Six teams will do battle for five spots in the final round of the 2024 Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3 regular season, with every position from first to sixth still up for grabs.
Round 17 action helped set up an intriguing final round of this year’s home and away campaign.
Kinglake won the Country Cup with a big 46-point win over Kilmore at Kinglake Memorial Oval.
In a stark contrast to their Round 11 game at J.J. Clancy Reserve when they lost by 69 points, the Lakers got off to a flyer to lead 41-0 at quarter time and never looked in danger. Bailey Robinson impressed with his clearance work and hit the scoreboard with four majors.
“Kilmore are an excellent side, and we felt like the growth and belief in our boys since we last played them would hold us in good stead,” Kinglake coach Dave Florance said.
“The boys really bought in to what we had planned, and it was pleasing to string some good footy together.”
For the second week in a row, the Blues won the second half, but were too far back to threaten. Chris Barton and Bailey Taylor-Egan were Kilmore’s most dangerous players.
Heidelberg West hosted Old Eltham Collegians at Heidelberg Park, with the Turtles having to win to keep their season alive. They not only got the four points, but the 91-point victory means that they only need to win in the final round to play finals.
Ivanhoe took on Lalor at Lalor Reserve and the Hoers prevailed by the same 91-point margin. Sam Rexhepi kicked four goals for the Bloods to take a stranglehold on the goal-kicking table; he sits on 56 with Bryce Kimuliatis and Patrick Farrant equal second on 38.
Andy Otten booted five for the victors, while playing coach Wayne Schultz slotted four.
The Fitzroy Stars and Epping fought it out at Sir Douglas Nicholls Oval, and the Stars put the game away with a 6.1 to 1.3 third term on the way to a 35-point victory over the Blues.
Lionel Proctor’s men have officially gone through the entire 2024 home and away campaign undefeated.
Four of the five matches to end the regular season will have an impact on the make-up of the top five.
The one that won’t sees Reservoir coming off the bye to host Kinglake at Crispe Park. With the Lakers being in the best form of teams not in the hunt for the finals, their fans will come expecting a victory, which will set them up well for season 2025.
The Mustangs would see this as their best chance in the past month to secure a second win of the season, having played the top two teams prior to the bye.
For Reservoir to climb of the bottom of the table with a win, it would require Lalor to lose, with combined margins needing to be over approximately 145 points.
Speaking of Lalor, they play Epping at Epping Recreational Reserve.
The Blues are level with Old Eltham Collegians on nine wins, with the Turtles holding fifth spot on the table courtesy of percentage. To make the finals, the Blues only have to win and then rely on Old Paradians clinching the triumph over Old Eltham Collegians.
Epping played the Bloods in the first game of the season on Good Friday at Lalor Reserve and came away with a 51-point triumph, with the home side this week expecting more of the same on Saturday.
The Fitzroy Stars head to J.J. Clancy Reserve to take on Kilmore. While the Blues are out of the finals race, the Stars just need a win to finish on top and get the week off in the opening week of the finals.
Ladder position and recent form suggests that Lionel Proctor’s men should prevail comfortably and confirm premiership favouritism.
However, it is likely that Kilmore would love to show something in their last game after a disappointing fortnight. They did win the only other clash between these teams at this venue by 45-points in Round 17 last year, but it will be a tough challenge to defeat a team currently on a seven-game winning streak.
Old Paradians come off the bye to play Old Eltham Collegians at Eltham College. The Raiders cannot drop below second spot on the table but can ascend to first if they win and Kilmore pulls the upset over the Stars.
The motivation to play for the minor premiership will remain if the Blues are a winning chance late in the day. Regardless of this, Ben Turner’s men would love to extend their winning run to four and hit the finals with momentum.
The equation for Matt Sleeman’s men is simpler. If they win, they are in. If not, they will be hoping for the Bloods to pull the huge upset in defeating Epping.
The only meeting between these teams in the NFNL saw Old Paradians win a thriller over the Turtles at Garvey Oval by four points in Round 9.
This one has all the hallmarks of another thriller, and that would continue a recurring theme for the Turtles, who have been involved in eight games where the margin has been less than two kicks. They seem to be peaking at the right time and are always a chance at their home ground.
Raiders fans would be hoping that Sam Gilmore can return to the line-up. Gilmore, who also missed the clash against Old Eltham Collegians earlier in the season, has not played since the win over Kilmore back in Round 14.
Third spot and the double chance is up for grabs when Mernda hosts Ivanhoe at Waterview Recreation Reserve. The Demons will be aiming for back-to-back years where they go undefeated at home with another win in this contest.
Not many would have tipped the Hoers to be in the hunt for the double chance when the season began, but nonetheless, that is exactly what they will have if they can pull off what would be a minor upset.
Andy Otten has proven to be a great focal point with recent bags of five and six, while Daniel Jones and Marcel Moran have been dynamic in the midfield as well. If these three fire, Wayne Schultz’s men have the chance to grab the all-important four points.
Josh Mazzarella won’t be there for Mernda, but Robert Fletcher has a plethora of quality players at his disposal.
Billy Morrison has recovered from his knee injury and a few recent hit-outs should have him cherry ripe for this encounter. With Joel Harris in the midfield, Kai Turner and Dayne Kellett down back, the Demons will feel confident that they can keep their perfect home record intact.
Add to that Bryce Kimuliatis as their leading goal kicker, with help from Matthew Bawden, it makes for a likely winning combination.
Similarly to the previous game, the only other encounter between these teams went down to the wire, with the Hoers winning by five points at Ivanhoe Park.
No matter how the final matches play out, we are in for a fantastic conclusion to one of the most even home and away campaigns in Division 3.
