We’re down to the final four in Melbourne Greyhounds Division 1 as they prepare to do battle in this weekend’s semi-finals at Epping Recreation Reserve.
The Saturday Semi-Final will see Heidelberg and Greensborough battle it out for a spot in the Division 1 decider in just over a fortnight’s time.
Vin Dattoli’s men come into this game fresh having won a fourth consecutive minor premiership in the top flight.
This time around they went through the regular season 18-0, the first time the Tigers have done so since winning the 2007 premiership.
Stars such as Sam Gilmore, Tom Keys and Luke Bunker continued their stellar 2025 campaigns in their most recent victory over Hurstbridge at Ben Frilay Oval.
In that 24-point triumph Gilmore chipped in with three goals and was well supported by Zane Barzen and Sam Wright who finished the regular season on 34 and 21 goals respectively.
They now meet a Greensborough outfit who’ve returned to form in recent weeks after dropping games in Rounds 15 and 16 to the Tigers and Montmorency respectively.
In their qualifying final match up with Banyule the Borough were ultra impressive, with a nine goal to three opening half setting up their 59-point triumph over the Bears.
Brody Glenn and Conor Willis combined for seven of the Borough’s eighteen majors while tall duo Nathan Howard and Angus Seivers dominated in the air.
Harrison Andronaco also impressed alongside Jackson Davies and Thomas Brindley, with Brindley one of 11 players to kick a goal for the Borough.
After Matthew Hyde’s men defeated Heidelberg in late 2024, the Tigers have gone on to win their last two encounters against the Borough by an average winning margin of nine goals.
This Saturday will mark the first time the Tigers and Borough meet in a final since the 2016 Division 1 Preliminary Final, which Heidelberg won by 25 points.
The do-or-die Semi Final this Sunday will see Banyule and Hurstbridge looking to keep their seasons alive.
Both enter this contest off differing results, with the Bears going down convincingly in their first Division 1 final to Greensborough.
Despite the loss there was still some promise shown by Banyule who kicked the opening three goals of the match before conceding nine unanswered goals to end the first half.
Thomas Howard and Vivian Blackmore-Moore both had excellent performances, providing plenty of dare and dash out of midfield and off half back.
Lewin Davis and Max Jones held their own in defence while James Kayrooz kicked three goals, all of which coming in the second half.
They now face a Hurstbridge side who come into this contest having won their first ever Division 1 final against Montmorency last Sunday.
After conceding a fast start to the Magpies the Bridges slowly worked their way on top before eventually running over the top of last year’s Grand Finalists with a four goal to one behind final term.
Cooper Perrin had a stellar performance in attack and on a wing, kicking three goals and often providing teammates with plenty of opportunities to score.
Joel Naylor worked his way into the contest, eventually finishing on three goals, while skipper Ethan Taylor fought hard in midfield and attack alongside Mitchell Moschetti and Blake Fitzgerald.
Joel Cordwell’s men have split their regular season meetings with the Bears, with both games so far this season decided by an accumulative margin of three points.
In their first meeting back in Round 5 Harry O’Brien was the hero for the Bridges, kicking the match winner in the dying stages to seal a one-point triumph for Hurstbridge at Ben Frilay Oval.
Nine rounds later and it was the Bears who, after trailing by 32 points at the final break, kicked six goals to three behind in the last term to come from behind and claim a two-point victory at Beverley Road Oval.
