Results from Round 11 of the 2024 Melbourne Greyhounds Division 1 season could have huge complications on how the top five shapes up, as well as which sides are in danger of relegation.
A rampant Heidelberg outfit will look to keep rolling when they host a Montmorency side aiming to climb back to the winners list this weekend at Warringal Park.
The Tigers’ incredible 2024 campaign continued last Saturday, when they restricted North Heidelberg to just two goals in the opening three quarters on their way a rampant 58-point triumph.
It’s a victory that makes then undefeated in their last 27 matches, an extraordinary feat by Vin Dattoli and his men.
Luke Bunker pushed his case for the Frank Rosbrook Medal after another superb performance in the win over the Bulldogs, while Ben De Bolfo and Sean Martin led the way in defence, with the reigning premiers now giving up a total of only 130 points in their last three matches.
Whilst their winning run has been outstanding, Heidelberg do face an important task this week, as they battle the only side to have taken points off them in over two and a half years, and the only team to get within single digits of the ladder leaders in the previous 24 matches.
But the Magpies, face their own challenges and after having been upset by Bundoora last week, they will be eager to respond.
The absence of their two leading goalkickers in Ayhan Bajramov and Patrick Fitzgerald, as well as star midfielder Nash Holmes, was felt in the two-point loss, despite strong efforts from Nicholas Green and Stefan Uzelac almost getting Montmorency over the line.
They’ve also been kept to two of their three lowest scores in the last fortnight, something they will hope to arrest quickly against a strong Tigers defence.
Based off recent history, a close game is likely to play out, with only one match in their last five meetings being decided by double digits, and despite the current form lines of both sides, there’s no reason why this big match can’t be just as tight.
Two of this year’s biggest risers in Banyule and Hurstbridge will look to create a buffer from one another on the ladder when they meet at Beverley Road Oval.
The Bears and Bridges have had similar seasons to date, with both teams registering a 7-3 record so far, and are only being separated by three percent, meaning the victor of Saturday’s clash will sit a game clear in second position.
Each side come into this game off similar form also, having won their Round 10 matches following back-to-back defeats.
Banyule led by just seven points at half time in their clash against Macleod before a huge 10-goal to two second half saw them prevail by 58 points.
Kye Yodgee continues to be a major factor in the side’s finals push, after being named in his side’s best in three of his last four matches as well as earning 10 Coaches MVP Award votes in their triumph last week.
Meanwhile, after performing well in defence, Sam McLarty has now started to have an impact up forward and has kicked four majors in each of his previous two games to become the fifth player from the team to kick 10 or more goals in 2024.
Hurstbridge’s best efforts in recent weeks have seen their two Kye’s, Agosta and Declase, perform brilliantly. The pair were standouts in the Bridges’ 48-point win over Eltham last week, combining to earn 14 Coaches MVP Award votes.
The duo, along with the likes of Bailey Jordan, Mitchell Moschetti and Joel Naylor all missed when Joel Cordwell’s men last met the Bears back in Round 2, where they went down by five goals at home.
But with most of their troops back in action, and with this game having plenty of meaning, we are in for a ripping afternoon at Bevereley Road Oval.
It could arguably be the most important game of the season for both Eltham and Macleod when they do battle at Eltham Central Park.
Tim Bongetti’s men have started to get back to playing some competitive football after the bye in their attempt to avoid finishing in bottom spot by the end of the season.
After their big win over Bundoora in Round 9, the Panthers trailed by only eight points to Hurstbridge at half time, before being overrun away from home.
Declan Ayres’ excellent form has continued, and after being one of his side’s best players when they last met the Roos in Round 2, he looks to be a key player to their chances of victory. Cooper Dahms has also impressed, having been named in his side’s best in his previous two games since coming back from VFL duty.
Macleod were also vastly more competitive in their most recent match, as despite going down to Banyule by 56 points, they were within seven points at the main break.
Darcy Barden is setting himself up nicely to earn a second straight appearance in the Division 1 Team of the Year, after being named in his side’s best for the ninth time in 10 games.
If Barden and in-form ruckman Zac Hudson can produce more brilliant efforts on Saturday, it will go a long way towards the club moving off the bottom of the ladder.
A defeat for Craig Hayes’ men may see them stay in touching distance with ninth placed Bundoora only, as we approach the last third of the season, and after falling away in the last term when they faced the Panthers in Round 2, a four-quarter performance will be needed if Macleod are to claim their second win of the season.
North Heidelberg will hope to return to the top five by the end of the week when they take on West Preston-Lakeside at Shelley Street Reserve.
Despite winning three straight matches ahead of their Round 10 clash with Heidelberg, the Bulldogs looked out of their depth against the reigning premiers, going down by 58 points away from home.
With no Liam Hunt or Jesse Tardio, North Heidelberg struggled to win key battles in midfield, despite Brody Bell and Kyle McDonald continuing their great form in the defeat.
But they return to their home deck this weekend, a place where they have won three of their last four clashes, in the hopes of regaining some form ahead of some big fixtures.
Jason Heatley and his men will be weary of Roosters side who weren’t far away from toppling Greensborough at J.E. Moore Park last weekend.
West Preston-Lakeside did fall by 22 points, but were never completely out of the contest, thanks to more solid outputs from co-captains Max Dreher and Matthew Harman, while young forward Dante Colosimo produced his third five-goal haul of the season.
Vice-Captain Matthew Belbasis is also a player that is having a big impact for the club on field and has been named in his side’s best in six consecutive games.
North Heidelberg were convincing 50-point victors over Ian Aitken’s men during their Round 2 encounter and have also won the last three meetings between the two sides.
Whilst the Bulldogs are expected to bounce back, the Roosters have already proven to be a handful to contend with this year, and it can’t be put past the young squad to cause another upset.
Both Greensborough and Bundoora will aim to build on impressive wins from the last round when they meet at Greensborough War Memorial Park.
After a rough patch of results to close out the first half of the season, the Boro have regained some ascendancy, with their wins against Macleod and West Preston-Lakeside now seeing the team back inside the top five.
Their victory over the Roosters came thanks to the return of Thomas Brindley from Richmond’s VFL side, who was exceptional.
But Brody Glenn has also been firing on all cylinders lately, having now kicked eight majors in his last two games after managing just two goals in the previous four encounters.
Meanwhile, Jamie Smith’s form inside 50 continued, with the big man kicking goals in all nine appearances in 2024, including four majors in their Round 10 victory.
However, for the winning run to continue for Matthew Hyde’s men, they will need to topple a Bundoora team who come into this clash fresh off arguably their best win of the season last week.
The Bulls were able to get on top of Montmorency and prevail by two points in front of their home crowd.
Lachlan East controlled things in the defensive end, helping keep the Magpies to their second lowest total of the season. Jesse King did the damage at the other end, kicking four goals and earning eight Coaches MVP Award votes for his efforts.
With games against sides currently occupying the top six positions on the ladder over the next three weeks, Heath Scotland’s men will need to see this as another opportunity to extend their gap from their bottom of the ladder, despite the Boro’s recent form.
They would hope at the least, they improve from their 72-point defeat to Greensborough in Round 2, where they were kept to just 38 points.
