A preview of the Round 17 games in A Plus Labour Solutions Division 2.
The top-four sides edged closer to securing finals spots in Round 16 of A Plus Solutions Division 2.
North Heidelberg and Diamond Creek are assured top-two finishes, while wins to the Fitzroy Stars and Lower Plenty put them one step closer to finals action. At the other end of the ladder, Panton Hill is only one defeat away from being relegated.
North Heidelberg will clinch the minor premiership if it defeats Thomastown in a crucial Round 17 match. The Bears must win their final two matches to play finals.
The Bulldogs have held top spot since Round 9. In that period they have won eight games by an average of 74 points.
Shane Harvey has been one of the keys to the winning streak, kicking 63 goals during the winning run. Harvey now has 91 goals for the season and with two games remaining looks destined to reach the century.
A win over Thomastown will result in the Bulldogs ending the season undefeated at Shelley Reserve.
Thomastown could have made life a little easier if it had beaten the Fitzroy Stars last week. Sashe Spiroski’s five-goal haul was not enough to seal the win in a see-sawing game at Main Street Reserve, which ended in a 14-point Stars win.
The Bears have found life tough against the Bulldogs over the past two years, losing all five matches. That includes a 93-point defeat in the most recent outing.
The Fitzroy Stars and Diamond Creek meet in the match of the round at Sir Douglas Nicholls Oval.
Both sides edged closer to cementing their finals positions after victories in Round 16. Diamond Creek has secured a double chance in the finals, while the Stars need just one more win to book a sixth-straight finals appearance.
Diamond Creek has been outstanding all year and has performed superbly without key players in recent weeks. They will be without important players in September with Jai Norman overseas, while a shoulder injury has ruled out Jess Cosaitis.
Ryan Pingree has stood up in the absence of Cosaitis, kicking 19 goals in eight matches, including two bags of five.
A team that doesn’t lack any firepower is the Fitzroy Stars. The Stars are the second highest scorers in the division, averaging 111 points a game.
At the start of the season it was unclear who would replace Daniel Francis. But instead of replacing Francis with a like for like player, the Stars have spread the goal kicking and have nine players with more than 10 goals for the season.
Richard Bamblett (four goals) and Clinton Benjamin were standouts in last week’s crucial win at Thomastown.
Lower Plenty will look to edge closer to securing finals when it hosts Panton Hill in a game that will pay tribute to the Vietnam veterans.
Lower Plenty moved back into the top four with a 49-point victory over Watsonia. Patrick Flynn was in the Bears’ best players for the 13th time this season, while Bowen Zimbolani kicked three goals.
The Bears have struggled for consistency, winning successive games on three occasions this year. Wins in the final two weeks would equal their season-best three-game winning streak and be the perfect platform to enter the finals.
Panton Hill’s days in A Plus Labour Division 2 look numbered following defeat to Diamond Creek. The Redbacks must now win their final two matches and hope Lalor loses both if they are going to avoid the wooden spoon.
The Redbacks have shown over the years they can compete in Division 2 and if they are relegated, will aim for promotion quickly. Daniel Noorman, Daniel Freeman and Scott Conte were best in defeat last week.
Watsonia hosts Lalor at A.K. Lines Reserve. With seven wins combined for the year, both would love a late-season victory to build morale heading into 2018.
Watsonia has shown this season it has what it takes to compete in second division. The Saints have pushed finals aspirants Lower Plenty and Thomastown over the past fortnight and have been a tad unlucky to not add to their four wins for 2017.
Next year will be about beating the top sides in the division. The Saints look to have the firepower up forward, but will look to improve defensively, having conceded the third most points in the competition.
With games against the Bloods and Panton Hill to round out the season, the Saints will hope to send out premiership coach Corey McCall on a high after he announced he would be stepping down from the top job at season’s end.
Lalor on the other hand has a strong midfield, led by Shane Jacobs, but need improvement in their arcs. The Bloods look like just scraping past 1000 points for the season and have the second-worst defence.
Jhye Baddeley-Kelly’s improvement has been a positive and he was again among his side’s best performers in last week’s home loss to North Heidelberg.
Photo by BlueStream Pictures
