The final month of the Meadows Greyhounds Division 1 season is upon us, with just four rounds remaining in the 2017 home and away campaign.
Gale-force winds wrecked havoc during last week’s matches, with the finals results creating many interesting storylines as the end of the season draws near.
A gripping one-point win over Bundoora ensured Macleod remains in the box-seat to claim the minor premiership. The Roos are a game and percentage clear atop the ladder, and at the very least look poised to enter the finals with a double chance for the third-straight year.
The battle for the other two spots in the top-three looks set to go down to the wire. Only once win and minimal percentage separates second-placed Northcote Park and fourth-placed Bundoora, with West Preston-Lakeside sandwiched between.
With the top-five sides all facing tricky fixtures in the final four rounds, the last month of the regular season beckons as a mini preview of what’s to come once we get to Preston City Oval in the finals.
The relegation battle appears just as intriguing. Eltham sits anchored to the bottom of the ladder by one game, however the Panthers play bottom-five teams in three of the final four rounds, which aids their battle to avoid relegation.
After starting the season a week earlier than their rivals, West Preston-Lakeside and Heidelberg have a bye this weekend.
For West Preston-Lakeside the break provides a chance to recuperate ahead of its first finals campaign since 2012. Three-straight wins have pushed the Roosters back into third spot – a position they can maintain should either of Bundoora or Northcote Park lose this weekend.
Heidelberg’s hopes of defending its premiership are hanging by a thread following last week’s loss to Northcote Park. With a 6-9 record, the Tigers are two wins and percentage off fifth spot and now have to rely on Greensborough falling over to have any hope of making the top-five.
The Neale ‘Cowboy’ Carroll Cup is up for grabs in Round 15 when Greensborough hosts Northcote Park at War Memorial Park. The previous clash between the sides resulted in a five-point win to the Cougars at Bill Lawry Oval back in Round 2.
Greensborough responded emphatically to its first loss in two months by scoring a percentage-boosting 74-point win over Whittlesea at the Whittlesea Showgrounds. It had loomed as a danger game against a side on a two-game winning streak.
The Boro managed to stick within a point of the Eagles despite kicking into a stiff breeze in the first term, before splitting the game wide open in a seven-goal to one second quarter to open a near unassailable advantage by half time.
Jack Johnston and Nick Riddle again played well in the back half, while Ricky Mullins and Chris Clark won plenty of football in the clinches.
The form of Rhys Boyden and Brody Tickell was also encouraging, with the duo each kicking three goals as their side booted its highest score of the season in the 18.16 (124) to 6.14 (50) romp.
With their finals spot close to being secured, this week’s match provides the Boro with another opportunity to test their premiership credentials. They currently have a 2-4 record against fellow top-five sides, with both of those wins coming on home soil.
Northcote Park showed great resilience to grind out an 11-point win over Heidelberg last weekend, with the result ending a two-game losing run and helping the Cougars retain second place on the ladder.
Trailing at the last break and kicking into the wind in the last quarter, the Cougars had looked in trouble before producing a rousing four-goal to one final term to get across the line. Paul Dirago was final-term hero, winning the hard ball and also kicking a long-range goal.
Dirago received strong support from star midfielders Bronik Davies and Jordan Perry, with the latter making a strong return after missing the Round 13 loss to Macleod through injury. Tom Jackson also battled manfully against bigger opposition and was a key contributor.
The Cougars finish the season with three of four games on the road. With 10 wins already banked, they may have to win another three games to secure a double chance in an even season, however 12 wins may also hand them their first top-three finish under the NFL banner.
Macleod will be favoured to retain its buffer at the top of the table when it hosts Whittlesea. However, the Eagles have made a habit out of upsetting more fancied rivals on the road this year.
The ladder-leader last week held off Bundoora in arguably the game of the season at De Winton Park, with fewer than three points separating the sides at the end of the final three quarters.
The Roos’s position at three quarter time looked ominous as they headed into the final quarter with just a two-point advantage. However, they managed to stave off Bundoora in the last quarter. A goal-saving smother by Justin White and towering pack mark by Daniel O’Brien in the final minute typified the Roos’ desperation.
Shane Doherty’s outstanding season continued, with the livewire finishing with five goals – four of which were kicked into the wind. Reid Brandt also kicked five goals in his first game since Round 11.
After consecutive wins against fellow premiership contenders, Macleod can’t afford to let its guard down this week. Two of the Roos’ three losses this year have come against sides placed in the bottom-four on the table.
After two strong victories, Whittlesea was disappointing in a heavy loss to Greensborough last week. Paul Higgins and Jai Robinson fought hard against tide, but it was an otherwise forgettable day for their side.
The 74-point defeat continued the Eagles’ poor home form this year, with the club’s record now 1-6 at the Whittlesea Showgrounds, with an average losing margin of 52 points. It stands in stark contrast to their 3-4 record on the road, which potentially bodes well for this week.
Eltham desperately needs to start recording wins and this week returns to Eltham Central Park to host Hurstbridge. The Panthers play three of their final four games at the venue.
As has been the case in recent weeks, Eltham was competitive in the opening half against West Preston-Lakeside last Saturday, before falling away after the main break to suffer its seventh-consecutive defeat.
The Panthers are screaming out for a focal point in attack, having kicked just 817 points in 14 matches this year, at an average of just 58 points a game – 12 points fewer than the second-lowest scorer, Whittlesea.
Hurstbridge jumped up to seventh place on the ladder following last week’s 15-point win over Montmorency, with the Bridges now just one win away from becoming the most successful Division 2 premier in its return to the top flight since Greensborough in 2007.
The Bridges led at every change in their fifth win of the season, managing to snuff out a late comeback by the Magpies to win 14.15 (99) to 12.12 (84). It was again the young chargers who led the way, with Riley Reading, Lachlan East and Cooper Perrin among the best.
A win this week would all but seal the Bridges’ place in the top flight next season and they will likely start favourites after claiming a 43-point triumph over the Panthers in their Round 9 clash at Ben Frilay Oval.
The round will conclude on Sunday when Bundoora hosts Montmorency at Yulong Reserve.
Despite losing last Saturday, the Bulls showed they are a bona-fide premiership contender against Macleod, running the ladder-leader within a point despite Kris Bardon, Isaac Muller, Todd Hughes and Scott Dowell all being sidelined.
Nathan Thomas was a colossus in the midfield, winning a stack of contested footy and continually driving his side forward. He had strong support from Liam Byrne, while Matty Dennis was the dominant tall on the ground.
Danny Younan again displayed his goal-smarts and kicked five goals, while at the other end of the field Ben Shelton was outstanding in keeping in-form Macleod forward Matthew Clark goalless.
While upcoming matches against West Preston-Lakeside and Greensborough will likely determine Bundoora’s top-three fate, they can ill-afford to take Montmorency lightly, particularly given the Magpies’ recent good record at Yulong Reserve.
Montmorency showed improvement at Hurstbridge, however it wasn’t enough to get the points as they slumped to eighth place on the ladder on the back of a third-consecutive defeat.
Despite the better effort, the Magpies didn’t handle the strong breeze at Ben Frilay Oval as well as their host and the 34-point three quarter time deficit proved too big to haul in, despite a four-goal to one final term.
Promising youngster Jackson Jones continued his progression as a senior player and produced arguably his best game of the season. He was joined in the Magpies best by the usual suspects in Jesse Donaldson (five goals), Billy Jenkin, Ben Walton and Patrick Fitzgerald.
