VFL Match Report: Round 16 vs Port Melbourne

13/07/2026

In a wet and muddy contest, a late-game fightback wasn't enough to overcome Port Melbourne, with the Borough claiming an 11-point victory. Returning from the bye, we were eager to build momentum in our second meeting with Port Melbourne after a hard-fought Round 1 clash.

Wet conditions made for a scrappy opening term, with the Borough making the early run while we worked to establish possession. Although we found opportunities late in the quarter, we couldn't make them count on the scoreboard.

Our response came in the second quarter. Debutant Kayne Watt ignited the contest with our first goal of the afternoon before Max Hoult converted from a set shot to hand us a narrow lead.

The remainder of the second term, leading into the third quarter, was a back-and-forth battle between both teams, with each side struggling to score. Our defence was highlighted with a goal-saving tackle by Darcy Chirgwin and a major spoil by Nathan Philactides.

Heading into the final term, we were looking to fight back a 15-point deficit. Noah Yze started us off with an early goal. Port Melbourne responded with a goal of their own, but we found a run of three fast goals from William Johnson, debutant Ricky Theodoropoulos and Lachlan Voss, putting us back in the lead.

Despite our late surge, we were unable to complete the comeback as Port Melbourne found their momentum to reclaim the lead in the final minutes of the quarter for an 11-point victory. Our pressure around the contest lifted significantly in the final term, but we were unable to maintain control of the scoreboard.

While we didn't take home the win, there were still positives throughout the game, with Watt and Theodoropoulos both scoring goals on debut. Daniel Pinter finished with 12 tackles and 51 hit-outs for the day, while Chirgwin laid 10 tackles and matched Kynan Brown with eight clearances each.

We return home to take on Southport Sharks at Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval on Saturday 18 July at 10:05am, followed by our VFLW side taking on Darebin Falcons at 3pm.

Scores
Port Melbourne: 1.6, 2.8, 4.10, 7.14 (56)
Sandringham: 0.3, 2.5, 2.7, 6.9 (45)

Disposals: Philactides (20), Chirgwin (18), Brown (17)
Goals: Yze, Watt, Voss, Theodoropolous, Johnson, Hoult (1)

Visit the VFL website for full stats