Blues Outclass Panthers And Jump To Second
KEILOR is right now the team to beat in Strathmore Community Bank Premier Division.
The Blues have now won five straight games after piling on six goals to one in the final term to beat Pascoe Vale at Joe Brown Oval on Saturday.
Dean Galea was again the main focal point up forward and pulled his weight in the absence of partner-in-crime, Josh Martin, snagging five goals in the 41-point win.
Pascoe Vale coach Kyle Hardingham was missed out on the park as the Blues slowly took control after a goalless first quarter, but the game was well and truly in the balance at the final change.
It was at that point where the Blues again solidified their contender status, storming home in the final term with Nick O’Kearney turning in a best-on-ground display alongside 2016 premiership skipper, Dylan Joyce.
While Pascoe Vale started the day above Keilor on the ladder, the Panthers now find themselves outside the top four once more with Strathmore, Greenvale and Maribyrnong Park coming up in their next three games.
Final - Keilor 13.12-90 def. Pascoe Vale 7.7-49
Mores Punish Wayward Jets Despite Key Outs
STRATHMORE’S list of exclusions left many doubtful that the Mores would be able to get up at Section Road on Saturday, but Nathan Grima’s young side rose to the occasion.
It was a big game for two sides whose respective form has been somewhat shaky of late, but it didn’t take long to establish which side had come to play.
The Mores got an early jump on Greenvale with the only three goals of the first term and managed to keep the Jets goalless through to half time.
Tom Condon and Josh Helliwell enjoyed a solid day in front of the sticks with four goals each while inclusion Kyle Weightman snagged three of his own as Strathmore went on to cruise to its seventh win for the year, finishing the day with an impressvie 58-point win.
Just one game now separates Greenvale (third) from Strathmore (sixth).
Final - Greenvale 5.9-39 def. by Strathmore 15.7-97
Roys Win Again, A Step Closer To Survival
GLENROY would have to be pretty unlucky from here to finish last on the ladder come the end of Round 18.
After defeating West Coburg in Round 10, Glenroy had to fight hard to get the job done against an improving Douttas side on Saturday.
Just two weeks removed from almost snatching a victory at Greenvale, Essendon Doutta Stars did well to keep themselves in the hunt and use the scoring end to their advantage after conceding the only three goals of the opening term on Saturday.
With the scoring end in the second, the Stars clawed their way into the game and went into the sheds up by a point at half time, but quickly surrendered that advantage in the third.
Trailing by three goals at the final change, Dean Wallis’ men came again in the last and, like they did a fortnight ago, almost snatched it late, but ran out of time in pursuit of their first win of the year.
Youngster Bruno Laguda played his first game of the year and was among Douttas’ best, while Adam Winter’s four goals proved more than handy in the Roys’ six-point win.
Glenroy is now four games clear of Dousttas with seven games left.
Final - Glenroy 11.8-74 def. Essendon Doutta Stars 10.8-68
Cougars On The Prowl And Edging Closer To Top Four
EAST Keilor’s charge up the Essendon Ford Division 1 ladder continued with a surprise 28-point win over Craigieburn on Saturday.
The Cougars have now won three straight games and are eyeing off the top four after claiming their most impressive scalp yet up at DS Aitken Reserve.
Tom Gleeson returned to the side and booted four goals while Dion Hill’s stocks continue to rise after snagging three of his own as East Keilor eased clear of the undermanned Eagles after halftime.
The Eagles had seven changes to their side and struggled to keep up with East Keilor as a result, but were buoyed by some solid efforts in midfield from 2016 premiership team mates Brent Gordon and Ryan Bongetti.
A top two finish is still within reach for Craigieburn with a huge Round 13 clash at home to Tullamarine looming.
Final - Craigieburn 10.10-70 def. by East Keilor 14.14-98
Lions, Eagles Play Out Dour Draw At Lionheart
TAYLORS Lakes will be rueing missed opportunities in front of goal after failing to get the job done against what has been a hit-and-miss Airport West outfit of late.
That said, though, the Lions did well not to take an ‘L’ on Saturday.
It was a low-scoring, hard-fought contest at Lionheart and goals were hard to come by, with only four goals combined on the board by half time.
The Eagles then enjoyed a solid third quarter to establish a 15-point three-quarter time lead, but couldn’t maintain that momentum into the last.
It was all Taylors Lakes in the final term but its continued inability to convert plagued the home side, settling for a draw after kicking 2.4 to 0.2 in the final term.
The Lions will host local rival Hillside this weekend in the EDFL Match of the Day radio game.
Final - Taylors Lakes 5.12-42 drew Airport West 6.6-42
Bears Mount Stunning Comeback To Beat Ladder-Leader
BURNSIDE Heights’ wildly fluctuating form has been fun to follow this season.
Two weeks ago the Bears had a massive letdown at Hadfield, and now they’ve knocked an in-form Roxburgh Park side off its perch.
The Magpies looked home after kicking nine goals to two in the second term to establish a 40-point buffer by the main break.
But the Bears came out firing in the third quarter and managed the wrest back some control of the game, slotting six goals to Roxburgh Park’s two to reduce their deficit to 14 by three-quarter time.
It was a tense final term as the scoring dried up, with the only three goals of the quarter going Burnside Heights’ way.
The Bears held the Magpies to just three behinds in the final term and eventual clawed their way to the lead, emerging with a stunning three-point win that might just give them a tiny glimmer of hope of making an unlikely finals appearance.
Roxburgh Park fell to second on the table.
Final - Burnside Heights 13.8-86 def. Roxburgh Park 12.11-83
Saints Move To First Spot In Win Over Lions
THE Northern Saints have moved from outside the top four in Round 6 to top spot at the end of Round 13 on the back of six consecutive wins.
In Round 6, the Saints suffered a 24-point loss to Coburg Districts – their third defeat in a row.
On Saturday, the Saints reversed their fortunes against the Lions to record a hard-fought 12-point win at Cole Reserve.
The Lions nearly mounted a big comeback of their own after trailing by 36 points at three-quarter time.
Tom Lucin was the catalyst for their last quarter resurgence, kicking three goals as Districts stormed home with seven goals to two.
But despite Lucin’s heroics, the Saints held on to earn their eighth win of the year, putting them a game clear on top of the Strathmore Community Bank Division 2 ladder.
The Khodr Taleb – Rocky Ferraro road show continued with the Northern forward duo kicking seven goals between them – talking their combined season tally to 86.
Final - Coburg Districts 10.8-68 def. by Northern Saints 11.14-80
Kangaroos Rule Sunbury In Friday Night Showdown
IT was a highly-anticipated clash between the EDFL Women’s competition’s fiercest local rivals and the game lived up to the hype at Eric Boardman Reserve.
The Kangaroos, considered a flag smoky outside the top two of Pascoe Vale and Burnside Heights, jumped out of the gates with four unanswered goals in the opening term.
But the Sunbury Lions then got going in the second, keeping the Roos scoreless.
The only problem was... they kicked 1.6 for the quarter themselves.
With the scoring end in their favour, the Kangaroos restored their ascendancy after half time and put the game beyond doubt by the final change, with star forward Alexandra Quigley booting three goals in just her third EDFL appearance for the season.
Terira Fry was the Lions’ lone goal kicker for the night.
