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COBURG DISTRICTS v MOONEE VALLEY
ROUND 8 marks the first weekend of return games for Strathmore Community Bank Division 2 – so everyone has now played each other in 2018.
Round 1 was only seven weeks ago, and on that day we saw Moonee Valley only squeak home by a single point to Coburg Districts in a classic at Ormond Park.
If that result had gone the other way then the entire division would have a different look and feel to it.
This one’s a genuine coin flip, as both sides come into it on the rebound and with some key players missing from their respective line-ups.
Moonee Valley in particular was hit with some key outs before last week’s loss to Roxburgh Park and that didn’t include its most dynamic player in Braden Padmore, who’s been missing since Round 4.
Coburg Districts has been without Chris Lynch, Chris Metcher, Luke Vesnaver and Nik Dimeski, among others, at varying stages throughout the season.
The Lions had no such issues with team stability 12 months ago.
Because of all that Moonee Valley is the favourite, but only just.
NORTHERN SAINTS v ROXBURGH PARK
Roxburgh Park is the hottest team of Strathmore Community Bank Division 2 after delivering their best performance of the year away to Moonee Valley last week.
The Magpies have won three straight games and all three were impressive for various reasons.
The first one against Hadfield was the fact Roxburgh Park didn’t let up and used it as an opportunity to build some all-important percentage.
Next was a similarly impressive four-quarter effort at home to Burnside Heights where the Magpies had five individual multiple goal-kickers in a 67-point win.
Then last week they proved they can scrap it out in what was a tough game against an undefeated Moonee Valley outfit at the toughest away venue in the division.
After a great first half, Roxburgh Park went scoreless in the third quarter to allow the Fog back into the game, but Michael Farrelly’s men didn’t let that affect their psyche, steadying in the last to edge just three points ahead by the final siren.
It was a character-building win, and one that will hold them in good stead against a side they really struggled against back in Round 1.
The Northern Saints scored an important win against the Bears last week.
With Kelsey Clayton and Ahmed Abdul-Wahed missing, Paul Dunn’s side scored 16 goals with just three goal-kickers for the day.
They’ll simply need more against one of the better forward set-ups of the division this weekend.
HADFIELD v EAST SUNBURY
A bye was probably exactly what Hadfield was aching for after a very tough opening six weeks to its 2018 campaign.
The closest the Hawks have come to a win was back in Round 2 at home to the Northern Saints on what was a windy day at Martin Reserve.
Their overall form line would suggest that 2018 is a write-off and we’ve already seen 34 players role through the senior side, so Brett Pitts should probably already be planning for 2019.
It means that most opposition sides, in what looks to be a very tight race to make the final four, will use this game as a chance to boost percentage.
East Sunbury is leading the entire division on that front at 144.60 after handing Coburg Districts a 41-point loss at Cole Reserve last week.
It was a perfect response to what was a bit of a letdown in their prior game away to Moonee Valley.
The Thunder has been able to live up to the hype and maintain their form so far this year and with further improvement expected from the likes of Tom Cree, Kamen Ogilvie and Brad Bernacki, finals has probably now become the bare minimum target this season.
Good sides win these games and win them well.
