By Jonty Ralphsmith and Marcus Uhe
SOUTHERN
How blessed the Southern League is this season.
In a three-week stretch, Cranbourne, Dingley and Cheltenham will all play each other to effectively determine the seedings in the top rungs of the ladder.
Last week, Cheltenham defeated Dingley by 77 points.
It was a statement of authority against a system and list that has continued to exceed expectations in 2023.
When coach Zach Horsley was brought to Dingley, the club didn’t have expectations for the rise to be as rapid as it has been.
A new system was implemented that was more likely to hold up to the pressure of finals, partially off the back off a big loss in last year’s September action against St Kilda City.
The Dingoes would also be without a club-room for 2023, with their famous cage being redeveloped this year – how much that affected attendances and home ground advantage was unknown in preseason.
They sold the narrative that 2023 may be a year too soon to contend, but it will put the mechanisms in place to allow the talent to thrive for a period of sustained success.
Cam Dickie, Nathan Freeman, Lucas Walmsley, Lochie Benton, Lachie Lamble, Alex Windhager, Kristen Feehan is a ridiculously strong core.
The loss to Cheltenham was partially a result of the absences of Freeman and Dickie, both whom are expected to play against the Eagles.
It will be Lamble’s final game before he goes on an overseas trip – however he will return in time for finals.
Windhager will be absent for the same reason, likewise Cody Cochrane.
The absences highlight the currency of banking early wins.
This Saturday they’ll get another chance to test their depth and system against the best.
Transitioning the footy and protecting scores against, on turnover, will be key to maintain their identity.
In the absence of talent, hard work can win out – that can be sourced from playing a role within a bigger system.
Despite losing narrowly to Dingley the first time around, Cranbourne would back itself in this one.
Deeper into the season, a playing group that has evolved somewhat to that which won the premiership last year has more games together.
Kirk Dickson has eased the burden off Marc Holt by becoming a weekly scoring threat.
If Dingley looks to offset the loss of Windhager by double-manning Holt, Dickson could get off the chain.
The midfield battle shapes as an intriguing one: Zak Roscoe, Jarryd Barker and Dylan Cavalot v Walmsley, Dickie and Freeman.
In that lot, it’s not far fetched to say you may have the top three in the Division One league medal at the end of the season.
Cranbourne has a greater array of talent to kick to and a defence sturdy enough to prevent ebbs and flows within the game from becoming momentum swings.
The Eagles to win by four goals.
Meanwhile, in Division Two, onlookers will get the opportunity to see just how far Doveton Doves has progressed when it faces the undefeated East Brighton.
After winning one of its first four, Doveton is on a six-game winning streak and back to a formula which works.
East Brighton, meanwhile, has had some close shaves in the last month.
It took the Vampires until the last 10 minutes to see off Keysborough, East Malvern kicked seven goals to five after quarter time last week and Murrumbeena also got within five goals.
TIPS
DIVISION 1: Dingley v CRANBOURNE, Bentleigh v CHELTENHAM, St Kilda City v SPRINGVALE DISTRICTS, Mordialloc v ST PAUL’S MCKINNON, Chelsea Heights v PORT MELBOURNE COLTS
DIVISION 2: DOVETON DOVES v East Brighton, Black Rock v HIGHETT, HAMPTON PARK v East Malvern, CAULFIELD v Murrumbeena.
OUTER EAST
PREMIER DIVISION
There’s no better test of where a team is at, than by testing itself against the best.
While Narre Warren sit second on the table to the all-conquering Wandin, the Magpies are still the holders of the Outer East Premier Division championship belt, and command respect as a powerhouse of the region for such a long time.
In previous years, a clash with Pakenham would be billed as a heavyweight battle for region supremacy.
While the stakes aren’t quite as high this week, Ash Green’s side will be relishing the chance to test themselves against a dominant foe, while aiming for a fourth win on the trot.
In round one at Toomuc Reserve, Pakenham kept the Magpies to their lowest score of the season to date, as the only side to hold them to under 100 points.
With just seven points the difference at the half, the bigger and stronger Magpies broke free from Pakenham shackles to finish 53-point victors.
But this is a different Pakenham side to the one fielded in round one, having grown together through a difficult opening to the year to forge an identity as a resilient bunch.
Should Pakenham get the job done, it will be its first victory over the Magpies since early 2015!
Expect a huge crowd at Kalora Park as the Magpies celebrate the heroes of the 1973 premiership side.
A lopsided clash between Wandin and Mt Evelyn offers intrigue on a cruel front – can the Bulldogs outdo themselves from this week’s 163-point hammering of Gembrook Cockatoo?
With the Rovers sitting second last, saved only by percentage from trailing Olinda Ferny Creek, the Doggies’ percentage of 229 could swell even further.
Round one was 95 points in the Bulldogs’ favour, and this week at home, look out.
In other clashes, the inconsistent Upwey Tecoma will hope to further clamp the breaks on Olinda Ferny Creek’s resurgence, while Woori Yallock will be out for revenge against Monbulk, who got the better of them in a round one upset.
DIVISION 1
Emerald will take on one of its toughest tests of the season to date, when it hosts the Titans of Berwick Springs in a possible grand final preview.
The two played-out a thriller in round three, that the Bombers prevailed by four points in, at Mick Morland, comfortably their tightest win in a year where they’ve averaged a 59-point winning margin.
The Titans for their part are on a winning streak of their own, having won their last four since losing two on the bounce earlier in the campaign.
A win will see them close the match ratio gap on the table, while a loss will see the Bombers fly up even further.
At Starling Road, Officer will be looking to get its campaign back on track against Seville, having lost its last two outings.
It’s been a season of stops-and-starts for the Kangaroos, who lost their first two, won the next three before losing their last two again to find themselves entrenched in the mid-table logjam.
Elsewhere, Healesville will look to further congest the top four with a win against Belgrave.
TIPS
PREMIER: NARRE WARREN v Pakenham, WANDIN v Mt Evelyn, WOORI YALLOCK v Monbulk, Upwey Tecoma v OLINDA FERNY CREEK.
DIVISION 1: EMERALD v Berwick Springs, HEALESVILLE v Belgrave, OFFICER v Seville.
