Round 1 Recap – Sharks Take Two from Two at Ellimatta

By The Gummy Insider 🦈

The South Coast Sharks kicked off the 2025 AFL Masters season in perfect style, recording two strong wins in front of a large crowd of all ages at Ellimatta Reserve, Anglesea. Both games were hotly contested, played in great spirit, and showed exactly why we play this game—for the love of footy, mateship, and community.

A huge thanks to the The Diggers – Ballarat AFL Masters FC for making the trip, and to the Anglesea Football Netball Club for hosting what was a ripping day for Masters footy.

Over 45s Match Summary

The 45s hit the park first and took control early through sheer midfield dominance. The ball barely made it past the centreline in the first half thanks to some monster ruckwork and intercepting from Ads Power, who was hands down best on ground. Trotts wasn’t far behind, buzzing around like a madman, getting back to help out when it mattered.

Davey O’Brien added some scoreboard action, casually slotting three goals—two for us, one for The Diggers—keeping everyone on their toes. Nick Abbott had his best game yet in Sharks colours, cracking in hard and some dash through the middle of the ground. Charlie was back to his usual form: fast, elusive, and hard to pin down, while Miles read the ball like a novel, positioning himself perfectly across the ground.

Jay, ever the versatile Shark, was spotted wearing both colours during the game and still managed to find the footy all over the ground. That kind of commitment to cardio is unmatched.

We also had a few debutants in the 45s making waves, including Paul “Scary” Scerri, who went full beast mode and played all 8 quarters across both games—an epic debut effort. Lucas “Everyones” Friend, living up to his name helping out in both jumpers, looked better for the run post rib injury too. Shoutouts to BP and Waz who fought hard before going down with a couple of injuries—wishing you both speedy recoveries and we’ll see you back out there soon.

Best Players – Over 45s

• Nick A – solid all around the ground

• Adz Power – dominant big man display

• Jay – covered serious territory in both guernseys

• Scary – first gamer who didn’t stop running

• Charlie – quick, clever and elusive

• Miles – read the play like a vet

• Trotts – ran like it was Grand Final day

Over 35s Match Summary

The 35s followed up with an equally spirited showing. The Diggers came out strong, but once the Sharks settled, we began to gain control and show off some sharp ball movement and strong structures.

Jimmy, in his first game as captain, led from the front—breaking lines, shrugging tackles and setting the tone for the group. Chadda and childhood teammate Broomy were a wall down back before moving forward to shake things up. Broomy even stealing a mark from Stewie to record his first for the Sharks, while Trotts just kept doing what Trotts does: run, tackle, chase, repeat.

Jay D brought the white line fever in the forward half, showing ferocity at the contest and delivering goals when it counted. Az Bones was electric, taking the game on at every chance, while Cobes was crafty in the ruck and took some strong intercept marks across the ground.

It was a big day for a few new faces in the 35s as well.

• Joel Bowen pulled on the boots for his first ever game of footy—and looked like he’d been playing for years. Calm under pressure and eager to get into the contest, it was a debut to remember and a bit of claret for the memory too!

• Leigh Deledio, back on the field after a five-year break, hit the midfield with some real class once given his chance—clean hands, strong body, and didn’t miss a beat.

• Coops was electric off half-back, charging through with run and carry, while Mark “Bones” Tobias took full ownership of the Anglesea wing—there’s talk of naming rights already.

Best Players – Over 35s

• Chadda – strong in defence, composed under pressure

• Jimmy – inspiring leadership and a tireless work rate

• Leigh – hit the contest hard and sparked the midfield

• Jay D – ferocious forward pressure and goal sense

• Az Bones – took the game on, creative and fearless

• Trotts – still running after 8 quarters and looking dangerous

Sharks On The Rise

It was the perfect way to kick off the 2025 campaign—solid wins, new faces making an impact, and that unmistakable Shark energy buzzing around the club.

Big thanks again to the Sharks committee for organising a top-shelf event and ensuring everything ran smoothly. From magnets to match-ups, BBQs to banter, and a few songs on the mic 🎤 .

Next up: We travel up the highway to take on Sunbury Lions on April 27th – we keep building, keep rolling, and keep the Shiver alive.

Bring on Round 2.

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