Some crucial results have seen the top six clear out from the chasing pack with just a couple of weeks to go before finals in Melbourne Cleaning Division 2.
With a game to come this weekend to close out Round 12, the finals race looks like it’s down to six sides with seventh spot currently three wins behind fifth.
Kicking off Round 12 last Friday night was a two-point thriller between West Preston Lakeside and Lower Plenty at JE Moore Reserve. The Roosters got the chocolates for their fourth win of the season.
The Bears had the better of the first half and headed to the main break with a 13-point lead. But West Preston Lakeside came out with renewed vigour in the third quarter with 2.4 to one point to hold a two-point lead at three-quarter time.
Both sides kicked one point each in the final term as the Roosters clung on. Elisha Folino, Sarina Galati and Isabel Young kicked a goal each for the winners, while Addison Maher, Ally Pilakis and Chenara Rogers kicked one apiece for Lower Plenty. Tess Gibson was named their best afield.
Ladder leaders Fitzroy Stars continue to show the way in Division 2, overcoming some heavy conditions at Sir Doug Nicholls Reserve to defeat Reservoir by 17 points in their NAIDOC Cup match on Saturday morning.
Remarkably the Stars kicked 13 points in three quarters before finally splitting the big sticks three times in the final term to come away with the win.
Tayla Hart-Aluni, Klarindah Hudson and Medika Bonney were among the best players for the Stars to secure the NAIDOC Cup, Montanna Hudson kicking a couple of goals.
Piper Joyce, Mele Manu and Elly-May Dreier were named the best players for the Mustangs, who still sit comfortably in fourth spot despite the loss with some excellent percentage compared to the teams below them.
Darebin put a serious dent in the finals hopes of North Heidelberg with a 30-point win at AH Capp Reserve on Sunday.
After a slow start from both sides in the opening term, the Falcons kicked five goals to one for the rest of the afternoon to secure a win which keeps them in fifth place, a game clear of Hurstbridge in sixth.
Sam Pritchard, Karly McNeice, Claire Hardy and Julia McArdle were key contributors for the home side, while for North Heidelberg Mo Sosaiete Mailei, Alice Bowden and Abbey Quirk were acknowledged by their coaches as their best players.
Hurstbridge’s 44-point win over Panton Hill at AE Cracknells Reserve was the final result of last weekend, the Bridges keeping their finals dream alive for now but would need a lot to go right in the next fortnight to jump into the top five.
A six goal to nil opening term had Hurstbridge in control early on and they held that advantage for the rest of the afternoon as the Redbacks kicked a couple of goals in the second term but struggled to find a way forward with regularity.
Madison Bayes kicked three goals for Hurstbridge and Natalie Tull-Boyle finished with two. Rylee Mountney, Georgia Graham, Melissa Martini and Ruby Butterfield named in the best players.
Angela Milesi and Ruby Moore gave great effort for Panton Hill and were among their best on the day, along with Gemma Harrison and Alyse Hutchinson.
Ivanhoe and Kilmore will close out Round 12 this coming Saturday when they kick off the dew on Saturday morning at Ivanhoe Park as part of a triple header with Ivanhoe and Kilmore’s men’s teams.
It will be a key fixture for both sides with plenty on the line – for Kilmore a win would see them draw level on points with the second-placed Ivies, albeit trailing by a healthy chunk of percentage.
It will more than likely be a preview of a match up we could see in the first week of the finals series and should be a great contest with some great players on both teams.
