HILLSIDE v CRAIGIEBURN
THIS match shapes up as the game of the round in Essendon Ford Division 1, with two sides looking at trying to cement their spot in the top four.
The Eagles won the first match between the two sides back in Round 1 and that’s all that separates the teams.
Both sides have looked good against the lower sides but haven’t been able to get the job done against the top two sides.
The Eagles continue to show plenty of depth, with a number of different players contributing each week.
Dean Limbach continues to star up forward for the Eagles with another 10 goals last week, taking his season tally to 48.
He is among the best players in the division.
The Sharks enter the game on the back of two weeks off and with a large injury list, the break probably came at a good time.
We saw last year what the Sharks could do with a full list and they should continue to build as the season goes on.
Julian Hemala and Jeremy Hayes have been the most consistent contributors for the Sharks, with Mitch Church starting to fire up forward.
Church will be a key in the run home, as he provides a big-bodied, tall forward option for Hillside.
WESTMEADOWS v JACANA
Westmeadows was worried if the Queen’s Birthday bye had come at the wrong time… and it proved to be the case.
The form the Tigers showed before the break was nowhere to be seen, as they were disappointing against East Keilor last week.
They trailed early on and were never in the contest, which leaves the side three games outside the top four.
On form this season they will still enter Saturday’s match as clear favourites and would be hoping to keep their small finals hopes alive.
For the Jaguars, a tough season continues, with the side now finding itself two games behind Oak Park, Westmeadows and East Keilor.
While the Jaguars look the side most likely to be relegated, they could still resurrect their season, but would need to do it quickly.
The Jaguars’ stars were the best in the loss to East Keilor, so it’s a case of needing the lesser likes to step up.
Sometimes all it takes is one win to get confidence back into a side.
Having not won at this level for a very long time, a win is exactly what they need.
EAST KEILOR v TAYLORS LAKES
East Keilor pulled off a surprise win against Westmeadows and moved above the Tigers in the process.
It’s been tough for the Cougars off-field and been just a bit of a struggle getting the full team on the park.
Some of their off-season recruits look to be starting to hit their straps and they were keys in the win against the Tigers.
Matthew Knight and James Philpot kicked nine goals between them, while Under 19.5 player Michael Gatt also kicked four goals.
With confidence growing, the Cougars would back themselves against the Lions, who are coming off their most disappointing performance of the season.
Last weekend was the first time this season the Lions haven’t been competitive for at least a half.
After an impressive first half of the season, the Lions will be hoping it was a one-off.
With Hillside and Craigieburn facing each other, a win will allow them to at least draw level with one, if not both teams in the race for a top four spot.
OAK PARK v TULLAMARINE
After starting the season with six straight losses, Oak Park has now won two games on the trot.
While they are yet to beat any of the contenders, wins build confidence and you never know what will happen.
Saturday’s win against Jacana puts the Kangaroos two games clear of the winless Jaguars in the relegation battle.
They shared the load against the Jaguars with seven players kicking two goals apiece, making the side unpredictable.
While Tullamarine is a step up in opposition, the Kangaroos will be looking to push the top side all the way.
The Demons sent a statement to the rest of the competition with their win against Airport West in last week’s radio game.
After playing well for parts of games, the Demons put together four good quarters of football against the Eagles and it showed on the scoreboard.
Not only are the Demons a good side, they have plenty of depth as well, with 23 players named in the bests so far.
In front of goal, they have four players who have already kicked double figure totals for the season, led by Brad Allen (21 goals) and Ryan Pretty (20).
