Teams both at the top and foot of the ladder have the chance to establish themselves as the MC Labour Division 2 campaign enters the second half of the campaign.
The Round 11 action includes two matches between sides placed inside the top-six, while it could become a make-or-break week for the competition’s bottom-placed side as it hunts its first win.
On paper there looks no bigger game this weekend than the blockbuster between Eltham and Thomastown at Eltham Central Park.
Third place is on the line, with both sides entering the match with an identical 6-3 record. Eltham holds the superior percentage, however Thomastown enters on the back of three-straight wins.
The Panthers will be looking for atonement after losing their previous encounter to the Bears earlier this year, where the home side claimed an 11-point win at Main Street Reserve back in Round 1.
Thomastown kept the Panthers to just two goals across the second and third quarters that day, to prevail 11.7 (73) to 8.14 (62).
Eltham will be looking to replicate the red-hot form they showed against the Fitzroy Stars last Saturday. The Panthers were relentless in a 156-point thrashing, with Bradyn Taglieri receiving the full 10 Coaches’ MVP Award votes for his dominant display.
Thomastown also produced one of its best wins of the season, returning from the extended break well with a determined 8.8 (56) to 5.10 (40) win over fellow contender Diamond Creek.
Michael Tang was in devastating form early and showed his X-factor ability by kicking the Bears’ first four goals, before being sidelined by a knee injury. It added to the club’s long injury list, however the Bears are hopeful of having Tyrone Leonardis and Anthony Capeci return soon.
Aaron D’Angelo, Daniel Bramich and James Rizzolio also led from the front in the crucial victory, which kept Thomastown right in the calculations for a double chance in the finals.
With Shannon Ball and Matthew Vasilevski also producing strong showings, the Bears have a strong core group that they will be relying on to ensure they leave Eltham Central Reserve with the four points on Saturday.
Lower Plenty and St Mary’s meeting at Montmorency Park South Oval promises to give us a greater insight into both sides in the run home to September.
Lower Plenty have been consistently impressive all season and returned to action last Saturday with a steady 49-point win away at Epping.
The result improved their record to 7-1, helping to keep them within touching distance of ladder-leader Banyule and established a handy buffer from the sides beneath them on the ladder.
Cameron Elmore returned to the senior line-up for his 200th club game and made it a milestone to remember, bagging five goals in a standout effort against Epping.
Lower’s best players again rose to the fore, with Ben Paterson (9 votes), Tom Keys (4) and Josh Turner (2) all featuring in the Coaches MVP voting in the high-scoring win at Epping Recreation Reserve.
On the flip side, after brilliant start to the 2021 season, St Mary’s form has tapered off, with the Burra falling to their second heavy defeat in as many matches following a 78-point loss to Banyule last week.
A six-goal to two first quarter set the tone for the day, and the Burra weren’t ever able to establish a foothold in the contest at Whatmough Park.
Reigning club champion Nicholas Dean was the only Burra player to pole in the Coaches’ MVP Award votes, while Zane Costello’s brace of two goals made him his side’s only multiple goal scorer.
The emerging side must reverse their form this week to ensure they remain entrenched in finals contention, and they must be nothing less than their best to bring Lower’s winning run to an end.
Although three wins apart, Diamond Creek and Watsonia’s clash on Saturday will be made interesting by the fact the teams are separated by only one spot on the ladder.
Diamond Creek’s great start to the 2021 campaign hit a road bump on Saturday, with the Creekers slipping from third place on the ladder to fifth following a 16-point defeat to Thomastown.
The Creekers booted just one goal up until time-on of the third term but remained a winning chance deep into the last quarter on the back of another great defensive effort.
Young defender Joel Randall once again figured in the Coaches MVP votes for another resolute display down back. He capped his performance with a great running goal during the third term.
Jacob Booth’s two goals were both for the highlights reel, while improving tall forward Nicholas Barro showed great signs, particularly in the last quarter when he took several towering marks.
To get back on the winners’ list Diamond Creek will have to overcome a Watsonia side that will be riding high on confidence after a gripping 12-point home win over Panton Hill in Round 10.
The win, which bumped the Saints up to seventh spot on the ladder, was sealed at the death by youngster Kyle Wheatley’s third goal for the day.
Lachlan Potter was sensational for the home side, coming home with the full 10 Coaches’ MVP Award votes, while Josh Novelli and Kobe Van Zwienen were both strong contributors to the vital win.
Separated by only two games, a crunch clash between Panton Hill and Fitzroy Stars at A.E. Cracknell Reserve threatens to have a major impact in the race to avoid relegation.
The Redbacks were unlucky not to leave Watsonia with a win last Saturday, hanging tight all game only to lose in the final minutes.
Mitch Merkel was a standout in his first game for the Redbacks after crossing from Greensborough in the mid-season break. The key forward led from the front to slot five of his side’s eight goals for the day.
Sam Parks, Scott Conte and Daniel Freeman were all among the Redbacks’ best in a tight finish.
Fitzroy Stars are going to need to improve rapidly if they are to record their first win of the season. The Stars were completely outclassed in Round 10, only kicking two goals in a huge loss to Eltham.
Ashley Hood and Riley Livingstone were their side’s only goal scorers on the day, while David Boxer and Coree Thorpe were among the best in a very tough afternoon.
A win to Panton Hill would push it three games clear of the Stars and all but secure the reigning third division premiers’ place in MC Labour Division 2 in 2022. On the flip side, the Stars can cut the gap between the sides to just four points if they record a breakthrough win.
The Redbacks were far too good when the sides met in Round 5 at Sir Douglas Nicholls Oval, booting 13 goals to one after half time to record a 79-point win.
To cap off the Round 11 action, Banyule will be highly fancied to extend its unbeaten run when it hosts Epping at Beverley Road Oval.
The competition’s top-placed side returned with their usual class last week, leading from start to finish in a dominant win over fellow finals’ contender St Mary’s, with the Bears ensuring the Burra’s heroics from their 2019 meeting at Whatmough Park weren’t repeated.
Nick Grabowski and Reuben Blackmore-Moore were once again in the thick of the action for Banyule, dominating in the middle of the ground to lead their side to another big win.
Up forward, Michael Italia (4 goals), Mitchell Lovell (3), Lachlan Turner (3), Patrik Della Rocca (2) and Luke Joyce (2) all had an impact on the scoreboard, combining to produce a threatening attacking line.
Having played the second team on the ladder in Lower Plenty last week, Epping must now back up against the ladder-leader.
The Blues were competitive for large parts of last week’s home defeat despite going down by eight goals. Sage Dicello did everything he could to keep the Blues in the game, finishing with a team-high three majors.
Brendan Dufficy, Luke Nicol and Jhye Baddeley-Kelly also showed plenty in the return to action and Epping will be hopeful their best players can start strongly to inflict a massive upset on Saturday.
