Brighton Too Strong Despite Bright Start from the Snowdogs

St Bernard’s made the trip to Brighton Beach Oval to face off against ladder leaders and premiership favourites, Old Brighton. Buoyed by a confidence-building home win the week prior, the Snowdogs entered with belief and energy — and it showed early.

In contrast to some slower starts earlier in the season, the boys came out firing. Relentless pressure forced Brighton into uncharacteristic errors, creating multiple inside 50s. While some entries lacked polish, the effort couldn’t be questioned — nine scoring shots in the first term reflected a team hungry for the contest.

But in the second quarter, Old Brighton started to find their rhythm. Their class began to shine through as they piled on five goals to St Bernard’s two, nudging ahead by 19 points at the main break. Despite the margin, belief still lingered as the Snowdogs stayed competitive.

Led by a composed and rebounding backline, Mitch Hughes and Michael Caven stood tall under pressure, combining intercepts with clean ball use to give the side drive from defence.

After halftime, however, Brighton stepped things up another gear. Their ball movement sharpened, their pressure surged, and they began to dominate territory. Despite the boys’ best efforts, Brighton ran away with the game in the second half, finishing 71-point victors.

There were still silver linings in the performance. Luca Alessio continued his outstanding aerial form with strong marking and spoiling efforts. Ruckman Matt Sauro battled hard at stoppages, giving the midfield a genuine contest and denying his opposite number any easy touches.

And once again, it was Ethan Schumann who led from the front — named best afield for the third week in a row. He was everywhere: applying pressure, winning clearances, mopping up ground balls and putting himself in the right spots all day. His effort never wavered, no matter the scoreboard.

OLD BRIGHTON 4.3 27 | 9.7 61 | 14.13 97 | 20.18 138
ST BERNARD’S 4.5 29 | 6.6 42 | 8.6 54 | 9.13 67

Goals 
St Bernard’s: N. Tonge 2, D. Gilham 2, L. Di Lizio 2, T. Sullivan, F. McNicol, M. Watson
Old Brighton: W. Lewis 8, K. Dimattina 2, B. Pryor 2, L. Travers 2, C. Richardson 2, M. Karayannis, H. Hill, J. Hope, A. Edgar

Best 
St Bernard’s: E. Schumann, L. Alessio, M. Hughes, M. Sauro, M. Caven, M. Holland
Old Brighton: L. Butler, W. Lewis, J. Hope, F. Campigli, A. Corke, K. Dimattina

Now all eyes turn to this Saturday — a huge clash back at the Snakepit against 9th-placed Collegians. With just four points separating the sides, a win would all but secure A-Grade status for 2026. It’s a season-defining fixture — and we need a packed hill behind the boys.

Written by: Hannah Juricskay