Lower Plenty are looking to make it six consecutive wins as they host Fitzroy Stars, a feat they haven’t achieved since 2022.
The Bears will fancy themselves in this contest, as they managed to get the better of the Stars by seven points at Sir Doug Nicholls Reserve in Round 2 of this season. Since that game, they’ve only lost two matches which came against the top two teams in Northcote Park and South Morang.
The Stars, who sit sixth on the ladder with 20 points, will have this game circled as a must win. Old Paradians and St Mary’s sit just above them on 24 points, and a loss for the Stars could have them sitting two games outside of finals qualification.
However, they’ll head into this contest full of confidence after taking down Northcote Park by six points last weekend. Lachlan Edwards (27 disposals) coming off his best game of the season to date will be looking to continue his form, while experienced Stars Kain Proctor, Jai Burns and Neville Jetta will require plenty of attention.
Whittlesea will take on Macleod this weekend at the Whittlesea Showgrounds. Both sides have struggled to find their best form this season, with the pair finishing in the top three on the ladder last year, but sitting 7th and 8th respectively in this campaign.
The Eagles showed signs last week and will be flat they couldn’t get the four points against South Morang, after falling short by just seven points. They had no issues winning the territory battle, being +26 for inside 50’s for the day, but their inability to convert is what cost them, registering only four goals from 16 scoring shots.
Meanwhile, Macleod suffered their fourth consecutive loss at the hands of St Mary’s, so they’ll be desperate to break that streak and keep their finals aspirations alive.
Darcy Barden has had a quiet two weeks, with just one goal in each of the showings. Despite that, he’s still the leading goal kicker in the competition with a total of 35 majors, but Lower Plenty’s Jack Chubb is hot on his heels, trailing by only two goals.
The Kangaroos were the superior side in the first clash this season, running away 78-point winners. Barden was the star that day with seven goals, while Hayden Manuel (29 disposals and one goal) and Mackenzie Hogg (26 disposals and one goal) also dominated in the middle of the ground.
Northcote Park are looking to get themselves back in the winners list, and they have a bounce back against Panton Hill at Bill Lawry Oval.
The Cougars five game win streak came to an end last week when they faced Fitzroy. With South Morang now only one win behind them, a win in this game would give them enough breathing room at the top of the ladder, plus a healthy percentage difference.
Despite sitting second last, Panton Hill will be no walkover. The Redbacks have won three of their last four games and are full of confidence. Their scalp against Thomastown last week which featured six goals in the final term highlights their ability to run out games, and no lead against them is ever safe.
It’s been the leaders who’ve been the biggest contributors to Panton Hill’s recent form. Nick Parks has been giving his midfielders first supply, with an average of 45.5 hit outs over the last month. Sam Parks has been a bull in the midfield, averaging 29 disposals and 16 contested possessions a game over the past four weeks. Riley Livingstone is another in stellar form, averaging over nine intercept possessions per game when his side wins.
The pair of sides met earlier this season at A.E. Cracknell Reserve. In that encounter, Northcote Park ran away victors by 51 points. Ricky Fandrich was the most potent in front of goal, finishing with four majors.
Thomastown will be desperate to get their chances of staying in Division 2 alive, and their next assignment comes against Old Paradians at Main St Reserve.
In a curious case for the Bears this season, they’ve only managed to win the one game thus far. However, their percentage of 78.35% shows they find themselves in more games than not, and that’s highlighted when you look at their results. Of the 40 quarters they’ve played this year, they’ve found themselves drawn level or in the lead on 19 occasions by the end of any given term.
A crushing 52-point loss for Old Paradians last week saw their percentage take a signigicant dip. They currently sit in fifth position but with Fitzroy Stars closing the gap behind them and holding a superior percentage, wins will be even more vital in order to secure a spot in finals.
In their Round 2 clash this season, Old Paradians took the chocolates by just six points. Michael Boundy was a handful up forward, slotting four goals while Connor McDonald was a force in the ruck, accumulating 37 disposals to go along with his 50 hit outs.
It will be a fascinating battle between a pair of top four teams at Whatmough Park when St Mary’s and South Morang go to battle.
Both sides are in strong form, with the Burra winning four of their last five games and the Lions prevailing in three of their last four.
Whatmough Park has proved to be a strong advantage for the host this season, winning all four games there by an average margin of 37.75 points.
The Lions claimed victory in emphatic fashion when the pair met earlier this season, winning by 55 points. On that day, Joshua Lansfield, Nick Lawson and Ethan Lowe were all a handful in front of goal, managing three majors each. This task will be tougher though, as neither Lawson or Lowe will feature.
There’s significant implications riding on this result. If the Burra are to win, they could jump as high as 2nd on the ladder but a loss could see them fall to as low as 6th. If the Lions are to win, they could equal ladder leaders Northcote Park for wins but a loss could see them drop to 4th.
