WITH the remainder of the Division 1 competition taking their last scheduled break of the 2014 season, all attention will be turned to this weekend’s clash between Northcote Park and Heidelberg.
The stakes are high for both sides ahead of the clash at Bill Lawry Oval, however each side is fighting for vastly different ladder positions over the Round 13 split round.
A pre-season premiership fancy, Northcote Park has encountered its most difficult season in Jason Heatley’s three-year reign and now needs to win all of its remaining six matches to have any chance of featuring in the finals series.
On the contrary, Heidelberg is locked in a two-way battle with Greensborough for the minor premiership and a week’s rest in the opening week of the finals.
Finals seem an unlikely task for Northcote Park, who has managed just four wins and a draw from its opening 12 matches, however the Cougars have produced their best football of the season over the past month.
Since the mid-season break, the 2012 premier has won three of its four matches, including a 47-point drubbing of fourth-placed Macleod and a runaway win against third-placed West Preston-Lakeside last Sunday.
The away win against the Roosters leaves the Cougars in eighth place on the ladder, some 10 points outside the top five, and provides a glimmer of hope of finals action with a third of the season remaining.
Injuries and poor form to a number of its key players have culminated in Northcote Park’s underwhelming season to date.
The drive off half-back that has become synonymous with Northcote Park sides over the past two season hasn’t been as effective as previous years, while concentration lapses have plagued the side in a number of close losses.
This was most notable in Round 6, when the Cougars led Lower Plenty by 20 points at three quarter time before conceding four goals in the opening five minutes of the final term.
Kicking a winning score has too been a problem, with many of the Cougars’ forwards unable to replicate their good form of past seasons.
Patrick O’Connell and Tom Walliss lead the club’s goal kicking with just 12 majors. Only one other player has kicked more than nine goals, that being Mitch Papas who played in the reserves last week.
Heidelberg itself is not a noted high-scorer, however the Tigers have found a way to grind out 10 wins already this year to sit second on the ladder – just percentage behind Greensborough.
Much has been made of the huge exodus from Warringal Park over the off-season, but it has been a number of the club’s emerging youngsters which have ensured the Tigers remain a genuine premiership threat.
High-profile recruits Paul Bower and Charles Gaylard have made a positive impact on the playing group and both offer great versatility with their ability to play in most positions on the field.
Fellow recruits Callum Lewis and Michael Looby continue to offer good service with a minimum of fuss, while Matthew Pianto and Jarrod Hodgkin have combined for a valuable 30 goals.
The Tigers’ defence – led by skipper Jason Kennedy and Ben Cosgriff – has conceded the fewest points in the competition this year, at a measly average of just 64 points per game. It is a superb feat given the even nature of Division 1 this season.
Perhaps the one sour note to come out of the opening three months of the season was a horrific ankle injury to Michael Brunelli.
The star midfielder would likely be leading the Tigers’ best and fairest to this point of the year, but will sit out the remainder of the season after sustaining the serious injury in the Round 11 loss to Lower Plenty.
Heidelberg has won three of its past four outings against Northcote Park since losing the 2012 Grand Final. Amongst its wins was an 11-point triumph over the Cougars in their ANZAC Day clash back in Round 3.
Bower and Brunelli were amongst the best in that encounter, as the Tigers opened up three-goal buffer in the first half before holding out Northcote Park’s late challenge in a low-scoring affair.
Ladder positions indicate the Tigers will be hot favourites heading into this weekend’s match, however Northcote Park remains a genuine threat if it can maintain its form from the previous month.
Northcote Park
4 wins – 1 draw – 7 losses
Ladder Position: 8th
Points For – 912, Average For – 76
Points Against – 974, Average Against – 82
Average Winning Margin – 29
Average Losing Margin – 26
Leading Goalkicker – Patrick O’Connell and Tom Walliss (12)
Heidelberg
10 wins – 2 losses
Ladder Position: 2nd
Points For – 940, Average For – 78
Points Against – 767, Average Against – 64
Average Winning Margin – 21
Average Losing Margin – 31
Leading Goalkicker – Chaz Sargeant (20)
