Some more ladder-shaping contests are set to take place in this weekend’s group of MC Labour Division 2 matches.
Meeting for the first time since the 2023 preliminary final, St Mary’s and Diamond Creek head into their battle at Whatmough Park in brilliant form, with just one loss between the two sides in the first month of the season.
Since their narrow defeat to Whittlesea in Round 2, the Burra have responded with a pair of comfortable wins ahead of their biggest challenge yet this Saturday.
They were in complete control during their 45-point victory over Lower Plenty last week, with their stars in Tane Cotter and Rory Hanlon shining in midfield.
Joseph Maggio continues to impress in multiple roles, while another three majors from Jeremiah Antypas last week sees him continue his excellent streak of three or more goals in matches this season.
Fabian Carelli’s men have posted scores of 100 or more in the last fortnight of triumphs, and it will need to continue if they are to upset the unbeaten Creekers this Saturday.
Diamond Creek were at their defensive best again last Saturday night, keeping Northcote Park to just eight total points on their way to a huge 94-point victory.
But they’ve also been firing on all cylinders inside 50, winning by an average margin of 72 points in their four games so far in 2024. They also boast four players who have kicked six or more goals this season, the most of any club in the competition to date.
They come into this clash with a star-studded list of consistent contributors, headlined by Tyler Barnes and Jacob Booth, who have been almost impossible to get ahold of this season.
43 points was the closest St Mary’s got in their three meetings with Diamond Creek last year, but signs in the early weeks of this campaign already indicate the Burra can take it up to the 2023 minor premiers.
With both sides still without a win to their name, Watsonia and Northcote Park have a chance to finally get themselves off the mark when they face off at Bill Lawry Oval.
For the visitors, their 17-point loss on the weekend to Panton Hill is the closest they’ve been to recording a win this season and having been around the mark in most of their matches this year, it’s hard to see them have a better opportunity in the near future to claim their first four points.
What has been a consistent factor for the Saints following the first month of action has been the performances of Daniel Annetta, Joshua Boulton and Harrison Sinclair. All three have been making significant contributions to their side’s ability to stay within reach in most games this season.
And while that trio have been nothing short of impressive, the likes of Ben Callaghan and Ethan Lowe have also been playing their roles well and will be key again to inching Watsonia closer to a win.
Their Saturday opponents in Northcote Park will be desperate to get back to being a competitive outfit following a pair of disappointing performances over the last fortnight.
With many of their star players out of the side that took on Diamond Creek last Saturday night, including Matthew Perry and Daniel Tallariti, the Cougars were out of their depth.
However, there is the potential for other players to stand up, with the likes of Caillin Kett and Jordan Perry producing solid starts to the 2024 season.
The last meeting between these two sides in Round 17, 2023 proved to be the match that secured Watsonia a finals berth at the expense of Northcote Park. The stakes may be different this time around, but the need for a win is just as important for both sides.
Continuing to improve from last year, Lower Plenty will get to test themselves again against a top opponent when they host Whittlesea for the Pat Cronin Foundation Round feature game at Montmorency Park South Oval.
The Bears were blown away in Round 4 to an impressive St Mary’s outfit and will be out to bounce back following some promising efforts in the first few weeks of the 2024 campaign.
While they suffered defeat last week, the form of Jordan Sacco and Joel Leslie didn’t wane, with both men featuring in the best once again.
Sacco has been impressive in the middle of the ground and Leslie has been a handy contributor in his own right in around the ground. They will each be tasked by coach Travis Stephens to again be the leaders that guide the Bears to a strong performance against the Eagles.
Meanwhile, after coming off a close scare against Thomastown in Round 4, Whittlesea coach Garry Ramsay will be hoping for a more convincing display as his side looks to extend their unbeaten run to five games.
Their three-point victory over the Bears last week came thanks to another monumental performance from Xavier Dimasi who continues to excel for his side.
Jaron Murphy also keeps finding ways to impact the scoreboard, while Deakin Tennant has produced multiple strong efforts in defensive 50 and have each been pivotal to Whittlesea’s strong start to the season.
You have to go back to Round 16, 2016 to find the last game these two teams played, with the Eagles winning by 20 points in their Division 1 encounter.
But this will be the first time these sides have faced each other in a Division 2 encounter since the 2010 Division 2 Grand Final, which saw Whittlesea prevail by 14 points. Neutrals will be hoping for a similarly competitive affair.
Sitting just outside the top-five on percentage, Panton Hill will look to keep in touch with the sides above them and prove they’re a finals calibre side when they host South Morang at A.E. Cracknell Reserve.
The Redbacks are coming off their second win of the year, easing past Watsonia away from home, and will be out to secure back-to-back victories in front of their faithful this Saturday.
Helping Simon Amore’s side picking up the four points last week were Riley Livingstone and Samuel Parks. The former kicked five majors, including three in the third term, to help Panton Hill gain the ascendency in a close match, while the latter was enormous in midfield, winning key clearances for his side.
Similar performances from that duo will give the Redbacks the best chance of producing an upset, as well as continued efforts from Joshua Callaway and Bailey Sobol, who each impressed in Round 3.
Panton Hill actually got the better of their Saturday opponents when they last met in Round 17, 2023, keeping the finals bound Lions to seven goals in an 11-point win.
It was an upset then and it would be an even bigger upset this time around if they were to replicate that performance, considering how strong South Morang have been to start the year.
The Lions have produced scores of 94 or more in each of their four games in 2024 and will head into this match with plenty of momentum following an emphatic 97-point triumph over Laurimar last week.
Gary Hall has seen plenty of solid contributors throughout the first month of the season, with last week’s win highlighting the impressive campaigns to date of James Traianou, Tye Hall, Koby Davies and Kyle Wheatley.
Victory on Saturday would make it the first time the club has had a five-game or more win streak since returning to the competition last year.
Laurimar and Thomastown face off for the very first time in their clash at Laurimar Reserve, with both sides in search of a much-needed win.
The Power continue to settle into their new life in Division 2, having yet to taste victory in their opening four games of the season and most recently suffering its heaviest defeat of the year at the hands of South Morang.
Whilst they haven’t been able to produce competitive efforts in the last fortnight, we can cut Laurimar some slack considering three of their first four matches have been against sides currently unbeaten, and the other game being a narrow loss to Lower Plenty.
It will still be another test to topple the Bears this weekend, however there are a lot of promising players at Jimmy Atkins’ disposal who have stood up in defeat during recent weeks, including Cameron Maloney and William Jacovou.
Thomastown have played the same unbeaten sides as Laurimar throughout the last few weeks and despite being unsuccessful in winning any of the three games, the Bears have pushed those top teams to their limits, losing by an average of 18 points.
This was highlighted in their Round 3 clash with Whittlesea, in which they led at multiple stages of the afternoon, but ultimately fell short by just three points.
Captain Anthony Capeci has led from the front in the spirited defeats, with his efforts seeing him lead the Division Coaches MVP leaderboard after four games.
Others that have had solid weeks recently include Jarryd Coulson and Aaron D’Angelo, and more of the same from this duo plus many others may be enough to put David Folino and Sashe Spiroski’s men back on the winners list.
