After a thrilling rematch of the opening round last weekend, some matchups remained the same, while a few unexpected changes emerged heading into Round 11 of the Melbourne Greyhounds Division 1 season.
Banyule will aim to put last week’s loss behind them as they host Greensborough at Beverley Road Oval.
Back in Round 1, the Bears looked confident with a 31-point win over Montmorency, yet on Saturday they were met with a dominant defeat at the hands of the Magpies.
Daniel Owen has made a major impact throughout most of the season, kicking 17 goals, three of which came in last weekend’s performance.
Noah Wheeler and Nicholas Biscontin each received three coaches’ MVP votes, with Wheeler collecting a total of seven across his last two games.
After back-to-back defeats, the Bears need to leave everything on the field this weekend to steady their position and regain their winning streak.
On the other hand, Greensborough are soaring through the middle of the season, riding a three-game winning streak following their victory over Hurstbridge. This sits them at third place, coming straight up from 6th.
The Borough took full advantage of their home ground, running over the top of the Bridges to secure a 30-point win.
Rayden Garrard had a standout performance, booting five goals and earning eight coaches’ MVP votes. Meanwhile, Benjamin Fisher kicked a career-high four goals, helping lead the team to victory.
Harrison Andronaco was central to the Borough’s success, yet could potentially be out due to VFL duties which could be damaging against Banyule.
Back in Round 2, Banyule came away with a 15-point victory. But with both teams in contrasting form now, the outcome could be very different this time around at Beverley Road Reserve.
Yulong Reserve will host Bundoora and North Heidelberg in another highly anticipated game.
Bundoora regained confidence last weekend as they claimed their second victory of the year against Eltham by six points.
Scoring a perfect 10 coaches MVP last weekend, Riley Greene, returned to the Bulls from his VFL duties. John Jorgensen additionally returned from the VFL to add four goals on the board for his side.
Isaac McMillan has made a massive difference, scoring six coaches MVP votes, with a total of nine in the last two games.
Following a string of solid wins, North was defeated by the unbeatable Tigers by 86 points on their home ground.
However, North has tightened the margin since their last 130-point loss against Heidelberg back in Round 2.
Lachlan Smith has been a standout for North, slotting 13 goals over the past three rounds.
Alo Tiatia and Jesse Wallin have also been instrumental earning second and third best on against the Tigers.
The Bulls and Bulldogs first meeting saw North Heidelberg claim their first win under Kasey Duncan, defeating Bundoora by 13 points at Shelley Street Reserve.
Hurstbridge returns to Ben Frilay Oval in a head-to-head match with Eltham, looking to defend their home turf and turn the momentum in their favour.
The Bridges lost a crucial game to Greensborough, which sits them at 5th following three losses in a row.
Key players like Mitch Moschetti and Matthew Nagel will need to keep delivering strong performances to help turn their season around.
Cameron Wild was also impactful, kicking three goals along with scoring three coaches MVP votes.
Similarly, Eltham suffered a close six-point loss against Bundoora, a game they would’ve like to have won in order to boost their form this season.
In Round 1, Eltham just claimed a one-point victory against the Bulls, highlighting just how evenly matched these two teams are.
In his very first senior game for the 2025 season, Matthew Keys kicked four goals and has proved great potential for the Panthers.
A utility for the team, James Marchbank, earnt two coaches MVP votes, along with Cooper James gaining seven coaches MVP votes and kicking four goals as well.
Hurstbridge won by 46 points in their last encounter back in Round 2, and will be eager to claim another win against the Panthers.
Heidelberg returns to Warringal Park on Saturday, ready to face off against West Preston-Lakeside in front of a big home crowd.
The Tigers are sitting at a comfortable 12 ladder points above all teams, and will look to impress once again.
In his 9th time in best for 10 games this season, reigning Frank Rosbrook Medallist Tom Keys consistently shines every week, especially after his three-goal performance against the Roosters.
This weekend could see the return of key midfielder Dylan Clarke for the Tigers, which could be a boost against Eltham.
West Preston built on their three-win tally with a 24-point triumph over South Morang, allowing them to climb further up the ladder.
For the Roosters, Matthew Harman gained eight coaches MVP votes which puts him at an impressive 41 for the season.
In Round 2 of the 2025 season, Heidelberg secured a 60-point win, a relatively modest margin compared to many of their dominant performances this year.
Montmorency are eager to claim their sixth consecutive win this season against South Morang at Mill Park Lakes Reserve.
South Morang will continue to focus on rebuilding after another loss to West-Preston.
Tyrone Leonardis and Koby van Zwienen are constant standouts for the Lions, both collecting multiple votes throughout the season.
The Magpies are riding high after a crucial win over Banyule, overturning their Round 1 result.
Currently sitting second on the ladder, they’ll be determined to hold their spot just behind Heidelberg.
Jake Spencer, Montmorency’s ruckman, played his first senior game since 2023 on weekend and showed up with a massive eight coaches MVP votes as he dominated in the middle.
Defenders Billy Jenkin and Ben Davis both earnt five coaches MVP votes for their excellent defensive pressure against the Bears.
Back in April, Montmorency claimed the win on their home turf, but South Morang will look to capitalise on their own home-ground advantage to try and turn the tables this time.
