Narrow loss costly for Jackas

It was a case of so close, yet so far for AJAX Footy Club last Saturday when a four-point loss at home against De La Salle left their VAFA Premier B men’s finals hopes hanging by a thread.

With six wins and seven losses heading into that match, they’ll need to win their two remaining regular season matches, and also rely on other results going their way, to progress.

An even first quarter, and one of the better second quarters this season by the Jackas, earned them a 17-point lead.

But De La Salle were on fire in the third quarter, scoring six goals to AJAX’s one, to eliminate their deficit and lead by 14.

Solid defence by the Jackas restricted their opponents to three goals in the final quarter, and scoring three early goals, and two late ones, gave AJAX a glimmer of hope, but time ran out for them, and they lost by 11.8 (74) to 11.12 (78).

Toby Lipton and Hutch Davis had strong games in the backline, while the Jackas’ top goalscorers were Reece Israel and Jordan Cohen, with two each.

AJAX will face third-placed Old Haileybury in a must-win match at Princes Park, Caulfield, at 2pm this Saturday.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday night, the team’s head coach Adam Andrews announced to the players and club officials that after serving four years in the role, he will step down at the end of this season.

Andrews led the Jackas to the VAFA Premier C men’s grand final in 2019 in his first season there, which earned them promotion to B grade, and also saw them through the disrupted COVID-19 lockdown periods, keeping his players engaged, fit, and motivated.

“It has been an absolute pleasure being at AJAX – the club has been so welcoming and fantastic to me and my family since day one,” Andrews said.