Every spot in the top five is still up for grabs as the final third of the 2023 MC Labour Division 2 home and away season begins.
It’s fifth against fourth in what looks to be a monumental clash out at Bill Lawry Oval between Northcote Park and St Mary’s.
Just four points separate these two sides, with the result of this game set to have huge implications on the final look of the top five.
The Cougars will at least be aiming for a response after their disappointing 18-point defeat to Panton Hill last week.
Great efforts from Brock McLennan, James Tadd and Alexander Boyse kept Northcote Park in the hunt, with McLennan and Tadd now being named in their side’s best for at least the last two matches.
But with matches against the four other current top five sides throughout the last six weeks of the season, the loss to the Redbacks puts Stephen Saddington’s men behind the eight-ball, leaving little room for error from now until the end of the home and away campaign.
It starts by facing a Burra outfit who have dropped just one of their last five games and are only a few steps away from solidifying a maiden Division 2 finals berth.
Their comprehensive victory over Watsonia last week was a big step forward in terms of the side’s progression.
Jeremiah Antypas is proving to be a reliable target up forward, kicking a season high of six majors, while the likes of Mitchell Green, Rory Hanlon and Jack Bianchin are continuing to put together outstanding campaigns.
The Burra got hold of the Cougars in their previous meeting in Round 4, winning by 41 points, and at best, another triumph on Saturday could put them two games clear of fifth spot.
It serves to be a massive eight-point clash between two sides desperate to play finals football in 2023.
Looking to return to the winner’s list, Watsonia face a huge task this Saturday when they take on Thomastown at Binnak Park.
A loss to St Mary’s last week has slipped the Saints back to eighth position, and another defeat this weekend could see them fall as much as two games behind fifth spot.
Watsonia’s up and down season continued last week when despite leading by a point at three quarter time, they couldn’t stop the St Mary’s wave in the final term that saw them kick 9.6.
On top of the continued goalkicking form of James Lucente, Julian Janev had a breakout game, while defensive pair Joshua Boulton and Harrison Sinclair again featured in the best.
Their Saturday opponents are in a similar position, as Thomastown look to create the same momentum spurt that saw them burst through the last stages of the 2022 season to make finals.
They couldn’t match it with Eltham last weekend, going down by 55 points at home despite three majors from skipper Anthony Capeci.
Peter Bugden called upon multiple Under-19.5 players to take the step up with injuries and unavailability affecting the senior side. That team currently sits on top of the Division 3 Under 19.5’s ladder and will be a handy source of depth throughout this season and beyond.
The Bears face three sides currently below them and three sides currently above them in the remaining six weeks of the season, meaning this result will be crucial towards their finals hopes.
A replica of their 66-point victory over Watsonia in Round 4 would be beneficial, but the Saints can be dangerous when given the opportunity and will be expected to put up a strong fight on the weekend.
South Morang will attempt to tame a relentless Diamond Creek outfit when they host the ladder leaders at Mill Park Lakes Reserve.
The Lions sat at 7-2 at the halfway mark of the season but have now fallen in two of their last three games, with their position in third on the ladder now looking vulnerable.
Despite missing a host of key names, Gary Hall’s men were pushed right to their limits against Epping last week, only leading by 11 points at three quarter time before powering through for a 32-point win.
The Lions have been able to unleash some great talent such as of Demetrios Constantinou and Koby Davies, despite the side’s recent showings, but with the top two sides in the competition to face over the next fortnight, they’ll need a strong effort from all 22 if they’re to come close to an upset.
Meanwhile the Diamond Creek juggernaut rolled into another week during Round 12 and showed no signs of slowing down in a 139-point thumping of Lower Plenty.
By keeping the Bears to just one behind, the Creekers are still yet to concede more than 400 points in total to opposition clubs in 2023, and now also boast the best attacking record in the competition.
That later fact was helped by seven majors from Ryan Pingree on the weekend; the forward has now booted 13 goals in the last three weeks.
Andrew Tranquilli’s side produced a 54-point victory over the Lions in Round 4 and while a similar performance would almost be the expectation from the ladder leaders, expect South Morang to be up for the challenge.
Eltham will look to produce a similar performance to their Round 4 battle with Epping when the two sides meet again at Eltham Central Park.
That match saw the Panthers finish 79-point victors in a dominant display, and a similar result will put them in terrific stead ahead of a huge fortnight for Tim Bongetti and his side.
A 55-point triumph over Thomastown last week made it six consecutive games without a loss for last year’s grand finalists.
Jesse Donaldson put together a best on ground performance in a brilliant display while Colm Culligan and Daniel Owen continued their excellent form, booting four and three goals respectively.
It was also their first win by more than three goals since Round 8 and are now one of three sides to kick 1000 or more points in 2023, all facts that gives them favouritism over Epping this weekend.
The Blues can hold their heads up high after another admirable performance on the weekend, only falling away late against third placed South Morang in Round 12, eventually going down by 32 points.
Epping had actually led by 20 points at quarter time in that clash and kept the Lions to their equal lowest first quarter score of the season, all positive signs of the club’s development.
Four goals from Daniel Rakhlin and the likes of Francis Keenan, Jordan Hollow and Thomas Muscat paved the way for the Blues’ improved effort and if they can build on that this weekend, it will go a long way towards booking their place in Division 2 for another season.
Panton Hill are set to increase their finals chances into another week, ahead of their trip to Montmorency Park South Oval to take on Lower Plenty.
The Redbacks claimed a big scalp in Round 12, defeating Northcote Park by 18 points at home to move two points shy of the fifth placed Cougars.
Massive efforts from Josh Callaway and Charlie Cleary were big factors in the victory while another two goals from Riley Livingstone helped keep the scoreboard ticking for Simon Amore’s men.
The Redbacks’ defensive efforts of late have been ultra impressive, with only one side they’ve faced since Round 8 scoring more than nine goals.
While their percentage is still well down on the sides around them at this point of the campaign, it’s a trait they will look to build upon over the remainder of the home and away season to give them the best shot at finals.
Lower Plenty meanwhile would be hoping for a big response to their disappointing performance last weekend, when they only scored one behind in their 139-point defeat to top of the table Diamond Creek.
The Bears have now lost 14 consecutive games and while there’s been some great individual performances throughout the year, the prospect of relegation is drawing closer and closer.
In the last game between these two sides, Phil Plunkett’s men led the Redbacks by a goal in the early stages of the final term, before conceding five straight majors to go down by 22 points.
It’s still one of their most promising performances of the season to date, and a similar output on Saturday would give the side a much-needed confidence boost ahead of the final third of the regular campaign.
