As we enter the final round of the Melbourne Greyhounds Division 1 home and away season, plenty of intrigue surrounds who will finish where within the top five.
There’s plenty on the line for both Banyule and North Heidelberg in their massive matchup at Beverley Road Oval this weekend.
Both the Bears and the Bulldogs currently sit inside the top half of the ladder, with the Dogs set to feature in September action regardless of this weekend’s result.
But for Banyule, it’s simply a must-win game if they are to play Division 1 senior men’s finals for the first time club history. If they don’t, they will need to rely on Macleod defeating Greensborough on Saturday if they want to avoid missing out on the top five on percentage.
Paul Harris and Ricky Dyson’s men were able to recapture some of their best form last weekend as they defeated West Preston-Lakeside by 28 points away from home.
Defender Nicholas Biscontin and midfielder Jack Sammartino returned to the side with immediate effect. Meanwhile with Daniel Owen and Sam McLarty getting back to their goalscoring best with four goals apiece, the Bears produced a triple figure total for the first time since Round 10.
Although they ticked off their first task of getting back on the winners list last week, their hurdle this Saturday could make or break their finals hopes.
North Heidelberg can finish as high as second, depending on other results, if they can pick up their 12th triumph of the season this weekend.
They do come into this match off a defeat however, with their five-game winning streak coming to an end at the hands of fellow top three hopeful Hurstbridge by 46 points in Round 17.
The Bulldogs were kept to their second lowest score of the season despite the likes of Lachlan Smith and Tom Wallis continuing to their stellar patches of form.
North Heidelberg have won all three of their meetings against the Bears to date, including in a thrilling one-point triumph back in Round 9. With some big implications for the loser of this game, this battle is shaping up to be just as close as that last meeting.
A double chance spot is up for grabs for Hurstbridge when they travel to Warringal Park to face minor premiers Heidelberg.
The Bridges have already locked up a second consecutive finals appearance following victories in their last three matches, leapfrogging North Heidelberg into third in the process.
Their last fortnight has been particularly impressive, highlighted by a 46-point triumph over North Heidelberg at Ben Frilay Oval.
Blake Fitzgerald maintained his status as one of Hurstbridge’s most important players ahead of finals action, following a best on ground performance in the win over the Bulldogs.
Joel Cordwell’s men also had a strong spread of avenues to goal in their victory, with nine individual goalkickers for their 14 total majors, headlined by Caelan Anderson and Kye Declase with three apiece.
They might need the same number of players or greater to find the big sticks again if they want to cause an upset and defeat the top of the ladder Tigers.
After their shock loss to Greensborough in Round 15, Heidelberg have now won back-to-back games by 141 and 75 points against West Preston-Lakeside and Eltham respectively.
Like their Saturday opponents, Vin Dattoli’s men have had no shortage of star contributors in their big victories throughout the previous fortnight.
Luke Bunker maintained Frank Rosbrook Medallist favouritism after another terrific display in midfield last week, and teammate Zane Barzen has kicked nine goals in his two matches since returning to the side.
Another player to keep an eye on approaching the finals is 2023 Team of the Year winger Brody Tardio, who has now been named in his side’s best in three straight matches and in four of his previous six games. His run and dash looks to be crucial again for the Tigers to maintain their dominance in the post-season.
Heidleberg will be eager to replicate their 105-point winning performance when they last played the Bridges in Round 9, but with a top three spot on the line, expect a more competitive Hurstbridge team.
Bundoora and Eltham will be looking to end their 2024 campaigns on a high note as they lock horns at Yulong Reserve.
Having both had tough opening halves to the season, the Bulls and Panthers have shown plenty of promise in the last two months to ensure their spot in the top flight for 2025.
Bundoora in particular has certainly proven it’s got a bright future, with three of their five wins to date coming against current top five outfits in Montmorency, Hurstbridge and Banyule.
Last weekend saw them produce their biggest triumph of the season, after defeating Macleod by 62 points at Yulong Reserve.
Twelve of the team’s 19 majors in last week’s came from Peter McEvoy (five goals), Jesse King (four) and Liam Mallia (three), with the latter earning best on ground honours after another terrific performance.
On Saturday they’ll look to earn a sixth win in 2024, when they face an Eltham side who have also improved throughout July and August.
The Panthers have been competitive but were unable to gain the points against finals bound sides in Heidelberg and North Heidelberg in the previous fortnight.
Tim Bongetti’s side got to within three goals of the ladder leaders in Round 17 but fell away after conceding 14 majors in the second half.
Highlights from their defeat included co-captain Lane Sinclair’s effort, finishing as his side’s best for the afternoon, and Sebastain Molloy, who booted four of his team’s 10 goals of the match to make it 13 majors in his last three matches.
A five goal to two final quarter saw the Panthers prevail in their last meeting against Bundoora back Round 9 at Eltham Central Park.
A replica performance on Saturday will see them equal the record they finished with in their previous top flight season in 2017, and while they faced relegation that year, the club can be rest assured that they will earn a spot in Division 1 in season 2025.
West Preston-Lakeside will look to spoil Montmorency’s chances of finishing inside the top three ahead of their clash at J.E. Moore Park.
The Roosters have the opportunity to end their season on a positive note in front of their local fans and claim their seventh win of the year.
With plenty of change at the club, it’s been somewhat of a successful campaign for Ian Aitken in his first season as senior men’s coach, having shored up safety weeks ago and even stayed in finals contention until the latter parts of the campaign.
West Preston-Lakeside were unable to do the double over Banyule in 2024 after going down by 28 points last week, however the likes of Cooper Shoebridge and Lennox Williams added more solid performances to their great seasons.
Luke Vincitorio has also made a senior spot his own in recent weeks and finished as his side’s best in the loss after kicking two majors. The 2024 NFNL Division 1 reserves best and fairest runner up has now kicked seven goals in his four games at senior level.
Montmorency come into this game with a lot more at stake, as they can secure a top three finish for third season in a row if they can claim the four points.
The Magpies have pulled through for two consecutive victories throughout the last couple of weeks, with their most recent win coming against Greensborough away from home.
It was Nash Holmes and Stefan Uzelac who stole the show in the 23-point triumph, with the pair looking to be in terrific form approaching the finals series.
A win here would also make it five consecutive triumphs over West Preston-Lakeside for Montmorency, with their last defeat to the Roosters coming in Round 18, 2022.
Macleod will end their current tenure in the top flight with a clash at De Winton Park against a Greensborough side looking to book a finals ticket.
The Roos chances of surviving relegation ended last weekend in their game at Yulong Reserve, going down convincingly to the Bulls by 62 points.
It ends a 15-year run in Division 1 for the club, which included a premiership in 2015 as well as four straight Grand Finals from 2015-2018.
On their home deck for the final time in 2024, Macleod will be eager to push for one more upset win this season, and after the solid form of Darcy Barden and Zac Hudson recently, as well as the return of Kurt Manuel last Saturday and the potential inclusion of Michael Hurley this week, banking the four points is certainly possible.
For Greensborough however, this is a must win clash if they have any hope of returning to the finals.
They’ve found themselves in this situation after back-to-back losses to Hurstbridge and Montmorency following their upset triumph over Heidelberg in Round 15, which has now seen them slip a game outside the top half of the ladder.
Matthew Hyde’s men certainly haven’t been disgraced in their recent defeats, with players such as Tom O’Sullivan, Ben Fisher and Jack Johnston all putting together consistently strong displays.
The Boro produced their biggest winning margin of the season during their last battle with Macleod, when they kicked 22 goals in a huge 81-point triumph back in Round 9.
A similar performance will give Greensborough plenty of confidence in the finals, should they be fortunate enough to sneak into the top five by week’s end.
