Uni Blacks Finish Strong to Defeat St Bernard's at Snakepit
Round 5 saw St Bernards back at home taking on Uni Blacks with plenty to prove in what was shaped as a big day for the club with Ladies Day and the opportunity for the boys to make a statement for their 2026 season.
The St Bernard's group started the day with strong intent early, taking advantage of the breeze and controlling territory through repeat forward entries and high pressure in an impressive opening quarter. Their fast start was rewarded and reflected on the scoreboard taking a 19 point lead into quarter time.
However despite the positive opening, the momentum slowly shifted after the quarter time break as Uni Blacks worked their way back into the contest. The visitors lifted around stoppages in the second quarter and began to control more of possession. The Blacks ability to transition the ball end to end was impressive and often made it look seamless.
Blacks took the lead going into the half time break but it was still anyone's game, both teams having strong passages and turns of dominating the play. Once again, Harry Schumann was among the best for Bernard's, continuing his consistency that he has shown all season getting in the best every match so far. Along with his strong form, Schumann’s ability to position himself on the ground has helped the team week after week.
As the game wore on there were lots of positives to take away from the match, with little more that can be said about Ben Overman, week after week he continues to impress displaying so much versatility and depth. Angus Ryan provided plenty of spark with his speed and willingness to take the game on, his run with ball in hand helped generate opportunities and gave the boys some important drive through the middle of the ground. Dylan Gwynne also competed strongly through the afternoon, using his body well in contests and continuing to provide a physical presence around the ball.
A bright moment for St Bernard’s came through the young debutant Jonathon Guarnaccia, who slotted seamlessly into senior football. The youngster kicked a goal in his first game and brought excellent forward pressure. The best on field for the day was Nick Conlan, whose ability to impact both ends of the ground stood out all afternoon. Whether he is shutting down his opponent, dropping back or pushing forward when required, Conlan’s versatility was outstanding and an important part of the team.
While for the first half of the day it looked like the game could have gone both ways, the second half was mainly controlled by Blacks, they brought more pressure and also won in the centre. In the end, University Blacks proved to be the stronger side across four quarters, with Zaine Cordy and Patrick Smith particularly hard to stop on the day.
Ultimately, it was a disappointing result for St Bernard's, who now turn to a challenging Round 6 Match up away against Old Xavs as they look to respond and bounce back from another loss.
SCORES
ST BERNARDS 4.2 26 5.3 33 8.5 53 9.6 60
UNI BLACKS 1.1 7 7.3 45 9.7 61 12.13 85
BEST
St Bernards Nicholas Conlan, Ben Overman, Harrison Schumann, Dylan Gwynne, Jonathon Guarnaccia, Angus Ryan
Uni Blacks Patrick Smith, Charlie Connell-Tobin, Campbell Moorfield, Harrison Kelly, Harry Broderick, Zaine Cordy
GOALS
St Bernards B.Huggard 3, K. Bharathi, L. Di Lizio, D. Gilham, J. Guarnaccia, F. Shannon, M. Watson
Uni Blacks Z. Cordy 4, H. Curnow 2, H. Broderick, J. Clark, C. Conell-Tobin, S.Conway, J. Drummomd, P. Smith
Written by Hannah Juricskay