Sport
21 July, 2026
Trentham locks down ladder-leaders Carisbrook to earn vital 23-point win
The Trentham Saints relived the memories of last season’s drought-breaking premiership triumph at Carisbrook Recreation Reserve with an impressive 23-point victory over the Redbacks.
The Saints took pages out of Carisbrook’s highly effective playbook on Saturday, prioritising numbers behind the ball and crowding high ball entries inside 50 that grounded the Redbacks to three goals in the first three quarters.
Trentham’s double J goal machine of Jake Keogh and James Regan combined for six goals to power the Saints to a statement victory that maintains their spot inside a heavily congested top four.
Identical to the 2025 Grand Final rematch that occurred back in round one, Cooper Webber-Mirkin gave the visitors a perfect start, converting a brilliant set-shot to score the game’s first goal.
Unlike their disappointing season-opener which ended in a 42-point defeat, the Saints were able to capitalise on their fast start, dominating the first 10 minutes.
Seemingly every time Carisbrook earned possession around the contest, they were swarmed by an army of Trentham jumpers, who limited the Redbacks’ early supply of clean disposals.
Joel Cowan was also a one-man wrecking ball around the stoppage as Trentham were consistently testing Carisbrook’s backline.
James Allan, Adam Hurse and Anden Lever did an excellent job limiting Trentham’s early scoring, but some quick thinking from Regan in the goal square gave the visitors an early 13-point lead.
After his team stemmed the tide around the contest, Blake Matthews snuck through Carisbrook’s opening goal to reinject some confidence back into the hosts.
However, with the Saints routinely starting centre bounces with just four players inside forward 50, the Redbacks struggled to get the ball to superstar forward Tim Rinaldi, who was hounded by several Trentham defenders.
While Tom Boyer was Rinaldi’s direct opponent, Mark Strickland and Edward Fanning routinely disrupted kicks towards the competition’s leading goalkicker, helping the Saints preserve a nine-point lead at quarter time.
After Carisbrook implemented tactical changes at quarter time to combat Trentham’s gameplan, the second term began rather tensely, with neither team kicking a goal during the opening eight minutes.
Then in the space of two minutes, Rhys Smith and Marcus Elderfield, who was having an outstanding first half, bolstered Trentham’s lead to 21 points with back-to-back goals.
Rinaldi answered back for the Redbacks, getting on the end of an entry kick from the tireless Ricky Pearson with a spectacular contested mark and converting the ensuing set-shot.
Carisbrook proceeded to have four of the last five scoring shots, but after the Redbacks registered four straight behinds, Jacob Greenwood delivered a gut punch right before half time with a clinical finish that extended Trentham’s lead to 17 points.
That lead immediately jumped to 23 points after Matthew Milburn and Greenwood combined at the opening centre bounce of the third quarter to send the ball deep into forward territory that was cleaned up by Keogh, who booted a goal 15 seconds into the second half.
Pearson attempted to fire up the Redbacks with a well-taken goal at the 10-minute mark, but that proved to be the only score the Saints backline allowed throughout the third term.
A late snap from Regan allowed the Saints to enter three-quarter time up by a commanding 28 points.
Regan and Keogh effectively sealed the final result early in the fourth quarter with a quickfire trifecta inside six minutes that put Trentham up by 46 points.
Rinaldi put on a goal-kicking clinic during the closing stages, breaking free from Trentham’s suffocating defence to kick three straight majors, but it didn’t prevent the Saints from completing a vital win.
Milburn and Alister Ferrier were outstanding for Trentham, constantly contributing with several intercept marks, pinpoint disposal efficiency and tireless work around the stoppage. They were named among the visitors' best players alongside Cowan, Webber-Mirkin, Joel Dovaston and Greenwood.
Carisbrook listed Pearson, Matthews, Lever, Rinaldi, Jackson Bowen and Thomas Gardam as their standout performers.