By Tash Gunawardana
PREMIER DIVISION WOMEN’S
Vermont vs South Croydon: Vermont hosts South Croydon Blue at Vermont Recreation Reserve.
Vermont currently sit second on the ladder with a win loss record of (5-4) and South Croydon Blue (3-4). South Croydon Blue are coming off a loss and Vermont come into the match with a win. The match will be won in the forward halves of the ground, with two of Premier Women’s Divisions leading goalkickers playing including Vermont’s Evie Allman (23 goals for the season) and South Croydon Blue’s Katie Shanahan (13 goals for the season). Tip: Vermont
Blackburn Black vs Donvale Black: Donvale Black travels to Morton Park to tackle the undefeated Blackburn Black on their home ground. It will be a tough task for the bottom- placed Donvale Black to hand Blackburn Black its first defeat of the season, but anything is possible if Donvale Black believe they can cause a massive upset over the Premier competition heavyweights. Tip: Blackburn Black
Chirnside Park Black – bye
DIVISION ONE WOMEN’S:
Ferntree Gully vs North Ringwood: The top-of-the-table Ferntree Gully clash with the eighth-placed North Ringwood at the very heavy Wally Tew Reserve. North Ringwood’s defence will have their hands full, as they try to stop the Division One second and third leading goalkickers including Abbey Broughan (20 goals) and Lisa Walshe (15 goals) respectively. Tip: Ferntree Gully
Park Orchards vs East Ringwood: Park Orchards faces East Ringwood at Domeney Reserve. East Ringwood will need to play their best quality football for four quarters if they are any chance of overcoming Park Orchards on their home deck. Also, Park Orchards has the fifth leading goal scorer, Isabelle Pollock who has averaged 1.5 per game is a threat up forward if she gets going and has her kicking boots on. Tip: Park Orchards
The Basin vs Boronia Brown: Boronia Brown will need to have a masterplan up their sleeve to stop Julia Baker’s influence on the match when they come up against The Basin at the Batterham Reserve. Baker is the goal kicking leader in Division One with 28 goals to her name and she has had a stellar season going from strength to strength in each and every match she plays in.
The Basin boast a win loss record of (7-1) and currently are second on the ladder, whereas Boronia Brown hold a record of (5-4). If Boronia Brown topple The Basin, they could move to as high as third on the ladder, but if The Basin are victorious then they could go equal ladder leaders with Ferntree Gully or consolidate their position in second on the ladder. Tip: The Basin
SBL Wolves vs Whitehorse Suns: SBL Wolves have the chance to get back on the winners list with a win over Whitehorse Suns at the Belgrave South Recreation Reserve. Both teams are quite evenly matched on paper with SBL Wolves recording four wins and Whitehorse Suns recording three wins for the season respectively. Expect this game to a tight contest and do not be surprised if the match is a low scoring affair as well. Tip: SBL Wolves
Berwick vs Rowville: Berwick will hope they can win their second home game in a row when they gear up for their match against Rowville at the Edwin Flack Reserve. Rowville’s defence will be kept on their toes, if they do not halt the impact of Berwick key forward duo Courtney De Kroon (13 goals) and Sheridan Holland (12 goals).. Can Rowville topple Berwick to secure their second win of the season? Tip: Berwick
DIVISION TWO WOMEN’S:
Heathmont vs Ringwood: The unbeaten Ringwood will play away over Heathmont at HE Parker Reserve. If Heathmont, do not show up on Saturday then it will be a hard matchup for them against Ringwood and they will be scored heavily against. The reason is Ringwood has three strong forwards including Georgia Fairbairn, Olivia Ashcroft and Nicole Stagg (the current top three in the Division Two goalkickers table). Tip: Ringwood
Knox vs Surrey Park: The fourth-placed Knox take on the last-placed Surrey Park at Knox Gardens Reserve. Although, Knox are fourth on the ladder and Surrey Park last, only two wins separate the two teams, so based on this expect this match to be a belter that may go down to the wire. Do not be surprised if on Saturday night if you hear that Surrey Park have toppled Knox. Tip: Knox
Montrose vs Kilsyth: Montrose will have their work cut out for them when they play host to the second-placed Kilsyth at the Montrose Recreation Reserve. Montrose will have a good chance of overcoming Kilsyth if they stop Kilsyth forwards Elise Hoole and Lucy Milkeraitis (eight goals each for the season) and Brooke Stephenson-Fuss who has seven goals so far. It is hard to see where Montrose’s goals will come from if Katie Cameron does not score as she is Montrose’s season leading goal scorer with seven. Tip: Kilsyth
Division Three Women’s:
Blackburn Red vs Chirnside Park Gold: The game of focus this weekend is the game between the second and third placed teams, Blackburn Red and Chirnside Park Gold at Morton Park.
Both teams are evenly matched, and it is hard to know which team will take home the four points with only one win the difference between the two sides. Blackburn Red will probably just get over the line, simply based on form this season, but then Chirnside Park Gold are also a good quality team. Expect this game to be a belter between two top notch teams that will be there come finals time in Division Three.
Ahead of the game, Premier Division captain Carly Robson shared her thoughts.
“The Chirnside Park senior girls have been working through a few injuries over the past few weeks, so are looking forward to a bye round to recover and prepare to take on the undefeated Blackburn Red Saturday,” she said.
“We have been focusing on aspects of our game plan where we can improve and are looking forward to matching up against the top opposition and bringing our brand of football back to the park.
“The girls are up and about welcoming Jorja Borg and Brooke Slanely back into the team and are hungry to get the four points against Blackburn Red, as the margin was tight last time, we came head-to-head.”
Blackburn Red coach Dave Ramsdale also provided his view ahead of the finals type matchup.
“Chirnside, we played them in round two and we just beat them I think, and it was a pretty even game and then where you look at where they are and we are,” Ramsdale continued.
“It’s going to be a pretty even game, pretty tough and pretty exciting game, so who knows what the outcome will be.
“It’s just two teams in pretty good form that will go out and play a good game of football.”
Ramsdale believes the match will be won in the midfield, as his side has quite a strong midfield and from what he has seen Chirnside has quite a solid midfield as well. Both teams are fairly quick with their ball movement, so expect a fast-exciting contest.
“That’s where we will need to get our drive and I’m sure they would as well, but we need to be able to win it out of the midfield area, get the clearances and first to the ball to be ahead of them,” he said.
Ramsdale is looking forward to coaching against Chirnside, because he thinks it will be a fast and exciting game that could go either way.
“I am looking forward to a really close game throughout the four quarters,” he said.
Blackburn Red have only lost one game all season, but Ramsdale believes this weekend will be a great test for his team and says his team have done the hard yards and are in the best position to take home the victory.
Tip: Blackburn Red
Boronia Gold vs Coldstream: Coldstream will make the trek to Tormore Reserve to play Boronia Gold. It is tough to know where the goals will come by for Coldstream, as they have, they have only kicked a winning score on one occasion way back in Round Two against Boronia Gold (8.7.55 to Boronia Gold 1.0.6). Coldstream might head into the match with a bit of confidence considering they did knock off Boronia Gold in round two, so if they indeed produce the same form, they will secure their second victory of the season. Tip: Boronia Gold.
South Croydon Red vs FairPark: FairPark will try its best to upset the ladder leaders South Croydon at Cheong Park. It will take an almighty effort from FairPark to overcome South Croydon Red, as South Croydon Red have sent a message to the rest of the competition that they are the team to beat in Division Three and will take some beating. Tip: South Croydon Red
Croydon North MLOC – Bye