Round 9 action in Melbourne Greyhounds Division 1 is headlined by two enormous clashes at both the top and bottom ends of the ladder.
The current top two teams in the competition in Hurstbridge and Heidelberg will lock horns in what looks set to be a mouthwatering contest at Ben Frilay Oval.
Despite being the two sides up the top of the ladder, there is an eight-point gap between the teams, after the Bridges’ five-game winning run ended in Round 8 with a narrow eight-point defeat to North Heidelberg.
Joel Cordwell’s men were not disgraced by last year’s preliminary finalists but were unable to find the all-important winning goal in the last moments.
However, Hurstbridge have proven already in 2024 that they are a side to be reckoned with as they prepare for their biggest challenge to date.
Their best start to a Division 1 season has been led by their stars in Mitchell Moschetti and Bailey Jordan, with consistent efforts from Mitchell Hymus and Liam Middleton also playing key roles in their success.
But even with all of the above, it is hard to argue against Heidelberg maintaining their unbeaten run to start the 2024 season.
Their last two games have seen the Tigers really hit their straps as they defeated West Preston-Lakeside and Eltham by a combined total of 220 points.
Coaches MVP Leader Dylan Clarke continues to shine in midfield alongside Luke Bunker while VFL-listed players Solly McKay and Ben De Bolfo have added another dimension to an already talented group of players in the last few weeks.
Nobody has scored more or conceded less points than Vin Dattoli’s men this year, and after such an outstanding first eight games, it’s hard to see the Tigers falling short.
A victory for Hurstbridge meanwhile, would make it their first triumph over Heidelberg since Round 5, 2018, and would also well and truly put the Bridges in the premiership conversation.
Another crucial battle is set to take place at the other end of the ladder, with Eltham and Bundoora looking to get their second wins of the year when they meet at Eltham Central Park.
It’s been a lean month of footy for the Panthers who now sit at the foot of the Division 1 table following their 115-point loss to Heidelberg.
The last four games since their Round 4 bye have seen Eltham lose by an average of just over 60 points and have conceded 100 points or more in three of those four matches.
Colm Culligan and Declan Ayres have been highlights for the Panthers in recent weeks with their efforts in the backline, but as they prepare for a Bundoora outfit also looking to respond from a defeat, they will need more contributors across the ground.
Despite the Bulls’ positive record over Macleod in recent years as well as their improved form, they were unable to topple the Roos in Round 8, going down by 19 points to be one of three sides with one win to their name approaching this weekend.
They did manage to get four-goal games from Jesse King and Jack Maruff in their sixth and fourth matches of the season respectively, while Lachlan East has been brilliant in defence, and has now been named in his side’s best in his last three games.
Saturday marks the first meeting between the two since Round 13, 2017 at Yulong Reserve, with Bundoora having won five of the six clashes between the two sides between 2015 and 2017.
Heath Scotland’s side would still be considered the side in better form coming into this clash, but with a one-game gap from bottom spot on the line, expect this contest to fierce.
North Heidelberg will look to build on a strong fortnight when they welcome third placed Banyule this Saturday at Shelley Street Reserve.
Jason Heatley’s side started to find its mojo in the lead up to the bye, winning four of their last five games, including an impressive victory over Hurstbridge at home.
Round 8 saw recruit Lachlan Smith have his best game in Bulldogs colours, taking home the 10 Coaches MVP award votes as a result. Meanwhile usual suspects Jesse Tardio and Liam Hunt were just as important to the triumph.
Saturday sees North Heidelberg play the second of three consecutive matches against top three sides and having already ticked the box against an in-form Bridges outfit a fortnight ago, they will be hopeful to deliver the same performance against Banyule.
The Bears will be keen to atone an upset loss to West Preston-Lakeside two weeks ago, in a match they were unable to gain control of over the young Roosters.
Banyule didn’t get the four points despite a season-high four majors from Jack Langford and another excellent display from Devin McDonald, who was named in his side’s best for the third time in six games in 2024.
Whilst it’s been a groundbreaking campaign to date, one thing the Bears will hope to do is get going up forward. They are ranked sixth in the competition for points for, and have averaged only 72.5 points a game in their last four matches.
North Heidelberg won both meetings with Banyule last year by an average margin of 12 goals, and another victory on Saturday could see them jump to equal second on the ladder depending on other results.
But the Bears have been a different beast since those clashes last year and will be determined to return to the winners list this weekend.
Montmorency will be out to keep their strong form of recent weeks intact when they face an unpredictable West Preston-Lakeside outfit at Montmorency Park North Oval.
The Magpies have been playing their best football of the 2024 campaign so far in a three-week span that has seen them win by an average of almost 50 points and score over 104 points per match on average.
Led by another perfect 10 Coaches MVP vote game from Nash Holmes, along with five goals to reigning Division 1 leading goalkicker Patrick Fitzgerald, Montmorency cruised to victory against Greensborough in Round 8 to move up to fourth spot on the ladder.
The key to their last three wins particularly has been their ability to break open the contest in their favour during the second half. Nick Rutley’s men have kicked seven, nine and eight goals in the final two quarters of matches over the last three weeks, which has propelled them to big victories.
While this weekend may seem like another opportunity to keep the impressive run going, the Magpies will still be weary of what Ian Aitken’s side can produce when they’re on their game.
This was evident in the Roosters’ most recent match, as co-captains Matthew Harman and Max Dreher, alongside Dante Colosimo, continued their strong 2024 seasons in West Preston-Lakeside’s 19-point win over Banyule.
80 looks to be the magic number for the Roosters, with their three triumphs coming when they have kicked 80 or more points, although it will be a tough task to accomplish this against a Montmorency side who have failed to allow more than 83 points against this year.
But after producing one of their best performances of 2024 to date, Ian Aitken and his side will have belief that they can cause another upset against a strong Magpies outfit.
Greensborough will look to put a rough month behind them when they return home to host Macleod at Greensborough War Memorial Park.
After sitting on top of the ladder prior to their Round 4 bye, the Boro have now slipped down to sixth position following four consecutive losses against sides that currently sit in the top five.
They’ve been unable to find the goalscoring power that catapulted them to the top in the opening four weeks of the season and have averaged just 64.25 points per game in their last four matches.
What also hasn’t helped the cause is their accuracy in front of goal, as in only two of their eight games this season have they kicked more goals than behinds.
A positive for Matthew Hyde’s men has certainly been Kristian Ferronato’s impact on the side. The 2023 Brent Harvey Medallist has been named in his side’s best in all four games he’s appeared in this year and has been a huge asset in midfield since returning from VFL duties.
This weekend sees them play their first bottom half side since their Round 2, but it will be against a Macleod outfit who are full of confidence after claiming their first win of the 2024 campaign a fortnight ago.
The Hogg brothers, Mackenzie and Darcy, were at their best in midfield in the 19-point victory over Bundoora, while Zac Hudson and Darcy Barden continued their strong seasons.
Craig Hayes’ men defeated the Boro in their last match up in 2023, and with both teams coming into this game from differing results, Macleod will be determined to stay on the winners list this weekend.
