Meadows Greyhounds Division 1 Preview – Round 3


Published on Thursday, April 27, 2017

Author : Samuel Zito

The 2017 Meadows Greyhounds Division 1 season is just two rounds old, but the football produced this year has given the indication that we are in for a fascinating campaign.

After an opening round that produced an average margin of just 12 points across six matches, the return to football from the Easter break again produced some intriguing results.

Whittlesea made history by recording its first ever victory at Yulong Reserve; Macleod continued Heidelberg’s early season woes with a big win in the grand final rematch; Hurstbridge again pushed a premiership contender, while Northcote Park and Montmorency scored important home triumphs.

Round 3 looks set to be another outstanding round of football, with it almost impossible to decipher a favourite in any of the weekend’s five matches.

Match of the day status goes to the top of the table clash between Macleod and West Preston-Lakeside at De Winton Park, with the winner to assume early season premiership favouritism.

After dusting out the cobwebs in a scrappy Round 1 win over Hurstbridge, Macleod produced a much sharper display last week to control a one-sided grand final rematch against Heidelberg at Warringal Park.

The Roos kicked four unanswered goals in the opening quarter to lead by 25 points at the first break and were never genuinely threatened again – kicking 11 goals to seven thereafter to runaway with a 51-point win.

Jack Bianchin played a superb game off half back and was the Roos’ best player, alongside two-time best and fairest winner Lucas Hobbs, Reid Brandt (four goals) and Cathal Corr. Ned Mabon also impressed in his second game for his new club.

West Preston-Lakeside notched its third win on the trot to keep its one-game buffer atop the table, however the Roosters far from had everything their own way in a 29-point win over Hurstbridge.

Trailing at quarter time and leading by just nine points at the final change, the Roosters had to pull out all stops in the last quarter to ensure Brad Sanderson celebrated his club record 409th game with a win.

Patrick Karnezis slotted five goals to back up his three-goal haul at Northcote Park, while Ahmed Saad’s four majors increased his tally to 17 in three games in the Northern Football League.

With in-form midfielder Luke Lirosi sidelined by injury, Andrew Walker was again influential, while Joel McDonald and Ali Fahour both continued their solid starts to the season.

Whittlesea and Northcote Park will each be searching for back-to-back wins when they meet at the Whittlesea Showgrounds.

The Eagles managed to cast aside their disappointing Round 1 fadeout loss to Montmorency by producing last Saturday’s biggest upset with a two-point win over Bundoora at Yulong Reserve.

Jim Atkins’ side rallied from a 14-point deficit at three quarter time, to produce one of their finest wins in the top flight. The triumph was all the more monumental given key midfielders Jai Robinson and Matt Dornauf both missed the clash.

Justin Sherman produced a performance for the ages, rotating between the forward line and midfield to finish with a match-winning seven goals. The Eagles’ playing assistant coach has had a massive start to 2017 and has booted 12 goals in the opening two weeks of the season.

Sherman received strong support from Paul Higgins, Riley Dyson and Nathan Stefanile, who were all pivotal in the win, while Chris Horman slotted four goals.

Northcote Park opened its account with a five-point win over Greensborough in a low-scoring encounter at Bill Lawry Oval, reclaiming the Neale ‘Cowboy’ Carroll Cup in the process.

The Cougars could have sealed the game much earlier but were wayward in front of goal throughout the afternoon.

Nick Carter made a phenomenal return to the Cougars’ line-up and was named his side’s best player. It was the two-time Molloy Medal winner’s first game since the 2015 first semi final after missing the 2016 season with a knee injury.

Collingwood VFL listed forward Jackson Starcevich made a strong impression in his first game for the Cougars, snaring four goals, while Jordan Perry and Tyson Old both featured among their side’s best players for the second-straight week.

Eltham and Heidelberg will both be desperate to atone for dismal Round 2 losses when they square off at Eltham Central Park. The Tigers were 108-point victors when the sides last met at the venue.

Eltham faded out during its Round 1 win at Greensborough and continued that form in a dismal loss at Montmorency last Saturday. The Panthers were never in the contest and slumped to a 53-point loss.

Bradyn Taglieri was among the Panthers’ best players and snared three of his team’s seven goals, while Mikael Avramov tried hard across four quarters. Matthew Keys also played well following a strong showing in the win over the Boro.

The Panthers will be keen to quickly bounce back to form as they start a four-week stretch of home games. However, they have beaten Heidelberg only once in the past two decades, with that win coming in 2015.

After losing just three games during the 2016 home and away season, Heidelberg slumped to a 0-3 start in its premiership defence following last week’s 51-point loss to Macleod. It was the Tigers’ second-straight home defeat after last year producing a perfect home record.

The big loss in the grand final rematch saw the Tigers slip to bottom spot on the ladder, with the historians needing to go well back into the archives to find the last time club sat at the foot of the table after three rounds.

Marcus Marigliani produced another strong midfield performance and would likely have opened a gap in the club’s best and fairest count. Charles Gaylard and Callum Lewis have also been in strong form despite the string of losses, while Will Goss showed good signs last week.

Close rivals Greensborough and Montmorency square off at War Memorial Park. The Boro are looking for their first win, while the Pies are trying to keep their unbeaten record intact.

It’s been a case of what might have been for Greensborough so far this year, with the 2016 preliminary finalist falling to four and five-point losses in the opening two rounds of the season – although the club has yet to lead at the end of any quarter in 2017.

Tristan Stead produced a strong performance in last week’s loss at Bill Lawry Oval, snagging three goals, while youngsters Michael Croxford and Billy Bedford again showed they have bright futures ahead.

With key trio Pat Fitzgerald (four goals), Stephen McCallum (two goals) and Brett Zorzi all returning to the field, Montmorency continued its winning start to the year with an eye-catching display against Eltham in the twilight match.

The Magpies extended their lead at every change and were particularly dominant after half time when they piled on 10 goals to four, which included a game-breaking five-goal to one third quarter.

Forward Mark Deaves gave the home side a strong target and finished the match with four majors, Joel McLellan controlled the ruck, while Jesse Donaldson, Matt Hunt and Bill Jenkin continued their strong early-season form.

The final game of the round sees Hurstbridge make the trip to Yulong Reserve to take on Bundoora.

Hurstbridge has been within touching distance of a win in each of its first two weeks and won’t be far from notching its first victory if it can continue to perform at such a level.

Mitch Burton snared five goals against quality opposition at J.E Moore Park and has kicked eight goals in the opening two rounds. Young gun Tom Simpson was equally good in the 29-point loss, capping off his fine performance with two goals.

For the second successive week Tieren Barbera and Lachlan East produced strong showings, while Cooper Perrin’s performance should see him remain in the senior line-up throughout the year.

The Bridges’ young talent could be aided in coming weeks by the inclusion of Sydney premiership defender Rhyce Shaw and former Swans ruckman Tom Derickx, who will both make several appearances for the club this year after submitting transfers last week.

After slipping to a shock home loss to Whittlesea, Bundoora will be sure to give Hurstbridge the credit it deserves. It looms as a tricky fixture for the Bulls, who will be expected to win despite the Bridges pushing top-two sides all the way in the opening two weeks.

Last week Bundoora could never shake a persistent Eagles outfit and was eventually overrun in a tense final term. That was despite the best efforts of Jack Furlong and Todd Hughes who each kicked four goals in the high-scoring loss.

Matthew Dennis and Liam Byrne were once again strong contributors for Bundoora after last year finishing first and second respectively in the club’s best and fairest. Meanwhile, Danny Younan kicked two goals in his Bulls’ debut.

Related News