Round seven provided plenty of thrills and spills – here’s the best of how the weekend panned out around the Northern Football Netball League.
BIG NIGHT OUT
It’s well worthwhile heading down to Diamond Creek’s Coventry Oval on Friday night, as there is a special event co-hosted by The Northern Footy Show and Diamond Creek Junior Football Club for Motor Neurone Disease awareness.
A huge crowd is expected as the heroes from yesteryear around not just the league, but also the AFL, gather to play a charity match, while there will also be a Big Freeze-style slide.
Both teams have great names coaching them – The TNFS All-Stars will be coached by former Essendon champion Terry Daniher, brother of Neale, and the Diamond Creek legends will be coached by Brownlow Medallist Robert Dipierdomenico, better known as ‘Dipper’.
2010 Collingwood premiership player Brent Macaffer will be there, as will ex-AFL talents Cameron Cloke, Shane Harvey and Lionel Proctor. Seven senior coaches will also play in the game, which is fantastic.
LIVING THE DREAM
A fantastic result for Panton Hill on the weekend in division two, not least because of its win against the high-flying Fitzroy Stars.
Ex-Star Riley Livingstone got loose with just seconds to go to take a mark, but that was only one part of the equation – he did so 35 metres out from goal on a very tight angle.
Adding to the drama, the siren went, so he couldn’t run around either.
It didn’t matter.
Livingstone calmly went back and drilled a kick that simply did not look like missing. Pandemonium at Sir Douglas Nicholls Oval, the Redbacks on an even keel with Thomastown at the bottom of the ladder.
Suddenly, the second clash with the Bears – to be played at AE Cracknell Reserve – looms large in the relegation battle.
Either way, the Redbacks are on the board in their 100th season.
HERE COMES MONTMORENCY
Montmorency looms large as the team likeliest to challenge Heidelberg in division one.
The Magpies have clicked into gear, and took a standout result with an 80-point demolition of Hurstbridge away from home at Ben Frilay Oval.
There was a lot of emotion for the Magpies, not least after the club’s elimination final loss last season, which was plagued by quite a bit of controversy in what was a very physical clash.
After a slow start to the season, the Magpies are looking dangerous – but as they know all too often in the midst of a 47-year premiership drought – it is still only May.
AND THE DOGS ARE HUMMING, TOO
North Heidelberg may be sitting seventh, but it is most certainly thereabouts in the race for a spot in the top five, and it may just be at its opponents’ expense from the weekend.
It’s a statement win from the Bulldogs to beat Greensborough by five goals, exposing what seems to be a lack of pace from the Boro, and also some forward line troubles which continue to plague the men in green.
Ex-AFL talent Angus McLennan was the difference, going forward and kicking eight goals on the weekend to completely dominate the game.
A DEFENSIVE MASTERCLASS
Both Bundoora and Diamond Creek showed just how far away the rest of the teams seem to be from Banyule and West Preston-Lakeside, who currently occupy the bottom two rungs of the ladder.
Diamond Creek held Banyule goalless for three quarters – a remarkable effort given Banyule had finished second the year before, while the Creekers were in division two. Diamond Creek would wind up winning by 67 points.
Bundoora, likewise, held West Preston to a goal throughout the first three quarters of its match, before easing to a 68-point win.
TURTLES ON THE SCENE
Nick Milne was the hero for Old Eltham Collegians as he put through a goal with just a minute left to keep the Turtles very much in the finals race, sinking Reservoir at Crispe Park.
The five-point win for the Turtles confirms that they are one of division three’s big improvers. Having watched a half, there are reasons for that. Defensively, they are well set up, they structure up very well, and it’s a credit to coach Stuart McCallum that they are now building an identity.
With a lot of young players making the trip to Eltham College this season, it’s been very positive to see them take three wins, and an interesting contest looms against Mernda this week at home.
For Reservoir, the pressure is on now, with just two wins to show for it against Lalor and Kinglake. It will be desperate for a result against Heidelberg West this weekend.
A CLASSIC AT LOWER PLENTY
Thirty-three goals and plenty of entertainment at the Bears’ home ground on Saturday, as Lower Plenty and Macleod played out a thriller.
The Bears looked good value, up 22 points at half time, but Macleod kept asking the question throughout the second half, before ultimately falling eight points short.
Lower, in short, are a different proposition with Jack Madgen in, and having already qualified for finals, the Bears are a shout if they make it to the final five.
It was also the first game this season which saw both teams score 100+ points.
POSITIVES FOR TWO WINLESS CLUBS
Despite both losing comfortably, there were some positives for both Lalor and Kinglake this week as a big clash looms, with Lalor hosting the Lakers.
Lalor may have lost to the might of Ivanhoe, but up forward, the Bloods put through the biggest score Ivanhoe have conceded so far this season, putting up 52 in a valiant effort.
Kinglake, under new coach Justin Sherman (more on that below), was more than competitive for a half against Epping, before the strength of the Pingers’ forward line showed.
Kinglake led by a goal at half time, before Epping kicked seven goals in the third term, and eight in the last, led by Michael Jacobson with six goals and Daniel Rakhlin with four.
Mason McAllister kicked seven goals in a losing effort.
COACHING CHANGES
As alluded to, Sherman took over from Dave Florence during the week, with Florence stepping down from the Lakers due to family commitments.
The second coaching change saw Kilmore’s Corey McCall step away due to family and personal health reasons, with Mick Marrett taking over the reins.
Wishing both Florence and McCall all the best.