Aberfeldie v Pascoe Vale
ABERFELDIE got back on the horse with a solid win against West Coburg while Pascoe Vale were humiliated in an upset by a resurgent Maribyrnong Park.
Pacco should be raring to go this week after that loss and the heat will be on some of their big guns to fire up after an off week. Ben Warren kicked three goals but was rarely sighted for most of the game.
Ben Ross and Daniel Harris were quiet through the midfield and were often rotated forward to little effect. Giles Guest was severely limited by a knock to the hip and Dylan Reid had no impact on the game both as a ruckman and key forward.
Against an Abers midfield brigade that is arguably the best in the division, they can’t afford to be off again because they will get dominated.
It was that midfield brigade that got the job done against the Burgers last week. Brock McLean, Luke Blackwell, Garreth Phillips and Mark Lynch were all named in the bests. Jack McNamara’s return into the forward line continues to pay off, as he kicked a game-high three goals to take his tally to 14 goals in the last month.
They continue to be without star forward Kyle Reimers, but with or without him Abers should be too good. A loss here could send Pacco tumbling out of the top four, with Douttas in striking range.
Aberfeldie by 20 points.
Keilor v Greenvale
This could be a big clash with Keilor showing some cracks recently after their excellent start. They trailed by a goal heading into the last term at Strathmore before getting over the line by only three points. They lost to Pascoe Vale two weeks ago and now sit on top only by percentage with Abers breathing down their neck. Greenvale had it easy with a big win against Airport West.
Dean Galea continues to dominate up forward, kicking a further six goals. He’s going at an impressive rate of five goals per game and is an obvious danger man. Luke Cartelli had an impact forward, the midfielder kicking four goals. Michael Tanner was strong in defence while Ryan Noye played his best game of the year.
The likes of David Ibister, Guy and Kane Barbuto and David Gourdis were quiet but they’re all quality players who will bounce back.
It was a strong performance across the board for Greenvale in an easy win, with six players kicking multiple goals. Kurtis Sanajko played his best game of the season and is a solid supporting act to Trent Shinners.
They’ll need a good spread of contributors again this week if they want to topple Keilor. They’ll be looking for Fabian Deluca to battle strongly against Andrew Browne, and Deluca has been in some impressive form recently.
Nick Lower has been a little bit of a surprise packet in front of goal this year, transforming his game from an in-and-under clearance midfielder into a goalkicking mid. He kicked two goals against Airport West to take his tally to 16 goals from 10 games. Only once this season has he been held goalless, but that was against Keilor earlier in the season.
We might see Matthew Smith go to Galea, but if Luke McGuane gets up this week he’ll need strong attention as well.
Keilor by 24 points.
Maribyrnong Park v Strathmore
This game could break Marby’s slim finals hopes. They’ve been somehow hanging onto the pack for a while, but their big win last week has shot them back into contention. Strathmore fell just short of Keilor last week to end their own finals hopes.
Marby pulled out their best performance of the year in a dominant win. It was a complete performance that will have given coach Robbie Castello a good deal of belief. James Breust, Jimmy Hollow and John McKenzie dominated the midfield with the support of big ruckman Chris Prowse.
Castello and Caleb Vearing were prolific off the half back flank and showcased their classy skills. It was the definition of a team performance, the entire side lifting for an important victory.
Hamish McIntosh had another good game for Strathmore, and has found his role as key forward as he kicked four goals. He’ll be a handful for the Lions, his size and strength will be difficult to match up on. Tom Gleeson and Mitch Purcell were also good up forward and through the midfield, both kicking multiple goals.
If Marby are as fired up as they were last week they’ll be an intimidating prospect. Their attack on the ball was excellent, and their pressure was unrelenting as they ground Pacco into the ground. They need to win and their ability to back up from last week is a good test of whether they deserve to play finals footy.
Maribyrnong Park by nine points.
Airport West v Essendon Doutta Stars
After a poor loss to Heights last week, this is the game Douttas need to get back on track and possibly jump back into the top four. Airport West were beaten by 96 points against Greenvale, registering 12 scoring shots to 38 in what could well have been an even uglier defeat.
Mitch Day almost doubled his season tally against the Heights with five goals and Cleve Hughes was again influential as he kicked four to jump out to 37 goals from 11 games. It was an inexperienced Douttas side, but they saw some of their youngsters stand up despite the loss. First-gamer Noah Balta handled the leap well and Connor Thompson was named in the bests for the second time this season.
Shylo Smith was down on his usual productivity, as was tall defender Tyson Hartwig. There were solid contributions across the board, but ultimately too much responsibility was put onto the shoulders of youngsters and it cost them the game.
Clayton Rogers was again one of Airport West’s best players alongside Kier Bol and Bior Malual in only his third game for the year. Airport West have taken the opportunity to give some youngsters a shot, and it’s a policy that should give them hope in the long run.
Douttas by 70 points.
Avondale Heights v West Coburg
Heights came through with a monster upset against Douttas last week for their second win of the season, all but guaranteeing their survival in Premier for this year. West Coburg put up a fight against Aberfeldie but were ultimately outclassed by the reigning premiers.
This clash back in Round 5 was a tight one, both sides were inaccurate at Shore Reserve with West Coburg sneaking over the line by eight points. That was during the Burgers’ strong early-season run but lately they’ve struggled badly. In the last two months they’ve only beaten Airport West, and kicked 10 goals or more only twice.
Although they only have two wins to their name, the Heights have lost three games by less than a goal. Their last few weeks have been solid despite a heavy loss to Aberfeldie two weeks ago. They could count themselves unlucky to lose to Marby in Round 11, and held on last week against an in-form Douttas side.
Patrick Rose continues to shine as he kicked another five goals last week. Alongside him was Xavier McMahon who also kicked five – a season high. The importance of Matt Cravino and Scott Harding through the Heights midfield can’t be overstated. If you can limit their influence, then you’re in the box seat.
Marwan Abdulwahed found a solid return to form last week for West Coburg, kicking two goals to be named in the bests. When on form, he’s an underrated but important cog in their midfield and although he’s only kicked 10 goals for the season, he must be given attention in the forward line.
Danko Bzenic, Fabian Brancatisano and Ruairi Cleary are a versatile forward line that can cause serious problems for even the best defence. They don’t always click and turn it on, but on their day they are as dangerous as any forward line in the competition. Bzenic has 31 goals in 12 games, Brancatisano has 19 in nine and Cleary has 22 in 13 – for a side struggling to put up big totals, they are decent numbers.
Avondale Heights by four points.
