A pair of upsets last weekend could mean the A Plus Labour Solutions finals race is determined in Round 17.
Diamond Creek hosts Eltham at Coventry Oval, where a loss to the home side could bring its finals dreams to a crashing halt.
The Panthers prevailed by 49 and 36 points in the pair’s previous two encounters, however on this occasion, the circumstances look considerably different to what they were for the previous two meetings.
For the first time in 2018, Eltham enters a game on the back of a loss. The Panthers’ unbeaten run was brought to an end by an in-form Banyule at Eltham Central Park.
The sides couldn’t be separated in the first half, before the Bears piled on nine goals to four in the second half to prove that the premiership race is wide open heading into September.
The ever-reliable Anton Woods, Paul Currie and Matthew Keys were named amongst the Panthers’ best. Their side will now look to bounce back quickly in order to take winning form into the finals.
Diamond Creek is coming off a percentage-boosting 96-point win over the Fitzroy Stars. The win was expected to put the Creekers back inside the top-four, however upset wins for Banyule and Thomastown, means they remain in fifth position.
After a tight first quarter, the Creekers gradually got on top and extended their lead at every break. Five-goal hauls from Nicholas Barro and Jacob Booth helped break the game open, while Josh Lorey, Hamish McDonald and Cameron Wild were also influential in the win.
Epping hosts Thomastown, where both sides will be looking to continue winning form. A Thomastown victory could secure the club’s first finals berth since 2014, while Epping will be looking for a major scalp prior to the end of the season.
After a poor showing against Banyule in Round 15, Epping returned to the winners’ list by overcoming a determined Watsonia by 25 points. The Blues trailed at half time and led by just eight points at the final break, before extending their lead in the fourth term.
Alec Buchan, Jordan Wilkins and Paul Dempsey all featured in Epping’s best players, whilst Damon Marcon and Chris Chilcott each contributed three goals to guide their side to its sixth win.
Thomastown produced the second upset of Round 16 with its runaway home win over Lower Plenty. Sadly, the win came at a high cost with skipper Matthew Vasilevski’s season coming to an end with an injury.
Needing a win to remain inside the top-four, the Bears overcame an 11-point three-quarter time deficit to turn the game on its head in the final term – keeping Lower to just a single major whilst kicking 5.10 themselves.
The Bears were led by James Rizzolio, Dylan Chapman and Nick Horman, while three-goal hauls to Anthony Calafiore and Jacob Osei-Duro contributed to the win which sees them remain a game clear in fourth place.
Banyule will be fancied to make it three wins on the trot when it hosts the Fitzroy Stars at R.J. Brockwell Reserve.
Given their strong percentage, the Bears are one win away from a top-four finish in their first season in second division. Last week’s performance showed they won’t just be making up the numbers should they reach the finals.
The club’s confidence will be sky-high following the triumph over Eltham, where
James Kroussoratis was untouchable – kicking six goals against his former side. He was supported by Riley Keath and Bailey Jordan, whose contested marking was a highlight.
Fitzroy narrowly avoided a third loss in excess of 100 points – going down to Diamond Creek by 96. The loss was further soured by a horrific ankle injury to captain Clinton Benjamin.
The Stars had just one single multiple goal kicker, with Aaryn Gibson snagging two goals. James Dau, Steven Stallion and Cameron Hall all tried their absolute best in another trying match for their club.
Lower Plenty hosts Watsonia at Montmorency Park in the final matchup of Round 17.
Lower will be looking to bounce back after suffering a 23-point defeat to Thomastown last weekend, putting an end to their three-game winning run. They were found wanting in the last quarter, when they were outscored by 15 scoring shots to one.
Jordan Sacco was one of few winners on the day for Lower and was his side’s best for the second-straight week, whilst a four-goal haul from Dale Nolan and a strong performance from teenager Oliver Wilson were the other shining lights.
Watsonia remains winless after suffering a 25-point loss to Epping at A.K. Lines Reserve.
The Saints were right in the contest for most of the match, but, as has been the case for the entire season, they weren’t able to keep up the effort across four quarters and were outlasted by the Blues.
Jamie Haber was named best-on for Watsonia, whilst a five-goal haul from Billy Hawkes was his best performance for the club.
