ABERFELDIE v GREENVALE
Saturday 2:15pm at Clifton Park
IT is always a huge occasion when Aberfeldie and Greenvale go head-to-head, and the timing of this fixture couldn’t be better.
Both sides are undefeated at 3-0 and looking good to start 2019, and being this early into the season, we should see both clubs field very strong line-ups come Saturday.
The resurgence of Aberfeldie ace Kyle Reimers has been a key story line of the season so far and booting seven on ANZAC Day against Avondale Heights will instil him with plenty of confidence.
Having Reimers planted inside a forward 50 that also boasts Jayden Foster and Josh Pound provides the premiers with many dangerous avenues to goal, so if Paul Chapman is successful in limiting their supply, then the Jets will be in the box seat.
At full strength, Greenvale normally matches up well with Aberfeldie and the Jets have many of their guns firing early in the season.
Fabian Deluca, Jacob Thompson, Nat Caruso, Ryan Townsend and Tom Cleary have all been named in Greenvale’s best players in all three games to start the season, while Courtenay Dempsey is also playing his best footy since joining the club in 2017.
You also have Addam Maric slowly recapturing his fitness and if he can get back to 2017 form, then look out.
With this much star power all over the ground, we’re in for the biggest game of 2019 to date, and it’s a genuine coin flip as to who will win.
STRATHMORE v PASCOE VALE
Saturday 2:15pm at Lebanon Reserve
While the above game will rightly garner the most attention, this is the Strathmore Community Bank Premier Division fixture that will prove the most intriguing.
Strathmore and Pascoe Vale have basically had the same kind of starts to their respective seasons.
Both sit behind the eight-ball at 1-2 but all four of those losses have come against the competition’s current top three, Aberfeldie, Keilor (twice) and Greenvale.
With Strathmore, we’ve seen patches where Matthew Horne’s young side has been able to put together some wonderful footy.
However structurally, the Mores have a very new line-up that is, in part, made up of numerous talented, but inexperienced youngsters.
Yet again, that could be Strathmore’s downfall here.
Pascoe Vale’s structure, particularly forward of centre, is littered with experienced ex-AFL and ex-VFL calibre players that are playing some high-quality footy.
If the Panthers get good output from the likes of Matthew Watson, Daniel Archer, Josh Cauchi, Liam Ogden and Ben Allan, not to mention Luke Foster down back, then they should collect the points.
If they can’t, then at 1-3, Pascoe Vale will find itself under the pump.
MARIBYRNONG PARK v ESSENDON DOUTTA STARS
Saturday 2:15pm at Monk Oval
Maribyrnong Park’s form has been one of the pleasant surprises of Season 2019.
Dean Laidley has his side playing some very good footy and we’ve seen the Lions score very well across two of their three games so far this season.
Only Aberfeldie and Keilor have scored more points than the Lions in the opening three rounds of the year and the three-pronged attack of Jock Cornell, James Breust and Jordan Davey is causing opposition back line’s plenty of distress.
If they get an edge over the Stars in the midfield battle, then the Lions should have enough firepower to kick a winning score.
Essendon Doutta Stars hasn’t exactly set the world on fire since beating Airport West back in Round 1.
Since that 61-point win, the Stars have been patchy against quality opponents in Pascoe Vale and Greenvale.
The main problem has been that it’s a young side that tends to go missing for quarters at a time, which Kyle Hardingham addressed on the EDFL Match of the Day Post Game Show after last week’s game.
Their best footy can go with anyone, but when that falls away, it becomes rather easy for opposition to take advantage on the scoreboard.
If they suffer another fade-out at any point here, then Maribyrnong Park will go for the kill.
KEILOR v AVONDALE HEIGHTS
Saturday 2:15pm at Joe Brown Oval
Keilor is rolling along very nicely at 3-0, but can the Blues sustain it now that injuries are starting to mount?
Nick O’Kearney and Brock McGregor both went down during the Blues’ stirring four-point win over Pascoe Vale last week and will be sorely missed while they’re out of action.
O’Kearney’s form could well have him leading the Reynolds Medal count after three rounds but as was the case during last year’s run to the grand final, Mick McGuane does have plenty more midfield talent at his disposal.
Kane Barbuto’s form has been solid, while Damien Cavka is also on the improve as well.
The service coming Dean Galea’s way has been A-plus and opposition back lines are struggling to contain him, which means Avondale Heights has a big task on its hands here.
Provided his side can generate enough forward entries, Donald McDonald will be hoping Hisham Kerbatieh, Jake Edwards, Scott Harding and Ruairi Cleary can all kick multiple goals in order to keep up with Keilor on the scoreboard.
The Heights’ best chance of claiming an upset win here is to ensure their ball-use is efficient forward of centre and generating enough score throughout the day.
AIRPORT WEST v GLENROY
Saturday 2:15pm at Hansen Reserve
The final game to look at for Round 4 is probably the one filled with the most pressure for both clubs involved.
Neither Airport West nor Glenroy have claimed a win to start 2019 and the loser here will standalone in the relegation hot seat at 0-4.
Some pundits, including me, thought both the Eagles and Roys would at the very least prove to be tough outs throughout 2019 but on the exposed form so far, neither have given much of a yelp.
Airport West did well to push Aberfeldie back in Round 2 but their atrocious first quarter against Maribyrnong Park last week cost them dearly.
The Eagles’ ball-use in their defensive half was not up to Premier Division standard in the first term and it resulted in a nine-goal-to-one quarter that proved decisive in the end.
But despite the 0-3 start, Airport West has shown some positive signs so far, keeping up with both Aberfeldie and Maribyrnong Park for portions of those respective games.
Perhaps they’re only a genuine four-quarter effort away from winning a game, which is more than what can be said about Glenroy.
Lack of personnel has been a big factor, but Glenroy seems to have gone backwards from its 2018 output.
They too have been sloppy with ball in hand and opposition clubs have found it rather easy to capitalise on Glenroy’s turnovers.
The Roys were last for points-against in 2018 and have already given away 325 in the first three rounds of 2019.
While Airport West’s points-against total is two goals worse, the acid is on Glenroy’s back line to lift its game and it needs to start here.
