Round 13 of Heidelberg Golf Club football gives fans two clashes between top five teams which will have a big impact on the chances of the competing teams.
Fifth placed Watsonia hosts Laurimar, who are in second spot, at Binnak Park. While it’s a critical game for Watsonia, the Power would also like to keep their winning streak going through the next four weeks in the hope that top spot will be up for grabs in Round 17 when they play Ivanhoe.
It’s also a matter of momentum for Laurimar, as July is the time many eventual premiers really hit their straps. The forward line has been able to function effectively and be multi-pronged since Patrick Fitzgerald was injured. Jimmy Atkins’ team has looked sharp in the three games since the bye and look extremely hard to beat in this contest.
The Saints bolstered their finals hopes with a nail-biting two-point win over Epping at Epping Recreational Reserve last weekend and would take positive energy from that tussle into Saturday’s big challenge. The Round 1 clash between these teams at Laurimar Reserve was the biggest loss by Watsonia by some margin at 78 points.
Without doubt Anthony McGreor’s side has proven themselves better than that effort. It would be huge for the club if they could pull off the upset in this encounter.
Lalor faces off against Epping at Lalor Reserve. The Bloods have this and two further home matches to come. They play Ivanhoe and Mernda in Rounds 16 and 17, and this match-up is their best chance to win one at home in a season which is looking increasingly like a winless one. But the players can give it their all with the upcoming bye.
The Blues lost virtually any hope of a finals birth with their narrow loss last weekend and would be keen to regather and finish the year off as well as they can. Of interest is that Daniel Rakhlin has recently moved to 46 goals and trails Patrick Fitzgerald by just two goals with Aaron Edwards a further five goals back from Rakhlin. Without doubt his teammates will be looking to get the ball to him this weekend.
The Country Cup is up for grabs when Kilmore welcomes Kinglake to JJ Clancy Reserve. With the Lakers currently training at Wallan for the remainder of the season, this may almost feel like a home game for them. The close loss to Old Eltham Collegians last weekend would indicate that Kinglake would be some chance of pulling an upset win.
But the Blues would be highly focussed on retaining the Country Cup and their strong 53-pont win in Round 1 will see them tipped by most pundits. Local fans will flock to the ground to watch the progress of their promising youngsters.
Old Eltham Collegians have the unusual occurrence of three home games in a row when playing Heidelberg West at Eltham College. The Turtles will be buoyed by last week’s come-from-behind victory and will be looking to claim another win on the home deck.
The Hawks come on with better form, however, and their big win over Watsonia two weeks earlier would indicate that they should be expected to get the four points this weekend.
A cursory glance at the ladder would suggest that they’re too far back to threaten, with a two-game gap between Watsonia in fifth and themselves. However, if games go according to ladder position in this round, they will be just a game off third spot.
But there’s no margin for error for Heidelberg West in the run home as they eye off a maiden finals berth. They simply must tick this one off as a win.
Mernda comes off the bye to play Ivanhoe at Waterview Reserve. It’s been a tough few weeks for the Demons after suffering back-to-back losses to Reservoir and Laurimar prior to the bye and suffered injuries along the way.
The break may have come at a good time and given the team chance to freshen up. It’s by far the toughest test for them in the run home. After playing the Hoers, the remaining games are against teams outside the top five.
So, while an upset win would be great, a loss won’t be the end of the world. But a win by third placed Mernda against the top side would go a long way to locking up the double chance.
The Hoers have the perfect season within sight and would fancy their chances to extend their winning run. Their recent form has been slightly below that which they displayed at the beginning of the year, but it still reads well enough to be favoured again.
With finals action not too far away, each team chock full of talent and keen to bring their ‘A’ game, it shapes as a great spectacle.
