Three important matches will take place in the first weekend of the Melbourne Greyhounds Division 1 split round, with the results of those games set to have a big impact on the ladder.
Macleod will get one step closer to entering the top five if they can defeat Bundoora at De Winton Park.
The Roos are building back their momentum slowly having won three of their last four matches, albeit all of their opponents in that stretch were bottom five sides.
It sets up a brutal run home in which they face all top five sides in the remaining five weeks of the home and away season.
But as they say, to be the best you’ve got to beat the best and Craig Hayes side will be fortunate to be facing a Bundoora outfit who are looking to break a losing streak.
Lucas Hobbs continues to stand out for the Roos, making an impact both in the midfield and up forward while Kurt Manuel has strung together a nice couple of weeks also.
The Bulls will have to shake off the disappointment of last week’s defeat to Hurstbridge quickly if they’re to gain some form heading into the finals.
They still have a comfortable six-point gap from the fourth placed West Preston-Lakeside, but with huge clashes against Greensborough and Montmorency to follow, Michael Ryan’s side will need to ensure they bank all the wins they can against bottom five sides.
Co-captain Luke Collins has had an excellent 2022 campaign. He was named in the best last week for the eighth time this season and the Bulls will be looking towards him again this week to lead them out of their down patch.
Bundoora cruised to a 77-point victory when these sides last met in Round 8, but with much more on the line this time around, expect a closer affair.
Hurstbridge will hope to go one better following their incredible win last week when they face ladder leaders Heidelberg at Ben Frilay Oval.
The Bridges will still be sky high after producing the upset of the season to date when they defeated Bundoora away from home by 15 points.
22-year-old Joel Naylor put together his best performance in a Hurstbridge jumper, kicking seven majors against a strong Bulls defence with Sunny Brazier also excellent around the ground.
As a result, Hurstbridge not only broke a nine-game losing streak but more importantly, climbed off the bottom of the ladder as they look to avoid relegation.
Despite the heroics of their triumph over the Bulls, repeating the feat this week may be a challenge too far against a Heidelberg side who don’t look like losing.
The Tigers have won ten consecutive games and are coming into this clash off the back of a statement making 50-point win over the second placed Montmorency.
Danny Nolan’s side have established a two-game lead on top of the ladder and are all but set to claim their first minor premiership since 2016.
Whilst the Tigers are expected to win comfortably, the Bridges will look to put out a strong challenge in front of their home fans.
West Preston-Lakeside will also look to build on recent form as they host Northcote Park at J.E. Moore Park.
When these two sides last met in Round 3, the Roosters put in an unconvincing display against the then winless Cougars but did prevail by 15 points.
Since then, incredibly, West Preston-Lakeside have only won two more games than Northcote Park this season, but the Roosters are on a three-game winning streak and as we’ve come to expect from this side before, they may be hitting form at the right time.
They most recently put in an impressive performance against finals hopeful North Heidelberg, winning comfortably by 60 points to move up to fourth spot on the ladder.
Rob Maiorana’s side will still be eyeing off a double chance spot by the end of the season, as they sit six points away from third placed Bundoora and facing just two top five sides in their last five games, anything is possible.
Their opponents this weekend in Northcote Park will be impressed with their improvement this season, producing three victories after going winless last season.
But the reality is, they’re still a possibility to be relegated by season’s end if they can’t pick any more points. They’ll be hoping for the return of Reed Jepson, Matthew ad Jordan Perry, Bnejamin McNeice and Jordan Schroder to help bolster their chances of survival.
If they can at least put in a gallant performance against the reigning premiers on Saturday, then it will put Stephen Saddington’s side in good stead ahead of vital games against fellow relegation rivals Whittlesea and Hurstbridge.
