Tight finishes are possible in most games as teams prepare for Round 14 action of Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3 Football.
Round 13 action on a windy day gave fans the closest games for the season, with the winning margins in the five games totalling 104 points or an average of 20 points. Four of the five games were in the balance late into the final quarter. The next lowest aggregate winning margin was round two with 238 points, while rounds three and 12 topped the 300 mark.
Ivanhoe faced off with Kinglake at Ivanhoe Park. The Lakers got off to a flyer with a 5.4 to 0:3 first term but then found themselves two goals behind at three quarter time. Kinglake then drew level at the 22-minute mark of the final term before the Hoers slammed on the final four goals of the game to win by 24 points.
Michael Doyle and Wayne Schultz continued their outstanding form for Ivanhoe. Similarly, club best and fairest contenders Bailey Robinson and Mason McAllister stood out for the Lakers.
The Old Eltham Collegians and Heidelberg West ran true to script as recent clashes between the teams at this venue have been thrillers. The Turtles were just two points up at the 19-minute mark of the final term, but kicked the last two majors to run out 12-point victors which snapped a nine-game losing streak.
Tom Burns scored his biggest bag of the year in booting five for the Turtles, with Nick Milne and Beaudie Maroney assisting in the win.
“The Turtles held on well under pressure in the last quarter; we have to back up next week with a few players back,” said Heidelberg West coach Dale Mayne. Will Bruce and James Mefflin impressed for the Hawks.
Lalor hosted Kilmore at Lalor Reserve, with both sets of fans finding some positives. Blues fans saw their team get the vital win after losses to top five sides prior to the bye.
“The boys started well, eased off in the second quarter but finished well”, said Kilmore coach Paul Derrick. Derrick gave praise to Kye Maher, Bailey Derrick and Leigh Irons.
The Bloods had their narrowest loss for the season in going down by 48 points. Heath Patton and Hirsi Twomey led the way for Lalor.
Epping and Mernda were involved in a tense battle at Epping Recreational Reserve. The Demons led narrowly at half time, then Epping played a great third term to turn the game around, finally winning by 12-points.
“It’s always a hard game against Mernda; we started pretty poorly but finished well,” said Epping coach Brad Hollow. Marc Tartaglia continued his good recent form for the Blues and hit the scoreboard, while Brent Macaffer also was among the best.
Brent Marshall’s team went close to giving his first win as coach and had to battle with some injuries during the day. Lincoln Coffey is running into good form for the Demons and Billy Morrison again shone.
The fans who flocked to Sir Douglas Nicholls Oval to see the top of the table clash between the Fitzroy Stars and Laurimar were treated to a great spectacle. The Stars dominated early before the Power took control in the middle part of the contest to lead by 11 points at the last change.
But Stars player Brock Carter kicked two goals in the final term to put his team in front and they went on to win by eight points.
Eddie Betts was popular both on and off the field, kicking five majors and engaging with the fans. The Stars now have a bye.
Neville Jetta’s men have all but sewn up top spot on the table with a two-game break on Laurimar. Epping is a game further adrift on nine wins. Two games further back is Ivanhoe, who are a game ahead of both Kinglake and Mernda. Kilmore is a game further back on five wins.
Round 14 action presents fans with some enticing matchups.
Ivanhoe has back-to-back home games when hosting Mernda at Ivanhoe Park. A win in this contest would see Wayne Schultz’s men go a long way towards claiming a finals berth as they would be two wins ahead of the Demons with a game in hand. They would be favoured to extend their winning streak to five this weekend.
Mernda have lost to the Stars and Epping in their last two games and have to face Laurimar and then Kinglake after the Hoers. They will likely need to win two of the next three to put themselves in contention for a finals berth.
With so much at stake, both teams will be going at it 100 per cent.
Reservoir travels to J.J. Clancy Reserve to lock horns with Kilmore in what is a must-win for the Blues if they are to keep in touch with the top five. The Blues have never lost to the Mustangs at this venue but did lose to them back in round five at Crispe Park by 23 points. A good win here for the locals would give them confidence for upcoming difficult assignments.
The Mustangs would like to finish off the year well as they continue their resurgence. Having snapped a five-game losing streak prior to the bye, Rohan Davies’ men would have some confidence as they face a trio of winnable games.
Kinglake hosts Old Eltham Collegians at Kinglake Memorial Oval in a game the Lakers must tick off to keep themselves safely within the top five. With a significant home ground advantage and better form lines, Dave Florance’s men would be expecting to win well.
The Turtles snapped a long losing streak last week and will head north with renewed enthusiasm. Another positive is that they won at their last trip to this venue in round 5 last season. However, it would be a major upset if Old Eltham Collegians were to prevail.
Lalor takes on Heidelberg West at Lalor Reserve in an interesting duel. Should the Bloods win and other results go as per ladder positions, there would be three teams on two wins fighting it out to avoid the wooden spoon.
Lance Whitnall’s men would sense this as their best chance in the run home to grab a second victory and are coming off a competitive effort last week.
The Hawks’ last win was against Lalor back in round 5 at Heidelberg Park by 93 points. Their seven losses since included a narrow loss to the Stars and that form would give them a chance to beat any division 3 team. If they can reproduce anything close to their best, the local fans would anticipate a victory this weekend.
A huge clash sees Laurimar battle with Epping at Laurimar Reserve in a two v three clash. Both teams are looking to strengthen their grip on the double chance. While a glance at the ladder would indicate that these teams are likely to finish in the spots just behind the Stars, both have a pretty tough run home.
The Blues play three finals contenders after this encounter, while the Power has to travel twice to battle teams in the hunt for finals action.
The Power went close to knocking over the Stars last weekend and will need to back up after last week’s disappointment to face another worthy opponent.
An added incentive for Epping is the chance to grab second spot on the table. The Blues would need to win by approximately five goals plus to achieve this, but any win gives them a chance to finish second at the end of the season. A loss may see them just one win ahead of fourth spot if Ivanhoe were to win.
It sets the day up for a fantastic tussle between two premiership hopefuls.
