A mini elimination final headlines the penultimate round of the 2023 Melbourne Greyhounds Division 1 home and away campaign.
Finals could be locked in by the end of Saturday when Greensborough and Hurstbridge meet at Greensborough War Memorial Park.
Fifth spot has chopped and changed between the Boro and the Bridges in the second half of the season, with the former currently occupying the position after last weekend’s results.
A five goal to one opening term against third-placed North Heidelberg paved the way for one of Greensborough’s better victories during Saade Ghazi’s tenure at the club.
Jack Johnston and Angus Seivers starred in defence once again whilst Daniel Ferronato and Brody Glenn impacted the scoreboard with three goals each.
Meanwhile, despite having only two less scoring shots, inaccuracy hurt Joel Cordwell’s side last week, kicking 13 behinds and just four goals in their 37-point defeat to Bundoora.
The form of Will Cookson and Ethan Taylor continue to be shining lights for the Bridges in recent weeks while Mitchell Moschetti came back into the lineup and had an immediate impact.
Inaccuracy also hurt Hurstbridge in their last meeting with Greensborough at Ben Frilay Oval, kicking 5.14 in a 22-point loss back in Round 8
The stakes are high in this contest, with a Boro victory moving them to an unassailable six-point buffer from Hurstbridge heading into the final round.
A Hurstbridge win meanwhile would see them move back into fifth and with Macleod at home in their final game they can all but lock in a finals spot.
It’s all set up to be an enthralling contest at Greensborough War Memorial Park.
Macleod will hope for a more competitive effort this weekend when they welcome a Bundoora outfit looking to lock in a double chance spot at De Winton Park.
Craig Hayes’ men have come up against the top two sides in competition throughout the last two weekends, with both results not going in their favour.
They’ve only scored 47 points whilst conceding 255 points in those defeats to Heidelberg and Montmorency and as a result, are now ranked eighth in the competition for least points against.
What has been a positive for the Roos despite those heavy defeats is the strong spread of contributors alongside the consistent form of Darcy Barden, who has now been named in his side’s best for three consecutive games.
They face a Bundoora side who returned to third place on the ladder following a strong fortnight against the Boro and the Bridges.
The form of Jedd Longmire and Sam Lloyd in particular has seen the Bulls double their respective opponents’ score in the last fortnight. Longmire especially has been excellent in his last three games for the club and will be a key contributor for his side come finals time.
Despite some resilience from the opposition, Michael Ryan’s men got the job done last time around against Macleod, continuing their good track record against the Roos in recent history.
The Bulls would be considered favourites in this match, but they will be wary of a Roos outfit that can pile on a big score and have nothing to lose coming into this contest.
Banyule has started to find form in recent weeks but will now face a massive test in the shape of a red-hot Montmorency at Beverley Road Oval.
Paul Harris’ side has started to click into gear after a mid-season slump, winning two of their last three games.
Last weekend, it was against Whittlesea at the Showgrounds, where they broke the game open in the second term to produce a strong 55-point triumph.
The match highlighted Xavier Mitchell’s scoring ability as for the second time in 2023, he kicked four majors.
Vivian Blackmore-Moore also continued his brilliant form, kicking two majors and being named in his side’s best for a third consecutive week.
They’ll hope that form can stack up against Montmorency, who come into this match comfortably in second position, having had three huge wins in a row.
Sounding like a broken record, the form of Marcus Lentini and Patrick Fitzgerald has been imperious, with both players again starring last weekend in a 45-point win over West Preston-Lakeside.
Connor Kane has also stood up in recent weeks and has been named in the Magpies best in three of his last four games.
Jonathan Manzoney’s men had a comfortable victory over Banyule when they last met, as in his 250th game, Fitzgerald booted six majors to help secure a 73-point triumph.
The Bears will aim for an improved effort on their home deck while the Magpies will hope their oustanding form continues as they approach finals.
North Heidelberg have the perfect opportunity to bounce back this weekend when they host Whittlesea at Shelley Street Reserve.
Jason Heatley’s side lost their first game since Round 10 last weekend as despite their best efforts in the final term, they went down by 12 points to Greensborough.
Their in-form goalkickers in Jhye Baddeley-Kelley and Majak Daw were kept quiet inside 50 but Jake Brown impressed and stepped up in the absence of Liam Hunt to make it two straight weeks in his side’s best.
Having now slipped out of the top three, the Bulldogs will be determined to get back to their best against a Whittlesea side who are hoping to cause a huge upset away from home.
Although they didn’t get the four points against Banyule last week, the Eagles had patches of competitive play.
That included a four-goal effort from Caleb Newport as well as a brilliant performance from captain Xavier Dimasi.
The Bulldogs kept the Eagles to just four goals whilst booting their fifth consecutive score of 100 points or more when the two sides faced off in Round 8.
As they look to return to a top three position, expect North Heidelberg to be tough to beat again, especially at home.
The Heidelberg train rolls into J.E. Moore Park this weekend when they face ninth-placed West Preston-Lakeside.
Since their draw with second-placed Montmorency, the Tigers have continued to produce incredible performance after incredible performance and have now won their last four matches by an average of 70 points.
While their stars have led the way more often than not throughout the last month, their win against Macleod last week came thanks to Mackenzie Hogg, who booted five majors.
Heidelberg will look destined to seal back-to-back minor premierships when they face West Preston-Lakeside this weekend.
The Roosters continue to play for pride ahead of the second match a three-game slate that sees them face the current top three in the competition.
They were no match for Montmorency last week, but they did again see the efforts of arguably their best player this season in Max Dreher.
He has been an excellent contributor in 2023, having been named in his side’s best in 10 of 15 games, and will definitely push the case for a Team of the Year selection come the end of the season.
It was a scrappy affair last time out at Warringal Park, with a six-goal to one second half seeing the Tigers over the line despite trailing at half time.
They’ve now won their last three against the Roosters and will go in as heavy favourites once again as they look to make it 14 straight games without loss.
