Second place on the ladder heading into the Queen’s Birthday weekend break is the prize when Diamond Creek hosts North Heidelberg on Saturday.
Both head into the encounter with a 5-2 record and sit a game behind ladder-leader Whittlesea after seven rounds.
Diamond Creek moved back into second place following last weekend’s 47-point win over Lalor, where Luke Simpson starred with seven goals. The win was the Demons’ second in succession following a convincing eight-goal triumph over Mernda in Round 6.
The two results have been a positive response to a poor loss to Whittlesea in the Round 5 NFL Match of the Day, where the Demons were never in the hunt at any stage of the top-of-the-table game.
Arguably the biggest positive to come out of last week’s win was the triumphant return of skipper Jedd McQueen. After suffering a sickening facial injury during a practice match, McQueen was best afield in his comeback match.
Leading by just one-point at three quarter time, the Demons broke Lalor’s resistance in the final quarter with 8.4 to Lalor’s one straight to romp to an important win.
North Heidelberg had its five-game winning streak ended last Saturday when it was shocked by Mernda in a 32-point upset – the result dropping the Bulldogs into third place on the ladder.
Having had to manage a long injury and suspension list throughout the 2013 season, the Doggies fielded arguably their best team on paper for the season last weekend with the return of Blake Holmes, John Green and Louis Hill.
They looked to have the game in control early when they led by 26 points at quarter time, but then managed just seven goals in the three quarters that followed.
Shane Harvey still managed to boot seven of his side’s 14 goals, as he took his season tally to 46 – putting him 11 clear of Eagle Andrew Fairchild in the race for this year’s goal kicking award.
The major issue for the Doggies last weekend was the ease in which Mernda scored after quarter time. The Demons register 36 scoring shots and became the first team this season to score more than 100 points in a game against last year’s runners-up.
The loss of Jarrod King to an ankle injury has cost the Dogs run and carry through half back and midfield, with a lack of pace a genuine concern in last weekend’ loss.
This Saturday’s clash is the second time these side meet this season, with Diamond Creek victorious in the Round 1 clash also at Coventry Oval.
The Demons were dominant in the first half of that contest, restricting North to just three goals in the first half.
Despite the positive start, the home side lost four players to injury in the opening two quarters and looked to have run out of legs by three quarter time when they trailed by one point.
However, they dug deep in the final quarter and finished with four of the final five goals to record a 10-point win in a low-scoring affair.
Having already lost once to the Creekers this season, the Doggies can’t afford another defeat as the race for a top two place heats up.
Past Three Meetings
Round 1, 2013: Diamond Creek 12.5 (77) def North Heidelberg 10.7 (67)
Round 13, 2012: North Heidelberg 9.14 (68) def by Diamond Creek 17.14 (116)
Round 6, 2012: Diamond Creek 11.8 (74) def by North Heidelberg 13.11 (89)
