SUNBURY KANGAROOS v BURNSIDE HEIGHTS
Saturday 2:15pm at Eric Boardman Reserve
THE first day of June was the last time the Sunbury Kangaroos faced top three calibre opposition.
Since that day, the Kangaroos have cause havoc on which ever team has stood in their way and they are now certainties for a top two finish.
Coming off two successive byes and a 285-point drubbing of Keilor Park, Sunbury has had a very soft lead-in to what is going to be a testing end to its season.
Sunbury’s remaining home-and-away opponents are the three other teams currently sitting inside the top four.
Including at least two finals games, the Kangaroos have their five toughest games of the year coming up.
This weekend will give us our first look at how Anthony Leydin’s men are primed for the post-season.
Burnside Heights is this week’s opponent and the Bears did give the Kangaroos a good run for their money back in Round 7.
Down by a goal at half time, Sunbury finally managed to get going up forward in the second half and eventually won by 36 points.
For the Bears, it was the game where Matthew Peterlechner announced himself as one of the division’s more dangerous small forwards, booting three goals to kickstart an ongoing seven-game run of at least one goal per game.
If Anthony Fawcus and Josh Covelli can both capitalise alongside Peterlechner when the ball comes in, then the Bears may have enough firepower to go with the division’s best offensive unit.
But the Kangaroos also boast the division’s best ruckman, and Brenton Sutherland’s influence has helped Sunbury win almost every midfield battle this season.
If conditions warrant, we could get the best game of the season and maybe it will also serve as a preview to this year’s grand final.
COBURG DISTRICTS v NORTHERN SAINTS
Saturday 2:15pm at Cole Reserve
The Northern Saints’ season has ground to a halt of late, but in their last game at home to East Sunbury, we saw signs of life.
Jalen Oakley and Mark Sabatino combined for 10 goals as the Saints edged away from the Thunder late at Charles Mutton Reserve.
Injuries and suspensions have hurt the Saints for much of the year and with Nick Bruno and 2018 Team of the Year member Khodr Taleb both unavailable for selection this weekend, Brett Kennerley has to get a little creative to come up with the best possible 22 to take on the in-form Lions.
Coburg Districts has won four successive games and has done a great job of resurrecting its season after sitting at 4-4 at the halfway mark.
The Lions had to work hard for their 18-point win over Hadfield last week, but winning ugly seems to be this team’s trademark of late.
We again saw Tom Gleeson lead well from the front with three goals while youngsters Ben Fisher and Michael Osterman are showing huge signs of improvement and assisting the likes Tom Lucin in the midfield battle.
Both teams seem to match up well against each other and both have a good balance of speed in the middle and strength in the arcs.
Cole Reserve’s dimensions will limit the Saints’ ability to run and carry but coming off a bye, they will have fresher legs against a Lions outfit who has played in three tough games in a row.
On form Districts is an easy tip here, but the Saints need this win a little more desperately.
MOONEE VALLEY v KEILOR PARK
Saturday 2:15pm at Ormond Park
Moonee Valley’s response to a shocking Round 14 effort against Coburg Districts was first class, but it did take a while to get going at East Sunbury.
The Fog was down by 22 points at three-quarter time last week before finding another gear in the last quarter to overcome a young Thunder outfit that seemed to run out of gas.
With Rocky Ferraro, Ned Wilson and Richard Potter all missing from the side, Jordan Faba and Luke Ryan both stood tall to help the Valley to its fourth win from five starts.
With a kind run home, the Valley is well positioned for another finals tilt and is probably the favourite to finish in second spot over Burnside Heights and Coburg Districts come the end of Round 18, but they can’t rest on their laurels.
With star Braden Padmore set to miss the next two weeks through suspension, Moonee Valley has to make sure it maintains a strong standard and coach Shanon Carroll will want to see nothing less than a solid four-quarter display here against Keilor Park.
The Devils didn’t have the cattle to go with the ladder-leading Kangaroos last week and could only kick two goals while conceding 45 the other way.
But that aside, the Devils have shown improvement with their ball movement and scoring ability in the second half of the season.
Knowing that Moonee Valley’s intent will be to build percentage, expect John Mangos to put the acid on his back line to not allow another 40-plus goals this week.
