Bloods make amends against Panthers but end with a rare draw

by JOSH HUNTLY
6th July 2026

WARRANDYTE ENDED JUNE four games clear inside the top five of the Eastern Football League’s Division 4, but not without a healthy dose of drama in two games that yielded vastly different post-game atmospheres.
The Bloods senior outfit staged a more than 10-goal turnaround against fellow pacesetters Chirnside Park in Round 9, pipping the Panthers by 16 points at Warrandyte Reserve to make amends for their Round 2 capitulation.
Taylor Hayton’s ruck dominance was on full display, Jack Grybas booted three goals, and Josh Meyers was influential down back to guide the Bloods to a 74–58 triumph, a far cry from its 49-point result at the start of the season.
After a dour first quarter, Warrandyte opened up a game-high margin of 27 points in the second thanks to back-to-back goals from Koby Gilmour, before the Panthers slammed home three on the trot to tighten proceedings.
But this time around, Warrandyte was able to keep Chirnside at arm’s length, and the reasons why were obvious to coach Jake Whitling.

“We got shown up a lot in that Round 2 result.
Territory, inside-50s just weren’t in our favour at all in that game.
We were able to get on top in those areas and dictate the game from our front end.
I think we just played a bit more confidently and owned the game a bit more than we had previously.”

After another bye, the Bloods headed to Pinks Reserve to face Kilsyth for the first time this season and add another win against a top-five opponent.
Instead, the Bloods had to settle for their first draw since 2023, the points shared at 51 apiece after a cold, hard-fought afternoon.
A holding-the-ball effort and converted set shot from the recalled Tim Caldwell and a point to Gilmour helped save the day, with chief spearhead Gabriel Stumpf’s four goals and another starring performance from Hayton, and Will Grybas helping the Bloods steal two points.
The gap at each break never drifted beyond a goal, and some strong defensive efforts from Noah Habjan and Will Nelson helped to curb a resurgent Cougars.

“You don’t really know what to say after a draw.
It’s always a difficult result.
It just shows that we have to be really consistent; you’ve got to be on in every game, especially for the away ones against anyone in the top five.
They came to play and were able to show us up in a couple of areas.
We did win seven in a row, but we have to improve as the season progresses.”

Regardless, Warrandyte remains perched in third with a 7–1–1 record and still in the hunt for a coveted top two position, with Nunawading and Doncaster to come.

Senior Women continue to dominate

After 10 rounds, and only a few games left in the home and away season, the Warrandyte women remain at the top of the ladder, yet to drop a game.
They’ll be playing away for the next three rounds, but will be back at Warrandyte Reserve for their Round 14 matchup against current second-placed Wantirna South on August 7.
In Round 8 at the beginning of June, Warrandyte executed a strong 85-point win over Fairpark on the back of Ava Radle’s eight-goal haul — currently second in the league goalkicking with 32 — while Jade McCormack, Alex Martorella, and Chelsea Constable continued fine seasons to be named in the best.
A week later, the Bloods commemorated an important milestone with a hard-fought win.
Maddy Trewella celebrated game 100 in style, helping her side break a four-point lead against Norwood on June 20 into an 8.7–55 to 3.6–24 triumph.
Radle added another five goals to her tally as Raegan Craggs and Meg Callow chipped in for the Bloods’ eighth win in a row.
With a fixture quirk meaning nearly a month between games, Warrandyte will have plenty of time to regroup before taking on Boronia at Tormore Reserve on July 18.

Reserves

The Reserves also kept their unblemished record intact in their pursuit of back-to-back flags, but haven’t had it all their own way.
The Bloods dispatched Chirnside Park by 76 points as usual suspects Tim Caldwell, Luke Saunders, Michael Cullum, and Angus Boell (five goals) ran amok, keeping them firmly placed at the top of the ladder.\
Against Kilsyth, Kyle Appleby was a clear standout in Warrandyte’s hard-fought 72–44 win, booting four goals and seemingly everywhere all at once as the Bloods moved to 9–0.
Boell was again a key target with three majors, while Saunders and Sam Ferguson also impressed.

Under-19s

The Under-19s currently sit a game clear in second, receiving a forfeit from Chirnside before heading to Kilsyth.
The Bloods ran rampant in an 111-point win, with Warrandyte junior Archie Wood marking his Under-19 debut in style with a game-high seven goals, ably assisted down forward by two apiece from Xavier Bennett, Jacob Close, and Sam Olsen.