Round 9 marks the end of the opening half of the 2017 Meadows Greyhounds Division 1 season, with all ten sides still in finals contention after the first two months of competition.
A relatively tight round of results last weekend saw a number of signifcant changes to the ladder, with Macleod assuming outright top spot, West Preston-Lakeside moving into the top-three, while Greensborough and Heidelberg mounted a charge towards the top-five.
Heidelberg is looking for consecutive wins for the first time this season when it hosts West Preston-Lakeside at Warringal Park.
The Tigers welcomed back a host of stars last weekend, with Sam Gilmore, Marcus Marigliani, Paul Bower and Ben Cosgriff all returning to help their side to a one-point win over Northcote Park – the result dislodging the Cougars from top place.
Tom Sullivan, Charles Gaylard and Gilmore were significant contributors in what was an exceptional contest, with the Tigers leading by 16 points at quarter-time before being reined in. The second half featured a host of lead changes, with the Tigers holding on to improve their record to 3-6.
It was a vital win for the reigning premier and keeps them right in touch with the top-five. While the Tigers welcomed back some stars, they still were far from full-strength with Michael Brunelli, Shaun Huy and Lachlan Wilson not available, while star utility Adam Symes sadly sustained a season-ending knee injury.
While plenty can change between now and the end of the season, last week was another reminder that Heidelberg still has plenty to offer in 2017.
West Preston-Lakeside is on the hunt for its third win on the trot after overcoming Eltham by 17 points in a tight battle in Round 8. The Roosters led by less than a goal at the first three breaks, before edging clear with a three-goal to one final quarter.
Liam McVeigh produced his best performance of the season to kick a team-high three goals, helping to cover the loss of competition leading goal kicker Ahmed Saad, who missed the match serving a one-match suspension.
The Roosters won a see-sawing battle against Heidelberg when the sides met in Round 1, with Saad taking the game by the scruff of the neck – kicking three of his seven goals late in the final quarter.
Bundoora heads down Grimshaw Street to take on Greensborough at War Memorial Park. The form-line belies the two sides’ current ladder position, with the fourth-placed Bulls beaten in their past two starts, while the sixth-placed Boro have won their past three.
Greensborough celebrated Jason Rogers’ 150th senior appearance with a comfortable 45-point win over Whittlesea, with the win pushing Robert Hyde’s side into its highest ladder position this year. The Boro never looked troubled after booting five goals to one in the first term.
Rogers was at his best in his milestone match and received maximum votes in the Coaches Player of the Year award, while Nick Riddle and Adrian Cataldo led a stingy defence that conceded just five goals.
The Boro remain one of just two teams yet to kick 100 points or more in a match, however Matthew Haynes and Andrew Stellas each enjoyed season-best performances against the Eagles and finished with three goals apiece.
Bundoora was no match for Macleod in a heavy 62-point defeat at Yulong Reserve last week. After kicking the first two goals, the Bulls never truly threatened and were made to pay for an uncharacteristically high number of turnovers.
A spate of injuries is threatening to derail Bundoora’s campaign following a 5-1 start, with skipper Brent Marshall, Nathan Thomas, Todd Hughes, Scott Dowell and Jack Furlong all sidelined as their side suffered its second-straight defeat to slip to fourth spot on the ladder.
Danny Younan was a class above and regularly tried to spark his side, while Dom Nixon continued his strong form across half back. Andrew Carmusciano’s push closer to goal was again a positive, finishing with three majors for the second-consecutive week.
Recent outings between Greensborough and Bundoora have been exceptionally tight, with the past five matches decided by an average of just 14 points, including last year’s first semi final which the Boro won by six points.
Top-placed Macleod plays six of its final ten matches at home, beginning with this week’s clash with fifth-placed Montmorency.
Coach Garry Ramsay described last week’s win at Bundoora as Macleod’s best performance of the season, with the Roos kicking 16 goals to five after a slow start. It capped a memorable day for the visitors, who left Yulong Reserve with strong wins in all three grades.
Macleod’s ability to spread the load up forward was again on display, with 12 players kicking a goal. Matthew Clark led the way with three majors, while Anthony Doherty marked everything that came his way and set up a host of scoring chances for his teammates.
The Roos had winners all over the ground, with Chris Long strong in the ruck, Lucas Hobbs and Hamish Paynter winning plenty of ball in the midfield and Justin White and Jack Bianchin mopping up cleanly from defence.
Montmorency showed genuine grit to ensure Daniel Keenan celebrated his 300th club game with a win against former side Hurstbridge. The Magpies kicked three unanswered goals in the last quarter to turn a 15-point deficit at the final change into a six-point win.
It was the Magpies experienced stars who willed their side to their first victory since Round 3, with Keenan, Jesse Donaldson, Matthew Hunt and Joel McLellan all among the best players in the thrilling victory.
With the five sides below snapping at its heels, Montmorency will need to continue winning to remain in the top-five. However the confidence gleaned from last week’s second half should give the Magpies plenty of hope heading into this week’s tough assignment.
Whittlesea makes the longest trip in the top flight when it travels to Bill Lawry Oval to take on Northcote Park.
The Cougars’ six-game winning streak came to a halt at Heidelberg last week, with Matt McLennan’s side left to rue four shots that hit the post in the one-point loss to a revitalised opponent.
It was a trio of defenders who stood up most in defeat, with Damian Galofaro, Nick Carter and Gerard Sutton among their side’s best players, while Jackson Starcevich, Ricky Fandrich and Dylan Campbell each finished with three goals in the shootout.
With consecutive home matches against sides currently placed in the bottom-three, the Cougars remain well placed despite last week’s loss, however as has regularly been proven this year – no opponent can be taken for granted.
Whittlesea’s winless run continued to four games after succumbing to Greensborough in Round 8 and the Eagles are in desperate need of a form reversal to jump off the bottom of the ladder.
The Eagles were slow out of the gates at War Memorial Park following the Queen’s Birthday weekend break and headed into the quarter-time 24 points in arrears. The deficit extended in each of the following three terms, meaning the Eagles have outscored their opponents in only one of their past 13 quarters.
Jai Robinson and Riley Dyson were major ball winners in last week’s loss, while the defence held up well under relatively constant pressure. Jaron Murphy’s ability to find the big sticks continued with three goals, improving his tally to nine goals from his past five matches.
An interesting match awaits when Hurstbridge takes on Eltham at Ben Frilay Oval, where both sides are hoping to bounce back from close defeats last week.
The Bridges look set to unveil star recruit Rhyce Shaw for his first game, after the former Sydney premiership defender lodged a transfer to the club back in April.
Hurstbridge looked on track for its third win of the year for much of the opening three quarters against Montmorency after playing a strong brand of football. The Bridges won the ball in close and adapted well to the confines of Montmorency Park.
However, they couldn’t deny their fast-finishing host to fall to a six-point defeat – their second-consecutive close loss after losing to Greensborough in Round 7. Despite going down, the performance again demonstrated the Bridges’ best is more than capable in the top flight.
Tom Simpson was superb for Hurstbridge and continued the form that saw him selected in the NFL representative side, while Jack Grimes and Tieren Barbera had solid outings – with the latter capping his performance with two impressive goals from the boundary.
Eltham slipped from sixth to eighth on the back of its 17-point loss to West Preston-Lakeside, however the Panthers were far from disgraced in defeat – managing to stay within touching distance for much of the day against the premiership fancy.
Tom Rogers provided plenty of run and carry for the home side, Anton Woods again won a heap of the football and Jack Woodful continued his impressive debut season to be named in the best for the third time in six weeks.
This week’s match starts a run of away matches for the Panthers, who are on the road in five of their next six matches. A win this week could put them within percentage of the top-five at the halfway point of the season, while a loss could see them slip to the bottom of the ladder.
