Sport
8 May, 2026
2026 MCDFNL Football Round 5 Preview — Maldon vs Carisbrook
As one of two teams to still possess an unblemished record, Carisbrook looks to cement its place in the upper echelons on the competition’s ladder when they travel to Bill Woodfull Reserve to take on Maldon.
While Harcourt holds top spot on the MCDFNL ladder thanks to a superior percentage, there’s a case the Redbacks have been even more impressive so far this season with wins over premiership hopefuls Trentham, Natte Bealiba and Talbot before knocking off the Maryborough Giants.
While the Andrew Toan led defence locked the Giants down to seven points in the first half, the Redbacks went on a second-quarter scoring spree that catapulted them to 4-0.
Their upcoming opponents started the season brilliantly with two hard-fought victories. However, the Bombers’ fast start has noticeably cooled over the past fortnight.
It started with a heart-wrenching one-point loss to Avoca, unable to find the winning goal late after relinquishing a seven-point three-quarter time advantage.
While the closeness of their defeat to the Bulldogs could’ve provided some consolation, there was no silver lining during last weekend’s defeat to Navarre, overpowered to the tune of 113 points.
Maldon were unable to answer the Grasshoppers’ relentless pressure and speedy yet silky ball movement, conceding an eye-popping 10 goals in the second quarter alone.
With the Redbacks possessing ball-winners like Todd Bryant, Thomas Gardam and Patrick Taranto, the Bombers will be looking towards the likes of Matthew Gray, Billy Johns, Damian Wust and Tadgh Cananzi to contribute in the middle.