OLD rivals Bundoora and Montmorency will lock horns in a standalone Meadows Greyhounds Division 1 clash over the Queen’s Birthday weekend.
On the back of a number of close outings in recent seasons, Saturday’s match-up offers great potential, despite the disparity in ladder positions between the two clubs.
Bundoora will head into the encounter at Yulong Reserve as the firm favourite on the back of a positive start to the 2016 season.
Phil Plunkett’s side has come out of the opening two months of the new campaign with a 6-2 record, to sit in third place on the ladder. The Bulls’ only loss since Round 1 was a thrilling 13-point defeat at West Preston-Lakeside in Round 6.
Gary Moorcroft continues to dazzle inside Bundoora’s forward 50, with the 40-year-old leading the competition goal kicking table, despite missing the Bulls’ upset win at Greensborough in Round 3.
Moorcroft continues to astonish and has booted 28 goals in seven matches in 2016, at an average of four goals a game. Aside from last week’s one-goal game in dreary conditions at Eltham, Moorcroft had kicked a minimum of four goals a match.
Liam Byrne has also enjoyed a standout season in his second year with the Bulls. After playing 24 VFL games with Bendigo Gold and Essendon over the past two seasons, the 21-year-old has featured in every game for Bundoora this year.
He has already been named in the Bulls’ best players on six occasions and was best afield in consecutive wins against Greensborough and Lower Plenty, which help set-up Bundoora’s fast start to the year.
Matthew Dennis has continued his dominant form and was rewarded for his excellence by being named alongside Montmorency’s Jesse Donaldson as co-captain of the NFL’s representative team in its clash with the MPNFL last month.
Meanwhile, the inclusion of Isaac Muller has further strengthened Bundoora’ aerial presence. Another with VFL experience at Essendon, the 19-year-old has shown his promise over the past month with a number of impressive displays.
With eight goals, Muller is Bundoora’s second leading goal kicker this year. He booted two majors in last week’s low-scoring 29-point win over Eltham – a win which catapulted the Bulls back inside the top three on the ladder.
After last year missing the finals for the first time since 2007, Montmorency has taken a step forward in its development throughout the opening eight rounds of the new season.
The Magpies currently sit in seventh place on the ladder, with a 3-5 record and a healthy percentage of 100.66. But for a wayward late shot from Joel McLellan in a three-point loss to Northcote Park in Round 1, the Magpies could well be sitting inside the top five.
Last week’s 44-point win over Whittlesea pushed Ben Haynes’ side well away from the relegation battle and kept alive its finals chances heading into the second half of the year.
While talk about finals might be premature for the youthful Magpies outfit, the emerging side has shown plenty of promise over the past month.
In Round 4 they came from 39 points behind Greensborough at three-quarter time to roll last year’s runner-up by seven points. The eight-goal to zero last quarter showed Montmorency has what it takes to match it with the best sides.
Without skipper Jesse Donaldson, the Magpies were also extremely competitive against Heidelberg a fortnight ago. Against a side with an average winning margin of 63 points, the Magpies challenged the Tigers all the way in a 23-point defeat.
Since missing the opening two weeks of the season through suspension, Ben Fennell has produced outstanding football over the past six weeks. He sits fourth in the Coaches Player of the Year voting and has booted 14 goals.
Stephen McCallum has again impressed in his second season since joining from Williamstown and has led the engine room with Donaldson, while veteran Daniel Keenan has featured among the coaches votes in each of the past three weeks.
Bundoora has won the past two outings between the sides, including a 49-point win at Montmorency Park in Round 2.
The final score line didn’t indicate just how close the game was, with Montmorency reducing a 24-point deficit to five points in the last quarter, before the Bulls finished with an eight-goal burst.
BUNDOORA
6 wins – 2 losses
Ladder Position – 3rd
Points For – 708, Average For – 89
Points Against – 569, Average Against – 71
Average Winning Margin – 34
Average Losing Margin – 31
Leading Goal Kicker – Gary Moorcroft (28)
Most Times In Best – Liam Byrne (6)
MONTMORENCY
3 wins – 5 losses
Ladder Position – 7th
Points For – 763, Average For – 95
Points Against – 758, Average Against – 95
Average Winning Margin – 50
Average Losing Margin – 29
Leading Goal Kicker – Patrick Fitzgerald (24)
Most Times In Best –Ben Fennell (6)
