VFL Match Report: Round 13 vs Tasmania

22/06/2026

Picture perfect conditions greeted us at Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval on Sunday afternoon as we hosted Tasmania for our second meeting with the Devils this season.

With clear blue skies and little to no wind to speak of, the conditions proved conducive to high-scoring football with a massive 40 goals kicked collectively during the contest, and despite recording our highest score of the season to date, we were unable to outdo our opponents, going down 17.10 (112) to 23.10 (148).

It was raining goals right from the opening centre contest, as the first term saw the ball sail through the big sticks on 15 occasions, giving the goal umpires plenty of work to do.

While we conceded the opening major of the game, we fired back with the next four unanswered – one each to Josh Hutchings, Lachlan Voss, Charlie Harrop and Willis Reidy – as we got on top of the contest and shot out to an 18-point advantage.

That lead was soon wiped out though as Tasmania enjoyed the ascendancy, and while they turned the tables to then lead by three goals themselves in a whirlwind first term, we traded blows to finish the quarter with another two each, ours kicked by Harrop and Daniel Pinter, as we trailed 6.1 (37) to 9.2 (56) at the first break.

Scoring slowed after quarter time as both sides found a little bit of rhythm after what was a frenetic start, and it was Darcy Chirgwin who opened the scoring with a mammoth 60-metre bomb from inside the centre square, moving us to within two straight kicks once again.

The back-and-forth nature of the game continued, as the Devils once again returned serve, and while Voss added his second of the afternoon, Tasmania replied just over a minute later to keep the scoreline steady at half time, as we went into the main break behind 8.3 (51) to 11.5 (71).

The third term saw Tasmania enjoy all the momentum to begin with, extending their lead by another three goals, however we rallied to swing things back in our favour as skipper Blake Watson kickstarted a run of our own with his first goal of the contest.

Pinter and Ethan Williams followed suit, cutting the deficit back to 17 points, yet the Devils once again landed a flurry of punches late to push the margin beyond six goals at the final break.

We started the final term in positive fashion as we looked to claw back some of the deficit and mount a comeback, as Hutchings and Reidy both added their second majors either side of Noah Yze’s first of the afternoon, and when Voss added his third of the contest to mark our fourth straight goal, the margin sat at only 12 points with plenty of time left on the clock, and all of the momentum behind us.

However the Devils managed to turn the tide yet again, keeping in line with the ebb and flow nature of the game, piling on the next four goals to reinstate the three-quarter time margin and put paid to our spirited fightback.

Williams found another goal late, taking our tally to 17 majors for the afternoon, however the final siren soon sounded to condemn us to a six-goal defeat.

On a positive note, Kynan Brown made a stellar return from injury, racking up 32 disposals, nine tackles and eight clearances in a strong performance through the middle, while Nathan Philactides (29 disposals) and Lach Riley (26 disposals) both continued their good run of form.

Voss spearheaded our goalkicking efforts with an equal season-high three goals, with a further six players kicking two goals each, while our total of nine individual goalkickers equalled our most this season.

We will look to bounce back when we travel to face Sydney at Blacktown ISP for our Round 14 clash on Saturday 27th June at 11:05am.

Sandringham: 6.1, 8.3, 12.8, 17.10 (112)

Tasmania: 9.2, 11.5, 18.9, 23.10 (148)

Goals: Voss 3, Williams, Reidy, Pinter, Hutchings, Harrop, Chirgwin 2, Yze, Watson

Disposals: Brown 32, Philactides 29, Riley 26

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