SUNBURY KANGAROOS v COBURG DISTRICTS
Saturday 2:15pm at Eric Boardman Reserve
IF the Sunbury Kangaroos win this game, then they’ll enter the second half of the season having beaten every team in Strathmore Community Bank Division 2.
That is a daunting prospect for all concerned.
Put simply, the Kangaroos’ line-up is littered with playmakers that are proving too much of a handful for may opposition clubs.
The three-pronged forward line of Lachie Baddeley, Josh Burgess and Michael Kilty haven’t missed a beat and have combined for 82 already this season.
If they maintain that strike rate, then it’s going to be very hard for anyone to keep up with Sunbury.
Their home form is particularly impressive, so the challenge for Coburg Districts here is to maintain a high intensity across four quarters of football.
Ricky McGill and his fellow defenders will have their work cut out trying to quell Sunbury’s potent forward line, so it’s up to the Lions’ midfield to battle hard and limit the supply.
Their only chance of winning is to turn it into a dogfight.
MOONEE VALLEY v HADFIELD
Saturday 2:15pm at Ormond Park
Moonee Valley had a letdown at Sunbury last week and will be very keen to bounce back.
The Fog had been playing some very good footy in the lead-up to its Round 8 loss to the Kangaroos and we’ve seen enough evidence to suggest they’re among the main challengers for the flag.
But those early-season losses to Burnside Heights and the Northern Saints have resulted in the Valley currently sitting outside of the top four and in such a competitive Division 2 season, the Fog can’t afford to drop games like this one.
Coach Shanon Carroll recently hinted at the possible return of Ned Wilson after the Queen’s Birthday break and if that does come to fruition here, then the Hawks will have to beat Moonee Valley at full strength.
Hadfield was below par in Round 8, failing to fire a shot at home to Burnside Heights.
The Hawks did well to limit the Bears in the first half but couldn’t find a flow going the other way and understandably ran out of legs late in the game.
They’ve done well to establish a reputation as a hard, physical side that will do all it can to restrict the opponent’s outside game but until they can find a way to convert that onto the scoreboard, the Hawks will continue to burn too many petrol tickets and struggle to finish out games.
Moonee Valley needs to be willing to absorb the early heat.
EAST SUNBURY v BURNSIDE HEIGHTS
Saturday 2:15pm at John McMahon Reserve
Thunder coach Glenn Hopkins has every right to feel aggrieved by the Division 2 fixture gods.
The Jacana situation impacted East Sunbury badly and resulted in back-to-back byes before the Queen’s birthday break.
Come Saturday, it will have been 28 days since East Sunbury last took the field.
While that clearly isn’t ideal, it has given Hopkins a chance to hit the reset button.
East Sunbury clearly hasn’t been able to match its efforts of last season but there’s still plenty of time to get things back on track and make another run for the finals.
Last year the Thunder recovered from a four-game losing streak in the middle of the season to sneak into the finals and almost win the flag from fourth spot - a fact that won’t be lost on anyone.
The long break between games has allowed East Sunbury some time give its players decent rest and recover from any niggling injuries, and Hopkins and his coaching staff have been allowed to sit back and assess the competition.
It has essentially been a mini pre-season in the middle of a season, so if the Thunder’s luck is going to change in the second half of the year, then we should see evidence of it here.
However, Burnside Heights is right now the second-best team in it and hasn’t put a foot wrong.
The Bears showed plenty of class in response to their Round 7 loss to Sunbury, easily accounting for Hadfield on the road prior to the Queen’s Birthday break.
Josh Covelli returned to form with six goals while Adam Sullivan re-affirmed his claim as a division best-and-fairest medal fancy with another best-on-ground display.
This will be the game of the round if East Sunbury brings its best, but the Bears remain the favourite.
KEILOR PARK v NORTHERN SAINTS
Saturday 2:15pm at Keilor Park Reserve
The positivity oozing out of Keilor Park is a promising sign that all is well despite what the ladder suggests.
After Sunbury set a tone by kicking 48 goals to two in Round 5, opposition clubs have been using their fixtures against Keilor Park to build percentage in the hopes of reaching the final four.
The Northern Saints are the last remaining team in the division yet to have played the Devils and that is clearly reflected in their percentage when compared to those of the teams around them on the ladder.
Put simply, the Saints can’t afford to go easy on Keilor Park here.
That said, though, Northern has a huge game coming up at home to the Sunbury Kangaroos and will be a chance of winning it, so coach Brett Kennerley has a somewhat delicate situation from a team selection point of view.
Is it worth going all out with his best 22 to build as much percentage as possible and potentially risk injury, or does Kennerley rest anyone carrying slight niggles in preparation for the Kangaroos in Round 10?
EDFL Teams will make for interesting reading on Friday morning.
