PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALL - ROUND 1

CMCB vs Bendigo Senior Secondary College

By Thursday 30 April, the build-up for the first round of Premier League football had been significant. The training had been great, with good numbers and plenty of enthusiasm. The weather was kind, and the QEO looked a treat, which all led to what was hoped would be a captivating clash of schoolboy football!

On the back of the 14 debutant jumper presentations and speeches pre-game, Coach Leigh Millard had the boys all charged up and primed for the start of the match. With the boys winning the toss and electing to kick to the city end, the team made an electric start, winning the territory battle and putting the BSSC defence under immense pressure. CMCB’s contested ball work was elite and their ability to move the ball from defence to attack in continuous chains of possession made the coaching staff extremely happy. Goals to Ralphs, Kramer and Whyte in the first quarter had CMCB up by 22 points at quarter time.

The second term started in much the same fashion as the first. The boys continued with their attacking onslaught, sending the ball inside 50, continuously putting the BSSC defenders under huge amounts of pressure. Riley Travaglia, along with the McNamara brothers, Lenny and Paddy, were winning many possessions through the middle of the ground and as a result were setting up forward plays with their elite and precise disposal. Jaxon Kelly, one of the team’s young guns, wasn’t being shown any respect from BSSC so he made the most of the wide spaces of the QEO to put in a dominant first half up forward. Kelly, Ted Harrop (2), Sam O’Bree and Carter Reid all kicked 2nd term goals to have CMCB up at half time 8.7, whilst also keeping BSSC scoreless. It was a dominant performance to date, as BSSC struggled to even get the ball in their forward 50.

The third quarter was more of the same CMCB dominance. BSSC tried to slow the game down, but Carter Reid and Seamus Doherty were able to find a way through the defence. CMCB’s run, spread and more accurate disposal was making life very difficult for their opponents. Travaglia, L McNamara and Whyte won plenty of the football, as they continued to negate BSSC’s forward entries. By the end of the 3rd quarter, CMCB held a commanding 72-point lead.

The last quarter was more of an arm wrestle, as the urgency went out of the game. CMCB kicked 4 goals through Kelly, Connick, P McNamara and O’Bree, with BSSC finally hitting the scoreboard with 3 goals of their own. Nick Harvey was pivotal in the ruck, Zavier Ralphs got plenty of touches around the ground and Sam O’Bree was everywhere up forward. Add in the stoic performance of the backline general Ben Miller as well as Ollie Stewart in the first half, and it was clear that the CMCB co-captains were all about leading from the front.

It was a fantastic 77-point win, and a fantastic way to start the 2026 Premier League campaign.

Final Score: CMCB 15-13-103 def BSSC 3-8-26

Goal Kickers: Sam O’Bree 2, Ted Harrop 2, Jaxon Kelly 2, Carter Reid 2, Seamus Doherty 2, Paddy McNamara 1, Zavier Ralphs 1, Max Connick 1, Callum Whyte 1, Jacobi Kramer 1

Best Players: Riley Travaglia, Ben Miller, Lenny McNamara, Jaxon Kelly, Callum Whyte, Zavier Ralphs, Paddy McNamara, Sam O’Bree

Special thanks to past players Gus Hay, Oscar Cail, Jaidi Jackson-Leahy and Bailey Warfe who came along to assist with coaching the boys and giving valuable feedback on the bench. Thanks also to all the boys who helped on the day, as well as our Trainer, Tony Smith.

The Round 2 Premier League Match will be played against St Joseph’s College Echuca on Finn Oval at Coolock at 11.00am on Wednesday May 13.

TEAM: Levi Stephens, Axel Drummond, Charlie Cowan, Max Thompson, Nicholas Harvey, Miller Armstrong, Aydan Hand, Riley Travaglia, Carter Reid, Lenny McNamara, Rylan Newman, Ted Harrop, Max Connick, Miller Nihill, Ben Miller, Seamus Doherty, Nick Long, Bailey Holland, Jake Schubert, Mr Leigh Millard (Coach), Mr Kieren Prowse (Assistant Coach), Ned Patterson, Tyce Griffin, Jimmy Mathews, Griffin O’Shea, Will Bartlett, Jaxon Kelly, Sam O’Bree, Jacobi Kramer, Zavier Ralphs, Paddy McNamara, Oliver Stewart, Callum Whyte, Jake Rosa, Hudson Banfield, Joshua Kelly, Cruz O’Sullivan