Following a weekend of upsets, the top-five could become closer to working themselves out heading into Round 14 in MC Labour Division 2.
With both Thomastown and Epping enjoying a bye this weekend, certain teams can capitalise by push their chances to secure an all-important finals spot, while the bottom place on the ladder could also change hands if Fitzroy Stars can score an upset.
The highlight of the weekend will be the clash between fifth-placed Diamond Creek and sixth-placed St Mary’s at Whatmough Park.
The Burra simply must snag a big win if they are to challenge for finals action and this very much looks like an early elimination final for them on their home deck.
Despite playing at home, St Mary’s will enter as underdogs after they succumbed to an upset defeat against Panton Hill last week – falling by 14 points after smashing the Redbacks by 105 points when they met back in Round 4.
St Mary’s struggled to gain any ascendancy throughout the entire day, despite a four-goal haul from Nicholas Dean that secured him two Coaches’ MVP Award votes.
There were also contributions from Tane Cotter (two goals) and Myles Guldon (two goals) also helped in the disappointing loss, but it was Joseph Maggio who shone most as the Burra’s best player on a difficult day.
Diamond Creek atoned for its shocker at Eltham Central Park, with an 89-point triumph over Epping at Coventry Oval last Saturday.
Ryan Pingree led the way up forward with a bag of five majors, while the lethal combo of Ty Franks (9 Coaches’ MVP Award votes) and Jaspa Watson (8 votes) wreaked havoc.
Nine different goal kickers highlighted the Creekers’ depth, as an 11-goal second half signalled their ability to finish the season strongly and secure a finals berth.
Diamond Creek romped to a 56-point win when these sides met in Round 7, however they will be wary of a Burra side which is playing for its season this week.
After lodging their first loss of the season, Banyule will be fired up to respond hard when they host Watsonia at Beverley Road Oval.
The Bears never could gain control of their top-of-the-table clash with Lower Plenty last week, slipping five goals behind during the second term of their contest at Montmorency Park South Oval.
They nearly made up the differential halfway through the final term, closing within five points mainly through a virtuoso performance by Jack Langford (6 goals and 8 Coaches’ MVP Award votes), but a late fadeout saw them lose by 41 points.
On a tough day, Reuben Blackmore-Moore did his chances of figuring highly in the league MVP award no harm with a solid display in the midfield, while former Essendon player Ricky Dyson gave his all in defence.
Watsonia faces a strong test against the competition’s top placed side this week, but they proved in last Saturday’s four-point defeat to Eltham that they can stay in contests with the league’s best sides.
In a tight slog, the Saints led by three points entering time on, before conceding the only goal of the last quarter late in the contest that saw them fall behind.
Will Scriven, Benjamin McKenzie and Adrian Saccuzzo were all strong performers in the low-scoring match and will need to dig deep once again if they are to go one better against Banyule.
Having taken a massive leap forward in their bid to secure their place in second division in 2022, Panton Hill can now go to another level if they can account for Eltham.
Panton Hill were exceptional in last week’s upset triumph over St Mary’s, taking the game on constantly before finally overrunning the Burra in the final term to secure one of their most memorable wins in this division.
The midfield combination of Samuel Parks (9 Coaches’ MVP Award votes and 3 goals) and Isaac Silic (9 votes and 3 goals) lit Whatmough Park up and helped the Redbacks seize control of the game.
Nick Parks and Riley Cousins were also huge in the upset victory and will look towards their clash with Eltham as a chance to continue their momentum.
But Eltham have found some toughness in crunch situations in the past month, headlined by a gritty four-point win over Watsonia last Saturday, where they weren’t at their best but still managed to secure a vital win that kept them in third place on the ladder.
Michael Still’s presence up forward was as important as ever in rough conditions, finishing with three goals, while Daniel Jarvis did his bit to push Eltham over the line – booting two goals, including the match winner in time-on.
It was once again Jackson Weatherald who led all comers with 9 Coaches’ MVP Award votes, while Daniel McLinden and Ben Montanaro were also key contributors in a crucial win for the Panthers.
In the final game of the round, Lower Plenty will be keen to consolidate their wonderful form when they take on the Fitzroy Stars.
Lower Plenty shook up the competition last week, drawing level with Banyule on top of the ladder after their big 41-point win. The result was Lower’s ninth win on the trot, and they now sit just percentage off top spot.
Ben Paterson played a complete game to take home the full 10 Coaches’ MVP Award votes, while Thomas Blake (6 votes) and Tom Keys (3 votes) were also instrumental through the middle – helping to cover for the loss of Josh Turner to an early injury.
Bags of five goals from Paterson and Billy Barden headlined the high-scoring feast in front of goal, while a hat-trick of majors to Keys also kept the scoreboard ticking over regularly.
The Bears will be intent on further stretching their winning streak, and this week will come up a Fitzroy Stars outfit which knows it can jump a win clear of Epping if it can find a way to produce an upset.
Early inaccuracy cost Fitzroy dearly against Thomastown last week, with the Stars booting a wayward 1.7 in the opening quarter.
They were left to rue the early misses, with Thomastown steadily getting on top to run away with a 69-point loss and secure the NAIDOC Cup.
James Dau was the only multiple goal-kicker for the Stars on a tough day, while the consistency of Aaron Lynn was a highlight.
Firmly locked in the scrap to avoid relegation, the Stars will have to ensure they don’t lose faith in a daunting contest against the league’s most in-form team – with percentage likely to play a big part in this year’s relegation battle.
