A look ahead to this weekend’s semi finals in Meadows Greyhounds Division 1, with the first grand final spot up for grabs.
SECOND SEMI FINAL – HEIDELBERG v MACLEOD
The first grand finalist for the 2016 Meadows Greyhounds Division 1 season will be decided on Saturday when Heidelberg and Macleod meet at Preston City Oval in the second semi final.
The dream match-up pits this year’s minor premier against the defending title-holder, with the winner likely to take favouritism into this year’s premiership decider in a fortnight’s time.
After last year missing the finals for the first time since 2003, Heidelberg has responded emphatically this season – holding first place on the ladder from Round 3 onwards.
The Tigers won their opening ten games and had the minor premiership all but sealed by the end of June, by which time they had already opened a four-game advantage over their closest rival.
Sam Gilmore has been an imposing figure in the ruck and his dominance has allowed the likes of Michael Brunelli, Marcus Marigliani and Charles Gaylard to all having big campaigns with first use of the ball at stoppages.
The added pressure of taking on a playing-coach role has only elevated Gaylard’s game further, with the utility not only winning plenty of the ball, but also kicking 19 goals during the year – his biggest haul since joining the Tigers in 2014.
Josh Gribben and Paul Bower have been outstanding in defence, with Heidelberg conceding the fewest points of any side in the competition in 2016, at an average of just 58 points against during the regular season.
Adam Symes has slotted straight back into the Tigers’ side with aplomb after two years at Mornington, with his versatility both in defence and attack certain to give his team an X-factor during the finals.
Macleod last week continued its love affair with Preston City Oval, smashing Greensborough by 66 points in the qualifying final to move within one win of a second-successive grand final.
Ruckman Chris Long was outstanding against multiple opponents throughout the victory and will again be a key player in the second semi final, with his battle against Sam Gilmore set to be pivotal.
Macleod’s spread of goal kickers was again evident last week, with 10 players kicking majors as the Roos’ score hit triple-figures for the third-successive match. Patrick Martin was the pick of the forwards, finishing with three goals and having a hand in a number of others.
Recruits Josh Totino and Ned McKeown showed their worth on the big stage. Totino’s explosion from the midfield was eye-catching, while McKeown’s piercing foot skills helped Macleod break through a Greensborough defence which has been impenetrable at times this year.
Heidelberg has come from behind to beat Macleod in both previous outings this season.
On ANZAC Day the Bergers rallied from 22 points down early in the third quarter to claim a 21-point win at Warringal Park.
In Round 9, they claimed a famous one-point win at De Winton Park in one of the games of the year. Down by 17 points entering time-on in the last quarter, the Tigers booted three goals in five minutes to win, including Adam Symes’ match-winner with the last kick of the day.
FIRST SEMI FINAL – GREENSBOROUGH v BUNDOORA
The opportunity to progress through to the preliminary final is presented to Greensborough and Bundoora when they meet in the Meadows Greyhounds Division 1 first semi final on Sunday.
Greensborough enters the game on the back of its biggest loss in three years after proving no match for Macleod in last week’s 61-point qualifying final defeat, handing the Boro its third-successive loss.
The early signs were good for Ben Turner’s side, who raced to a 17-point lead during the first quarter after kicking four of the opening five goals of the day.
However, that was as good it as got for last year’s runner-up, as Macleod went on to kick 16 of the final 20 goals.
Trailing by just six points at the final change, the fourth quarter was forgettable for Greensborough. Kicking with a strong breeze, Macleod piled on 16 scoring shots to one, with the greatest concern the lack of pressure applied on the Roos as they drove the ball forward.
Dan McLinden and Adrian Cataldo tried gamely in defence under heavy barrage, while Jacob Ireland and Ricky Mullins found plenty of the football through the midfield.
Greensborough’s woes in attack continued, managing just 16 scoring shots for the day. The Boro were unable to find a marking target inside forward 50m, with Macleod’s defence comfortably able to bring the ball to ground then mop up from the deck.
The Boro will this week sweat on the availability of David Ellard, with the former Carlton midfielder a late exclusion from last week’s side. Not only can Ellard provide grunt through the midfield, he also provides an avenue to goal, booting 22 goals in 15 games this year.
Bundoora was outstanding in its 66-point demolition of Northcote Park in the elimination final, setting up the victory with an eight-goal to two first term to lead by 37 points at quarter time.
Matthew Dennis’ red-hot form from the home and away season continued, with the 2012 Frank Rosbrook medallist putting on a clinic in the ruck to lead the Bulls to their first finals win since the 2013 grand final.
Kane Slater played his best game of the year, David Mitchell and Brent Marshall found plenty of the ball, while Jack Furlong was influential through the midfield and booted three goals.
Gary Moorcroft was again a major factor and booted six goals for the third time this season against Northcote Park, with the haul taking his season’s tally to 70 majors.
For all his goal kicking feats, Moorcroft’s biggest highlight came in the third quarter when he launched over Marty Hore to take a contender for mark of the year.
Bundoora has won just one of its past six games against the Boro, however that win came in unlikely circumstances in Round 3 this year. Without a host of its key players, the Bulls overcame an inaccurate start to hold on for an upset 16-point win at War Memorial Park.
Greensborough reversed the result in the pair’s Round 14 meeting at Yulong Reserve, claiming a 15-point win in heavy rain. Jason Rogers and Nick Riddle were influential that day as the Boro kept the Bulls to just three goals.
