Let’s take a look at the round 16 matchup’s in the Peter Jackson VFL
COLLINGWOOD VS GEELONG
This weekend sees the battle of the two stand alone AFL clubs in Collingwood and Geelong go head to head. The two teams met in their opening game of the season in round two, with the Cats prevailing by 12 points, but much has changed since then. Geelong sit in fourth spot with 8 wins, and Collingwood in 11th with 3 wins, and about the only thing they have in common for the season is the fact that they have both defeated ladder leaders Port Melbourne. Geelong has now won four on the trot, and Josh Walker’s fine form up forward has earned him an AFL call up. He will be ably replaced this week by Mitch Brown, so the Cats fire power up forward will prove difficult to stop. The battle between Orren Stephenson and Jarrod Witts and John Ceglar will be a key to this game and with the Magpies main goal kicker last week Chris Tarrant gaining his AFL recall, the home side will need to find new options to goal.
BENDIGO VS CASEY SCORPIONS
The top five clashes continue for Casey this weekend, as they face the form team of the competition in Bendigo. The Scorpions are currently 2 wins (Sandringham & Port Melbourne) and a loss (Werribee) against the top teams in the last month, and their match against the Gold completes a season defining period before they head into the bye in round 17. Bendigo are the form team of the competition having won their past six on the trot, but only one of those scalps – Werribee – has been against a team above them on the ladder. Five of the Gold’s last six games for the season are against top eight teams, with the next three week’s looking to define their end of year spot playing 2nd, 5th and 4th. Matt Little has been in vintage form in recent weeks, kicking 18 goals in the last four games, rocketing him up to second on the competition goal kickers with 36, 15 behind ladder leader Dean Galea on 51. Casey’s Troy Davis will be hoping for a better week after allowing Galea to 7.1 last weekend. Casey will be looking for different avenues to goal this weekend with Brad Green recalled to Melbourne after kicking 6.0 last week, so the likes of Leigh Williams, Lucas Cook and Tim Smith will need to share the load. Both sides will be missing rookie players this weekend with former Frankston player Mark Baguley, and Collingwood VFL player Tom Couch both rewarded for consistent VFL form with their respective clubs, and set to debut this weekend for the Bombers and the Demons in the AFL. Scott Gumbleton will also complete his return from injury also with an AFL callup.
FRANKSTON VS BOX HILL HAWKS
Both teams enter this weekends clash keen to rejoin the winners list after strong defeats last weekend. Frankston will be keen to add just their second win for the season, their last coming in round 5; with the Dolphins currently on a 7 game losing streak. Box Hill showed what they are capable of in the third term last weekend, but let Geelong get away from them during the second term, and were forced to use all their energy to come back from a 46 point half time deficit. The likes of Stephen Gilham will be better for a weeks run after returning from injury, but the Hawks are crying out for forward targets. They will see plenty return this weekend with co-captain Beau Muston playing only his second game of the season, and Adam Pattison, Danny Hughes and Max Bailey all return. Last time these sides met Frankston match the hawks in the first half, but inaccuracy let them down in the second half. The likes of Sketcher, Van Unen and Kitchin will look forward to taking on their old side, and will be hoping for a better result this time around.
SANDRINGHAM VS NORTH BALLARAT
The bye came at the right time for Sandringham, and they have had an extra week to think about their three defeats in a row to the current top three teams on the Peter Jackson VFL ladder. The Zebras were by no means blown away in each contest, but small lapses let their opposition kick away to victory at different stages in each game. This week they face a team determined to return to the top 8, with North Ballarat having their four game winning streak brought to a halt last weekend against Bendigo. The Roosters find themselves 16% outside of the top eight, and with Williamstown having the bye, will see this as a perfect opportunity to against leapfrog the Seagulls. Sandringham will be without former Bendigo player Sam Dunnell, who is one of four VFL 2011 draftees to make his AFL debut this weekend - Dunnell to line up for St Kilda.
WERRIBEE TIGERS VS COBURG TIGERS
The battle of the Tigers rounds out weekends matches in the VFL. Coburg are now two games percentage outside of the top eight, and need to start claiming a number of top 8 scalps on the run home to have any chance of securing a finals berth in 2012. So far this year they have only two scalps (Sandringham and Box Hill Hawks) and they play three more top eight sides on the run home which will define their finals chances by seasons end. Werribee will be confident of having defeated Coburg last time around by 51 points, with a spread of 11 goal kickers for their 20 goals return on the day. It is a key to the home sides season recently, with Ben McKinley in good form, and the additions of Ben Warren, Lachie Hansen and also Nathan Ablett to their forward structure. Werribee have three players who have kicked over 20 goals each for the season (Warren 31, McKinley 20, Castello 20). Coburg’s leading goal kicker was Dan Connor’s with 12, with Luke McGuane, Nick Carnell (11) and Angus Graham, Jayden Post (10) their leading goal kickers.
Please note the 23rd Players for this weekend:
Bendigo Gold – Zac May (Bendigo Pioneers, Jumper No. 15)
Box Hill Hawks – Dalton Graham
Casey Scorpions – Luke Hill
Coburg Tigers – Jordan Iudica
Frankston – Nick Newman (Dandenong Stingrays, Jumper No. 59)
North Ballarat Roosters – Tanner Smith (North Ballarat Rebels, Jumper, No. 3)
Sandringham Zebras – Jack Beech
Werribee Tigers – Matthew Higgins (Geelong Falcons, Jumper No. 40)
Last Modified on 13/07/2012 13:15