THIRD placed Sandringham will take on 2012 cellar dwellers the Northern Blues at Visy Park on Sunday afternoon, as Samantha Landy reports.
The Zebras will be looking to notch their third consecutive win after enjoying a 38-point victory over Bendigo last weekend.
Their opponent will hope to win its second for the season, especially after having had two weeks to dwell on a humiliating 126-point loss to the undefeated Port Melbourne before last week’s bye.
The boys from Visy Park never looked likely against the mighty Borough, conceding a 72-point margin at half time and a 20 goal deficit at game’s end.
And just a week earlier Northern emphatically routed Bendigo Gold by a similar margin, running out 100-point victors in its first win for 2012.
David Ellard was brave for the Blues with 23 possessions. He was well supported by Kane Lambert, Paul Bower and Timmy Totevski, who booted two goals.
The Carlton-affiliate is languishing at 10th place on the ladder, percentage alone keeping it above Collingwood, North Ballarat and Frankston. A win might see it move up a spot, with ninth-placed Bendigo with the bye this weekend.
Sandy conversely catapulted into third position when a last quarter surge helped it down Gold by six goals last Sunday.
Jackson Coleman dominated up forward for the Zebras, kicking five straight majors, while Jamie Cripps and Daniel Archer booted three apiece. Farren Ray (33 possessions), Thomas Ledger (29) and Warrick Andreoli (20) racked up the possessions while Jackson Ferguson starred down back.
Sandringham could keep climbing to second place with a victory, but only if Casey lets them by falling to Box Hill on Saturday.
Northern may take confidence from its 79-point pounding of the Zebras last season, in which it kept Sandy to just 19 points for the game.
The Blues will also be bolstered by the Visy Park home crowd and fresh from having last weekend off.
But recent form says Sandringham will take the points in this contest, and arguably quite comfortably so.
Last Modified on 11/05/2012 13:46