BURNSIDE HEIGHTS v NORTHERN SAINTS
Saturday 2:15pm at Burnside Heights Recreation Reserve
IT is a fairly safe bet that this should be the game of the round in Strathmore Community Bank Division 2 and it could well end up being a shoot-out.
Both Burnside Heights and the Northern Saints have started 2019 on a strong note and their good form has come on the back of some solid attacking footy in the forward half.
Bears coach Aidan Stott would have been pleased to see Matthew Peterlechner (four goals) and Anthony Fawcus (two) give a heavily-guarded Josh Covelli a chop out in front of goal last week against Coburg Districts.
But the key to Burnside Heights’ improvement has been the midfield contributions of Jordan Hughes, Declan Highgate, Steve Kenrick and Adam Sullivan, who have all been invaluable so far this season.
We’ve seen the Bears produce three wins in three different kinds of games, one of which was a shoot-out against Moonee Valley in Round 2.
So we know that they’re are willing to engage in another one here if need be.
Northern’s only loss was an honourable one to the ladder-leading Sunbury Kangaroos back in Round 1 and the Saints have been rather potent since, scoring 110-plus points in Rounds 2 and 3.
Brett Kennerley’s forward line is one of the more dynamic that Division 2 has to offer and goals can come in a hurry and from many different sources.
The Saints have also benefited from the strong form of Tamer Abdallah, who’s been outstanding to start 2019 and could well be leading the division’s best-and-fairest vote count.
It’s a match-up that provides class on both sides of the ball, and the team that executes better for longer will claim victory.
HADFIELD v SUNBURY KANGAROOS
Saturday 2:15pm at Martin Reserve
You wouldn’t know it, but Hadfield leads Division 2 for points scored so far this season.
After getting the job done in style over Keilor Park in Round 1, the Hawks have proven to be a tough out for both the Northern Saints and East Sunbury, only going down to the latter by three points last week.
Their vast improvement should be credited to the likes of Mo Saad (seven), Zac Polizzi (six goals) and Ben Pretty (one), who’ve all played good, consistent footy across the first three rounds.
But coming up against a well-rested Sunbury Kangaroos outfit, coach Brett Pitts needs all hands on-deck at Martin Reserve this weekend.
It’s been a small sample size, but the Kangaroos have made it clear that they mean business.
Coach Anthony Leydin is known to be a hard task master, but even he, deep down, would agree that the Roos have been close to flawless in their 2-0 start to the year.
Sunbury’s last game was back in Round 2 almost three weeks ago, where it put a stranglehold on a normally potent East Sunbury outfit that struggled to penetrate all night long.
The Roos piled on 19 goals to eight, with Josh Burgess, Lachie Baddeley and Mitch Streiff all combining for 10 majors.
They form what is arguably the most lethal forward line in Division 2 and if Sunbury can get a hold of the Hawks in midfield, then that should result in the Kangaroos kicking a winning score.
JACANA v MOONEE VALLEY
Saturday 2:15pm at Jacana Reserve
The pressure is on for both Jacana and Moonee Valley to collect the four points in this one, but for slightly different reasons.
Let’s start with the Jags.
Matthew Huy and his men will have been happy to score a win last week at Keilor Park, but their form prior to that has left a lot to be desired.
In losses to Burnside Heights and Coburg Districts, Jacana has given away a whopping total of 47 goals and only managed to kick 24 the other way.
If they can’t shore things up down back then the Jaguars are in for a very long 2019 season.
From what they’ve shown us so far, Cameron Cloke is doing far too much of the heavy lifting and if he doesn’t start getting some help from those around him, then he’s going to burn out fairly quickly.
Coming up against a Moonee Valley outfit that does boast some good talent across the ground, Huy needs to preach a full team effort come Saturday.
The Fog is under the pump because of the fact it is winless, but its form hasn’t been all that bad.
Both of Moonee Valley’s losses came in shoot-outs where they managed to generate 29 scoring shots on each occasion and only gave away at least 26 the other way.
So you could argue that the Valley has been a little unlucky and could easily be 2-0 or at least 1-1, but if the wins don’t start coming soon then there might be some external heat coming their way.
Braden Padmore, Cory McGrath, Rocky Ferraro and Jonathan Mullins are all A-grade players in Division 2 and when they get their house in order, Moonee Valley will be a force.
Here is where we need to start seeing it.
EAST SUNBURY v KEILOR PARK
Saturday 2:15pm at John McMahon Reserve
East Sunbury is a team that needs to start building some form, otherwise it is going to fall too far behind the top four race.
At 1-2, it’s fair to question whether the Thunder is suffering some kind of hangover from last year’s grand final run.
The pressure was on at Hadfield last week and when it counted, Glenn Hopkins’ men rose to the occasion and ground out a hard-fought win.
Tom Cree returned to the side and played well, while new ruckman Tom Godsell has applied himself very well as Jorden Braddy’s permanent replacement.
This game presents the Thunder with a chance to establish some momentum before a crucial fortnight of fixtures that includes games against Moonee Valley and the Northern Saints.
And given what Hadfield and Jacana have been able to do against Keilor Park, it’s also important East Sunbury builds as much percentage as possible.
It’s unfortunate that opposition clubs will use their games against Keilor Park for that purpose throughout the year, but hopefully coach John Mangos can maintain a positive vibe through to Round 18.
He’s on the record with the fact that this season is all about preparing for 2020 and beyond, so hopefully they can fight hard and put together some decent footy here on Saturday.
