Four important fixtures to cast your eyes over in this weeks Melbourne Greyhounds Division 1 action, as the second half of the season gets underway.
In the standalone match over the long weekend, Macleod were able to hold on for a five-point victory over North Heidelberg, with both sides now just two points shy of the top five.
Bundoora will be hoping to continue their patch of brilliant form when they host West Preston-Lakeside at Yulong Reserve.
The opening round fixture between these two sides saw the Roosters produce a classy performance despite key players unavailable, cruising to a 37-point victory.
But since that clash, both sides have gone in the opposite direction in terms of form, with the Bulls winning seven of their next eight games while the Roosters have only managed one win in their last five matches.
Bundoora’s last match before the Queen’s Birthday bye saw them sneak over the line against Greensborough.
Jacob Townsend’s appearance helped the Bulls turn a deficit of over three goals with ten minutes to go in the final quarter, into a four-point triumph.
The former Richmond premiership player kicked four, while strong performances from Danny Younan, Jesse King and Sam Lloyd also played a big part in Bundoora’s win.
The Roosters on the other hand went down convincingly to top-of-the-table Heidelberg.
Alex Federico and Michael Ercolano continued their strong 2022 seasons whilst Ahmed Saad added another four goals to his tally this season but another poor performance from Rob Maiorana’s side see’s them fall further away from the top sides of the competition.
It’s difficult to rule out West Preston-Lakeside at this stage of the season and will be every chance to turn the campaign around with a victory on Saturday, however with Bundoora’s current form line, the Bulls will sense an opportunity to create a further gap form fourth and fifth spot.
Northcote Park will be out to climb off the bottom of the ladder when they host high-flying Montmorency.
These two sides also met in the opening round of the season, with the Magpies prevailing by 78-points, a tone they have set for the remainder of the season so far.
Although it’s fair to say that the Cougars have made some improvements since that match, stringing together some handy performances to give a few of the sides above them a scare.
Stephen Saddington would’ve been disappointed his side couldn’t get over the line against Whittlesea in their last match before the bye, falling short by four points despite a four goal to one final term.
Despite the defeat, the match again highlighted the impact some of their better players are having at Northcote Park, with Alexander Boyse, Matthew D’Angelo and Daniel Tallariti all continuing to will their side over the line.
But even they will need to take their game up a notch this Saturday if they’re to overcome a powerful Montmorency line up.
Leading by just five points at three quarter time in their Round 9 match with Macleod, the Magpies stormed home with an 11-goal final term that paved the way for the victory.
Stefan Uzelac kicked seven majors in the absence of Patrick Fitzgerald, with co-captain Sam Binion once again dominant in midfield.
The Cougars have scored the least number of points in the competition to date and will need to take advantage of their opportunities if they are any chance of causing an upset.
The bye could be the best thing for the out of form Greensborough as they look to get back on the winners list against Hurstbridge.
Earning just two out of a possible 16 points in their last four games, the Borough will need to pick themselves up if they want to get back to their incredible 2019 form and remain a premiership contender.
Their most recent defeat was the four-point loss to Bundoora, letting the lead slip despite registering six more scoring shots.
Greensborough’s inaccuracy has played a big role in their lack of success in the last month, scoring more behinds than goals in their last four matches.
Saade Ghazi’s side will also be weary of the Bridges who caused a huge upset result over the Borough in Round 2 this year.
Hurtsbridge haven’t been able to recapture the heights of their early season form however, picking up just one win since that triumph and losing their last six matches.
They have proven to cause headaches to sides above them in that time however, nearly knocking off West Preston-Lakeside three weeks ago.
Sunny Brazier, Joel Naylor and Cooper Perrin kicked seven goals between them in that victory over Greensborough in April and will need to produce a similar performance if they’re to make it 2-0 against the Borough this year and avoid further relegation talk.
The Borough sit 10 points behind third placed Bundoora and will hope a win this week can generate some pressure on the top three sides.
Heidelberg will look to stamp their authority once more when they do battle with Whittlesea at Warringal Park.
The top of the table Tigers are sky high at the minute, as without their one point defeat to Montmorency earlier in the year, they would be undefeated.
They’re most recent outing was a statement making 66-point win over the reigning premiers West Preston-Lakeside.
Sam Gilmore led the way in midfield, the ruckman continuing to be a polarising figure to his opponents whilst Charlie Wilson has sprung onto the scene since entering the senior squad, kicking nine goals in his last three games including putting four past the Roosters.
Whittlesea will want to take any momentum they can get following their four-point win over Northcote Park a fortnight ago.
Despite a tumultuous week leading up to the match, the Eagles were able to withstand a final quarter comeback from the Cougars to prevail by under a kick and it could be type of win that could lift spirits again at the Whittlesea Showgrounds.
Whittlesea have caused some shake ups to the top five sides so far this year, defeating West Preston-Lakeside in Round 2, but it would take an incredible performance to cause what would be the biggest upset of the season.
