WRITTEN off just one week ago, Whittlesea showed it still means business in Division 1 ahead of a clash with current-day rival Lower Plenty.
The Eagles captured arguably the upset of the season when they romped to victory over premiership hopeful West Preston-Lakeside at J.E. Moore Park last Saturday – their first win of the 2014 season. Leading by 17 points at the main break, the Eagles booted the first 11 goals of the second half to lead by a remarkable 81 points early in the last quarter.
The victory gives Brad Dean’s side some chance of avoiding relegation, sitting two games and percentage behind Eltham, ahead of this week’s clash against Lower Plenty – who the Eagles have fought some memorable battles with in recent times.
The Bears suffered a heart-breaking loss to Bundoora in Round 13, coughing up a 17-point margin with seven minutes to play to lose by six points, courtesy of a Brent Marshall goal with one of the final kicks of the game.
While a shattering loss, the profound disappointment expressed by the playing group shows how far the Bears have come in such a short space of time – where such a performance may have been accepted in seasons gone by. Despite slipping out of the top five, they are a chance to move back in if results fall their way today.
An outright grip on third-place is the prize for Macleod and West Preston-Lakeside when they meet at De Winton Park. The Roos last week took third position with a come-from-behind win over Greensborough, while the Roosters will be reeling after a terrible showing against the previously winless Whittlesea.
Inspired by the heroics of midfielders Justin White and Hamish Paynter, and a great defensive effort by Jack Langford, Macleod rallied from 27 points behind the Boro midway through the third quarter to win by 15. The Roos romped to victory over West Preston-Lakeside in their Round 9 encounter, however 10-goal hero Nick Lynch may miss this return clash after injuring his finger last week.
Having held a six-point advantage inside the top three just a fortnight ago, the Roosters have now lost two games in succession to teams outside the top five and must respond immediately. If they don’t, they face the prospect of slipping outside the top five by week’s end.
Following last week’s stunning last-gasp win, Bundoora returns to its home deck to host second-placed Greensborough. It was the Bulls leaders who came to the fore in last week’s win – which ended a three-game losing streak – with David Mitchell, Matthew Dennis and co-captain Marshall named their best three. Gary Moorcroft booted a game-high four goals and set-up Marshall for the winner.
Greensborough’s perfect away record came to an end at Macleod last Saturday, with the Boro unable to halt a rampant Kangaroos outfit in the second half. Tim Bongetti threatened to win the game of his own boot early on, hauling in several huge marks and kicking four goals. However, a lack of midfield supply and a poor conversion rate in front of goal limited the Boro to just 10 goals for the day.
A win at Eltham, coupled with Lower Plenty’s loss, kept Montmorency in the finals race as it prepares to host Northcote Park. With the third best percentage in the competition, the Magpies sit just four points outside the top five. They were never threatened in last week’s 68-point win over the Panthers, where Ryan Jackson put in a best on ground performance and Pat Fitzgerald booted six goals.
Northcote Park returns from a week’s break and will look to hand the Magpies their third successive home defeat. With finals out of sight, the Cougars can still have a big say in which sides make the top five in 2014. Their past month has been a big improvement on the two months that preceded it, and a win at Montmorency Park is certainly not beyond them.
New ladder-leader Heidelberg rolls out the welcome mat for Eltham, with the Tigers looking to consolidate their one-game advantage atop the ladder after a rest last week.
The Panthers were no match for a resurgent Montmorency last week, falling 25 points behind at the first break and losing every quarter thereafter. It was a trio of youngsters who tried to fly the flag in defeat, with Daniel Coffield, Lewis Glasgow and Darcy Vallance named the Panthers’ best.
