In April’s edition of The Hunt Monthly, we recap our long-awaited return to Schramms Reserve, early signs across both grades, a first win for the reserves, and two tight senior contests, along with key club updates as the season gets underway.
ROUND 1 v KILSYTH RECAP
There was a buzz in the air at Schramms Reserve for round one – our opening game against Kilsyth. The hoops were back at home, in our first official game out of recess. It was so good to see the goal posts back up, the lines drawn on the ground and our sponsor signs back up on the fence. A huge crowd was expected and we had two solid sides named. The weather looked grim, a dark sky and rain was forecasted – a slog was expected.
The reserves took a bit of time to get going, and you could tell that time will be needed to gel as a unit. Some really good passages of play, but also team defence fell away for parts of the game. We fell short by 15 points against an experienced Kilsyth side. Lachie Williamson was outstanding on the wing and Josh Hocking provided lots of drive off half back.
The seniors came out and were greeted with a nice big cheer from the crowd, led out by skippers Mitch Wilkinson and Ethan Robinson. The game was a genuine arm wrestle all day. It just never felt like we had control of the game and when you are up against a side with experienced weapons, they just found a way to stay on top. A lesson to come out of the day was that our best is going to be really good in this division, but if we don’t find that best consistently, some teams are going to put us to the sword. Thankfully, we have a group that is so invested and keen to get better. Bailey Taylor-Egan and Tommy Glass were huge all day in our forward line. Bailey grabbed every mark that came his way and Tommy was extremely busy at ground level. It was also awesome to see Chris Annakis out there, who kicked 4, and clearly hasn’t lost his way to goals.
ROUND 2 v CROYDON NORTH MLOC RECAP
We were at home again for round two, as Croydon North are currently without a ground. The ground bathed in sunshine this time around which was nice to see. Our reserves side went into round two with some handy inclusions and played some scintillating footy in the first half. Transition from D50, and through the corridor was exciting to watch and we went into half time with a 49 point lead. We dropped off in the second half with some undisciplined acts, but ended up running away with a 49 point win. Cory Hutchinson was huge all day on the wing. Matt Hoey held up well down back, and Detlyn Raven snagged three goals and applied pressure all day. A huge congratulations to Johnny and the reserves boys for their first win. Our reserves sides have had it tough for years, needing fill ins almost weekly, but it was awesome to see some stability and for some success to come their way.
Our seniors were up next, wanting some redemption for the round one loss. We started hot, with a nice first goal on the run from our skipper Ethan Robinson. Similar to round one – a game with constant change in momentum for both sides. A frustrating day to say the least. We felt as if every time we went inside 50 we were going to score with our dangerous forward mix, but on transition, we struggled to defend the ground well enough. We came hard late in the last, but unfortunately fell short by a point. Some more big lessons to take out of the game from a defensive point of view. Liam Brunton was absolutely enormous all day on the ball, wielding himself at every contest and Bailey Taylor-Egan was unbelievable again at CHF – taking 14 marks (most contested) and kicking three goals. A win isn’t far away, stick with us Donny fans!
PAST PLAYERS DAY
Our annual DFC Past Players Day hits Schramms Reserve this Saturday! We are calling on all former Sharks to get back to where it all happened. Reconnect with teammates, relive the stories, and celebrate the club’s history as we honour the 30-year anniversary of the 1996 premierships (and many others) and those who built the blue and white. Big day, big crowd, and plenty to play for on the field.
CLICK HERE FOR EVENT DETAILS
CHANGES TO SOCIAL CALENDAR DATES
Ladies Lunch – new date! Our annual DFC Ladies Lunch will now be held on Saturday 27 June. More details to follow in the coming weeks.
This also means that our Members/Coterie Lunch originally planned for that date will now be moved to a new date as well. We are still working out these details so keep your eye on our socials for updates!
Plenty to build on and everything still to play for. May is shaping as a big one, so get around the boys as the hunt continues.
– The Hunt Monthly
APRIL 30, 2026
