The top-four sides have opened a handy buffer on the chasing pack, while little separates the bottom-six after seven rounds in Meadows Greyhounds Division 1.
Despite the relative evenness of the competition over the opening two months of the season, two wins and percentage now separates fourth-placed West Preston-Lakeside and fifth-placed Montmorency.
The battle for fifth-place is wide-open, with bottom-placed Whittlesea just one win and percentage off a place in the top-five – ahead of what looms as one of the most hotly-contested battles to avoid relegation seen in the top-flight.
With the Easter, representative and Queen’s Birthday byes all out of the way, it is clear sailing towards the finish line.
Round 8 is headlined by a top-three blockbuster when Bundoora hosts Macleod at Yulong Reserve. It looms as a massive match for both sides in the quest for a double chance in the finals.
Before the break Bundoora lost just its second game of the season when it fell to Northcote Park by 15 points at Bill Lawry Oval in what could go down as the best game this season.
Missing a host of key players, the Bulls looked in real trouble when they trailed by four goals early in the second quarter. However they fought their way back, and closed within five points late in the third, before being outlasted by the Cougars in a classic.
Scott Dowell produced his best game for his new side in both defence and attack and finished with an equal team-high three goals. Matthew Dennis and Isaac Muller were both strong presence in the air, while Andrew Carmusciano also hit the scoreboard with three majors.
After fading in its Round 6 loss at Eltham, Macleod was sluggish early against Heidelberg and trailed by 16 points at the first change in the season’s second grand final re-match.
However the Roos responded emphatically, kicking 5.8 to 1.1 in the second term to take a half-time lead, before again outscoring the Tigers in the third and fourth quarters to run away with a 36-point win – their sixth of the season.
Co-captains Justin White and Hamish Paynter led their side superbly in their second win over the Tigers for the year, while Ned McKeown’s purple-patch continued. The defender has now polled 28 of a maximum 30 votes in the Coaches Player of the Year award over the past three rounds.
Heidelberg’s quest to get its season back on track faces a significant challenge when it hosts red-hot Northcote Park at Warringal Park.
The Tigers slipped to ninth-place on the back of their loss to Macleod, with their side at De Winton Park featuring only eight players from last year’s grand final-winning team.
Despite their 2-6 record, the Tigers remain only a game and percentage off a top-five place, although they have played the extra game – with the early-season loss to West Preston-Lakeside becoming more of a thorn in the Tigers’ side as the season continues.
However, with Sam Gilmore, Marcus Marigliani, Paul Bower, Adam Symes, Josh Gribben and Lachlan Wilson still to return to the line-up, it could be a case of writing the Tigers off at your own peril.
Northcote Park will be hoping the break over the Queen’s Birthday weekend hasn’t halted its momentum as it shoots for its seventh-consecutive victory.
Having previously worked closely with Heidelberg co-coach Jason Heatley, there is no chance that Northcote Park coach Matt McLennan will allow any complacency to creep into his side against a wounded opponent.
The Cougars cracked the ton for the fifth time this season in their win over Bundoora – a stark contrast to last year when they hit triple-figures just four times. Ash Close and Jackson Starcevich were central to their side kicking a winning score, combining for eight goals against the Bulls.
Gerard Sutton and Michael Naldrett were exceptional in shut-down roles, while Damian Galofaro played his best game of the year. Jordan Perry and Paul Dirago both continued their strong form, with each pivotal in the second half in holding off Bundoora’s charge.
Greensborough will be out to continue its improved form when it hosts Whittlesea at War Memorial Park. The winner of the match will improve its record to 3-5.
The Boro scored back-to-back wins when they outlasted a plucky Hurstbridge in a nine-point result at Ben Frilay Oval in Round 7. The victory lifted the Boro off the bottom of the ladder for the first time since Round 3 and moved the club within a win of the top-five.
Brody Tickell played his best match at senior level and had a major impact in the air and at ground level, while Josh Grubb’s four-goal effort was his biggest haul since the 2015 second semi final, while Corey Cogan made an impact with three majors.
Including this week’s match, the Boro play four of their next five matches at home, with the next month sure to be crucial as the club strives for a finals place for the fourth-consecutive season.
The break will have given Whittlesea a chance to regroup after a disappointing run between the representative and Queen’s Birthday weekend byes – in which time three-consecutive losses saw the club slump to last place on the ladder.
The Eagles have battled on home soil this season, losing all four matches at the Whittlesea Showgrounds by an average of 38 points. That includes last round’s 27-point defeat to Eltham in a match the Eagles entered as perhaps slight-favourites.
The continued emergence of youngsters Tom Falls, Clancy Bland, Jaron Murphy and Matthew Coen has been a major positive and all four will be required again this week as their side look’s to break its losing streak and regain touch with the top-five.
Whittlesea was victorious in its last trip to War Memorial Park, where it scored an upset five-point win in the final round of the 2016 home and away season, thanks largely to six goals from Justin Sherman.
Eltham and West Preston-Lakeside square off at Eltham Central Park in a contest that pits sixth against fourth.
After a string of heavy losses, the Panthers got their season back on track prior to the break with two-consecutive wins – with only poor percentage now keeping them outside the top-five.
Anton Woods has been outstanding all season for Eltham and particularly important in getting his side back to winning ways. The star on-baller has received 18 of a possible 20 votes in the Coaches Player of the Year over the past rounds and now leads all comers for the award.
Lewis Glasgow continued his good form in the win at Whittlesea and has made a strong return after an injury-plagued 2016, while Josh Merkel enjoyed a strong game at the Showgrounds and finished with three-goals.
West Preston-Lakeside needed until the final quarter to break free of a spirited Montmorency in Round 7, with a five-goal last term helping Rob Maiorana’s side to its fifth win of the season.
Despite a strong challenge from the Magpies, the Roosters’ 19-point winning margin at J.E Moore Park could have been far greater but for poor kicking at goal – with the home side recording 14 more scoring shots than their opponent.
Big man Steven Hiho was a strong presence around the ground, while Nathan Valladares was thrust forward and finished with four goals, with Ahmed Saad kept goalless for the first time this season.
Mathew Stokes made an impressive return and was named in the Roosters’ best players for the fourth time in five appearances, teaming up well with Shaun Gannon and Patrick Karnezis.
Montmorency hosts Hurstbridge at Montmorency Park, where both sides will be looking for a return to the winners’ list.
It is a big occasion for the Magpies, with two-time Frank Rosbrook medallist Daniel Keenan set to play his 300th club game. Keenan joined the Magpies from Hurstbridge in 2002 and has gone on to become one of the club’s most decorated players.
Ben Haynes’ side will look to use the occasion to further motivate itself as it looks to break a four-game losing streak. The Magpies will drop out of the top-five for the first time this season should they not get a win this weekend.
Connor Dalgleish and Billy Jenkin both played strong defensive games at West Preston-Lakeside, while Mark Deaves’ goal-kicking smarts were again on display as he netted five goals. His 25 majors in six matches give him the best goals-per-game ratio in the competition.
Hurstbridge came desperately close to scoring back-to-back home wins in its see-sawing contest against Greensborough and will look to bring that strong home form to Montmorency Park – a ground with similar dimensions to Ben Frilay Oval.
Sean Jellie and Troy and Trent Barbero battled manfully in the loss to Greensborough, while Aidan Clarke played his best game of the season.
The close loss denied the Bridges the chance to jump inside the top-five, however a win this weekend may just edge Trevor Little’s side into the top-half of the ladder, depending on results elsewhere.
