Twos can't shift immovable OX

Our Reserves went down to the unbackable favourite Old Xaverians in the Grand Final on Friday. SKOB had taken the hard road to get there after a spirited effort in the Second Semi against Xavs, and were hopeful of reversing the result, but it was not to be. As always, our man on the ground Yanni was there to capture the action and file his final report for the season.

Not Our Day, But Not Forgotten: SKOB’s Memorable Grand Final Run

The 2025 VAFA Grand Final was upon us, and the SKOBs Reserves arrived knowing that a win would make them immortal in VAFA folklore. Coach Clough’s message was simple: “We play for the club and enjoy the moment.”

The game kicked off to a difficult start for the SKOBs boys, with Xavier taking the early advantage by kicking two unanswered goals in the opening stages. Put on the back foot, the boys didn’t waver, wearing their hearts on their sleeves. The game quickly became a heated contest, with the evident passion of the rivalry between the two clubs spilling onto the field. But amid the passion came an unfortunate injury to Jack Ball, adding to the difficulties the SKOBs boys faced.

The second quarter saw the SKOBs Reserves turn up the heat, applying intense pressure on the football. The back six were pivotal in keeping Xavier scoreless for the entire quarter, which set the stage for the boys to create more scoring opportunities. However, they couldn’t fully capitalise in front of goal, reducing the deficit by only a small margin heading into the half-time break.

Coming out of the half-time break, the SKOBs boys seemed to get their game going, having the majority of the ball in the forward half. A goal from Luke Mazzeo and two from Angus McQuie kept the game alive and spirits high.

It was evident that it wasn’t to be SKOBs’ day this year, but the boys held their heads high and represented the club proudly, knowing that their magical season would be talked about for many years to come. I know the boys will be working hard this off-season to go one better in 2026.

On a side note, I would like to thank the fans and readers for following along with my game-day reports. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to bring you all the action this season, and I look forward to bringing you even more next year.

Best for the SKOB Ressies were

Samuel Jones, Angus "Subs" McQuie, Hudson Lefoe, Tom Davidson, Rob Larcher and Hamish Reimers