The Panthers have sat inside the top five for all but two weeks of the 2012 season and can open up an eight-point buffer on the bottom five should they win this weekend and Greensborough and Macleod lose their respective matches against West Preston-Lakeside and Heidelberg.
A victory for Northcote Park will push it inside the top five at the expense of Eltham, making it the first time the Cougars sit inside the top half of the ladder since beating Bundoora back in Round 7.
Northcote Park’s season looked just about over only three weeks ago when it slumped to eighth place on the ladder following a 33-point loss at Whittlesea.
However, the Cougars have sensationally reversed their fortunes in recent weeks – thumping Greensborough by 97 points before accounting for first-placed Heidelberg by 10 goals.
Their form against the top sides has been superb, beating both of last year’s grand finalists comfortably and running new-ladder leader Montmorency within six points away from home.
Skipper Bronik Davies, Paul Scanlon and Will Debruin are all in wonderful form in the middle of the ground, while the Cougars’ drive from half back has been a feature of late thanks largely to the work of Nick Carter, Anthony Hogan and Julian Violato.
Without a genuine key forward, Northcote Park’s makeshift forward setup has hit its straps in recent weeks. Koden Coleman has booted four goals in each of his past three matches, while Mitch Papas has eight from the past fortnight after kicking just six in the eight games prior.
Jake Mills returned for the win over Heidelberg after a three-match absence and adds another dimension to the forward setup, while Nyaburu Kelly’s move inside the forward 50m against Greensborough proved a masterstroke – kicking two goals and providing a hard-edge with his ferocious attack at the football.
Eltham returned to the winners’ list with a 43-point victory over Lower Plenty last week – the result ending a run of four straight losses for the once second-placed Panthers.
Injury has hit strongly over the past two months, but the Panthers are beginning to get a full-strength team back on the park with Jackson Weatherald and Brad Perry both returning against the Bears and Lachie Richardson, Brendan O’Sullivan and David Folino all in line for a recall on Saturday.
At their best, the Panthers have been able to move the ball from defensive to attack as well as any team in the competition and with those names returning, Saturday’s game should feature some of the cleanest and slickest ball movement seen this season.
Eltham will feel it has the forward line to stretch the Cougars, with Paul Currie looming as a real threat for Northcote Park’s defenders. The Eltham skipper has 42 goals for the season and sits third on the competition goal kicking table behind Bundoora duo Gary Moorcroft and Cameron Cloke.
Weatherhald will be better for the run against Lower Plenty and if he and Mark Keenan can fire, Eltham will certainly fancy its chances of claiming its seventh win of the season this weekend.
Ruckman Steven Foster’s tap work has been impressive in his first two games in red and black and his clash against Oliver McEwan shapes as a crucial one given the quality both sides possess through their midfield.
Nothing could separate the sides when they met at Bill Lawry Oval in Round 4 as they played out an 85-points apiece draw.
Both teams had late chances to win the game with a Jake Mills’ snap looking goal bound only to bounce at a right angle and into the behind post, before Leigh Cattogio’s set shot down the other end of the ground faded across the face and failed to score.
While the shared points proved an almost fitting result for two sides that appear so evenly matched this season, there is no question that coaches Brett Weatherald and Jason Heatley will demand nothing less than a win this time around.
Given the evenness of the competition this year, today’s result may just determine who plays finals this season with the loser precariously placed for the remainder of the year.
Past four meetings:
Eltham 1, Northcote Park 2
Round 4, 2012: Northcote Park 12.13 (85) drew with Eltham 13.7 (85)
Round 14, 2011: Northcote Park 19.9 (123) def Eltham 14.11 (95)
Round 1, 2011: Eltham 14.14 (98) def by Northcote Park 19.17 (131)
Round 18, 2010: Eltham 14.16 (100) def Northcote Park 13.14 (92)
