Sport
28 July, 2026
Tigers host clinic at the expense of Maldon
Lexton continued its march towards finals with a commanding victory over Maldon, powered by a blistering 43-13 second half.
Following a mostly competitive opening two quarters, a free-flowing Tigers team mauled the Bombers after half time, with the returning Darci Berry and Caitlin Howell helping young gun Charlize Kennedy equal her season-high with 48 goals.
Saturday’s victory preserves Lexton’s place in fifth on the MCDFNL ladder, possessing a four-point gap to Dunolly and Talbot, who they play in a potentially crucial seeding match on the final day of the home and away season.
While Berry’s return bolstered Lexton’s midcourt, the Bombers also welcomed back defender Heidi Brookes as they looked to build upon their encouraging performance against Dunolly.
Right from the opening whistle, goals quickly began to pour at Lexton Reserve, as both teams immediately developed an offensive groove.
While co-captains Claire Kelly and Alannah Furmston spear-headed a sharpened Maldon attack alongside Charlotte Harrison and Sophie Zammit, the Tigers looked unstoppable at times throughout the opening term.
With Berry and Howell quickly finding Kennedy and Rachel Phelan in the goal circle, Lexton accelerated away to a 19-11 lead after a highly entertaining opening term.
With both teams prioritising defensive pressure and forcing turnovers after a frantic first quarter, scoring noticeably dried up during the second term.
After switching positions at quarter time, Eliza Bell and Shanae Hepworth were instrumental to that slowed scoring rate, as Lexton’s defensive duo limited the Bombers to six second quarter goals.
Their Maldon counterparts of Brookes and Eva Gross did a commendable job trying to keep the visitors within an arm’s length, but they were helpless in stopping the Tigers from extending their advantage to 15 goals at the main break.
That margin rapidly grew in the third quarter as Lexton commenced an offensive rampage.
Assisted by interceptions from Hepworth, Bell and player-coach Cindy Teggerth, Kennedy and Phelan netted a mammoth 23 goals in the third term, the second time in three weeks the deadly shooting tandem has reached that ludicrous mark in a quarter.
With Kennedy and Phelan on fire under the net, the Tigers’ lead exploded to 31 goals by three-quarter time.
Even after a destructive third quarter, the Bombers continued to fight as they attempted to limit the final margin. Despite the best efforts of their opponents, Lexton added another 20 goals in the fourth quarter to complete a 45-goal victory.
Alongside Kennedy’s game-high 48 goals, Phelan showcased the sharpshooting form that made her a top three scorer in A grade for three consecutive seasons from 2022-2024, finishing with 27 goals at an 82 percent conversion rate.
Furmston and Zammit powered promising patches in a disheartening defeat for Maldon after another encouraging start, ending with 16 and 14 goals respectively.