The halfway point of the 2019 Meadows Greyhounds Division 1 season has been reached, with the stage set for an enthralling race to the finals.
Greensborough has been the clear pacesetter across the opening half of the season, although the undefeated Boro are still yet to meet arguably their biggest challenger for this year’s premiership, Heidelberg.
The perennial powerhouses sit pretty in first and second and look destined to take a double chance into the finals, although North Heidelberg’s stumble over the past three rounds means three places still look up for grabs in this year’s finals series.
2018 grand finalists West Preston-Lakeside and Macleod are beginning to hit their straps after terrible starts to year and look poised to pounce on the top five, while the the improved form of the bottom-two sides Hurstbridge and Lower Plenty ensures there are no easy games in the second half of the year.
The Round 10 action includes a ladder-shaping clash between Northcote Park and West Preston-Lakeside at Bill Lawry Oval.
The Cougars have lost their past five games by an average of 72 points yet remarkably still sit inside the top half of the ladder. That will change this weekend if their losing run continues, with the Roosters set to leapfrog the Cougars on percentage.
Should that occur it will be the first change to the top-five since Round 3. The only way a win wouldn’t propel West Preston-Lakeside inside the top-five this weekend is if Macleod upsets Greensborough – with the Roos currently two points ahead of the reigning premier.
Northcote Park is facing one of its most challenging periods in recent memory. After winning their opening four matches, the Cougars have since won just two quarters of football. Alarmingly, they haven’t won a term since kicking 4.4 to 2.1 in the third quarter at Montmorency in Round 6.
Injuries and suspension have mounted over the past five weeks to the point where the Cougars are looking as much a relegation threat as they are a finals contender – despite sitting inside the top half of the ladder.
That can all change quickly though, and the Cougars look set to soon be bolstered by the return of Jordan Perry, Bronik Davies and Lachlan Boscarini. The trio can’t return soon enough – with he next three matches against the Roosters, Bundoora and Montmorency all very much looking like ‘eight-point’ games.
Not only has West Preston-Lakeside salvaged its season with three-consecutive wins, but the Roosters are beginning to look like a side that can seriously contend again in 2019 if they can work their way into a strong enough place on the ladder.
Yes, all three wins have come against sides currently in the bottom half of the table. But given the evenness of the competition over the past month, every win recorded is one that is well deserved.
Matthew Signorello showed his match-winning qualities in last week’s gutsy win at Hurstbridge and tore the game to shreds from the midfield. Unfortunately, his success could negatively impact the Roosters, with a VFL call-up for Port Melbourne beckoning as he begins to find top form following a hand injury.
Last week’s win also demonstrated that the Roosters can win when Ahmed Saad is contained, with the club’s 11 goals shared by eight players. Further afield, the likes of Mitch Tobin, Luke Lirosi and Jackson Clarke were all instrumental and each hit the scoreboard.
Though much has changed since the Round 2 outing between the sides – which Northcote Park won by 38 points – one thing that is certain is West Preston-Lakeside will be putting plenty of planning into Ash Close. The Cougars star forward was unstoppable with eight goals in his side’s triumph at J.E. Moore Park.
Macleod’s improved form will be put to the test when it travels to Greensborough War Memorial Park to take on Greensborough.
The two sides have shared one of the best rivalries in local football this decade and this week’s game could provide another chapter in their storied history.
Greensborough has proven unstoppable over the opening nine rounds, however a Macleod side on the rise could provide the Boro one of their biggest challenges in their bid to continue their unbeaten start to 2019.
The Roos have taken three wins and a draw from their past five starts, with last week’s win over Northcote Park their most emphatic performance of the year – winning all four quarters on their way to a 73-point triumph at De Winton Park.
The final score of 17.16 (118) was the highest the club has amassed under Christian Stagliano – with Anthony Doherty leading the charge with five goals. Reid Brandt and Patrick Martin combined for five and continued the good form they displayed in the Round 8 draw at North Heidelberg.
Perhaps the biggest positive from last week’s percentage-boosting win was the return of Lucas Hobbs from a knee injury. The reigning Frank Rosbrook medallist moved well in his first game since Round 3 and finished with two goals.
The next month looks set to determine Macleod’s season, with this week’s match followed by consecutive home matches against Heidelberg and Bundoora, before a trip to West Preston-Lakeside in a grand final rematch.
Greensborough could hardly enter the match in better form, with the undefeated Boro firing on all cylinders in 2019 – with the club’s seniors and reserve yet to taste defeat across the opening half of the year.
The stats sheet outlines the senior team’s dominance so far this year. Over the first nine rounds the Boro have been outscored in just five of 36 quarters. They have recorded 160 more scoring shots than their opponents and registered an average winning margin of 63 points.
Greensborough overcame a slow start last week to register a 48-point win over Montmorency. After conceding three of the opening four goals, the Boro kicked into gear with six of the next seven and never looked threatened in the second half – with Dan McLinden a standout in his return game.
Selection might become the Boro’s biggest headache going forward, with Andrew Stellas and Damon Marcon both missing last week’s win. Last year’s best and fairest runner-up Jacob Ireland returned after a stint in the reserves, while regular Josh Callaway was squeezed out.
Greensborough scored a 15-point win when the two sides met at De Winton Park in Round 4, although the Boro’s poor goal kicking kept the game closer than it should have been – recording 17 behinds between their first and second goals in the 8.22 (70) to 8.7 (55) result.
The round’s only match between two top-five sides takes place at Yulong Reserve when Bundoora hosts Heidelberg.
The Bulls moved into outright fourth with a one-point win away to Lower Plenty last week. If the form line through the Bears is anything to go by then this week’s game should be close, given the Tigers went down to the same side by four points the week prior.
Bundoora will be looking to overcome a poor recent home record after going down to both Hurstbridge and Macleod in its past two matches at Yulong Reserve. The Bulls also went down in their most recent game to the Tigers at the venue, when beaten in Round 4 last year.
While the Bulls haven’t been quite at their best over the past month, they continue to be well served by their most elite players, with Daniel Venditti and Matty Dennis in ripping form entering this week’s game. Both were instrumental in getting their side across the line against Lower Plenty.
Given Heidelberg’s scoring prowess this season, Bundoora will be hoping to find more avenues to goal this week. The Bulls have kicked 11 goals or fewer in four of their past five matches, with Gary Moorcroft the club’s only player to feature among the competition’s top 20 goal kickers this year.
Heidelberg made an emphatic return to the winners’ list last week – making up for its shock loss at Lower Plenty with a 53-point thrashing of North Heidelberg at a very heavy Warringal Park.
The result means the Tigers now sit six points clear of the Bulldogs in second place, which puts them in a fantastic position to secure a double chance in the finals after finishing in the bottom half of the table in each of the past two years.
The Tigers dominated contest ball against the Bulldogs and with heavy conditions expected again on Saturday, they will be hard to beat if the bring the same application and intensity this week.
Sam Gilmore has been one of the competition’s most in form players in recent weeks and his battle with Matty Dennis this week looms as arguably the most important match-up on the ground given how damaging both midfield groups can be when their ruckman is on top.
Chaz Sargeant also looms as a key player in this week’s game following a five-goal haul against North Heidelberg last week, doing so in the absence of Sam Grimley. The Bulls look to have several potential options for the in-form forward, with Brenton Keating and Scott Dowell both capable of taking the job.
North Heidelberg and Lower Plenty sit at opposite ends of the table, however the third-placed Bulldogs’ struggles in recent weeks makes this a danger game at Shelley Reserve.
After sitting just four points off first place after six rounds, the Bulldogs have taken just two points from their past three matches and last week produced their worst performance of the season in a heavy loss to Heidelberg.
Scoring has dried up significantly in the past three games. The Bulldogs averaged 102 points across the opening six games but have managed just 62 points a game over the past three rounds.
They will enter this week’s game without suspended stars Brent Harvey and Billy Hogan, further depleting a midfield which has sorely missed Jesse Tardio over the past three matches.
North Heidelberg’s next three games are against sides placed last, eighth and ninth, but with just two points separating them from fourth-placed Bundoora, the Bulldogs can suddenly ill-afford to drop one of the next three ahead of a tough run home.
Lower Plenty came desperately close to securing consecutive wins against top-four opponents – going down to Bundoora by a point after upsetting Heidelberg a week prior. The Bears led until the late stages, before a Daniel Guccione goal got the Bulls across the line.
Remarkably, just four points would have separated fourth through to tenth had Lower Plenty won the match. Unfortunately, the Bears now find themselves on the bottom of the ladder by a game and percentage.
Despite the disappointment of the final result, the Bears will take comfort in the fact that they are certainly matching it with the best sides in the competition and must have gained confidence that they can win enough games to avoid a drop back to second division.
Tom Keys’ past two weeks have been enormous, and now that he has returned to fitness he again looms as the player most capable of helping Lower Plenty lift itself off the bottom of the ladder.
Josh Turner is also enjoying a strong season and last week kicked three goals from the midfield. Turner has kicked multiple goals in four matches this year and he and Keys could have a major impact again this week against a depleted North Heidelberg midfield.
Montmorency and Hurstbridge will both be fighting to keep their finals hopes alive when they meet at Montmorency Park North Oval.
Both sides take a 3-6 record into the match. The loser will likely have their finals hopes dashed, with the fight to avoid relegation set to become the primary concern in the final two months of the season.
The visiting Bridges take the better record into the game, having won three of their past five games. Both the defeats have been tight, when beaten by North Heidelberg and West Preston-Lakeside by 18 and 19 points respectively.
Montmorency has won just one match in the same period, with the win coming over a month ago when 11 goals to Patrick Fitzgerald guided them to a big win over Northcote Park in late May.
The Magpies have since lost their past three and are struggling to find a forward presence to assist Fitzgerald – with too much being left to their midfield to kick goals. The loss of Ben Walton and Matthew White certainly didn’t aid the cause at Greensborough last week.
What will give the Magpies confidence is the fact their best football has been played at home this season. The 2-2 home record includes impressive wins over Macleod and Northcote Park, while the most recent loss to Bundoora came by just seven points.
Hurstbridge was brave in defeat last week – managing to keep pace with West Preston-Lakeside despite being limited to just one fit player on the bench from midway through the third quarter.
Mitch Hymus and Cooper Perrin continue to emerge as stars at either end of the field, with Hymus keeping Ahmed Saad goalless last week, while Perrin’s four-goal effort against the Roosters improved his season tally to 16 in seven games.
The Bridges could be without both Cameron Cloke and Mitch Dale, who were injured during last week’s defeat at Ben Frilay Oval, but they could regain both Riley Reading and Jack Furlong as they look to square the ledger against the Magpies after losing the Round 4 encounter by 17 points.
