Three clubs are fighting for the double chance and a further two for fourth place as teams prepare for the final third of the Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3 home and away season.
Two sides managed to defeat opponents higher on the ladder last week which has added interest into how the final four will take shape.
Heidelberg West continued its impressive post-bye form with a 46-point win over Kilmore at Heidelberg Park. The Hawks broke away after an even first term with Tom Kimpton leading the way in the ruck with his best game of senior football.
Kimpton has spent time in the reserves, but now looks like a permanent fixture in the senior team as they push for a long-awaited finals berth.
Since the bye, Heidelberg West has beaten Old Eltham Collegians, led Laurimar by over four goals before being overrun late and then outplayed the Blues. The win by fifth ranked Hawks over the fourth placed Kilmore breathes life into the hunt for the last finals spot.
“We took some learnings from last week’s loss against Laurimar, we are continuing to grow and are learning week to week,” said Heidelberg West coach Michael Missen.
The victory draws the Hawks within a game of Kilmore and the winning margin was just enough to push their percentage past that of the Blues.
Kilmore was missing Chris Ryall and Bailey Taylor-Egan, with the latter being the difference between the two teams when the Blues won narrowly at J.J. Clancy Reserve in Round 4.
Chris Barton’s day for Kilmore finished early last Saturday while Bailey Derrick and Leigh Irons were the best on a disappointing day for the club.
“The Hawks were more desperate than us,” said Kilmore coach Nathan Phillips.
“I was disappointed with our effort, but I know that when we apply ourselves better and get a few quality guys back, we will snap into gear.”
Both teams have two games against top three teams in the run home, so the fixture difficulty looks about even.
Old Eltham Collegians won a thriller against league leaders Laurimar at Laurimar Reserve to keep their double chance hopes alive. The one-point triumph keeps them level with South Morang on nine wins and now just a game behind the Power.
The victory was timely for the Turtles who had lost two on the trot before their Round 11 win over Reservoir.
“We lost a few players early, so we were undermanned, but fought it out to the end,” said Old Eltham Collegians coach Matthew Sleeman.
The match between Reservoir and Mernda was called off early in the second term after Tom Holloway suffered an injury which required a trip to hospital. The final recorded result was a win to Mernda by 49 points.
South Morang journeyed to Lalor Reserve and came away with a 136 point win over the Bloods, but, maybe more important than the win for the Lions was getting game time into players who had been missing for large parts of the season.
Tye Hall played his first match of the 2022 campaign and Jake Potter hit form in his second game back from injury with a five-goal haul.
With Ray Poulton and Ned Hawkins impressing for the Bloods, the team improved compared to the previous meeting with South Morang at Mill Park Lakes Reserve. On that day Lalor lost by its largest margin for the season with a 263-point defeat.
“We’re looking forward to next week’s game against the Turtles,” said South Morang coach Gary Hall.
The Round 13 match of the day status belongs to the clash between Old Eltham Collegians and South Morang at Eltham College. The form lines point to the likelihood of a tight contest with the winner of this vital second versus third clash to go a game clear of the other team on the ladder.
The Turtles would go into the game with confidence after the away win over Laurimar. They also defeated South Morang at Mill Park Lakes Reserve earlier in the year.
But the Lions will have close to their best team on the field for the season, so their fans will also head to the game expecting a win. After the previous loss to the Turtles, a win by South Morang would also be important should they play Old Eltham Collegians in the finals.
Laurimar will be looking to atone for last week’s loss when hosting Lalor at Laurimar Reserve. As the Power are game clear of the second and third teams who meet on the same day, they will be two wins and percentage ahead of the third placed team if they can claim a victory.
With the Bloods still yet to win a game, Laurimar will go in as the hottest of favourites on their home deck. Their most recent match-up between these sides saw the Power win by 222 points at Lalor Reserve in Round 7.
Bettering that score line would be the aim for Lalor in this match and their form since that game suggests that they would be a good chance to achieve that goal.
Kilmore will be looking for a good win to strengthen their grip on fourth spot when they welcome Reservoir to J.J. Clancy Reserve.
The Blues defeated the Mustangs by 152 points at Crispe Park back in Round 3, and a win of that magnitude would be likely to see them ahead of Heidelberg West in terms of percentage. Also, with Old Eltham Collegians playing South Morang, a Blues win would put them within a game of the third placed team.
Heidelberg West’s great recent form will have them favoured by most tipsters as they travel to Waterview Recreation Reserve to play Mernda. It’s a must-win game for the Hawks who will need the four points in every clash against teams outside the top four in order to keep their finals hopes alive.
