A host of upset results has brought new life into Meadows Greyhounds Division 1 as we reach the midway point of the home and away season.
Only one side in the bottom-five suffered a loss in Round 8, meaning the finals race has suddenly been broken wide open, with just wins separating fourth-placed Bundoora and bottom-placed Lower Plenty.
If last week’s matches are anything to go by, it would be unjust to draw a line through the finals hopes of any side – although some may need a lot more luck than others to finish in the top half.
Every game this weekend looks pivotal in shaping not only the top-five, but also the battle to avoid the drop to second division. Given the evenness of the competition, just one result could turn a side from a finals aspirant into a relegation threat.
Second spot on the ladder is on the line when Heidelberg hosts North Heidelberg at Warringal Park in this year’s second instalment of the Heidelberg derby.
With Greensborough setting a cracking pace out in front, this week’s match-up could determine which side is best placed to challenge the Boro in the second half of the season.
Heidelberg missed a golden opportunity to move six points clear in second place when it lost to Lower Plenty by four points in the upset of the season last week.
Ahead by 22 points early in the last term, the Tigers looked destined to move 7-1 but conceded six of the last seven goals to lose by four points. It was an untimely slip-up ahead of such a crunch game this week, which the Tigers can now ill-afford to lose.
North Heidelberg enters off the back of a draw and a loss in its past two starts but will likely enter with great confidence having convincingly won its past three matches against the Tigers – which includes a 44-point triumph in the Round 4 match at Shelley Reserve.
North Heidelberg won the midfield battle in the earlier clash between the two sides, with the Bulldogs’ intensity around the contest and quick ball movement vital in determining the result on a day when wet conditions didn’t suit Heidelberg’s tall forwards.
It’s once again hard to go past Shane Harvey as the central figure in determining this week’s result. The Bulldogs superstar kicked seven goals in the win over the Tigers earlier this year and booted 15 across the two fixtures between the sides in 2018.
Both sides will be hopeful of getting key players back for the season-defining game, with Jack Blair, Chaz Sargeant and Matt Cecchin all sidelined during Heidelberg’s loss at Lower Plenty, while Jesse Tardio has missed the past two for the Bulldogs and Jhye Baddeley-Kelly was absent from the draw with Macleod after lining up for Vic Metro’s under-25 side.
Hurstbridge and West Preston-Lakeside meet at Ben Frilay Oval in a crunch match for both sides.
Despite sitting in seventh and ninth place respectively, the Bridges and Roosters have rescued their campaigns in recent weeks, and both enter this week’s game in great form.
Hurstbridge has won three of its past four games and can push within percentage of the top-five with another win this week. Such is the even nature of the competition, a loss could leave it as low as ninth. Crunch game indeed!
The Bridges created history last weekend with their first ever win over Bundoora. The triumph was even more meritorious given the game was played at Yulong Reserve and the Bridges conceded six of the opening seven goals.
After taking time to warm into the season, the Bridges line-up is starting to gel together with experienced campaigners Daniel Keenan and Ryan Jackson leading the way and getting plenty of support from emerging types such as Cooper Perrin and Mitch Dale.
Cameron Cloke’s presence has created more opportunities for Hurstbridge’s other forwards and this week’s line-up could also include Jack Donnelly – who kicked 11 goals in the opening six weeks before missing the past two games. Jack Furlong is also a chance to return.
West Preston-Lakeside goes into this week’s game on the back of successive wins. Despite currently sitting only percentage off the bottom of the table, the Roosters must now be considered a very realistic finals chance if they can notch a third win this week. How the tables have turned in just a matter of weeks.
It’s the manner of the wins in recent weeks which must have the Roosters faithful feeling optimistic about what can be achieved going forward. A 93-point thrashing of Lower Plenty was backed up by an equally impressive runaway win over Montmorency.
You just have to look at the names which have returned to the side in recent weeks to understand where the improved form has come from, with Aiden Tilley, Sam Glover, Garrett McDonagh, Joel McDonald and Matthew Signorello all bolstering the line-up.
Glover and Michael Marotta both had a big impact in the 26-point triumph over Montmorency, although both have featured for Collingwood’s VFL line-up recently and the Magpies return from a bye this week. Glover has been named in the Magpies’ best in three of his four games this year.
Jackson Clarke could well be the man who gets first crack at Cameron Cloke after a producing a sterling job on Patrick Fitzgerald last week – keeping the in-form Magpies star to just one goal.
Macleod returns to De Winton Park for the first time since May 25 when it hosts Northcote Park in a vital game for both sides.
After starting the season with four-straight losses, the Roos have taken two wins and a draw from their past four starts, while Northcote Park has been the competition’s worst performed side in the same period – losing its past four games by an aggregate of 284 points.
Of equally grave concern for the Cougars is the fact that Macleod has won the past five head-to-head games between the sides by an average of 71 points – which includes wins by 64 and 84 points at De Winton Park.
The Roos look to have turned a corner over the past month and are starting to become accustomed to their new style of play under Christian Stagliano. Their pressure and intensity against North Heidelberg was particularly noteworthy.
Importantly, the club’s key forwards are starting to find form with Reid Brandt booting five goals and Patrick Martin three against the Bulldogs, while youngster Jordan Corelli looked lively despite kicking just one.
Despite their improved form, this looks a game the Roos cannot afford to lose if they are to contend for finals. A loss would leave them 10 points behind the Cougars entering the back half of the year, which may prove too big a gap to bridge.
Northcote Park’s recent woes continued last weekend when it fell to an 84-point defeat to Greensborough at Bill Lawry Oval. The Cougars were within 20 points at half time but were outscored 4.1 to 14.5 in the second half.
The Cougars were left one short early in the first term when Nik McNiece went down with a knee injury – far from ideal given they were already facing the ladder-leader without the likes of Jordan Perry, Nick Carter, Bronik Davies, Lachlan Boscarini Jake Mills and Michael Naldrett.
While results over the past month have been brutal, the Cougars’ great start to the 2019 campaign means they still find themselves inside the top-five and a win over Macleod this week could push them two games clear inside the top half of the table if all results go their way.
The Cougars do possess enough tall timber to trouble a Macleod side which isn’t blessed with height throughout the field. Kyle Galloway continues to perform well in the ruck and as always Ash Close and Jackson Starcevich will provide a big threat inside forward 50m.
One area Northcote Park must address is its second-half fadeouts, which have been alarming in recent weeks. Over the past five matches the Cougars have been outscored 17.27 to 48.25 after half time – meaning they have been outscored by an average of 36 points.
Lower Plenty hosts Bundoora at Montmorency Park South Oval in a match that suddenly looks less clear cut than it would have one week earlier.
The Bears will enter with renewed vigour after last week ending a six-game losing streak, while the Bulls have lost three of their past four and their place inside the top-five is suddenly looking shaky.
Despite taking some heavy defeats along the way, a 2-6 record is creditable for the Bears and the club has something to work with as it aims to avoid the drop in its first season back in Division 1.
Last week’s win over Heidelberg was vital, but it wasn’t just the final result which would have impressed those within the club.
Tom Keys made an emphatic return to form with a best on ground display after an injury-plagued start to the year and showed he is one of the competition’s most dominant players when at his best. Keys ability to win the hard ball both at ground level and in the air makes him almost impossible to stop when at his best.
Corey Sleep will command plenty attention from Bundoora’s coaching staff this week after booting six goals against the Tigers. The young star finished second in Lower Plenty’s best and fairest in last year’s premiership campaign, however last week’s performance may very well have been his best at senior level.
Tom Blake has been admirable in the ruck in the absence of Patrick Flynn and competed well against in-form Tigers star Sam Gilmore last week. He will again have his hands full against Matty Dennis this week in what looms as an important battle.
It’s a massive day coming overall for Lower Plenty, who will also host a premiership reunion for its 1979 and 1999 sides.
The seniors will wear heritage jumpers sponsored by Damien Hanan from CustomBuild Group, while former St Kilda goal sneak Stephen Milne will play a one-off game for the club.
Bundoora was without Daniel Guccione and Dale Marshall last week, but would have expected to defeat Hurstbridge, particularly with the likes of Luke Collins and Nathan Thomas returning to the side.
While the final result was disappointing, the Bulls did find one future star in 19-year-old John Jorgensen. The young tall joined the Bulls from Fitzroy this season and booted a game-high four goals in just his second senior match.
Bundoora was a convincing winner when the sides met in Round 4 at Yulong Reserve. Bailey Thompson and Dale Marshall were instrumental as the Bulls raced to a 49-point lead at half time, before easing to a 70-point triumph. The Bulls will hope for a similar result this week to strengthen their grasp on fourth place.
The round concludes with Greensborough hosting Montmorency at Greensborough War Memorial Park.
The Boro will be looking to maintain their healthy buffer atop the ladder, while Montmorency is hunting an upset win which could propel it inside the top-five.
If last week’s results demonstrated the relative evenness of the competition, it also proved just how far ahead of the chasing pack Greensborough stands as we approach the midway point of the season.
The Boro have already opened an eight-point gap at the top of the ladder. Their percentage – a whopping 224.29 – makes that advantage effectively three games. That could stretch further if the Boro win this week and North Heidelberg defeats Heidelberg at Warringal Park.
A quick look at the Coaches MVP voting outlines Greensborough’s stronghold on the competition. Tom Bell and Charlie Molyneux sit equal-third – just three votes behind leader Jesse Donaldson. Jack Johnston, Nick Riddle and Chris Clark also feature inside the top-ten vote winners.
Ben Fennell again demonstrated his match-winning ability with five goals in the win over Northcote Park, while Andrew Stellas and Brody Tickell continued their rich vein of form.
For the second-successive week Montmorency missed an opportunity to push inside the top-five when it let slip a half-time lead to go down against West Preston-Lakeside by 26 points. Remarkably, the Magpies now sit both a game from the top-five and bottom place.
Their 33-point defeat to Greensborough in Round 3 remains them one of just two sides to have finished within six goals of the Boro this season, but it must be acknowledged that the ladder-leader was wayward on the night and registered 16 more scoring shots.
The Magpies will certainly start as underdog this week, but what they certainly can’t afford is a heavy defeat and a large drop in percentage – which could be crucial in both their bid to stay alive in the finals race, and also to steer clear of the relegation scrap.
Jesse Donaldson’s stellar 2019 form continued in last week’s loss at J.E. Moore Park and he has now moved to the top of the Coaches MVP voting after polling votes for the sixth time in eight matches.
It was good to see Ben Walton return after a six-week layoff and the versatile tall capped his performance with two goals. The Magpies will hope his return can help aid Patrick Fitzgerald inside forward 50m – with Fitzgerald the only Magpie among the top 20 goal kickers in the competition.
