The last time the Panthers were ladder leaders of the top flight after eight rounds was back in 1974, the same season they last won a Division 1 premiership.
Eltham’s resurgence in 2012 has come as a great surprise, but on closer inspection there were many indications which pointed to a rise up the ladder for the men from Panther Place.
The club acted swiftly to last season’s eighth place finish and promptly appointed Brett Weatherald to replace Craig Hayes as senior coach.
Weatherald quickly set about creating a more professional environment at Eltham – appointing line coaches to accelerate the development of each of the club’s back, midfield and forward lines.
The return of Chris Varsamakis has added greater skill and composure to an already capable midfield, while Jackson Weatherald’s comeback from a season-ending shoulder injury has been impressive – booting 19 goals in seven games, including a haul of seven in the Panthers’ two-point win over Montmorency in Round 2.
Brendan O’Sullivan, Lachie Richardson and Gavan Connelly have all had magnificent starts to 2012 and have ensured that Eltham’s transition from defence to attack is the cleanest in the competition.
Following his appointment as coach, Weatherald promised a more defensive-minded side this year, and a quick look at the stats show that Eltham is conceding far fewer points in 2012.
The Panthers this year concede an average of 89 points a game, a significant improvement on 2011 when it coughed up 101 points per game. The side has managed to also score slightly more freely this season, averaging 109 points a game, an improvement of eight points on last year’s average.
Skipper Paul Currie is having a season to savour and his 25 goals have him placed second on the goalkicking table, behind only Gary Moorcroft who has 31 to date. His height and mobility have caused headaches for opposition defences and his ability to share the forward 50m with Weatherald and Mark Keenan means Eltham has three key forwards to kick to when moving into attack.
Bundoora suffered its first hiccup in its 2011 premiership defence when it fell so its first loss of the season at Northcote Park last Saturday.
The Bulls led the Cougars by six points at half time but were only able to muster two goals in trying conditions in the second half as they fell to a 21-point defeat.
Last week aside, Bundoora has been magnificent so far this season and still looks to be the team to beat after playing some inspired football during the opening six rounds.
Its 62-point win over West Preston-Lakeside in Round 1 sent a clear message to competition, while wins over Greensborough and Heidelberg showed the club still holds an edge over its fellow finals aspirants.
Brayden Shaw’s form has contributed significantly to the Bulls maintaining their place atop the ladder. The skipper has found plenty of the footy in 2012 and has been able to sneak forward with success, booting nine goals already this season just one shy of his tally of 10 last year.
Matthew Dennis has assumed the mantle of No.1 ruckman from John Kreuzer and would be the favourite to be named first ruck in the Coaches Team of the Year at this early stage of the season.
Trent Barbero seems to have elevated his game to another leader and could be a smoky for Bundoora’s best and fairest award, while Salvatore Mamone looks to have made a seamless transition into senior football and has become a goal sneak.
Despite its dominance over most of the competition over the past few seasons, Bundoora has struggled against Eltham in recent times and has had trouble quelling the Panthers’ pace on the outside.
The sides are locked at two apiece from their past four outings, with Eltham victorious by 41 points in their most recent meeting.
Importantly for the Panthers, they have form on this ground having claimed a come-from-behind win at Yulong Reserve in 2010 before pushing the Bulls for four quarters in a tight game last season.
Past four meetings:
Bundoora 2, Eltham 2
Rd 15, 2011: Eltham 18.7 (115) def Bundoora 11.8 (74)
Rd 2, 2011: Bundoora 12.15 (87) def Eltham 8.9 (57)
EF, 2010: Bundoora 17.9 (111) def Eltham 15.12 (102)
Rd 10, 2010: Bundoora 13.12 (90) def by Eltham 15.17 (107)
