By Eric Forman
The second week of the Community Bank Strathmore Premier Division split round will see Deer Park head to Section Road to play Greenvale.
The Jets find themselves in the relegation battle with three consecutive losses their formline.
The Lions have had an inconsistent season with a loss to Hillside following a win over Aberfeldie.
It was a nine-point Deer Park win when these sides last met in Round 5.
Kwame McHarg (36 disposals, seven clearances) and Mark Galea (27 disposals, two goals) were a handful for the Jets, while Jason Johannisen and Trent McKenzie provided a lot of drive out of Deer Park's defensive half.
Josh Porter and Dane Whitnall combined for seven goals but with both missing recent games, team selection will be a watch.
Can the Jets find a crucial win, or will the Lions pick up a sixth victory?
Airport West will welcome Keilor to Hansen Reserve in its first game after the club and Brent Taylor parted ways.
The Eagles are sitting in last spot by just over one per cent, while the Blues are safe in second spot.
Keilor has won nine in a row and will enter as strong favourites with a 63-point win over Airport West the last result between the two sides.
It was a comprehensive performance with 12 Blues hitting the scoreboard, Christian Olivieri (four goals) and Corey Ellis (35 disposals, 11 rebound 50s) among the standouts.
Can the Eagles cause another upset like ine 2024, or will the Blues pick up another big win?
A crucial contest awaits Monk Oval with Maribyrnong Park playing host to Aberfeldie.
The two sides are even on points as Abers holds fifth spot on percentage, leaving Marby just on the outside looking in.
Aberfeldie has dropped its last two games by one-point following a strong win over Pascoe Vale.
Maribyrnong Park experienced a mid-season slump but has won its past three contests.
It was a comfortable 59-point win for Aberfeldie when these sides met in Round 5.
Aberfeldie punished the Lions off turnover that day accounting for over 70 per cent of its score.
Carlton mid-season draftee Flynn Riley played a starring role with four goals which will be a point of difference.
Will Brkic also booted four goals and has been out since Round 10, so his selection will be one to watch.
Rory Atkins found the footy at will with 38 disposals as one of Mabry's best, while Brodie Romensky (24 disposals, two goals) was solid as well.
The loser of this one will sit one game out of the five, but with Marby facing the top three in their next three, this one becomes crucial.
By Noah Wallwork
The round begins with fourth placed Craigieburn taking on seventh placed Taylors Lakes at DS Aitken Reserve.
Craigieburn is currently level with Moonee Valley for points on the ladder, sitting at 44 each. This game will help shape which side finishes third.
The Eagles come into this game with strong form, winning four out of their last five games.
The Lions however enter this game with mixed form, as they have lost five of their last seven games.
Key players for the Eagles include Brodie White, who just had 33 disposals, four goals, and 12 inside 50s in a big win against Avondale Heights.
He has been well supported by defender Jai Robinson, who is averaging 26 disposals a game and seven rebound 50s.
For the visitors, Lachlan Rayner continues his fine form, averaging 26 disposals, with 20 of them being contested.
Defender Brandon Coletta will hope to replicate his form, after averaging seven intercepts and six rebound 50s for the season.
The last time these two teams faced off was in Round 6, with Craigieburn recording a nailbiting one-point victory.
In that game, Lachlan Rayner had a whopping 36 possessions, 20 clearances, and two goals. He dictated play around the contest and how the ball moved forward.
For the opposition, it was Hayden Polley who starred inside 50 with five goals. He currently sits on 28 goals for the season.
It is all set for an interesting contest at DS Aitken Reserve.
Second placed Oak Park will take on last placed East Keilor at JP Fawkner Reserve.
Oak Park enter the game with a seven-game win streak, while East Keilor have still not won a game for the season.
Oak Park is level with West Coburg on 48 points on the ladder, but will hope for a percentage boost to propel it to first.
Jedd Taylor comes off hot form for the Kangaroos, recording a four-goal haul against West Coburg, with 18 of his 23 possessions contested.
Max Gleeson also continues to lead the way, averaging 23 possessions with four intercept marks a game.
The last time these two teams clashed was in Round 5, where East Keilor were defeated by 76 points.
In that game, Joshua Hotchkin had a day out kicking seven goals with seven clearances. Anthony Delorenzi also stood out with 32 possessions, seven clearances, and seven inside 50s.
For the Cougars, Adam Tsardakis tried hard with 29 disposals and 11 rebound 50s, but the onslaught of inside 50s proved too difficult to repel.
Will Oak Park jump to first with a big percentage boost?
Tullamarine meets Avondale Heights at Leo Dineen Reserve in a massive clash which will help determine who gets to play finals.
A significant watch will be on Josh Covelli who sits two games away from a 1,000-goal milestone.
Tullamarine will come into this game full of confidence, after just smashing East Keilor by 66 points and Taylors Lakes by 72.
In contrast, Avondale Heights has lost its last two games against Craigieburn and Rupertswood and will be eager to respond.
The last time these two teams played was in Round 2, when Tullamarine defeated Avondale by 59 points.
Lucas Scerri dominated in the midfield with 30 disposals and 10 clearances, while Steven Vocale was dangerous in the forward 50 kicking four goals.
For the opposition, Blake Cochrane dominated in the midfield, picking up 40 disposals and four clearances.
He continues to provide spread and run on the outside, averaging 38 disposals a game throughout the season.
Others will need to help him in the midfield if they have any hope of an upset.
Can Tullamarine replicate their past contest, or can the Heights inspire an upset and keep their season alive?
St Albans will head to Salesian College to take on Rupertswood in a bottom three clash.
St Albans has lost its last three games and will be hoping to make amends.
Rupertswood, in similar fashion, has only won one game in its last five.
The last time they met, Rupertswood smashed them by 58 points, with Fraser Phelan-Smith starring with six goals.
Rupertswood will look to repeat that performance, after suffering losses to all the teams above them.
The Saints will be hoping to improve their pressure around the ball, after Rupertswood owned that area of the game.
Jackson Cardillo was huge in that game racking up 32 disposals and eight clearances.
The question will be what support can Jake Galea and Brodie Lyons-Jones expect? Who will stand with them?
We'll find out on Saturday.
In a massive clash of first against third, the victor between West Coburg and Moonee Valley will help shape double chance placings.
Four points separate them presently, with Moonee Valley hoping a victory will push it into second place.
West Coburg has just suffered a loss to Oak Park, ending its 11-game win streak.
The last time they faced off was in Round 6, where West Coburg withheld the surging opposition pressure to secure victory by one point.
The Burgers led by 22 points at three quarter time before the Valley nearly recorded a massive comeback.
Tom Baravi led the way in that win, recording eight clearances with his 26 disposals.
For the Valley, it was Haidyn Shade who had a huge 12 tackles alongside his 28 disposals.
He ranks number one in the division for tackles this season.
He was well supported by Lachlan Grant, who had 27 disposals and is the highest ranked player for effective disposals in the division.
West Coburg were +10 in centre clearances in their last meeting, so this will be a big focus for the Valley.
Will the Valley take their revenge?
By Jake Reeves & Scott Jacques
Burnside Heights is set to face Hadfield at Burnside Heights Recreation Reserve.
The Bears have had a disappointing season so far and with only a month left of footy, it rules them out of finals contention.
The Hawks are inside the top four but with the Sunbury Kangaroos and Roxburgh Park right on their tail, it becomes a huge four points if they can get the job done on Saturday.
Nicholas Cugliari's great form in front of goal continued last weekend as he nailed five goals and gave the Bears a respectable score in the defeat.
It was another day out for Hadfield midfielder Jacob Polizzi who conjured another 40 disposals against Westmeadows to go along with his game high of 14 marks.
These sides last played off in Round 6 where Hadfield got the job done in a cruisy 30-point victory.
Glenroy will be looking to get back on the winners list when it welcomes Sunbury Kangaroos to Sewell Reserve.
The Roys dropped their second game of the year last week against Coburg Districts after a slow start to the game.
The Kangaroos made it five wins in a row last week against Burnside Heights as they stay in the finals hunt.
Glenroy won by 45 points when these sides met in Round 6 with Julian Hemala and Nick Maric combining for 85 disposals.
Over 100 of the Roys' points were scores off turnover, so the Kangaroos will be hoping to take better care of the footy in this one.
With a tough run home, the Kangaroos will have to find a scalp somewhere, can they cause an upset here or will Glenroy return to winning ways?
The undefeated Coburg Districts will host East Sunbury at Cole Reserve.
The Lions have been invincible throughout their 2026 campaign, not dropping a game so far this season.
After their huge scare in Round 13 against the bottom placed Northern Saints, the Lions comfortably got ahold of Glenroy and won by 39 points.
The Thunder sit seventh after a scrappy 13-point win over Keilor Park banked another four points, but this weekend will be a much bigger challenge to take on for the visitors.
When these sides last played at John McMahon Recreation Reserve earlier in the season, Districts got the victory by 47 points.
Damien Cavka is proving to be one of the best players in the competition, racking up 36 disposals, having 11 inside 50s, and 209 ranking points last week.
The Thunder were dominant in the middle against Keilor Park and won the clearance battle by eight and overwhelmed the Devils with 11 more inside 50s, a game style that is good enough to take it up against the Lions on Saturday afternoon.
Westmeadows will look to consolidate its spot in the finals when it welcomes Northern Saints to Willowbrook Reserve.
Both sides enter off a loss, albeit in contrasting styles.
It was a gritty 16-point defeat for Westmeadows against Hadfield, while the Saints went down by 159 points to Roxburgh Park.
Inaccuracy proved fatal for Westmeadows, while several stars were missing for the Saints, something both sides will hope changes.
The Tigers won by 43 points when these sides last met in Round 6, Adrian Alfonsi the star with nine goals.
Roxburgh Park is set to play host to Keilor Park at Lakeside Reserve.
The Magpies are currently in a precarious position, sitting in sixth and holding on to a finals chance in 2026.
One of the most dominant performances of the season came last weekend against the Northern Saints, where the Magpies nailed 29 goals in a 159-point bloodbath at Charles Mutton Reserve.
Eyad Hegazy kicked his third big bag of goals for the season against the Northern Saints with eight goals last Saturday afternoon and is a huge threat coming up against the bottom two Keilor Park.
The Devils have lost their last 10 games and have had a tough season to date.
It was a better performance in last weekend’s defeat against East Sunbury with an impressive last quarter fightback, giving the Devils some confidence heading into this one.
THIS WEEKEND’S FIXTURES
GREENVALE v DEER PARK
Saturday 2:15pm at Greenvale Recreation Reserve
AIRPORT WEST v KEILOR
Saturday 2:15pm at Hansen Reserve
MARIBYRNONG PARK v ABERFELDIE
Saturday 2:15pm at Monk Oval
CRAIGIEBURN v TAYLORS LAKES
Saturday 2:15pm at DS Aitken Reserve
TULLAMARINE v AVONDALE HEIGHTS
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Saturday 2:15pm at Leo Dineen Reserve
OAK PARK v EAST KEILOR
Saturday 2:15pm at JP Fawkner Reserve
RUPERTSWOOD v ST ALBANS
Saturday 2:15pm at Salesian College
WEST COBURG v MOONEE VALLEY
Saturday 2:15pm at Shore Reserve
COBURG DISTRICTS v EAST SUNBURY
Saturday 2:15pm at Cole Reserve
BURNSIDE HEIGHTS v HADFIELD
Saturday 2:15pm at Burnside Heights Recreation Reserve
ROXBURGH PARK v KEILOR PARK
Saturday 2:15pm at Lakeside Reserve
GLENROY v SUNBURY KANGAROOS
Saturday 2:15pm at Sewell Reserve
WESTMEADOWS v NORTHERN SAINTS
Saturday 2:15pm at Willowbrook Reserve
