We could see a completely different order for teams in positions fourth through to seventh by the end of a big Round 12 in MC Labour Division 2.
A clash that could have major consequences on the shape of the top five looms as Panton Hill lock heads with St Mary’s at A.E. Cracknell Reserve.
The Redbacks were blown out of the water after quarter time in their battle with Northcote Park last week and were kept to their lowest score of the season in a 61-point defeat.
Whilst they are still only a game outside the top five, their path to September action will be made a lot tougher in the next month.
Three of their next four games are against current top five sides and having gone down to each of those three teams earlier in the season, Panton Hill will need to turn the tables if they are to make a big finals run.
Although they would sense an opportunity this weekend when they welcome a St Mary’s side who have gone down in their last three matches.
The Burra were competitive against the ladder leaders in Whittlesea for three quarters as they trailed by just two points at the final change, before conceding the last seven goals of the match to lose by 42 points.
With no Tane Cotter, John Desmond or Joseph Maggio, Jack Bianchin and Rory Hanlon stood up to try and will Fabian Carelli’s men to victory, and the duo will be important again this week if they are to get back on the winners list.
St Mary’s have won their last three matches against Panton Hill, including by 22 points at home in Round 3, but with some huge fixtures to come in the next few weeks, a win is a must for the Burra if they want to prevent their spot in the top five from being at risk.
Eyeing out their fifth win on the bounce, South Morang can go a step closer to securing a double chance spot when they travel to Main Street Recreation Reserve to face Thomastown.
Despite some inaccuracy, the Lions recorded a routine victory last weekend in their clash with Watsonia, prevailing by 24 points on their home deck, with captain Tye Hall continuing to lead the charge.
He has now earnt Coaches MVP Award votes in his last six matches to lead the pack by three votes.
While Hall’s influence on games has been a key to South Morang’s excellent form of late, Bailey Brown and Kobe van Zwienen have also hit purple patches in recent weeks, with the latter earning 10 Coaches MVP Award votes in his side’s victory last week.
They take on a Thomastown team who are clinging on to fifth place after going down in their last two matches by over 56 points on average.
Despite the return of captain Anthony Capeci, the boost wasn’t enough to defeat Diamond Creek away from home, with the Bears having now posted two of their three lowest scores of the season in the previous fortnight.
James Lucente is still second on the competition goalkicking charts with 27 majors, but their four other players to register 10 goals or more this season in Youseph Dib, Kyle Green, Charbel Khoury and Michael Le Tang have kicked just five majors between them in the last fortnight.
They’ll hope that the form of Lawrence Lo Piccolo continues against a star-studded Lions midfield, as he was named as Thomastown’s best last week and has now been in the Bears’ best in five of his last six matches.
With the risk of losing their top five spot by the end of the week, expect a more competitive Thomastown outfit against an impressive South Morang side.
Lower Plenty and Northcote Park face each other at Montmorency Park South Oval in what is set to be an intriguing match featuring two sides looking to maintain winning ways for different reasons.
The Bears picked up an important 12-point triumph over Laurimar in Round 11, which sees them within touching distance of a return to the top five, being just two points behind fifth placed Thomastown.
It could be argued that young gun Jasper Collins is in line for a high finish in the club’s best and fairest after a stellar five-week patch which has seen him been named in his side’s best in all five games. He also picked up nine Coaches MVP Award votes in his team’s victory over the Power.
Riley Alexander has also settled since returning to the senior side and kicked four crucial goals in the win. He kicked 11 majors in nine games last year, but with a more consistent run, he could be an important threat up forward for Travis Stephens’ men.
However their Saturday opponents in Northcote Park have an enormous spring in their step following back-to-back triumphs by large margins.
Their victory over Panton Hill last week has seen them move one-game clear off the bottom of the ladder, and a third straight win this week would all but certainly save the club from relegation.
Captain Matthew Perry was a huge highlight in the win, but it’s been his brother Jordan who has been impactful in the side’s two recent results and has now shot up to third in the Coaches MVP Award leaderboard.
Lower Plenty prevailed by 53 points when these two sides last met in Round 3, but with the form of both sides of late, you can expect a much closer contest this Saturday.
Whittlesea will be out to produce a record 12th straight win to start the season when they take on Watsonia at Binnak Park.
The Saints come into this clash having won just one of their last six outings, but by sitting just a game and a half outside of the top five, a win this week could see them keep their finals hopes alive.
They were admirable against South Morang, trailing by only nine points at three quarter time before falling short by 22 points.
George Lattouf’s men have averaged just under 70 points a game in the last three matches, but with Ethan Lowe at their disposal, they have every chance of kicking a winning score against the second-best defensive side in the competition in the Eagles.
The competition leading goalkicker is still averaging four majors a game and has produced 15 goals in his last three matches. He managed to kick two of his team’s five goals when they went down by 81 points to Whittlesea in Round 3, but if he can get on the end of more opportunities, the Saints could cause a surprise result.
For the Eagles, a seven-goal final term propelled them to an important victory over St Mary’s in Round 11, as they look to secure the minor premiership with just over a third of the regular season to play.
Speaking of last quarters, only twice in 11 matches have they lost a final term, highlighting the team’s ability to close out games and compared to Watsonia, who have only won once in 11 last quarters, it may be a telling factor in this game.
Taidgh Bland looks hard to stop after yet another influential performance in their side’s triumph over the Burra last week, and with Xavier Dimasi and Lucas Hobbs also in form, it would be the ultimate upset if the ladder leaders didn’t prevail in this contest.
Two wins from two games has put Diamond Creek back in a strong position ahead of their match with Laurimar at Laurimar Reserve.
After a mini slump with losses to Whittlesea and South Morang, the Creekers seem to be back on track having won their last two matches by an average of 34.5 points.
They also seem to be getting things going defensively again, with just 101 points conceded in the previous fortnight of matches ahead of their clash with the second lowest scoring side in the competition.
Since returning to the senior team in Round 8, Tarwan Rennie has been excellent in midfield, and finished as his side’s best in the 46-point victory over Thomastown last week.
Mitch Tobin has also put together a solid patch of form having been named in his side’s best in three consecutive games.
Andrew Tranquilli will be hoping it all comes together again when they face the Power, who are now under some pressure stay afloat in Division 2.
Laurimar continue to be competitive in matches but have been unable to produce a winning total in most games this season, highlighted again by their narrow defeat to Lower Plenty away from home last week.
The Power are now 1-4 in games decided by 18 points or less but are still showing signs that their young squad are up to the task of competing with the best of the competition.
Cameron Maloney for example has been named in his side’s best in two straight matches and five times throughout the season, and while Joel Lawson continues to kick majors, a six-goal effort from Jai Langford in the defeat to the Bears will give the 18-year-old lots of confidence for the rest of the campaign.
At the least, Jimmy Atkins will be hoping to improve on the 93-point loss they suffered against Diamond Creek in Round 3.
