By Luke Mathews
Aberfeldie will be hoping to lock away the double chance when they take on East Keilor at Overland Reserve.
After two seasons down on their scintillating best, the Rillas have returned to the top of the ladder and are firming for another push at the flag.
East Keilor’s difficult season only has three weeks left, however last weekend was the team’s best performance, kicking a season-high eight goals for the match against Deer Park.
Last time the two teams met it was light work for Aberfeldie, with the Rillas coming away with a historic 304-point victory, with Sam Paea kicking a record-breaking 17 goals.
One to look out for on Saturday will be Sam Medland.
The sharpshooter has been in fine form in recent weeks booting eight goals in his last two games.
Given his strong form across the season, Saturday’s match provides the perfect opportunity for him to continue his hot run.
Pascoe Vale will be hoping to continue its late charge towards the finals when they host Deer Park at Raeburn Reserve.
The Panthers looked dead and buried two weeks ago when they were thumped by Aberfeldie, however an iconic win against Keilor has breathed life into their season.
Pascoe Vale are currently in seventh spot and are one game and 27 percent outside the top five with winnable games against Airport West and East Keilor to come.
Deer Park have very little to play for with the Lions currently in fourth spot, however have secured their ticket to the finals and are unable to make a push towards a double chance.
Earlier in the year, Deer Park came away with a thrilling six-point victory with a six-goal opening term setting up the win.
One that looms as a potential game changer on Saturday is Matt Stillman.
The skipper was dominant last week against the reigning premiers collecting 29 touches and laying 13 tackles in a best-on-ground performance.
Deer Park’s forward line does have plenty of threats, however they’ll need to find a way of nullifying Pascoe Vale’s inspirational leader if they have any chance of claiming the four points.
Essendon Doutta Stars will be looking to move closer to wrapping up fifth spot when they travel to Monk Oval to play Maribyrnong Park.
The Stars have hit form at the right time of the year and have knocked off Airport West and Greenvale in recent weeks which has them in the box seat to qualify for finals.
After sitting inside the top five for most of the year, Marby’s season has been curtailed by injuries and the Lions are now one game and percentage out of the top five.
While a win for Douttas on Saturday would do their finals hopes the world of good, a loss would mean Marby, Pascoe Vale, and Airport West would all be in with a good chance of snatching fifth spot.
Back in Round 7, Marby came away with a 30-point victory with Jack Gerardi leading the way with 33 touches.
For Marby to win, they’ll need to take care of Bailey Ryan.
The sharpshooter has been one of the most electric players across the competition, to sit on top of the leading goal kickers tally with 47 majors from 15 games.
The vice-captain proved to be the difference last weekend, booting seven goals in the victory over Airport West.
Marby’s backline has held up very well across 2025, however they’ll need to bring their A-game to take down one of the competition’s most dangerous forwards.
Keilor will be looking to bounce back when they take on Greenvale at Section Road.
The Blues were stunned last week going down to Pascoe Vale at Joe Brown Oval by six points, however are still sitting comfortably on top of the ladder.
Despite being dominant throughout most of 2025, coach Mick McGuane has been adamant there is plenty of room for improvement and last week’s loss showed that.
Greenvale’s difficult 2025 season continued last week with the Jets only able to manage two goals for the second week running and went down to Aberfeldie by 140 points.
Last time out, Keilor came away with a thumping 112-point victory with Jermarl Daly leading the way with 29 disposals.
With finals just around the corner, Keilor will be hoping some of their superstars can find form.
Corey Ellis was restricted to just 20 disposals last weekend, while Daly also finished with just 11 disposals.
The reigning premiers know all about peaking at the right time of the year, however they’ll be hoping some of their superstars can recapture their best form before September.
Strathmore will be hoping to make it four wins in a row, when they take on Airport West at Hansen Reserve.
The Mores once again look set to earn the double chance sitting eight points and 73 per cent clear in third.
Airport West, meanwhile, are still a chance to play finals but would need to rely on wins with the worst percentage of the hopefuls.
Back in Round 7, Strathmore won a high-scoring affair, defeating Airport West by 25 points with Athan Tsialtas booting five goals.
One to keep an eye on at Hansen Reserve is Hugh Allison.
The youngster has begun to make a name for himself in his first full year at senior level booting eight goals from his seven matches.
Last weekend the forward broke through kicking a season-high four goals and is now looking like a big part of Strathmore’s team heading towards the finals.
Airport West has leaked goals at times throughout 2025 and Saturday’s match looms as another opportunity for the 19-year-old to step up and solidify his spot in Nick Ash’s side.
By Ben Parker
St Albans host Avondale Heights in what makes for an intriguing clash out at Kings Park Reserve.
The last time these two sides met, it was the Heights who protected home with a hard-fought 18-point win at Canning Reserve.
Yet with the Saints fighting for their lives in fifth position, and the Heights vying for the double chance, this bout shapes to be a thriller.
The Saints were no match for a thunderous Oak Park outfit last week, with the Kangaroos putting the Saints away in an 11-goal-to-three second half
St Albans' best footy has been up there with the very best, with their 4-0 start to the season remaining a highlight for what’s been a frustrating season so far.
While they fell out of the top five for several weeks, they’ve managed to slip their way back in as they look to lock in another finals berth.
The Saints were horrible by foot last week, with a figure of 56 per cent for team kicking efficiency, and will need to tidy this up if they are to outplay the in-from Avondale Heights.
Tom Eckel was the Saints' best last week with 34 disposals, eight clearances, and seven inside 50s. Arguably their best kick in the side, they need the footy in his hands.
Avondale Heights can expect to be strongly challenged for the second week in a row here.
The Heights held off a brave Roxburgh Park performance last week to win by just the 11 points, but many expected a more convincing performance.
Despite their underwhelming performances in recent weeks, they’ve still put wins on the board, and this will hold them in good stead for September.
Vice-captain Jackson Robb was back to his best last week with a brilliant game-defining performance. He amassed 27 disposals, 10 clearances, and two goals in an evident best-on-ground effort.
He’s the one to watch.
Craigieburn are set to host Hillside in what’s an exciting contest at DS Aitken Reserve.
The Sharks were far too good the last time these two sides met, effortlessly swimming to a 54-point win at Hillside Recreation Reserve.
Since then, the Sharks have been in some impressive from as they continue to go from strength-to-strength.
For Craigieburn, they looked down and out after Round 10, but have won an impressive four out of their last six games to keep their season and finals aspirations alive.
The Eagles currently sit in sixth position on the ladder, and are just one game behind St Albans out of the top five.
With St Albans coming up against Avondale Heights this weekend, Craigieburn have a chance to leap-frog them.
Should the Eagles upset Hillside here, they will be back into the top five for the first time since Round 6 and will be well in contention for a finals berth.
If they are to collect the points here, they’ll need stars Jai Robinson and Harry Albon to be at their best.
The two were instrumental last week, with Robinson amassing 26 disposals and 10 marks, and Albon collecting 32 disposals and nine clearances.
Defeating Hillside has proven to be too difficult a task for most other sides in the competition this year, and with key forward Josh Covelli fast approaching the magical 100-goal mark for the second year running, the Craigieburn backline will have to be at their best.
Covelli has enjoyed another dominant season up forward, and with hauls of seven and nine goals in recent weeks, he’s the one to watch again.
While all are hoping that Covelli does reach the ton, this is a different Craigieburn outfit to when they last faced off.
That said, if the Sharks continue to produce their brand of footy, they will be poised to bank another four points here.
Ladder-leaders Oak Park will travel to Shore Reserve this week for their mouth-watering top-of-the-table clash with West Coburg.
The last time these two juggernauts met, Oak Park took the four points home in a brutal 20-point win at JP Fawkner Reserve.
With both sides expected to make deep finals runs, a potential grand final Preview is what awaits onlookers on Saturday.
West Coburg were too classy for Taylors Lakes last week, cruising to a 23-point win in another solid outing.
While they collected the four points, they need to go to another level this week when they host the premiership favourites.
Omar Saad and Jesse Martini did the damage on the scoreboard for the Burgers last week, with Saad landing a sack of seven goals and Martini converting with five of his own.
Against an imposing Kangaroos backline this week, these two will need to be on song again.
Oak Park are sitting pretty at the top of the competition.
With an impressive record of 14 wins and just the two losses, the Burgers will have it all to do this week as they try to deliver the Kangaroos their third blow of the season.
The benchmark side of 2025, Oak Park overpowered St Albans last week in a second-half demolition job that saw them kick 11 goals to the Saints' three.
Their form on paper suggests that they’ll be hard to beat again, but West Coburg are not a side to be underestimated. After all, the Burgers have been to three consecutive Division One grand finals.
Young gun Paul Pascu impressed again last week with an emphatic 32 disposals, 10 tackles, and eight clearances to his name.
From a West Coburg perspective, he’s the one they’ll have to stop.
Moonee Valley will host Roxburgh Park at Ormond Park this week in what’s an exciting opportunity for both sides to put a rare win on the board.
Their previous clash in 2025 saw Moonee Valley outlast Roxburgh Park and record a seven-point road win in a thrilling contest at Lakeside Reserve.
Since then, both sides have toiled away down towards the depths of the ladder positionings but have continued to turn up week in and week out.
The highlight for the Valley’s season so far has to be their unforgettable upset against premiership favourites Oak Park back in Round 9.
While they have failed to recapture that season rating, they’ve produced some respectable performances without securing any wins.
They were obliterated by Hillside last week in a gloomy 82-point loss.
It has been slim pickings in the second half of the season for Moonee Valley, as they have only recorded the singular win since that unforgettable upset.
This weekend presents as a rare opportunity to bank a win against a side that is worse off in ladder positionings.
Bevan Newell and Callum Clinnick were solid contributors in last week’s disappointing loss.
Newell was the highest rated player on the ground with 30 disposals, 22 of which were contested, and 12 clearances. Clinnick was also good with 33 disposals, 11 clearances and eight inside 50s to his name.
On the other end of the ledger, could this finally be the week that Roxburgh Park collect their second win of the season?
With a date against the in-form St Albans scheduled for the final round of the season, this is Roxy’s best chance to end the season on a winning note.
Like Moonee Valley, Roxy has produced some great performances that have unfortunately not resulted in wins.
They were terrific last week in their loss to Avondale Heights, only going down by 11 points to a genuine top-five side.
If they are to taste victory this week, ruck Jack Elliott will be the one to catapult things.
He put on another clinic with 31 disposals, 18 clearances, and 33 hit outs in the loss, and that battle against Newell will be exciting.
Taylors Lakes will be looking keep their season alive when they host Tullamarine at Lionheart Reserve this week.
When these two sides last met, it was the Lions who stole a road victory as they outlasted the Dees by 17 points at Leo Dineen Reserve.
With the Lions fighting to keep their season alive, they simply must win to stay in the finals hunt.
They currently sit in seventh position in the ladder positionings, but are just one game outside of fifth position.
If some favourable external matchups fall their way, a win here could see the Lions jump back into fifth position and in control of their own fate heading into the final round of the season.
On paper, the Lions look hard to hold out. In recent weeks, we have seen them come up painfully short against top five sides in Avondale Heights and West Coburg.
At their best, they are certainly capable of making the finals and pushing for a deep finals run, but they simply must win these last two games if they are to be a chance.
Last week, they fell to West Coburg by 23 points, but dominated the midfield battle with a total clearance count of 37-26, and winning the midfield tackle count.
If their inside midfielders can go to work again, then they will be hard to beat.
Chris Vulic is the one who can drive the Lions forward here. He was dominant in the midfield once again with 28 disposals, nine clearances, and eight tackles.
Tullamarine on the other hand, will be looking to finish off their season with some momentum to take into pre-season for 2026.
They were no much for Craigieburn last week, falling away in the second half to lose by 42 points at Leo Dineen Reserve.
They’ll need to find significant improvement if they are to beat Taylors Lakes here, but they are capable of doing so.
Ivan Pavlovic was solid in defence in the loss last week with 11 1%ers and five rebound 50s, and will need help in shutting down what is a dangerous Taylors Lakes forward 50.
By Michelle Dunstan
Coburg Districts will be looking to build momentum heading into its return to finals against the Northern Saints at Charles Mutton Reserve.
The Lions secured their spot in the five with a 32-point win last week, while the Saints are coming off a 78-point loss following a final-quarter fadeout.
Leading competition goal scorer Jack McNamara has been absent since Round 14, but the Lions have found other avenues to goal in the last two games in Curtis Rawlings (six goals), Pasquale Curcio (five goals), and Patrick Logan (four goals).
Damien Cavka also missed last week so it'd be encouraging for the player-coach to see his side playing quality football when it matters with he and McNamara to return.
The Saints have lost their last four with inconsistency a key factor.
Either side of a close loss to Keilor Park was last week's fadeout and a comfortable loss to East Sunbury.
Tamer Abdallah will be looking to finish the season positively, as the Lions look to build.
Coburg Districts won by 25 points the last time these sides met.
Keilor Park continues its battle for a preliminary final spot when it hosts East Sunbury at Keilor Park Recreation Reserve.
The Devils are two points behind the third-placed Rupertswood with Sunbury Kangaroos to follow this clash with the Thunder.
Rupo's two remaining games are far from guaranteed wins so a good finish from Colby Blyth's men could see them leapfrog the Sharks pending those results.
East Sunbury has built into its season and despite picking up just the one win since Round 1, it has been a much improved outfit in the second half of the season.
The Thunder lost by 14 points last time out against Burnside Heights.
Brendan Fevola kicked goals 25 and 26 as the Thunder's only multiple goal scorer, and is set to face the Devils for the first time after missing their previous clash.
Keilor Park won by 81 points in that Round 7 contest, with Josh Bistisi-Nguyen, Daylan Kempster, Luke Kilty, and Jarod Pontin each kicking three goals.
Sunbury Kangaroos will host the minor premiers Glenroy at Eric Boardman Reserve.
The Kangaroos' finals hopes came to a close last week after their 32-point loss to Coburg Districts, while the Roys survived a scare from Hadfield to win by seven points.
Glenroy will look to ensure they build some momentum leading into finals, while the Kangaroos will want to finish the season well.
It was a heart-stopping two-point win for the Roys when these sides last met in low-scoring affair in Round 9.
The Kangaroos led all day before Glenroy finished strong, a result they'll look to make amends for.
An interesting clash awaits Martin Reserve with Hadfield set to host Rupertswood.
Rupertswood is currently placed third but will be made to work for a preliminary final feature with Hadfield finding form.
The Hawks have won three of their last four with the seven-point loss last week to the ladder-leaders Glenroy.
Coach Andrew Beever would be pleased with the spread of performers in front of goal, but Rupo will need to be mindful of Jake Polizzi, Josh Trembearth, and Sam Godden, regular features in the best.
Rupo have won their last four games after a disappointing loss to Keilor Park, a scintillating fourth quarter last week the exclamation mark on that stretch.
The Sharks kicked 10 goals in the final quarter with seven players ending with multiple goals.
It was a spread for Rupo the last time these sides met with nine players kicking their nine goals in the 13-point win over Hadfield.
Westmeadows will head to Tenterfield Drive to meet Burnside Heights to close out Round 17.
Streaks were snapped for both sides last week with Westy's 10-game winning streak and the Bears' seven-game losing streak both ending.
A Tigers win will confirm their already likely placing in second, and it was a 43-point win the last time they played the Bears.
Aaron Evans (five goals) and Mitch Church (four goals) provided headaches for the Burnside Heights defence, while Greg Constantinou, Jacob Elia, and Jordan Hughes ended with two goals each for the Bears.
THIS WEEKEND’S FIXTURES
EAST KEILOR v ABERFELDIE
Saturday 2:15pm at Overland Reserve
PASCOE VALE v DEER PARK
Saturday 2:15pm at Raeburn Reserve
MARIBYRNONG PARK v ESSENDON DOUTTA STARS
Saturday 2:15pm at Monk Oval
GREENVALE v KEILOR
Saturday 2:15pm at Greenvale Recreation Reserve
AIRPORT WEST v STRATHMORE
Saturday 2:15pm at Hansen Reserve
ST ALBANS v AVONDALE HEIGHTS
Saturday 2:15pm at Kings Park Reserve
CRAIGIEBURN v HILLSIDE
Saturday 2:15pm at DS Aitken Reserve
MOONEE VALLEY v ROXBURGH PARK
🎥 Streamer
📻 98.9 North West FM
Saturday 2:15pm at Ormond Park
TAYLORS LAKES v TULLAMARINE
Saturday 2:15pm at Lionheart Reserve
WEST COBURG v OAK PARK
Saturday 2:15pm at Shore Reserve
NORTHERN SAINTS v COBURG DISTRICTS
Saturday 2:15pm at Charles Mutton Reserve
KEILOR PARK v EAST SUNBURY
Saturday 2:15pm at Keilor Park Recreation Reserve
SUNBURY KANGAROOS v GLENROY
Saturday 2:15pm at Eric Boardman Reserve
HADFIELD v RUPERTSWOOD
Saturday 2:15pm at Martin Reserve
BURNSIDE HEIGHTS v WESTMEADOWS
Saturday 2:15pm at Burnside Heights Recreation Reserve
