By Ryan Long
Balwyn
Position: 4th
W-L: 5-3
Percentage: 168.94%
For (Rank): 769 (1st)
Against (Rank): 506 (1st)
Leading Goalkicker: Charlie Haley (32)
Best and Fairest Leader: Yarran Jaffer-Williams
After the way Rodney Eade’s men came home in the second half of the season last year, many have predicted the Tigers for the premiership in 2022.
They’ve had a couple of hiccups in close losses and within patches of games, but other than that, Balwyn have been able to tear other sides apart with their deadly attack. While Jeff Gobbels has played just the one game this season, Charlie Haley and Jordan Lisle have combined for 52 goals. Haley has been the more dangerous of the two, with the small forward averaging 4.3 goals, 6 score involvements and 4 marks inside 50 in 2022.
Much has been said about their deadly forward line, but the club have been just as impressive down the other end of the field, ranked number one in defence. Park Orchards has been the only side to reach the 100 mark against them, otherwise averaging just 60 points against them in their first seven matches. Kris Pendlebury has plenty of experience and talent to lead their back six, providing a lot of their ball movement going forward off the half-back line.
Nathan Oakes and Shaun Cross have also had a big impact through the middle and will be vital for the Tigers in the second half of the year.
Their three losses against Rowville, Park Orchards and Noble Park keeps them out of that top two but they won’t be too disappointed with those results and will still back themselves to knock off everyone at their best.
With stars on every line, Balwyn deserves to be one of the early premiership favourites.
Grade: B+
Berwick
Position: 11th
W-L: 1-6-1
Percentage: 76.91%
For (Rank): 483 (10th)
Against (Rank): 628 (7th)
Leading Goalkicker: Harrison Money (18)
Best and Fairest Leader: Bryce Rutherford
The Wickers has been playing a lot better than their 1-6-1 record suggests.
Apart from their two losses against Noble Park and Balwyn in away matches earlier in the year, Berwick has been in every game, even pinching a draw away from home at Blackburn. They’ve been a lot better side at home, never losing by more than 20 points a game.
They’ll be rueing poor inaccuracy in front of goal against Doncaster, which was an opportunity gone begging, but a win over North Ringwood now gives the club some breathing room, a game and a half away from the relegation spot.
Some of their usual suspects are in great form, with Travis Tuck averaging 23 disposals and 8 clearances a game while Rutherford and Heddles have taken their games to new levels.
They’re side to keep an eye on in the second half of the year, who have the ability to knock off a contender or two and could play a big role in where sides finish on the ladder.
Grade: C
Blackburn
Position: 7th
W-L: 3-4-1
Percentage: 85.17%
For (Rank): 540 (9th)
Against (Rank): 634 (8th)
Leading Goalkicker: Charlie Oglethorpe, Ryan Bathie, Samuel Harte (8)
Best and Fairest Leader: Matthew Bartlett
A rocky start but Blackburn is another of those sides who have steadied themselves and now find themselves close of being in striking range of the top six.
A hard-fought 10-point win over Park Orchards in Round Four on a Friday night that broke the losing streak at home, along with a 25-point win over Norwood have been two of the key highlights of their season so far.
Their scoring has still been a bit of an issue, unable to match some of those high-scoring sides in the division. Players such as Oglethorpe, Harte and Bartlett have the ability to kick three or four and break open a game as they have done on occasion this season but they’ll need to be doing this on a more consistent basis weekly if they’re to keep up with the top six sides.
Liam Murphy has been a standout for the club, averaging 26 disposals, 14 contested disposals and 10 inside 50’s a game.
The draw against Berwick gives them the edge of Norwood and Park Orchards outside of the top six but they have to start taking a couple of big scalps if they’re any chance of September action.
Grade: C
Doncaster
Position: 10th
W-L: 3-5
Percentage: 64.89%
For (Rank): 427 (11th)
Against (Rank): 658 (11th)
Leading Goalkicker: Kyle Viccars (23)
Best and Fairest Leader: Angelo Rambaldi
After starting the year 0-3, Doncaster’s last month of football has shown some serious improvement, winning three of their last five games.
The Sharks play a strong defensive game, proven in their latest win over ladder leaders Rowville, keeping the fast-scoring Hawks to just seven goals. Coghlan, Thiel and Molloy have been some of the names down back who have had great starts to the season. They were helped out by a midfield that has improved as the season’s gone by, Kane Henden one of those, managing to be in the side’s best in the last four weeks, averaging 22 disposals in those matches.
Small Forward and cult hero, Kyle Viccars is having a standout year, coming off nine goals in back-to-back weeks against Nobel Park and Rowville. Without a tall key forward playing week to week inside the Sharks forward 50, there’s a bit more pressure on the smaller forwards in Viccars and coach Annakis to hit the scoreboard.
They’ve now proven that they can beat the top sides of the division when they get the game played on their terms, the Sharks will be out to pinch another big scalp while finding some consistency throughout the second half of the season.
Grade: C
Doncaster East
Position: 5th
W-L: 5-3
Percentage: 126.07%
For (Rank): 706 (4th)
Against (Rank): 560 (3rd)
Leading Goalkicker: Sam Rowe (17)
Best and Fairest Leader: James Appleby
Taking away their last loss against Park Orchards, everything has seemingly gone well for the Lions in the first eight rounds of the season.
A focus on their ball movement and transition of the ball has been a big plus for the Lions, making opposition teams defend the whole ground while lowering the eyes and hitting different targets inside 50. Sam Rowe has been the leading goal scorer with 17 thus far but guys such as Sholakis and Scala have looked just as dangerous, making it tougher on opposition defences.
Dylan Olley has stepped up, growing in confidence, giving Zac Clarke a hand in the ruck and allowing the side to be more flexible, he’s also shown his value in terms of goalkicking, a bag of six against the Bulls an early career highlight.
James Appleby is also having a season to remember, bullying opponents in the middle by winning plenty of the footy while doing just as much work without it. The midfielder is currently averaging 22 disposals and 7 contested disposals per game.
When winning the contested footy and clearances count, the Lions have gone on to win the game, finishing off matches strong. When they haven’t, they’ve been opened up down at the other end of the ground.
Big test to come against Balwyn next week, should tell us more about where they currently sit but great to see that the Lions are getting more reward for their effort which they weren’t able to quite do last season.
Grade: A
Noble Park
Position: 2nd
W-L: 6-2
Percentage: 144.37%
For (Rank): 748 (2nd)
Against (Rank): 513 (2nd)
Leading Goalkicker: Shayne Allan (18)
Best and Fairest Leader: Kyle Martin
The highly-rated Bulls outfit is right where they would have wanted to be at the start of the year, sitting comfortably in second place on the ladder with six wins.
The number one defensive side from last year has kept four teams to six goals or less in their first seven matches. They also possess arguably the most dangerous midfield in the division led by Kyle Martin and Jackson Sketcher. While both have missed multiple games already, they’ve been very influential when they have been on the field. In Martin’s first five games this season, he has averaged 36 disposals and 12 clearances per game. The Bulls have always been a high possession team, ranked number one in that area.
They’ve done well over the last two years without a real powerhouse key forward, finding plenty of goals from the likes of Allan, Francis and Marson. Premiership player and small forward, Shayne Allan certainly know how to find the goals, adding another 18 this season to his impressive career tally, playing over 200 games with the Bulls.
The Bulls are just one of two clubs that has kicked at least 10 goals every week, having a total of 16 players to have kicked at least two goals this season, a very even spread.
Expect them to be one of the sides really pushing for a top two finish come the end of the Home and Away season.
Grade: A
North Ringwood
Position: 12th
W-L: 0-8
Percentage: 46.89%
For (Rank): 400 (12th)
Against (Rank): 853 (12th)
Leading Goalkicker: Jackson Braunthal, Luke Patterson, Matthew Cullinan (5)
Best and Fairest Leader: Joel Nathan
Tough viewing for Saints fans in the first eight weeks, unable to get on the board yet.
Compared to their losses last year, scoring has begun to dry up, averaging just 50 points per game. Braunthal, Patterson and Cullinan all lead the club’s goal tally list with just five. At the other end of the ground, they’ve been leaking big scores, none bigger than Balwyn’s 32 goal performance at Quambee Reserve.
There was a big focus on executing the fundamentals of the game and improving their fitness over the pre-season. Unfortunately, they’ve still work to do in that area, unable to win a fourth quarter for the year. They have had their chances in matches against the Wickers and the Sharks to pinch the win but still weren’t able to put a full four-quarter performance in.
They’ve been the number one handball side in Premier Division, they’re still a very high possession side but it just hasn’t been translating to the scoreboard. Nathan, Braunthal and Taylor have all fought hard in the middle of the ground, finding themselves in the best most weeks for the Saints.
We’ve seen winless sides get on a roll once they break the drought, Doncaster of 2021 is a good example of that. Although the Saints are coming from a lot further back than that, they’ll be desperately searching for that first win to give them a bit of confidence for the rest of the season.
Grade: D-
Norwood
Position: 9th
W-L: 3-5
Percentage: 97.32%
For (Rank): 581 (7th)
Against (Rank): 597 (6th)
Leading Goalkicker: Jamie Bennell (18)
Best and Fairest Leader: Lochlan Dickson
A frustrating start to the year to say the least for one of the expected premiership contenders of the Premier Division.
After their Round One win over Doncaster, due to injuries and illnesses, Norwood was forced to make major weekly changes to their list, having more than eight players debut in the senior side, while having one of the toughest opening five-round fixtures.
Lochlan Dickson, Blake Pearson and Tom Maloney have all had great starts to the season, winning plenty of footy in the middle of the ground. In the first eight rounds,Dickson has averaged 25 disposals, 13 contested disposals and 8 clearances.
Defensively the side has been relatively strong, led by the likes of a Tristan Tweedie. Unfortunately, the experienced defender has missed a couple of games due to injury and concussion, going down at quarter time against Vermont allowing Andrew Ainger to get off the leash in the second half inspiring an Eagles comeback.
Offensively, Norwood relies on their midfielders to hit the scoreboard without a genuine key forward focal point inside 50.
Sitting two games outside of the eight, the Wooders have a lot of ground to make up, they may look back at the Vermont loss as the big blow to their finals chances, giving up a six-goal lead.
In saying that, if the side can have a fit available list in the second half of the year, they may be the biggest threat to replace one of the top six sides for a finals appearance.
Grade: C-
Park Orchards
Position: 8th
W-L: 3-5
Percentage: 107%
For (Rank): 688 (5th)
Against (Rank): 643 (8th)
Leading Goalkicker: Connor Hickey
Best and Fairest Leader: Matt Haythorne
Park Orchards may be disappointed to have just three wins next to their name considering four of their five losses have all been within three goals.
They’ve impressed many in their first year of the Premier Division, possessing one of the more attacking game styles. Four players have all had at least 10 goals each this season, Hickey, Armfield, Munro and Prosenak, the Sharks are ranked the fifth-best offence, averaging 86 points per game.
Matt Haythorne has been a star for the club in defence, the defender in the best six out of eight games including a best on ground performance against the Hawks. Coach Dennis Armfield has proven he’s still got it, with 15 goals in the first eight weeks, using the ball better than most in the league, showing off his class.
It’s still an overly young list that has set itself up for the future in the top division of the league.
With just two sides in the last decade making finals in their first season of the top division, the odds are stacked against the Sharks. However, their fast, free-flowing style of play is one, exciting to watch, and two, good enough to challenge and knock off anyone on their day.
Grade: B+
Rowville
Position: 1st
W-L: 7-1
Percentage: 127.76%
For (Rank): 741 (4th)
Against (Rank): 580 (5th)
Leading Goalkicker: Matthew Davey (16)
Best and Fairest Leader: Nikolas Schoenmakers
Rowville as a club are absolutely flying, winning seven in a row before their first loss of the year, exceeding the expectations of most onlookers.
The Hawks have been hard to beat and quick around the ball, allowing their forwards every chance to score through their ball movement inside 50. Ben Wise has done an incredible job, creating a great culture around the club and putting a lot of trust into the younger core of players who have started the year well.
Four players have all hit double figures with goals this season in Davey, Wynd, Seedsman and Taylor. It’s been a significant turnaround from last year and shows they can score from multiple different areas around the ground.
Schoenmakers has provided a lot of experience around the ground and in the ruck while younger players in Eickhoff and Macdonald are having arguably career-best years.
Their game style has so far worked against all of the major contenders, they’ve been able to scrap home close hard-fought battles against Balwyn and Norwood while beating out the likes of Noble Park, South Croydon and Doncaster East in high-scoring shootouts.
It’s hard to criticise anything they’ve done this season thus far, and will be shifting their focus onto securing the double chance at the end of the year from here.
Grade: A+
South Croydon
Position: 3rd
W-L: 6-2
Percentage: 115.25%
For (Rank): 748 (2nd)
Against (Rank): 649 (10th)
Leading Goalkicker: James Wilsen (24)
Best and Fairest Leader: Max King
The Dogs have surprisingly flown under the radar, winning six out of their first eight games, albeit without playing two of the major premiership favourites yet.
Their mature stars have all had fantastic years to date, Max King in particular has led the way, finishing in the best seven out of eight games including a best on ground performance against Rowville where he had 27 disposals, 10 marks, 46 hit outs and 12 inside 50’s.
They’ve been the number one ranked attacking side in the division as well. James Wilsen has 24 goals while Mallison and Sheridan have combined for 28, creating one of the most dangerous forward lines going around.
After losing matches to Rowville and Doncaster East, all eyes will be on the Dogs next two matches against Noble Park and Balwyn. They must pinch a win in either match to prove that they can match it with anyone.
With a more experienced list compared to some of the other contenders, there may be no better time for the club to win a premiership than right now.
Grade: B+
Vermont
Position: 6th
W-L: 5-3
Percentage: 98.25%
For (Rank): 562 (8th)
Against (Rank): 572 (4th)
Leading Goalkicker: Andrew Ainger (15)
Best and Fairest Leader: Lachlan Johns
They’ve been a champion club for decades, and all for good reason.
Despite more list changes in the off-season, highlighted by the exit of Liam Wale-Buxton, the Eagles have introduced more of their younger players at the club to senior footy while having the likes of experienced veterans Johns and Robbie Ross leading the way.
Five wins from the first eight games keep the Eagles inside the top six with a one and a half-game gap on seventh place Blackburn. They’ve lost a lot of their firepower up forward but Vermont’s defensive structure is still first class. They’re ranked fourth on defence, only conceding 13 goals a game once this year.
Robbie Ross has had another great year while Lachie Johns has given opposition midfielders major headaches. The Chandler Medal winner has averaged 26 disposals and 6 clearances per game, racking up a massive 39 touches against Berwick.
Premiership star, Andrew Ainger is still causing havoc up forward, kicking 15 goals for the season, including a three-goal second half in the side’s 38-point comeback against Norwood.
It’s not the same ruthless Vermont side of past years but they’re still a very good side and more importantly, they’re still winning. They may be the most vulnerable of the top six to fall out, but it is very hard to tip against the Eagles and their winning culture.
Grade: B
