By Eric Forman & Ben Parker
Airport West hosts Pascoe Vale in a do-or-die clash at Hansen Reserve this week.
The Eagles are currently in sixth position on the ladder, one game and percentage behind Essendon Doutta Stars in fifth.
With the Stars to play Strathmore this week, and Keilor in the last game of the season next week, the door is very much still open for the Eagles to slip their way into the final five.
They were brilliant last week taking down Strathmore in a six-point home win, and will no doubt take great confidence away from that outing.
The ever-reliable Tyson Young and Matt Hanson were at their scintillating best, with Young logging 45 disposals and six clearances, and Hanson up to his usual tricks in the contest with 34 disposals, 14 clearances, and eight tackles.
They are the two to stop.
Pascoe Vale will be looking to bounce back after they were convincingly taken care of by Deer Park last week.
Just two weeks after they claimed the scalp of the previously undefeated Keilor, the Panthers will be looking to prove that was no fluke after last week’s disappointing result.
Their best is certainly good enough to win here, and so expect the Panthers to finish off their season well in these last two weeks.
Paul Ahern was busy again last week with 37 disposals and eight clearances, but will need help from others this week in the battle against the likes of Young, Hanson, and Ned Gentile.
Essendon Doutta Stars will host Strathmore this week in a critical game for their season at Nipper Jordan Oval.
The last time these two sides met, Strathmore fought off a game Stars performance to secure the home win by 22 points.
With the Stars currently sitting one game and a buffer of percentage clear in fifth position, a win this week would essentially guarantee a finals berth.
With such a comprehensive percentage, Airport West, who trail them in sixth position, would have to win both of their finals game and hope that the Stars fall to both Strathmore, and Keilor next week.
Star forward Bailey Ryan lit up Monk Oval last week with a sizzling performance against Maribyrnong Park.
He booted through eight goals to go along with 18 disposals and seven marks. He’s the one to keep an eye on from a Strathmore perspective.
For Strathmore, a win here would go a long way in locking up the pivotal top-three position.
They went down to Airport West last week in a tough contest at Hansen Reserve, losing by just the one goal in a performance full of merit.
With a blockbuster top-three date with Aberfeldie to come in the final round, the four points here should secure the double-chance for the Mores, despite the outcome of next week.
Trent Dumont and Liam Cavanagh will be the ones to watch again here, with both coming off excellent efforts last week.
Cavanagh was rock-solid around the ground with 30 disposals, 10 marks, and 10 clearances, while Dumont helped himself to 33 disposals, eight clearances, and a goal.
Expect these two to drive the Mores forward again here.
With both sides having a lot to play for, this bout should be a thriller.
An interesting clash between Aberfeldie and Deer Park awaits Clifton Park.
It'll be Abers' last home game for season 2025, and a chance to get one back over Deer Park who downed them by 19 points in Round 8.
The Lions officially secured a maiden EDFL Premier Division finals appearance last week and will want to pick up a second win over Aberfeldie this year to keep its double chance hopes alive.
Deer Park controlled possession in that Round 8 meeting with Billy Cannolo's 47 disposals leading the way, providing a lot of drive out of their defensive half.
Both teams enjoyed a spread of goal kickers, but it was Deer Park who found more players with multiples.
Callum Moore and Sam Paea were restricted to a goal each, but some attention may need to be directed to Brodie Newman whose move forward has garnered 14 goals from three games.
If Paea was relieved of VFL duties, they'll look to stretch the Lions defensively.
With that said, they've been able to shuffle the magnets and have built one of the more versatile lists in the top flight, Trent McKenzie and Dion Hill two that have swung back when needed to assist Kier Bol and Tim Quick.
Both sides are locked into finals, but this contest serves as a mini finals preview with tough contests to follow for both, so it's important to keep momentum rolling.
Maribyrnong Park is looking to snap a five-game losing streak when it heads to Joe Brown Oval to play ladder leaders Keilor.
It's been a tough run for the Lions with their finals hopes fading as the weeks have rolled by.
Keilor, meanwhile, bounced back from a shock loss with an 82-point win over Greenvale at Section Road.
It was a competitive showing from Maribyrnong Park when these sides met in Round 8, with the Blues winning by 42 points despite Marby leading into time on in the third quarter.
The Lions' inaccuracy hurt them that day after winning clearance and inside 50 counts, 9.17 their final score.
Although Keilor controlled possession, Marby's pressure was a real factor in that contest recording 78 tackles.
They're the best tackling side in the competition but even that was 14 over their season average, something Brodie Holland will be keen to replicate.
Overland Reserve will see its last piece of action for season 2025 as East Keilor hosts Greenvale.
The Cougars have pushed through an incredibly difficult season, but will be looking for some positives in their final two games.
Greenvale will be hoping for something similar with four losses on the bounce, a chance here to pick up a fifth win for the season.
The Jets won by 147 points in their last meeting with East Keilor in Round 8.
Josh Porter kicked 10 goals in that game which was his only feature before returning last week with two goals.
By Ben Parker
Avondale Heights will host Craigieburn in what’s expected to be a blockbuster clash at Canning Reserve.
The last time they faced off it was Avondale who cruised to a 32-point victory at DS Aitken Reserve, but this bout is shaping up to be far different.
The Eagles are arguably the most in-form team in the competition at the moment, and with wins in five of their last seven games, another here and they're almost guaranteed to play finals.
While both Taylors Lakes and St Albans are level with the Eagles on games won, their percentages are inferior and they would have to convincingly beat their opponents to jump the Eagles, should all three sides win this weekend.
They obliterated the fourth placed Hillside last week to the tune of 59 points, demonstrating that their form will certainly stand up in the finals, should they make the final five.
It’s simple from a Craigieburn perspective, win and they are most likely in. Lose, and they will possibly fall out.
On the other side of the ledger, Avondale Heights has the opportunity to secure a top-three finish.
With the Heights one game clear of Hillside in third position, win, and they’ll have some leverage heading into the finals with the crucial double chance.
Lose, and they could potentially fall to fourth, meaning that they would be facing off in an elimination final.
They outlasted St Albans last week in an epic battle at Kings Park Reserve, holding on to win by just the seven points in the end.
Bailey Williamson and Jackson Robb are the two to watch for the Heights. The two stars were brilliant against last week with Williamson collecting 43 disposals and 18 intercepts, and Robb amassing 39 disposals and two goals. Both will look to produce a peak season rating here to get their side over the line.
Meanwhile for the Eagles, Jai Robinson was back his best last week with 40 disposals and seven marks, while Nathan Stewart had 29 disposals, nine clearances, and two goals.
Ladder-leaders Oak Park will host the struggling Moonee Valley as they look to round out their season with another victory.
Moonee Valley fans certainly won’t forget the events that took place the last time these two sides met, with recollections of the Valley’s unforgettable nine-point upset over the premiership favourites back in Round 9 remaining the highlight of the Fog’s season.
The two sides have gone down vastly different routes since, with Oak Park only tasting defeat once while Moonee Valley has lost eight consecutive games.
It’s hard to see the Kangaroos being beaten here.
Prior to their 11-point loss to West Coburg last week, the Roos’ were in impeccable form and playing an impressive standard of football.
While there are still some soldiers to come back into the side, if they can produce a brand of football which is close to their best, look out.
This is the time, leading into the finals, where the top five sides must peak and hit their straps if they want to contend for the premiership, and so expect Oak Park to come out firing here.
Ruck Josh Hotchkin was among the Roos’ best again last week with 17 disposals, 59 hit outs, and a goal to his name. Look for him to stamp his authority on the contest early in a tough matchup with Bevan Newell.
Meanwhile, Moonee Valley will be glad to see the final round of the season come around.
After showing immense promise throughout the first half of the season with wins over both St Albans and Oak Park, they haven’t been able to put enough wins on the board in the latter half of the season.
The bottom-of-the-ladder Roxburgh Park put them away quite easily last week, with the 38-point loss suggesting that the time to look ahead to next year has come.
In what was ultimately a very disappointing day, Callum Clinnick fought hard in the midfield all day with another strong performance. He collected 26 disposals, 10 tackles, and 11 clearances, and will no doubt be in the thick of things again here.
Roxburgh Park will look to end their season on a winning note when they host St Albans at Lakeside Reserve.
The last time these two sides faced off, Roxburgh Park sensationally won their first game of the season after losing their first nine matches.
Since then, it’s been slim pickings for the hosts as they’ve recorded just the one win since, an impressive 38-point victory against Moonee Valley last week.
St Albans are fighting to make the finals and keep their season alive.
It’s simple for the Saints, win, and they put themselves in a great position to make the final five, depending on some favourable results falling their way.
In a categorial must-win game for the Saints, their stars must perform at their best.
Although first, they may need to think about putting measures in place to stop Roxy big man Jack Elliott from tearing apart another game of football in the ruck for 2025.
Elliott was sublime against last week with a monstrous 39 disposals, 59 hit outs, and 24 clearances for the game, in what can only be described as an outstanding individual performance.
He’s the one to watch again this week for Roxburgh Park.
St Albans narrowly went down to Avondale Heights last week by seven points, and a replication of that performance should hold them in good stead here.
Jack Sims is the one to keep an eye on.
He was terrific in the loss last week with 37 disposals, 25 of which were contested, and 13 clearances.
A loss here would make it the Saints legend's last game, with a win a chance to extend his career.
Hillside will host Taylors Lakes in what’s shaping to be one of the games of the round out at Shark Park.
With the Sharks playing for a potential top three position, and the Lions playing for their season, everything is on the line here for these two sides.
When they met previously this season, the Lions roared to a seven-point home victory in one of the games of the season at Lionheart Reserve.
Hillside will do everything in their power to avoid having to playing in an elimination final.
In addition to securing the four vital points here, the Sharks will be relying on Craigieburn to beat Avondale Heights.
Should this happen, because the Sharks percentage is so superior to that of the Heights, the Sharks would leap-frog them in the ladder positionings and secure the double chance.
Hillside were convincingly beaten by Craigieburn last week and will need to be at their best here against what will no doubt be a hungry and desperate Taylors Lakes outfit.
Young gun Khalil Kaakour has been on a tear lately, with the rising star producing another mature game last week with 26 disposals, five tackles, and five clearances.
He’s the one to keep an eye on.
As for the Lions, it’s simply a must-win game.
While winning will not guarantee them a place in the finals, a loss will knock them out of contention.
They were too classy for Tullamarine last week, winning on the road by 33 points to draw level with the fifth placed Craigieburn for games won.
This week is harder though, and they’ll need to prove their finals credentials if they are to beat the Sharks here.
Chris Vulic was best on for the Lions yet again last week with another dominant midfield performance, collecting 40 disposals ad 11 clearances.
If he gets off the chain early, look out.
Tullamarine will close out their 2025 campaign when they host West Coburg at Leo Dineen Reserve.
They last met back in Round 9 where it was West Coburg who ran away with a 42-point home victory at Shore Reserve.
The Burgers have all but locked in a top-three position for the finals, and a convincing win here to end the season would catapult them nicely.
They took down ladder-leaders Oak Park last week in a season-defining 11-point win at home, proving that the likely minor premiers are beatable.
It was usual suspect Tom Baravi who led the way last week, finishing the game with 27 disposals, eight tackles, and six clearances.
He’s the one to watch again this week.
Meanwhile, Tullamarine will be looking to end their season on a high after what has been a disappointing second-half to the season.
The Dees have lost seven out of their last eight matches, and while some of these performances have had merit to them, they haven’t been able to put wins on the board.
With star Shaun McKernan sidelined for the last month, the Dees have had to look elsewhere for players to stand up when it matters most.
Despite their gloomy win-loss record, Austin Warden has been one of the highlights of recent weeks.
He fought hard all day in the loss to Taylors Lakes last week, recording 33 disposals and seven tackles.
Look for him to finish off his season well here.
By Michelle Dunstan
East Sunbury will wrap up its season at Cole Reserve when it faces Coburg Districts.
The Thunder has had another challenging season, but with two wins and a number of competitive performances, they'll hope to finish on a high.
Coburg Districts on the other hand will be wanting to take more momentum into its return to finals, building on four wins from its last five games.
Jack McNamara returned last week with a bang, hitting the seven-goal mark for the fourth time this season.
One of which was a 10-goal haul the last time they faced East Sunbury in a 49-point win.
Curtis Rawlings was also on fire that day with a three-goal best-on-ground performance and will take some stopping.
Brendan Fevola will look to cap off a fine first season with East Sunbury having 29 goals from 13 games.
Since a 29-point win in Round 14 against Northern Saints, the Thunder haven't dropped a game by more than 29 points.
They'll love to keep within that or pinch a win to head into the off-season.
Rupertswood will fight for its chance at a preliminary final when it hosts Glenroy at Salesian College.
The Sharks enter this contest off a 28-point loss that saw them drop to fourth, two points behind Keilor Park.
Glenroy also come into this one off a loss, that one by 35 points against Sunbury Kangaroos.
The last time these sides played it was a nine-point win for Rupertswood at Sewell Reserve, marking the Roys' first loss for season 2025.
It was a tight contest all afternoon that saw Rupo prevail, Fraser Phelan-Smith kicking four goals.
A win for Rupo here will see them relying on a Keilor Park loss to finish in third.
Glenroy on the other hand will be wanting to carry some good form into finals.
Another loss wouldn't be ideal preparation, but with the minor premiership all but sewn up, they've been the best this year for a reason and will want to respond.
Westmeadows will host Hadfield at Willowbrook Reserve in an interesting matchup.
It won't have any finals ramifications, but Hadfield has been quite the disruptor in the second half of the season picking up wins against Rupertswood and Keilor Park, while pushing Glenroy late.
The Hawks will want to finish the season on a high, which may play into the hands of Westmeadows to get a strong hit out before a week off.
These sides last met in Round 8 when Westy won by 51 points, Aaron Evans (five goals), Mitch Church (four goals), and Hugo Jenkins (four goals) lighting up in front of goal.
Church returned to action through the twos last week and will be a watch come selection, while experienced trio Evans, Jake Hatton, and Ryan Capron are coming off remarkable performances last week.
For Hadfield, Jake Polizzi, Josh Trembearth, and Sam Godden have had their praises sung for good reason, but Nathan Johnson has kicked 15 goals since they last played the Tigers, with Michael Pell kicking 13 in the same stretch.
They'll be two for the Westmeadows defenders to keep close tabs on.
Burnside Heights and Northern Saints will wrap their seasons up at Tenterfield Drive.
While the Bears persevered through a tough off-season with some early wins, the end of the season will bring a welcomed opportunity to reset.
It's a similar story for Northern Saints who dropped back after a couple of finals campaigns.
The Saints won a nail-biter the last time these sides met with a nine-point victory in Round 9.
Team of the Year defender Tyson Iglesias stunned up forward with five goals, but it wasn't enough to overcome the potency of Mohamed Taleb (five goals), Tamer Abdallah (three goals), and Nick Bruno (three goals).
Neither side can move from its current ladder position, so it'll be the last chance to eek some enjoyment out of season 2025.
Closing out the round is an interesting clash between Keilor Park and Sunbury Kangaroos at Keilor Park Recreation Reserve.
The Devils win, they've locked in a preliminary final match. They lose, they need Glenroy to beat Rupertswood to hold their spot.
It won't be easy with the Sunbury Kangaroos coming off a good win over ladder leaders Glenroy last week.
It was a fast start for the Kangaroos led by Tie Cuffe, Mitch Streiif, and John Corso.
They'll want to finish the season well despite their finals hopes extinguishing a few weeks ago.
It was a four-point thriller the last time these sides met with the Devils holding off a late Sunbury Kangaroos surge.
Streiff (six goals) and Daylan Kempster (five goals) on fire at either end.
THIS WEEKEND’S FIXTURES
EAST KEILOR v GREENVALE
Saturday 2:15pm at Overland Reserve
ABERFELDIE v DEER PARK
Saturday 2:15pm at Clifton Park
KEILOR v MARIBYRNONG PARK
Saturday 2:15pm at Joe Brown Oval
ESSENDON DOUTTA STARS v STRATHMORE
Saturday 2:15pm at Nipper Jordan Oval
AIRPORT WEST v PASCOE VALE
Saturday 2:15pm at Hansen Reserve
AVONDALE HEIGHTS v CRAIGIEBURN
Saturday 2:15pm at Canning Reserve
OAK PARK v MOONEE VALLEY
Saturday 2:15pm at JP Fawkner Reserve
ROXBURGH PARK v ST ALBANS
Saturday 2:15pm at Lakeside Reserve
HILLSIDE v TAYLORS LAKES
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Saturday 2:15pm at Hillside Recreation Reserve
TULLAMARINE v WEST COBURG
Saturday 2:15pm at Leo Dineen Reserve
COBURG DISTRICTS v EAST SUNBURY
Saturday 2:15pm at Cole Reserve
KEILOR PARK v SUNBURY KANGAROOS
Saturday 2:15pm at Keilor Park Recreation Reserve
RUPERTSWOOD v GLENROY
Saturday 2:15pm at Salesian College
WESTMEADOWS v HADFIELD
Saturday 2:15pm at Willowbrook Reserve
BURNSIDE HEIGHTS v NORTHERN SAINTS
Saturday 2:15pm at Burnside Heights Recreation Reserve
