We may see the Melbourne Greyhounds Division 1 ladder start to take some shape by week’s end as we approach the first third of the 2023 season.
It’s been a hot start to the season for Hurstbridge however this weekend will see them face their biggest test yet, when they travel to Warringal Park to face Heidelberg.
Under new coach Joel Cordwell, the Bridges have strung together their best start to a season in the top flight, sitting in third with three wins, a draw and just the one defeat.
Last Saturday saw them stay unbeaten at Ben Frilay Oval, coming from 13 points down at three quarter time to draw with Montmorency.
Mitchell Hymus stepped up in the absence of star midfielder Mitchell Moschetti whilst Bailey Jordan continued his strong start up forward with another two goals.
Their clash with the reigning premiers this week is the second of a brutal four-week slate which sees them face consecutive top five sides from last year, and they’ll need to again produce their best efforts against a Heidelberg team that sits a game clear at the top of the Division 1 table.
The Tigers also came from behind at the final break last weekend, kicking five goals to one in the last term to run over the top of Bundoora away from home.
Brody Tardio picked up the perfect 10 Coaches Votes following a stellar performance on the wing whilst Dylan Clarke and Lachlan Wilson also starred in an impressive final term.
The Tigers now face just one side from last year’s top five between now and Round 11, meaning a dominant month of football could give Vin Dattoli’s men a more than comfortable advantage at the top.
Heidelberg have won the last seven matches against the Bridges dating back to 2018, but they have arguably yet to play a Hurstbridge side as in form as they are this season.
It makes for an intriguing battle as both sides look to continue their great starts to season 2023.
Having lost their last two games, Bundoora will look to bounce back quickly in their battle with next-door neighbours Greensborough at Yulong Reserve.
After winning their opening three games, the Bulls now sit in fourth having lost to Montmorency and Heidelberg by 11 and 19 points respectively in the last fortnight.
Whilst Hamish Shepheard in ruck and captain Luke Collins strung together solid outings, the Bulls failed to capitalise on their forward 50 entries, only kicking six goals on the day.
This weekend could potentially see the return of star players Brent Marshall, Sam Lloyd and Nathan Thomas in a major boost for a side whose depth has been tested to start season 2023.
Their opponents this weekend in Greensborough will hope to regain the consistency that saw them triumph in back-to-back wins in the opening two rounds of the season.
The Boro were able get on top of Banyule in the closing stages of their Round 5 clash and hold on for a dramatic five-point win in front of their home crowd.
Joel Trudgeon has produced an outstanding three-week period for Saade Ghazi’s side, culminated with a best on ground performance in last weeks’ victory, where he finished with nine goals and received nine Coaches MVP Award votes.
Angus Seivers and Ethan Luke also proved to be pivotal at either end of the ground in the win, with Luke’s four goals helping his side produce their highest score of the season.
The Bulls have had a good run against the Boro in recent years, having won their last three clashes.
Both sides have an advantageous month of football ahead in terms of opposition and with the teams only separated by percentage, this could prove to be an early eight-point game.
North Heidelberg will look to continue their brilliant form of late when they welcome Banyule for the first time to Shelley Street Reserve.
After losing their opening three games, the Bulldogs have found their bite in the last fortnight, picking up big wins against West Preston-Lakeside away from home and Macleod at Shelley Street.
Breaking the 100-point barrier in both games, last weekend saw Jason Heatley’s men pile on 25 goals from 36 scoring shots at J.E. Moore Park.
Majak Daw led the way up forward, picking up 10 Coaches MVP Award votes for his seven-goal performance that sees him sit second in the goalkicking charts. Brock Chircop also piled on seven goals whilst Billy Hogan starred in midfield.
It won’t be an easy task this weekend at home though, when they face a Banyule side who, despite sitting 2-3, have shown plenty of promising signs in their first season in the top tier.
They just missed out on topping their win over West Preston-Lakeside a week earlier by falling short to Greensborough by just five points. Vivian Blackmoore-Moore’s class was on show, picking up nine Coaches MVP Award votes following a seven-goal performance.
Surprisingly, this will see the two highest scoring teams of the competition thus far, face each other on Saturday. However, Banyule have been the slightly more consistent side in that department, not scoring lower than 75 points in all five games so far in 2023.
So, weather permitting, we could expect a high scoring contest out at Shelley Street Reserve on Saturday.
Montmorency will aim to continue putting pressure on ladder leaders Heidelberg when they host Macleod at Montmorency Park North Oval.
After two impressive wins against 2022 Grand Finalists Bundoora and Heidelberg, the Magpies were only able to pick up two points last weekend at Ben Frilay Oval against Hurstbridge.
It was certainly a winnable game for Jonathan Manzoney’s men, having led at all three-quarter breaks, but the draw doesn’t deter from the Magpies strong start to 2023.
They currently boast the Coaches MVP Award leader in Marcus Lentini and competition leading goalkicker Patrick Fitzgerald, who has kicked 21 goals so far this season, including 10 in Montmorency’s two home games so far this season.
They’re just two of many players in the black and white that Macleod are hoping to shut down on Saturday.
The Roos found themselves back on the winners list in a big way, with a thumping 122-point triumph over the winless Whittlesea at De Winton Park. It was an important triumph for the club as they look to keep in touch with sides in the top half of the ladder.
Macleod’s big score came courtesy of Shane Doherty, who kicked four majors in a best on ground performance, and Michael Hurley, who produced seven goals to take his 2023 tally to 15. Both men received nine Coaches MVP Award votes for their efforts.
The Magpies won both encounters against the Roos in 2022, including by 92 points in Round 15. But with their confidence levels high, Craig Hayes’ men will be aiming for a more competitive showing this time around.
Still searching for their first win of the season, Whittlesea will hope to turn things around when they clash with West Preston-Lakeside at the Whittlesea Showgrounds.
Despite some promising signs over the first month of the season, the Eagles proved no match for Macleod away from home last week, scoring just two majors.
Whilst it has been a struggle to start the 2023 campaign for Wayne Van Der Ross’ side, Mitchell Andrews and Deakin Tennant have continued to produce consistent seasons.
Their aim now will be to find some firepower inside 50. The Eagles have only scored 170 points in their opening five games and have kicked 9.20 in the last three weeks.
They take on a West Preston-Lakeside outfit who’ll be desperate to bounce back following a disappointing 107-point defeat in front of their home crowd last weekend against North Heidelberg.
A loss of such nature was a shock for a side who had started the season 2-1, but they will no doubt learn a lot from the defeat as they prepare for Saturday’s battle.
Ahmed Saad has continued to provide plenty of highlights up forward since returning from an ACL injury two weeks ago, with seven majors in two matches.
The Eagles caused one of the upsets of the season in Round 2 against the Roosters last year, winning by eight points before West Preston-Lakeside claimed a 23-point victory at Saturday’s venue in Round 12.
But with matches against Montmorency, Heidelberg and Bundoora to come, Luke Giles’ side will be desperate to bounce back and build some momentum again.
