As the competition enters the final third of the season, the ramifications of each result starts to ramp up.
Pending results, there is a chance that St Marys, South Morang, Fitzroy Stars, Lower Plenty and Old Paradians (five of the top six teams) all finish the round on the same number of premiership points, highlighting the significance of each fixture in this round.
A mouthwatering top three clash is set to take place at Bill Lawry Oval, when Northcote Park and South Morang lock horns.
Although they’re a game clear on top, Northcote Park has shown slight vulnerability in recent weeks having lost two of their last three games. South Morang would join them on nine wins if they can get the four points in this fixture.
The Cougars will draw confidence that this clash is on their turf, which they remain undefeated on from six matches this season.
The Lions are one of only three teams to get the better of Northcote Park this year. In their Round 4 matchup, The Loins prevailed by 27 points. Key players such as Nathan Stefanile, Teague Van Zwienen and Davin Cameron will be pivotal players on Saturday afternoon for the visitors.
St Mary’s and Lower Plenty will face off in a top five duel at Whatmough Park. The Burra made it five wins on the bounce when they took down Panton Hill by 52 points last week, while the Bears suffered their second loss in a row at the hands of South Morang.
The home side has been the form team of the competition over the middle third of the season and their record at Whatmough Park makes this a tough task for the visitors. The Burra have a perfect record at home this year, winning all five appearances there by an average margin of 30 points.
The Bears are fighting to maintain a spot in the top five, a position they’ve held for majority of the year. A loss in this match could see them fall to sixth pending other results, but they will be pleased to welcome back key players including Cairan Porter and Joel Leslie to offset the outs of Jack Madgen and Jordan Sacco.
After a heartbreaking one-point loss against Fitzroy Stars last week, Thomastown will be looking to get their third win of the season when they take on Macleod at Main St Reserve.
The Bears have showed promising signs in recent weeks, claiming 20-point victory over Old Paradians prior to last week’s thriller, form which if they can recapture would have them competitive here against the Kangaroos.
Adding interest to this clash is the relegation battle – a win for Thomastown could see them rise above Panton Hill with superior percentage, and increase their chances of survival in Division 2.
Macleod made a statement to the rest of the competition last week, when they appeared to return to their best form by taking down ladder leaders Northcote Park by 49 points.
The Kangaroos now have two wins on the trot and sit just two wins outside the top five. The advantage they hold over other top five aspirants is their percentage, sitting at 115.28% – the second highest of all 10 teams despite currently sitting in seventh spot.
Mackenzie Hogg has had a monster fortnight, and his performances tend to have a big say on what side of the result his side sits on. His Round 11 performance included 33 disposals alongside one goal, which he backed up last week with a massive 32 disposals and seven goals.
There is plenty of room for improvement in their game as well. Division 2 leading goalkicker Darcy Barden has been held to one goal or less in three of his last four games, and he’ll be keen to repeat his Round 4 efforts against the same opposition where he bagged five majors.
Old Paradians and Panton Hill will face off at Garvey Oval, and the home side will see this as a game they simply have to bank four points.
The Raiders got themselves back on the winners list last week in their tough clash against Whittlesea, but a percentage of 95.45 doesn’t match it with other finals contenders, so healthy wins are required to ascend the ladder.
They are the side that has a chance to jump Lower Plenty if results fall their way, and their winning record at home in 2026 will give them plenty of confidence in getting the job done.
Panton Hill are just as desperate for this win to give themselves some breathing room, as they too fight for survival in Division 2. They’re currently in ninth position, but with their percentage much lower than Thomastown’s, they would fall below them if they draw level on points.
When the pair met in Round 4, Old Paradians just got over the line by ten points, but it did not come easy as they trailed late in the fourth quarter. Michael Boundy was the matchwinner for the Raiders that day, slotting five majors.
Fitzroy Stars are looking to continue their climb up the ladder and make it four wins in a row when they face Whittlesea at Sir Doug Nicholls Reserve.
The Stars got home by the barest of margins last week in their NAIDOC Cup clash with Thomastown, a possibly season-defining result in tough conditions. The omission of star Ethan Penrith will certainly not help their cause, but the Stars have shown solid depth so far in 2026 and will do their best to cover the huge hole he leaves in the lineup.
Whittlesea fell short by 13-points to Old Paradians last week, their fifth loss in a row and will be desperate to arrest that slide with a win at Sir Doug Nicholls Reserve. They will again be relying on big games from the likes of Thomas Falls, Deakin Tennant and Khaled El-Leissy to lead the way if they’re to get the four points here.
The Stars got the better of the Eagles in their first meeting earlier this season, claiming a convincing 28-point victory and many tipsters would have them favourites here but as we’ve seen so far this year in Division 2, anything can happen.
