By: Matt Fotia
Finals-like atmosphere is thrown around a lot these days, but with the sun shining across the eastern suburbs of Melbourne and so many tight clashes around the EFL, it really was finals-like. Relegation races are tightening up as the end of the season creeps ever closer. Here’s five things from the weekend’s action…
Redbacks remain undefeated, Magpies so close
It was a tough afternoon for all types of Magpie fans across Victoria on Saturday. Both Collingwood and Scoresby came up against the best side in the competition after being touted as the team that could knock them off.
And, in an eerily similar way to Collingwood, Scoresby showed moments throughout the game where it looked the better side, let alone on a par, but went on to fade out and leave the Redbacks standing firmly atop the mountain.
Upon review, the Pies will rue their decision to try and hold onto their 15-point three quarter time lead.Their decision to go into their shell against the breeze was costly, as their game style seemed to change drastically after each of the breaks.
Away went their corridor-centric attacks, quick ball movement and high press which had stopped the Ringwood slingshot and in came short kicks, playing the defensive side and congestion around the footy. The Pies kicked a total of 1.3 in the second and fourth terms, allowing the Redbacks to kick 9.5. If you add in the fact it kicked 3.6 in a dominant third term, Scoresby will look back on this as a massive missed opportunity to announce itself.
For the Redbacks, they will be pleased that they debunked the ‘No (Trent) Farmer, no Ringwood’ myth. Daniel Jordanov stepped into his shoes after 12 weeks out of the side and kicked four goals and proved a marking target up forward, whilst Dight and Jacobs were able deputies.
It is a testament to the mental strength of this Ringwood side that it came through this challenge victorious, but there were cracks in the armour. If sides can be brave and bold with a little bit of skill on top, they could just spoil the Redbacks’ party.
Hawks’ big chance
Rowville fans would’ve been pretty nervous heading into last week’s clash with Montrose.
After consolidating itself in the five, it could be quite Rowville to slip up against a side like Montrose and let the ruthless Tigers (Balwyn) back into the finals race. Not this Rowville however; it never let a buoyant Demons side have a look at it, as the Hawks went on to win each and every quarter in their 103-point win. That percentage boosting win shoots them up to fourth place and just 0.28 per cent behind Doncaster in third.
Attention will now switch towards this weekend’s game against Vermont. Every other side in the top five has knocked off the Eagles this season and have thus opened the premiership race right up. The only side not being talked about as a genuine premiership threat within that top five is the Hawks, but maybe they should.
After last weekend, a lot of people jumped on the Doncaster bandwagon, suggesting it is the new premiership favourite. The Hawks have knocked the Sharks off, home and away, this season and they’ve beaten Blackburn away from home. On their day the Hawks can beat anyone.
Turn up and get the points this Saturday and they will make sure that everyone takes notice of them. Add onto this a favourable run home (post-Vermont) with Knox, Noble Park and East Ringwood to finish the year, and the Hawks could finish on 14 wins, probably with a double chance and a massive look at an unlikely flag.
Mulgrave miracle?
A month ago it seemed locked in that Mulgrave would be relegated at the bottom of the table, possibly even winless. Then, it knocked off Mooroolbark, a surprise but not a major one. Pats on the back from around the League, to a club that haven’t let their heads drop and got that important win.
On the weekend, the Lions ruffled a few more feathers, when they knocked off premiership contender Upper Ferntree Gully despite being 28 points down at quarter time. Not only are they now no certainties to finish bottom, but they could even produce one of the greatest miracles in EFL history and avoid the dreaded drop.
The Lions’ run home involves matches against Croydon (away), Mitcham (home), Park Orchards (away), Lilydale (home), making this next fortnight absolutely massive.
Coming up against a Croydon side whose fleeting finals hopes were extinguished last week and the second-bottom Tigers means the Lions could (especially after this weekend) conceivably head into their final two home and away games out of the relegation zone with four wins under their belt.
Regardless of the end result, the way the Mulgrave Football Club has operated this season with its struggles both on and off the field, combined with its current form, we can only congratulate it on being a club with a great set of people and a great culture.
Dockers open it up again in Division 3
When Daniel Pearce kicked the match winner in Templestowe’s massive upset win over the Heathmont Jets on the weekend, celebrations would’ve been just as big at the Bear Cave as they were down at Fitzsimons Lane. Templestowe has not only consolidated its reputation and incredible season to date (also keeping its finals hopes alive) but also given the Bears a look at fourth place, something they’ve never quite been able to reach this season.
The Bears are now just six per cent behind the Jets in the top five and are in pretty good form, coming off handy wins against Donvale, Templestowe and some tight losses to Boronia and Ringwood.
Their run home sees them take on South Belgrave (home), Heathmont (away) and Ferntree Gully (home), whilst the Jets take on Chirnside Park (away), The Basin (home) and Waverley Blues (away), meaning that the Round 17 clash should decide fourth place, and on current form it looks like the Bears should come away with the chocolates.
The loser will then be right under pressure from the Dockers themselves of course, who shouldn’t lose another game this season as they take on Donvale (away), Warrandyte (home) and Chirnside Park (away), meaning they should finish on 11 wins, as should the loser of that Bears, Jets clash.
The Dockers’ percentage will hurt them however, as they’re a full 46 per cent behind the Bears, meaning the five shouldn’t change, but perhaps there is still a few more twists in the tale.
Nuna close, Pioneers stamp authority
It was almost the moment that would confirm their transition into a new era, but Nunawading will still have to wait for that elusive win, as it fell just 12 points short of Coldstream on the weekend.
The Lions maintained pace with the Cougars all day and will take solace from the fact that they’re going in the right direction, and this performance is just the massive reminder that everyone else in the League needed.
Across at Forest Hill Reserve, the Whitehorse Pioneers put some more room between the top three and Forest Hill as they ran away with a 32-point victory, avenging their earlier season defeat to the Zebras. Add onto this that they were without the Mariani brothers and this performance gets even better.
Goal-kicker Andrew Padbury was named in the best despite being goalless and the Pioneers would be particularly pleased with their second and third terms, where they kept Forest Hill to just four scoring shots, having 17 themselves in the same time period. If they had just kicked a little straighter it would’ve been a complete performance.
A full 12 points and 29 per cent behind Whitehorse, Forest Hill is in a pretty unfamiliar position. This time around, the Zebras will be looking to gain some momentum from their next few games against Silvan, Fairpark and Kilsyth before heading into finals and trying to cause a few upsets, rather than steering clear of them.
All views expressed in this article remain those of the author and not of the Eastern Football League or its affiliated clubs.