Sunday arrived, and with it came Round 12. We were up against a familiar opponent in AJAX, a side we narrowly beat in a memorable Round 2 thriller. Since then, they had caught fire, stringing together seven consecutive wins and establishing themselves as genuine premiership contenders. After three losses across the club on Saturday, the pressure was on the JnrCorns to fly the flag and return us to the winners’ list.

The clash we had all been waiting for had finally arrived. Round 11 against Wattle Park had been circled on the calendar since the fixture dropped, and it was our moment to prove ourselves as genuine premiership contenders. We were boosted by the return of 2023 RJFC premiership player Nik Buchanan, as well as fan favourites Jai Raptis and Jem Duncan.

Round 10 arrived, and with it came a fresh challenge. After a massive 200-point win over Monash, we were set to face the St Mary's Development Squad. As exciting as the match-up was, the bigger news came off-field. Our leading goalkicker and in-form forward, Aaron Shipperlee, was called up for his senior debut, lining up alongside his mate Ben Tyrrell in the ones.

Refreshed after a well-earned bye, the JnrCorns arrived at the iconic Rathmines Road Reserve for a much-anticipated clash against Monash Blues. There was extra energy in the air with familiar connections across the field. We were facing Lachie Lane’s former team, Adam Pacak’s lecturer, and even someone Head Coach Kevin Pious had interviewed for a grad role. Before the first bounce, we congratulated club favourite Ben Tyrrell, who earned a senior call-up as a late inclusion.

MHSOBFC win via forfeit against Old Yarra Cobras

Fresh off a dominant win over UHS-VU, the JnrCorns came into the South Melbourne clash with momentum — but also a clear message: don’t get complacent. The boys hit the track hard during the week, drilling set plays crafted by assistant coach Joseph Pious, and were ready to roar at the familiar Ian Johnson Oval — the scene of our famous first win over AJAX.

It was a sensational weekend to be a JnrCorn, as the boys delivered a commanding win over Preston last weekend—an emphatic 121-point victory that well and truly stamped us as a team to watch this season. With strong numbers on the track during the week and a focus on correcting second-half lapses, the lads came out ready to make a statement—and they did just that.

After last week’s gut-wrenching 7-point loss at the final siren, the JnrCorns had a point to prove. With grading officially wrapped up, Round 5 marked the true start of our 2025 campaign—and the boys made sure to kick things off in dominant fashion.

After a tough 2024 campaign, the JnrCorns entered the new season with fresh energy, a new look, and a new attitude. With Kevin Pious taking the reins as head coach and joined by assistant coach Joseph Pious, there was a clear buzz around the launch of the “Development Squad.”