By Jonty Ralphsmith
People say winning at this time of year is crucial.
It gives a side the crucial four points and helps establish momentum going into finals.
Cranbourne and Dingley both recorded comfortable victories on Saturday, important for each club for varying reasons.
Cranbourne needed the win to reassert itself as a side that can do damage in September, having lost three of its last four and being well below the standard set in the first part of the season.
Although the win was against Mordialloc, seventh on the ladder, it keeps the Eagles in the top-two and reinstalls confidence into the club.
“We started to get some of our brand back so it was pleasing to get the points,” said Cranbourne coach Steve O’Brien.
“There were patches we could improve, but I thought we started the game really well and there were some positive signs there.
“Our work around the footy and ball movement was starting to come back.”
Keeping the Bloodhounds scoreless in the first quarter meant Cranbourne was always on top, with the visitors able to put 12 goals on the board – without any from star-forward Marc Holt.
It has been a quiet three weeks for Holt, who has kicked only two goals in that period, but Kirk Dickson and Jake Carosella stood up inside 50 with three goals each.
“That was one of our focus points – to get a greater spread of goalkickers,” O’Brien said.
“We were doing that earlier in the year and we tried to change it up a little bit, so to get that on the weekend was pleasing.”
For Dingley, a percentage boosting 151-point win over Bentleigh not only affirms belief, by giving it a third consecutive win, but also gives it the opportunity to go into the elimination final with the mental edge of finishing in fourth spot.
There were 11 goalkickers as the Dingoes piled on 26 majors, including nine in the last quarter, running all over Bentleigh.
Lucas Walmsley (five goals) and Rory Goldsmith (four) were the major goalkickers.
Coach Danny Ades said belief is starting to grow in the group.
Springvale Districts won its match against the winless East Malvern by 71 points.
The Demons were unable to completely shake the Panthers until an eight-goal last quarter.
Cheltenham flexed its muscles against Port Melbourne, a 10-goal final quarter stretching the margin out to 105 points.
Meanwhile, St Pauls McKinnon won by 25 points over St Kilda City in a battle that will go a long way to determining third spot.
The victory puts St Pauls McKinnon a game and percentage clear of St Kilda City, and the Doggies are equal on points with second-placed Cranbourne, meaning they remain a chance to sneak further up the ladder.
Leading by eight points at three-quarter-time, a seven goal to four final quarter got the job done.
RESULTS
Mordialloc 5.7 37 v Cranbourne 12.17 89, Bentleigh 3.4 22 v Dingley 26.17 173, East Malvern 4.10 34 v Springvale Districts 16.9 105, Cheltenham 24.13 157 v Port Melbourne 8.4 52, St Pauls McKinnon 16.8 104 v St Kilda City 12.7 79.
LADDER
Cheltenham 56, Cranbourne 48, St Pauls McKinnon 48, St Kilda City 44, Dingley 40, Springvale Districts 32, Port Melbourne Colts 24, Mordialloc 20, Bentleigh 8, East Malvern.
FIXTURE
Cranbourne v Port Melbourne, St Kilda City v East Malvern, Dingley v St Pauls McKinnon, Springvale v Cheltenham, Mordialloc v Bentleigh.
