The Cougars are arguably the form side of the competition on the back of nine wins in their past 10 matches and are playing a quick and skilful brand of football under the 2012 AFCA Northern Region Coach of the Year, Jason Heatley.
They have winners all over the field and are playing with a cohesion which makes them a genuine threat to claim a surprise premiership win.
In the middle, skipper Bronik Davies and Doug Morris are getting their hands on everything, while the drive out of the back half from Nick Carter, Paul Scanlon and Anthony Hogan is becoming too much to contain for opposition teams.
Carter was a clear best on ground in last week’s 20-point win over the Bulls in the first semi final. His over-head marking enables him to not only shut down an opponent but cut off many forward thrusts, while his execution by foot is exemplary.
It’s a common trait amongst many of his Northcote Park teammates, with each of Scanlon, Hogan, Shaun Lorenzini and Michael O’Connell possessing foot skills which can quickly open up the ground and tear their opposition to shreds.
Up forward, Mitch Papas, Koden Colman, Narby Kelly and Daniel Rajab continue to cause headaches with their hard-leading and commitment to work for one another and each commands a quality defender.
Yet, despite Northcote Park’s excellent form of late, Montmorency still heads into the preliminary final as favourite following a superb home and away season in which it won 15 of 18 games – including two victories over this weekend’s opponent.
It has not lost consecutive games since Round 4 last year when it lost the opening four games of the 2011 season and will be hell-bent to not exit this year’s finals series in straight sets after claiming a deserved minor premiership.
The Magpies were slow out of the blocks last weekend against Heidelberg and trailed by 25 points in next to no time. Given the Tigers’ final winning margin was 20 points there were still positives for the side to take out of the loss, but it’s safe to say they will require a better start this Sunday.
Pat Fitzgerald continued his fine form up forward and kicked a team-high four goals to take his season’s tally to 45, and Montmorency’s forward stocks will be further bolstered with the return of star forward Kayne Pettifer after serving a two-match suspension following his side’s Round 17 win over the Cougars.
Pettifer is the club’s leading goal kicker this season with 48 goals but will have his hands full with in-form defender Ben McNiece likely to be in his back pocket for most of the afternoon.
Both contests between the sides have been tight this year, with Montmorency just holding on for a nail-biting six-point win in the Round 8 clash at Montmorency Park, while the most recent encounter at Bill Lawry Oval was much closer than the final 45-point margin would suggest.
The Cougars led at the conclusion of the opening three quarters before the visitors broke the game open with a seven-goal to one final term.
HEAD TO HEAD IN 2012
Round 17: Northcote Park 8.4 (52) def by Montmorency 12.14 (86)
Round 8: Montmorency 14 10 (94) def Northcote Park 13.10 (88)
