The race for a top-four finish is heating up as teams head towards Round 11 in Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3.
South Morang sits atop the ladder undefeated and would be favoured to retain first place. Kilmore and Laurimar are both 6-2, sitting two games behind the Lions. The Blues have a percentage of 196.00 and the Power 173.19.
Heidelberg West is fourth on five wins and 125.92%, while Old Eltham Collegians has now moved up to four wins and 104.82% in fifth place.
The Hawks are in the unique spot of not being safe in the top-four, yet still have some chance to finish second.
Round 10 action saw the return of football after a longer than normal mid-season break, with Round 8 and 9 cancelled due to Melbourne’s most recent lockdown.
The remaining fixture has been amended to ensure all clubs play eight home games and play each opponent at least twice.
Added to the high injury toll in 2021 is the unavailability of numerous players for various reasons – including difficulty in returning from interstate.
Old Eltham Collegians played Mernda at Eltham College for the second time this year. While the first game produced a comfortable 42-point win for the Turtles, this encounter was a tough slog.
The Demons led by two points at the last break, but Old Eltham Collegians finished the better to record a 20-point win.
“A defining win for the club,” Old Eltham Collegians coach Matthew Sleeman said.
Yarrambat under-17s player Jack Maruff debuted for the Turtles and looked comfortable at senior level. He bagged three goals for the day, which included two in the crucial final term.
Mernda has now fallen three games adrift of the top-four and the club’s finals hopes look all but gone. Regular high level contributors Anthony Bradford and Edward Mills were among the best for the Demons.
Laurimar comfortably accounted for Heidelberg West in an important showdown at Laurimar Reserve, winning to the tune of 41 points. The Power booted eight goals to three after an even first quarter in the impressive display.
The win sets up Laurimar for a great opportunity to grab second spot later in the season, while the Hawks are now a game behind the Power and will need to string some wins together if they are to climb to second.
South Morang recorded a 113-point win against an undermanned Lalor outfit at Mill Park Lakes Reserve. It was the Lions third win this season by a margin greater than 100 points.
Alex Colaidis equalled his best effort in the NFNL with six majors, while Matthew Trim returned to the line-up after missing Round 7 and once again excelled in the midfield to continue his fine season.
“Good to get through unscathed after a few weeks off,” South Morang coach Gary Hall said.
It was a tough day for Lalor. The Bloods scored only a solitary goal courtesy of Louis Hill, while Pasquale Saccuzzo was clearly best for his team.
“We had a crack, but they were too polished on the outside,” Lalor coach Gary Cutler said.
With extra freedoms in the regional areas, a decision was made mid-week by Reservoir and Kilmore to move their game from Crispe Park to J.J. Clancy Reserve.
The Mustangs have now made two trips to the venue this season. The first resulted in a 142-point loss and this time it was a deficit of 126 points.
The Blues set up the win by kicking five goals to one in the first term against a stiff breeze and then stretched their lead each quarter.
“We were disappointed with our first quarter, but were pretty competitive after that,” Reservoir coach Jason Hamilton said
Hamilton was pleased with Robert Holland and his tagging job on Coaches MVP Award leader Chris Ryall.
Luke Chapman kicked four goals to repeat his effort against the Mustangs in Round 5 but missed chances to add to his tally. With Ryall being closely followed, Leigh Irons and Chris Barton did the damage and got plenty of ball across half back and through the midfield.
“Happy to pick up where we left off with our form before the break. We now look forward to the challenge of playing Heidelberg West,” Kilmore coach Nathan Phillips said.
The pick of the Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3 matches in Round 11 belongs to the clash between Heidelberg West and Kilmore at Heidelberg Park.
After winning five of their opening six matches, the Hawks have lost two games in a row either side of the break and would love to win this game to keep the distance between themselves and Old Eltham Collegians.
Michael Missen’s side takes on the top-two side in consecutive weeks, with this week’s home game followed by a trip to Mill Park Lakes Reserve to play South Morang.
Back-to-back wins would set the Hawks up for a good shot at second spot, however two losses could see them fall outside the top-four.
The Hawks will need to improve on their recent form against the Blues, having not beaten them since Round 13, 2018 at a game played at this venue.
The previous encounter between these teams in Round 4 saw the Hawks lose their first match of the season. The Blues won by a stunning 70 points, which included a seven-goal to one final term. A much closer result is anticipated this time.
While the Hawks are looking for a win to retain fourth spot, it is a similar challenge for Kilmore, who is looking to retain second place with Laurimar breathing down its neck.
Lalor hosts Laurimar at Lalor Reserve, where the Power would be strongly fancied to win based on last week’s form line.
The Bloods will be hoping for an improvement second up after the bye. They would be buoyed by the fact they have come close to beating both Heidelberg West and Old Eltham Collegians at their home ground this season.
This is a must-win game for Laurimar as it eyes off the double chance. A win may see the Power climb back up to second place, depending on other results.
South Morang travels to Waterview Recreation Reserve to face Mernda.
The ladder positions would suggest a comfortable win for the Lions, but the Demons often lift when playing a nearby neighbour. And with finals looking unlikely, taking a big scalp would be a priority for Mernda in the back end of the season.
The Lions were 28 points to the good when the sides met at Mill Park Lakes Reserve in Round 4 this year. However, there was just seven points the difference at three-quarter time and that performance should give the Demons a glimmer of hope this week.
Reservoir travels to Eltham College to take on an Old Eltham Collegians side which has won three of its past four matches to move within reaching distance of the top-four.
The Mustangs travelled in Round 6 to play the Turtles, but that was a late game played at Yarrambat War Memorial Park. Old Eltham Collegians prevailed by 93 points in that contest.
Currently one win and 21 percentage points behind Heidelberg West, the Turtles would be looking for a win and also to bridge that percentage gap as they aim for finals football in just their second season in the league.
Old Eltham Collegians is yet to defeat a top-four team in 2021 but could find themselves inside the top half of the ladder at the end of the round should their winning margin added to Kilmore’s winning margin (should Kilmore win) exceed 110.
Old Eltham Collegians plays the bottom three teams out of the mid-season break, while Heidelberg West faces up against the top three teams in that same period.
This gives the Turtles a great chance to jump into the top-four in the next fortnight, but the comparative ease of fixture flips in favour of the Hawks after that.
