Snowdogs Leave Nothing Behind

There was one final message that St Bernard’s wanted to leave behind in 2026 and with their fate already sealed and a return to Premier B confirmed for 2027, Saturday’s clash with Old Trinity was no longer about survival. It was about pride and finishing the season on their own terms.

In front of a packed home crowd, the Snowdogs burst from the blocks and produced one of their strongest opening quarters of the season, taking a 5.2 (32) to 1.5 (11) lead.

The clearance work was exceptional, with Matthew Sauro providing first use in the ruck, while Luke Said and Matthew Foley repeatedly found ways to win the ball around stoppages. St Bernard’s controlled the contest from the outset and played with the intensity that has characterised much of their football throughout the second half of the season.

By half-time, Old Trinity had worked their way back into the game, but St Bernard’s still held a 19-point lead, with the visitors proving particularly inefficient in front of goal. While Old Trinity struggled to capitalise on their opportunities, St Bernard’s continued to make the most of theirs.

The third term belonged to the Snowdogs, who again controlled large periods of the contest, winning stoppage ball and maintaining their lead.

The final quarter would bring one last test.

Old Trinity lifted their intensity and began to take control of the game, forcing St Bernard’s into a desperate defensive effort. The Snowdogs had been unable to do enough with their opportunities earlier in the contest to put the game beyond doubt, leaving the door open for Old Trinity to mount a late charge.

And charge they did.

Trinity continued to work their way back into the contest before eventually hitting the lead late in the final term, leaving St Bernard’s to go down by just five points.

It was a heartbreaking way for the season to end.

Once again, Ben Overman was enormous. His performance was another reminder of why he has been among the standouts throughout the entire season. There are few words that adequately describe the football both Overman brothers produced this year, repeatedly standing up when their team needed them most and leading from the front.

Matthew Watson, in his final game of football, finished with three goals for the day. It was a fitting farewell for a player who has been an integral member of the team over the past two years.

Luke Di Lizio also played his part in a committed team performance and across the ground, the Snowdogs continued to receive contributions from a group that has been forced to adapt throughout the year.

That has perhaps been one of the defining features of St Bernard’s 2026 campaign.

The leadership within the playing group has been outstanding. Through injuries, changes to personnel and the emergence of young players, the senior figures within the team have continued to drive standards and bring the group together.

Rather than allowing a difficult season to fracture the playing group, they have continued to develop and compete, building towards the future.

It is clear that this was not the way the team wanted the season to go. There were plenty of moments throughout the year where games could have gone either way, and the final game was another example of just how fine the margins were.

When the final siren sounded, there was understandably disappointment, but there was also pride.

The Snowdogs may be heading back to Premier B, but they did not leave quietly.

They leave knowing that their ladder position never truly told the full story of their season. They leave knowing they pushed some of the competition’s best teams and produced football capable of beating the league leaders. Most importantly, they leave with a group that has continued to believe in one another through a difficult year.

Next year, the team will carry the lessons, disappointment, fight and belief forged through a challenging campaign.

And if the 2026 season has shown anything, it is that St Bernard’s are not short on resilience.

The Snowdogs may have fallen short on the final day, but they have laid the foundations for a future they will be determined to build on and the competition can expect St Bernard’s to fight their way back to where they belong.

 

SCORES
St Bernards 5.2 32 9.5 59 11.8 74 13.8 86

Old Trinity 1.5 11 5.10 40 7.13 55 12.19 91

BEST 

St Bernards Ben Overman, Luke Said, Charlie Vague, Zac Overman, Luke Di Lizio, Matthew Foley

Old Trinity Christos Manoussakis, Dominic Payman, Sam Barendregt, Hugo McGlashan, Lachie Mulcahy, Louis Davidson

GOALS

St Bernards M.Watson 3, D. Gilham 2, B. Ablett, A. Belci, L. Di Lizio, B. Overman, L. Said, M. Sauro, F. Shannon. C. Vague

Old Trinity D. Payman 4, S.Barendregt 2, E.Chard 2, B.Curtain, J.Ingpen, C.Manoussakis, H.mcGlashan

Written by Hannah Juricskay 

Images @capturedbybrigette