Petro Pirozek, James Lees, Zac Smooker