A look ahead to this weekend’s Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3 matches.
Round 9 action of Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3 football took place over two weekends.
It began with a lone match on June 9 with a big win 55-point by St Mary’s over Heidelberg West at Heidelberg Park. The Burra put the game away by totally dominating the second and thirds terms.
The three matches on June 16 also had a major impact on the shape of the ladder.
Laurimar rebounded from a poor loss the previous round and came from behind to defeat South Morang by 17 points at Laurimar Reserve.
“They got the jump on us,” Laurimar coach Justin Sherman said. “But after quarter time we applied more pressure, got some reward for effort and it was a big positive the way we finished off the game.”
“A disappointing result,” South Morang coach Gary Hall said. “My main concern with such a young group is inconsistency – and we were down to one on the bench after half time. It’s starting to take its toll.”
Mernda led from go to whoa against Kilmore at J.J. Clancy Reserve to record a vital 20-point win. The Demons have weathered the storm pretty well in recent times due to injury and now seem to be re-grouping well – with inclusion Ian Fulton being named among the best.
“Wasted opportunities early and a few lapses in our application cost us in the end,” Kilmore coach Nathan Phillips said. “But credit to Mernda, who played a good four quarters.”
Panton Hill travelled to Crispe Park to play Reservoir and put the game beyond doubt early with a 7.5 to 0.1 first term on the way to a 126-point victory. It was a disappointing day for the Mustangs, who now go to the bye.
Panton Hill had five players score three goals or more – led by Alex Tsardakis with five. Michael Higgins on the wing had his best game after missing a year of footy.
“Our boys were on today from the start,” Panton Hill coach Steve Layt said. “We are starting to work for each other.”
The Round 9 results leave St Mary’s clear on top of the ladder, with all sides having played eight games. A game behind are Panton Hill and Mernda. The Redbacks have a big percentage break on the Demons.
South Morang has slipped to fourth – a game and percentage clear of both Laurimar and Heidelberg West. The only other finals aspirant, Kilmore, is a further game back.
Round 10 action of Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3 continues to throw up vital games as the race to the finals gets into full swing.
Kilmore heads to Mill Park Lakes Reserve to combat South Morang. With the Blues two games behind the fourth-placed Lions, this is a must-win game for Kilmore to remain in the chase for a finals berth. A win puts them right back in the hunt.
Their Round 1 clash at J.J. Clancy Reserve went right down to the wire – with Kilmore getting the job done by three points.
But South Morang will be equally desperate to get some breathing space between themselves and the chasing pack.
Panton Hill hosts Laurimar at A.E. Cracknell Reserve. Both teams were impressive the previous week, but the tipsters are likely to favour the Redbacks – with the Power playing at Panton Hill for the first time.
But Laurimar has just beaten a top-four team and would love to repeat the dose. An upset win would see them at the brink of the top-four.
St Mary’s – fresh from a week’s break – takes on Lalor at Whatmough Park. The Bloods have not played for three weeks after having the bye during the split round.
The ladder-leader would be expected to record another win as it attempts to lock down a double chance for the first time in club history. Lalor would like to build form in this game – which leads up to two home games against teams currently outside the top-four.
The round concludes with a critical tussle between Mernda and Heidelberg West at Waterview Recreation Reserve.
A win for the Demons team would both consolidate their spot in the top-four as well as keep them in the hunt for the double chance.
The Hawks need a win in this one as they sit just outside the top-four and need to rebound from their poor performance in the previous round against St Mary’s, which snapped a four-game winning streak.
