The top four teams appear all but certain to play finals in 2022, but the battle for the double chance will go down to the wire as teams prepare for another big week of Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3 football.
Fourth placed Kilmore kept the chasing pack at bay with a strong 23-point win over Mernda at J.J. Clancy Reserve. While the Round 7 loss to Mernda stung, revenge for Kilmore was sweet. The victory means that the Blues are two games and percentage clear of Heidelberg West, with the Demons a game behind the Hawks.
“Really good to respond after the way we played against them last time,” said Kilmore coach Nathan Phillips.
“Credit to the boys for their hard work and commitment.”
Phillips praised the work of tenacious Michael Marrett for his job on Ryan Bongetti which prevented Bongetti from being the match-winner he has been in many games this year. Leigh Irons and Chris Barton were industrious in the midfield, with the latter kicking two majors.
Had Mernda been able to prevail, Kilmore would have looked shaky in fourth spot with two teams just four points behind them. Having games against both Lalor and Reservoir in their run home, Blues fans are now feeling more relaxed.
Angus Mills and Riley Edwards excelled for the Demons and kept them in the game, while Nicholas Eades worked hard in the ruck.
Old Eltham Collegians got the job done against Lalor at Lalor Reserve and recorded a 128-point triumph. They managed to slot some of the best players back in the team as they prepare for the business end of the season. Benjamin Gill had not played since Round 2 but sizzled right away with nine goals for the Turtles. Nicholas Milne also chimed in with six himself.
“Good to get Gilly back and kick nine goals first up from a long spell,” said Old Eltham Collegians coach Matt Sleeman.
The Bloods bettered their Round 5 result against the Turtles by 67 points.
“In the second half of the year, we’ve looked for players to simply play a role and that why our results have improved,” said Lalor coach Angelo Lamanna.
Dylan Cawsey was best for the bloods before a minor injury ended his day early. Other steady contributors were Nicholas Anastasi, Matthew Cooper, Jarrod Langborne and Jamie Meadows.
Heidelberg West had to win and hope for a Mernda victory to keep them in the race for finals. Sadly for Hawk fans, the Demons went under. But the Hawks scored a comfortable 133-point win over Reservoir at Heidelberg Park.
“We played well at times, but lost players and ended up with 17 men on the ground,” said Heidelberg West coach Michael Missen.
“So, we put some players in different roles which resulted Sam McDowell, Lachie Reinke and Tim Gleeson kicking their first goals for the club.
Ex Mustang McDowell also featured in the best, while Jordon Bulman stood out with six majors.
Reservoir captain Tom Hollaway returned from injury to contribute well, while Rob Holland was the clear best for the visitors, playing on ball which helped the team kicked their third highest total for the season. Holland himself kicked a great long goal early in the third term.
“The effort was terrific; we are learning to execute under pressure, and we did that better after half time,” said Reservoir coach Justin George.
With the toughest run home of the top four teams, South Morang secured a crucial win over Laurimar to the tune of 23 points at Mill Park Lakes Reserve.
James Hewson was productive and finished with two goals, while opportunist Rohan Buzzini booted three.
“We always knew that our best footy can beat any side and we showed that,” said Mitch Kalpakis, who was named player of the match by the ‘Match of the Day’ radio team.
Jayden Wendt was best for the Power who now lead the Lions by just over eight percentage points with both teams on 11 wins.
With the top four settled barring some big upsets, the main focus for the last few weeks of the season will be grabbing the double chance.
Despite the upcoming round pitting the top four against the bottom quartet, the round is full of interest. Those in the hunt for the double chance need to ensure that they don’t slip up this week and, at the same time, take their chance to boost their percentage.
While the Blues have the slimmest of chances of rising to the top two, their main focus for now is ticking off the must-win games.
The first of these sees Kilmore play Lalor at Lalor Reserve this Saturday. It will be a familiar trip for the Blues as they played at the venue in Round 11 in a game that resulted in a 133-point win with Bailey Taylor-Egan kicked five majors.
The Blues will also use the game as a tune-up for a trip to Laurimar Reserve the following week to play the Power.
Bloods fans will be looking for continued improvement in their penultimate home game as they build for the Round 17 clash against the Mustangs.
Reservoir hosts Old Eltham Collegians at Crispe Park. These teams played at this ground in Round 11 when the Turtles came away with a 180-point win. The Mustangs were goalless that day, so a few majors on the board this time would delight the home crowd.
With finals now out of reach, Mernda hosts Laurimar at Waterview Recreation Reserve. The locals would love a win in this local derby which would be a positive sign for the 2023 season.
When the teams last played on the ground back in Round 9, the Power ran away late to win by 39 points and after last week’s loss, Jimmy Atkins’ men would be desperate to get back on the winners list immediately as they aim to consolidate top spot.
The Power would go in as warm favourites, but would also be aware that the Demons have already upset a top four side in Kilmore at this ground earlier in the year.
South Morang travels to Heidelberg Park to play Heidelberg West and would be looking to make it eight on the trot. A win for the Lions is vital as they aim for a top two finish.
The Hawks seem destined to narrowly miss finals this year but would still like to finish the campaign on a high and can now play without the weight of expectation.
Matches between these teams have rarely been blowouts. The Lions hold a 2-0 record this season against Heidelberg West with a 22-point win in Round 2 and a 19-point triumph in Round 8.
Based on that, the Lions should go in favourites to keep their winning streak going, but a hard-fought game is highly likely.
