By Tash Gunawardana
Premier Division:
South Croydon Blue vs Blackburn Black: This is the match of the round in Premier Division with the undefeated Blackburn Black against the third placed South Croydon Blue at Cheong Park. Blackburn Black have been the premier team of the competition all season, but the only team to give them a big scare was South Croydon Blue way back in round two when they won narrowly by 10-points. South Croydon Blue have the home ground advantage, so do not be surprised if they hand Blackburn Black their first loss of the season on Saturday morning. Expect this game to be a belter between two high quality teams. Tip: Blackburn Black
Chirnside Park Black vs Vermont: Both teams are coming off losses in round 10, so both will look to get back on the winners list at Kimberley Reserve. Chirnside Park Black were brought back down to earth, after they went down to the last placed Donvale Black, and they would not want to lose three on the trot and go down to another team that is lower than them on the ladder in second last. Vermont hopes for a big game from Premier Division leading goalkicker Evie Allman who has currently 21 goals. Chirnside Park Black have averaged 3.5 goals over the last two weeks, so they hope they can get the ball into their dangerous forwards including Ashleigh Allsopp, Jessica Provan and Leah Oswald. Tip: Chirnside Park Black
Donvale Black – Bye
Division One:
The Basin vs North Ringwood: North Ringwood need everything to go right, if they are any chance of defeating The Basin at the Batterham Reserve. The Basin sit second on the ladder with a 6-1 record and North Ringwood are eighth with a 2-5 record. The Basin has Julia Baker, the Division One leading goal scorer, Baker has 24 goals and if North Ringwood hope to pull through with the victory their defence needs to stop her kicking goals. On form this year, you would say The Basin would win comfortably but stranger things have happened in football.. Tip: The Basin
Park Orchards vs Rowville: Seventh placed Park Orchards hosts the bottom placed Rowville at Domeney Reserve this weekend, looking to strengthen their finals push. Isabelle Pollock is leading the goal scoring at Park Orchards with 12 and if Rowville’s defensive unit stop her impact, then they will come close to winning. Rowville will also be hoping that Danielle Brotto has her kicking boots and adds to current goal season tally of nine. Tip: Park Orchards
Berwick vs Boronia Brown: Berwick are coming off a heartfelt one-point loss and Boronia Brown secured their fifth victory in fine fashion. All signs point towards a Boronia Brown win, but if Berwick rehash their early season form that had them in third spot, then this match could go down to the wire. Tip: Boronia Brown
Ferntree Gully vs SBL Wolves: It’s a top four clash at Wally Tew Reserve with ladder leaders Ferntree Gully hosting the fourth placed SBL Wolves. Ferntree Gully have showed all season that they will be there come finals time with their only loss coming to The Basin in round five. For SBL Wolves to become the second team to topple Ferntree Gully, they need to stop Ferntree Gully’s powerful forward duo of Abbey Broughan (20 goals so far this season) and Lisa Walshe (12 goals currently), but the Wolves are in giant killing form, having knocked off the previously undefeated The Basin side last weekend. Tip: Ferntree Gully
East Ringwood vs Whitehorse Suns: In the last match of round 11, Whitehorse Suns travel to East Ringwood Reserve to tackle East Ringwood. Both teams are evenly matched with two wins each, so with both vying for their third victory – expect the contest to be tight. Tip: East Ringwood
Division Two:
Ringwood vs Kilsyth: Ringwood takes on Kilsyth in the Division Two match of the round at Jubilee Park. Ringwood remain unbeaten and they play Kilsyth for the second time this season, last time Kilsyth went down by 40-points in round three. On that day, Kilsyth were kept to three goals and to overcome Ringwood this week they will need to find more scoring avenues. Both teams cannot wait to play each other as two weeks ago their match was postponed due to lockdown 4.0.
Ringwood’s Football Coordinator Zoe Price believes the game will be won in their defensive 50. “It’s usually our backline that assures that we don’t get many scores against us, so I am hoping that they will pull through again this week and dominate any attempts at goal that they have,” Price said.
Ringwood will be missing one of their best players in Zoe Cant who injured her ankle in round 10, but she will be back the following week.
The key to Ringwood’s unbeaten season so far is they are a “really close-knit team and we have meshed really well; we are just one big group,” according to Price.
“The club culture has been fantastic; we have been welcomed in and even though we have had players who have never played before just having that great inclusiveness has made everyone feel very confident. I think that makes people play better,” Price continued.
“We come into every game thinking that we might lose, so it hasn’t made us feel like we are super confident or that we are unbeatable, we definitely go in nervous and excited every single game and I think that’s our strength.”
Kilsyth coach Clint Martin, “They (Ringwood) are the benchmark of Division Two, they play a fast-paced game, and they have some good runners in their side so that’s what we have to watch for this week. We can’t take them lightly, because obviously being unbeaten means they are playing good footy.”
To overcome Ringwood, Martin said “we just need to persist, because I think every team is beatable and in the last couple of weeks, I have seen my girls make some more improvements which is good, and we are hoping with the teams’ improvements that might get us over the line.”
Eloise Hall stepped up last week with four goals and has eight goals for the season. “She is working really well in full forward with her leading and stuff and Gemma Manelopoulos our full back, one of our youngest players but she has come so far this year with her defensive work, and she probably has been in my best for the last five or six weeks,” Martin further explained. “She is only I think 17 and she hated playing full back when she started, but now loves it.”
Martin agrees with Price, as he thinks it will be a battle of the defences, “Ringwood have a good defensive structure and they haven’t given away too many goals to the opposition, and we are probably in the same boat, and we have a good defensive structure as well so that’s going to be interesting to see how that goes. Where our concerns are is that our midfielders need to identify their setups from their midfielders and work that and just being able to apply pressure around the stoppages,” Martin continued. “If we can keep their good goal scorers down then that is going to limit their opportunities to win the game, I am sure that with our strong defensive structure that we will improve from our last game against Ringwood.”
Surrey Park vs Knox: Surrey Park will play on their home deck against Knox at Surrey Park Reserve. Knox sit in fourth spot and Surrey Park in last, but one win away from Knox. It is hard to see where Surrey Park’s goals will come from, as the highest score they have recorded this season was 6.7.43 and that was in round three. If Surrey Park win and they, might they will go equal fourth with Knox and Montrose (pending the result from Montrose’s match) Tip: Knox
Heathmont vs Montrose: It is the third and fifth placed Division Two matchup between Heathmont and Montrose at HE Parker Reserve. Montrose requires a big game from Katie Cameron (six goals) who sits seventh on the goal kicking table in the division. Fourth spot is on the line for Montrose, so expect them to give it their all. Tip: Heathmont
Division Three:
Boronia Gold vs Blackburn Red: Boronia Gold clashes with the second placed Blackburn Red at Morton Park. Boronia Gold are yet to register a win in 2021 and it is hard to see them overcoming Blackburn Red, but if they play four quarters who knows they might breakthrough with the victory. Tip: Fair Park
Croydon North MLOC vs Fair Park: It is the fourth and fifth placed matchup between Croydon North and FairPark at Hughes Park. Although, FairPark is fifth they are three wins away from Croydon North, so yes only one ladder position separates them but based on season form Croydon North are the stronger team. Tip: Croydon North
Chirnside Park Gold vs South Croydon Red: Chirnside Park Gold and South Croydon Red clash for the second time in a row at Cheong Park. Last week, it was a tough contest with South Croydon Red winning narrowly by 10-points, so expect the same high quality and intensity again this week. Chirnside Park Gold will look to redeem themselves and ensure they come away with the four points. Tip: South Croydon Red
Coldstream – Bye