Western Suburbs Walkabout edged Corio Bayside 205–197, with Archie Roberts (37) doing unexpected damage through the midfield and Marc Pittonet (40) making a strong case for himself off the interchange. Pittonet scoring 40 as an emergency ruckman is exactly the kind of lateral selection thinking that separates competent DDHP coaches from the rest — in the same way that picking Matthew Lloyd as a midfielder in 2001 would have made you look like a visionary. The Cheats beat Coolgardie Safes 184–153, with Matthew Kennedy (36) and Marcus Bontempelli (35) both showing up reliably, like Gunther — you don't always love watching it but you're never surprised it worked. Bethnal Green Village knocked off Fabulous Phils 166–148, Josh Ward and James Peatling providing solid midfield cover while Nick Daicos went missing entirely. South East Suburban Flannie managed only 147 against the Pirates' 186, with Josh Daicos non-playing and Ben Long contributing zero from the forward pocket. The Daicos brothers coordinating their bad weeks across different squads is either a remarkable coincidence or the most elaborate family loyalty pact in DDHP history.