VFL Match Report: Round 11 vs Geelong
08/06/2026
A tough afternoon in windy conditions at Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval saw Geelong claim a 58-point victory over the Sandringham Zebras.
A contested opening term saw us win the first centre clearance of the game, putting Geelong's defensive 50 under pressure immediately. Adrian Cole (seven intercepts and five marks) and Owen Bater (five intercepts) set the tone in defence early, taking contested marks, intercepting and bringing the ball to ground, halting Geelong’s entry into their forward 50.
After dominating territory early, we were yet to capitalise on the scoreboard until a sideline throw-in on the wing where Darcy Chirgwin was able to link up with Lachlan Riley and Andreas Stefanakis, resulting in our first of the day from Willis Reidy.
The contest quickly became physical with both teams applying heavy pressure around the ball. Second-gamer Nathan Scollo was strong down back, contributing to a Noah Yze goal from an end-to-end transition, showcasing strong ball movement and handball chains.
Debutant Noah Sutherland (11 disposals) impressed with a much-needed spoil on the goal line, keeping Geelong to one goal for the term and showed several composed defensive moments. This saw us take a four-point lead into the first break.
At the beginning of the second quarter, Geelong had back-to-back entries inside 50 but were unable to capitalise, placing immense pressure on our back 50. Despite countless efforts from Bater and Cole, Geelong kept pushing and eventually capitalised, kicking two goals in six minutes.
We had many opportunities, finally kicking our third of the day through Kyle Cooper after strong forward 50 work from Reidy and Josh Hutchings.
Towards the end of the second term, Geelong’s midfield began to dominate. Despite our ability to seemingly control the Cats’ late dominance, we headed into the main break with Geelong leading by seven.
The second half began with a Geelong entry into their forward 50, but strong defensive efforts from Scollo, Riley and Chirgwin helped us move the ball out and towards our forward 50. Geelong eventually kicked three goals back-to-back, lengthening the margin to a game-high 25-points.
Ethan Williams produced one of the highlights of the game in the third term, kicking his first of the 2026 Smithy's VFL season, launching a booming goal from outside 50 after being set up by a quick handball receive. Reidy continued to provide a spark inside 50, slotting his second goal of the day to cut the margin back to 12 points.
Despite Geelong’s dominance around the ground, our midfield fought hard, ending with 38 clearances to Geelong’s 39. Nathan Philactides led the disposal count all day, ending with 30, whilst Cooper amassed 16 contested disposals and 23 all up. Riley (19 disposals) and Chirgwin (19 disposals) also found plenty of the ball, continuing to help create opportunities. Brodie Findlay (14 hit-outs) and Daniel Pinter (17 hit-outs) fought hard in the ruck all day.
Our pressure remained strong throughout the last quarter, finishing with 72 tackles for the game. However, Geelong’s entries proved decisive, finishing with 13 goals from 52 entries inside-50.
There were many promising signs to build on heading into next week when we face the reigning Premiers, Footscray, at Mission Whitten Oval on Saturday, 13th June at 12:05 pm.
Scores
Sandringham: 2.2, 3.4, 5.5, 5.6 (36)
Geelong: 1.4, 3.11, 7.12, 13.16 (94)
Disposals: Philactides 30, Cooper 23, Riley 19, Chirgwin 19
Goals: Reidy 2, Yze, Williams, Cooper
Photos: Ollie Tory, Maddie Green, and Archie Edelsten
Written by Sophie Pittard - Sandringham FC Media