Semi-final week is upon us in Melbourne Greyhounds Division 1, as two massive fixtures are set to take the 2022 finals series to another level this weekend.
Second Semi-Final: Heidelberg vs Bundoora
Heidelberg
Ladder: 1st (16-1; 186.04%)
Leading goalkicker: Josh Minogue (49 goals)
Most times in best: Sam Gilmore (9), Tom Schnerring (9), Lachlan Wilson (8)
Bundoora
Ladder: 2nd (13-4; 133.86%)
Leading goalkicker: John Jorgensen (48 goals)
Most times in best: Luke Collins (11), Sam Lloyd (10), Hamish Shepheard (7)
The Tigers and Bulls will lock horns once more this Saturday with a spot in the grand final on the line.
Heidelberg have easily been the benchmark this season and they’ll look to earn another week off by taking care of Bundoora this weekend.
The Tigers are yet to taste defeat since April and not only have they been winning games, but they’ve been posting high scores. Dropping below the 100 mark only six times since that Round 3 loss, it’s no wonder that Danny Nolan’s men have been difficult to contain once the ball enters their forward half.
Much of their attacking game style has come from the midfield, with Lachlan Wilson and Tom Schnerring not only having the ability to win multiple clearances but also contributing on the scoreboard, as both men have produced double digit figures in the goalkicking charts.
Midfielder Matthew Smith has also had another stellar season alongside ruck Sam Gilmore who has stepped up to be one of the best ruck’s in season 2022.
The spread of goalkickers has been lethal in this campaign. Led by Josh Minogue’s 49 goals, the Tigers have had 33 goalkickers this year, nine of which have kicked double digits.
But if there was one side at the moment who could take it up to the minor premiers, it’s a Bundoora team who have won their last five matches and are making a genuine charge at another premiership.
In last week’s qualifying final, the Bulls had to hold off a resilient Montmorency side to claim a nine-point victory, kicking a very accurate 11.3 to book their spot in the second semi-final.
John Jorgensen’s career-best season up forward continued, adding three goals to increase his tally to 48 majors for the season. Hamish Shepheard was dominant in ruck in his return to the line-up whilst Danny Younan added another three goals to his 2022 campaign.
Matthew Ryan’s side will also gain some reinforcements in midfield this weekend, with co-captain Luke Collins set to come back from suspension. Collins has arguably been the Bulls’ most consistent performer this season, named in the best for his team in 11 of 17 matches this year.
Despite finishing as the top two sides, both their meeting’s this year have seen Heidelberg claim comfortable 36- and 30-point win’s.
But with Bundoora’s current run of form, they won’t have a better chance to claim a major scalp and book their spot in the 2022 grand final.
First Semi-Final: Montmorency vs West Preston-Lakeside
Montmorency
Ladder: 3rd (12-5; 146.16%)
Leading goalkicker: Patrick Fitzgerald (72 goals)
Most times in best: Liam Wale-Buxton (13), Mitch Honeychurch (11), Jai Robinson (10)
West Preston-Lakeside
Ladder: 4th (9-7-1; 95.07%)
Leading goalkicker: Aidan Tilley (33 goals)
Most times in best: Adam Valeri (10), Alex Federico (10), Max Dreher (10)
The Magpies and the Roosters will meet for the second time in three weeks to determine who will keep their finals run alive in 2022.
For Montmorency, it’s a second chance to continue their hopes of a drought breaking premiership after going down by nine points to Bundoora in last week’s qualifying final.
Despite being down by 37 points in the third term, the Magpies were able to make a game of things, almost stealing victory in the final quarter with a spirited second half performance.
Connor Dalgleish was forced to step up into ruck in the absence of star big man Liam Wale-Buxton. He produced some solid efforts and was named in the best for the Magpies, but he’ll be weary of an equally difficult battle this weekend when he faces Matthew Harman.
Marcus Lentini stood out in the midfield on his return from VFL duties whilst Lin Jong has continued an impressive few weeks since his return from injury, kicking two crucial goals.
Competition leading goalkicker Patrick Fitzgerald had it all his own way in the second half, sparking Montmorency’s comeback by kicking five majors, and will be the key to victory for Garry Ramsay’s side this weekend.
Their opponents in West Preston-Lakeside will certainly be no easy beats, a fact they realised a fortnight ago when they fell by 12 points in the final round of the regular season.
It’s a fact that was then reiterated in last week’s elimination final when the Roosters eased past Greensborough to make it eight consecutive finals victories for Rob Maiorana’s men.
The return of VFL listed duo Jackson Barling and Ethan Penrith proved to have a massive impact for the Roosters, as Barling kicked three first half goals and displayed some incredible contested marking efforts, while Penrith’s run and carry off half back proved to be a tough task for the Boro forwards to contain.
Max Dreher took home best on ground honours for his role on the dangerous Tom Bell, keeping him goalless and tagging him out of the game.
Alex Federico & Michael Ercolano led the way in midfield while Aidan Tilley again produced a strong performance up forward.
Fast finishing was the tale of the tape in the two meeting these sides have had this year. It was a five goal to two final term that saw Montmorency win the first clash at J.E. Moore Park whilst a three goal to nil last quarter allowed the Roosters get over the line by 12 points just under a fortnight ago.
A fascinating battle awaits at Preston City Oval between two sides who believe they can be a force in September.
