NORTHERN SAINTS v MOONEE VALLEY
RIGHT now, this is a grand final preview for Strathmore Community Bank Division 2.
Moonee Valley is this week’s ladder leader after a monstrous 87-point win over Burnside Heights where 14 different players kicked goals.
With five consecutive wins, the Fog is building toward yet another finals campaign but unlike previous years, should enter the post-season with genuine belief it can go all the way.
The team has been very well-led by Cory McGrath on the field and first-year coach Shanon Carroll on the sidelines.
McGrath’s form might even be worthy of a medal come awards season.
But in the Valley’s way is a team like the Northern Saints, who have managed to increase their already impressive firepower with the recent inclusion of Alex Stewart, who in just four games already has 13 goals to his name.
The Saints’ are in hot form themselves and aside from a minor blip against Burnside Heights, have proven to be one of the most consistent performers of the division through the middle portions of the season.
It was a notably low-scoring affair at Ormond Park back in Round 11 and if this game is similar then it’ll play into the Fog’s hands, so the Saints will be looking for a shoot-out.
It’ll be a game of chess.
EAST SUNBURY v ROXBURGH PARK
This is the most unpredictable game of the round.
These are the two main challengers to the teams above and with a full month of home-and-away footy still to come, a top two finish is still on the table for both East Sunbury and Roxburgh Park.
Both have looked like the premiership favourite at different stages this year but their respective dips in form have revealed plenty of vulnerabilities as well.
We all know bad kicking is bad footy and both the Thunder and Magpies have had their woes in front of the sticks this year.
Around the ground it’s an even match-up, with a slight midfield edge to East Sunbury and a scoring power advantage for the Magpies.
So, on what is forecast to be a very windy day at Lancefield Road, this could well come down to goal kicking.
Whoever is smarter with their forward entries and cleaner in front of goal will emerge victorious.
The loser will likely kiss their top two chances goodbye, so plenty is on the line.
BURNSIDE HEIGHTS v HADFIELD
The Bears had a stinker last week.
On neutral turf at Airport West’s Hansen Reserve, the Bears found themselves completely outgunned by a Moonee Valley side looking to secure a top two finish come the end of August.
Burnside Heights can be prone to conceding big scores and on a handful of occasions this year, the Bears haven’t been able to keep up in shoot-out type games.
Josh Covelli is certainly pulling his weight, but the help is still lacking.
Covelli has accounted for more than a third of Burnside Heights’ total goals tally for 2018.
While that’ll likely earn him more personal accolades in the Strathmore Community Bank Division 2 Team of the Year and possibly the division’s home-and-away goal kicking title, it’s not exactly Burnside Heights’ ideal scenario offensively.
Coming up against a confident Hadfield outfit that did win this match-up in Round 11, it’s important for Aidan Stott to identify more avenues to goal as he looks to prepare for Season 2019.
Hadfield stayed with Coburg Districts for a half last week before falling away late at Martin Reserve.
They have been far better in the second half of the year than they were in the first and given the Hawks have top four opposition still to come in their run home, this is their grand final.
There’s nothing but pride on the line, so expect an entertaining contest at Bear Force One.
