Following a season that has delivered so many dramatic twists and turns, it is fitting the finals hopes of up to six teams rely so heavily on the final round of the home and away season.
Bundoora, Heidelberg and Northcote Park are all locked on equal points and this week fight it out for the two remaining places in the top three behind Montmorency, with one of that trio to miss out on a double chance in September.
Meantime, Eltham, Macleod and West Preston-Lakeside are locked in a three-way battle for fifth place and the final spot in this year’s finals series, with the Panthers still in the box seat to play in their first finals campaign since 2010.
Round 18 is headlined by a blockbuster clash between Bundoora and Northcote Park at Yulong Reserve, where the winner will cement a top three spot and dramatically boost their premiership hopes. Bundoora can still finish in third place should it lose, however would then be reliant on Eltham beating Heidelberg.
The Bulls were left shell-shocked at Eltham Central Park last Saturday, falling to 32-point loss after trailing by 56 points at half time. It was a disappointing follow-up to a sensational Round 16 win over Montmorency, with Joe Palazzolo and James Lord two shining lights despite the disappointing result.
After trailing by five goals midway through the third quarter, Northcote Park pipped ladder-leader Montmorency by one point in arguably its best win since the 2012 Grand Final last September. Nick Carter and Brock McLennan were exemplary against the Magpies, while Kane Slater and Paul Scanlon both kicked goals in time on of the final quarter to steal the four points.
Eltham now sits one-game clear in fifth place and can cement its finals place if it can extend its winning streak to four by beating Heidelberg. It produced its best performance in years last weekend when it comfortably accounted for Bundoora, thanks largely to a four-goal effort from midfielder Gavan Connelly. James Kroussoratis kicked another three goals, while Andrew Sturgess and Brad Perry also excelled.
The Tigers charged back into form with a 41-point win at West Preston-Lakeside last week and can finish as high as second on the ladder if they can extend a winning run against Eltham that stems back to 1982. Despite losing Lance Oswald and Adam Coff during the contest, the Tigers were well served by Michael Finn and Mark Lynch as they extended their buffer at every change.
Macleod pushed up to sixth following its 35-point victory over Lower Plenty and will rely on a win over Greensborough this weekend, plus a Heidelberg win over Eltham, to move into the top five for the first time this year. The Roos booted six goals to four in both the third and fourth quarters against the Bears, with Justin White best afield with three majors.
The Boro won their second game on the trot when they outclassed Epping, however their finals hopes were ended as a result of Eltham’s win over Bundoora. Tim Bongetti was again influential in his second game back from injury, booting three goals, while Tristan Stead was best afield in Conlan Gunn’s 200th A-Grade game.
A second-consecutive loss left West Preston-Lakeside’s finals hopes hanging by a thread and the Roosters must significantly boost their percentage against Epping and hope that other results go that way to play in September. Shaun Gannon and Ali Fahour fought on bravely last week, however the Roosters were outclassed in the second half as they managed just three goals.
Epping looks certain to be relegated from Division 1 despite a much improved second half of the season. The Blues desperately missed Daniel Moore, Daniel Santoro and Sean Bolger at Greensborough last week, where they succumbed to a 27-point loss despite a third-quarter fightback.
The final game of the rounds sees Montmorency host next-door neighbour Lower Plenty. The Magpies secured a second consecutive minor premiership in disappointing circumstances, falling to their third loss in a month when they fell to Northcote Park. Returning midfielder James Brooker was his side’s best along with Luke Collins, while Ryan Willits booted four goals
Lower Plenty appears all but assured to compete in Division 1 for a third successive season in 2014, despite going down at home to Macleod. The Bears sit a game and seven percent (equivalent to 183 points) above bottom-placed Epping. They had their troubles against Montmorency earlier in the season, losing by 122 points, and will be desperate for a better showing the second time around.
