By RHYS WOOSNAM - Division 3 Seniors
ROUND 15 of the Division 3 Seniors saw a number of interesting results that have opened up the finals race as we head into the last few rounds of the season. The top four looked relatively settled heading into the weekend’s action, however there is still the potential for some place-swapping.
This is thanks to a slight upset by Sunshine Heights over the fancied Tarneit. The 17-point victory sees Sunshine close the gap to just one win behind Tarneit in third place.
On the other hand, Tarneit’s chances of a top two finish are all but quashed.
It was a tight contest all day, with the final margin being the biggest of the game. Sunshine snatched the points thanks to a best on ground performance from Nicholas Mallia who kicked five goals.
Both teams will face difficult tasks in Round 16, with Sunshine battling ladder leaders Parkside, and Tarneit taking on Sanctuary Lakes.
The Sharks nearly pulled off a miraculous comeback against North Sunshine, ultimately falling 10-points short. The Roadrunners were in complete control at quarter time, kicking four goals to a solitary point.
Sanctuary Lakes staged a mini fightback to trail by nine at the half, before North Sunshine kicked ahead once again to a comfortable lead at three quarter time.
The final stanza saw the Sharks fight valiantly, controlling the flow of play and keeping their opponents goalless, and kicking three of their own. Unfortunately for them, it was too little too late, and the defeat still has them at risk of ‘winning’ the wooden spoon.
Next week, North Sunshine will play one of the Sharks’ competition for last place as they face Braybrook.
The Bombers will be looking for a much improved effort after being smashed by the Wyndham Suns.
Braybrook were never in the contest and were completely outclassed by the Suns, with the final margin a massive 123-points.
Fourteen of Wyndham’s 27 majors came from spearheads Rhys Kirk (nine) and Steven Neralic (five), who both sit in the top 10 goal kickers for the league this year.
Amazingly, that game didn’t produce the biggest margin for the round. That accomplishment went to the flag favourites Parkside.
The form team of the competition put the sword to last-placed Laverton.
The Magpies started promisingly, kicking two goals in the first quarter and keeping within four goals of the opposition. They would kick just one more goal for the entire match.
At the other end, Parkside slotted 33 goals to win by a season high 198-points. The highlight of the match was the continued form of key target Jason Cloke. He booted 11 majors to reach 97 for the season.
A big crowd should be expected for Parkside’s match next week as the former Collingwood champion will be looking to crack the ton.
SHARKS AND ROADRUNNERS PLAYOUT A NAILBITTER
By BEN CARDWELL
AS it did for football all throughout Melbourne, the wind played a large factor in the Division 3 Reserves, and Round 15 saw some interesting score lines.
In one of the strangest games you’ll see, the nail biter between Sanctuary Lakes and North Sunshine had all the goals, for both teams, kicked up one end of the ground.
Not a single point was scored against the strong northerly wind, which saw routine kick-ins sailing out of bounds and successful marking contests hard to come by.
The poor conditions made field and goal kicking difficult, and it was ultimately North Sunshine who won, capitalising more on their two quarters kicking in the right direction. Joshua Moody was immense for North Sunshine and kicked three goals.
In Braybrook, the Wyndham Suns edged their way over the Bombers to record a scrappy 19-point win. Braybrook took the lead early, but the Suns’ six unanswered goals in the second quarter gave them control. Michael Downing continued his electric form for the victors, and Tyson Szkudlarski added another three goals to his tally.
In the game of the Magpies, Parkside secured a win over Laverton on the road, coming back from a one-point deficit at halftime to win by 16-points. Matthew Shepperbottom and Robert Ferguson both kicked two for the victors, keeping Parkside on top of the ladder.
In the biggest win of the round, Tarneit claimed a 22-point win over Sunshine Heights at Ainsworth Reserve.
Troy Whiting had a day out, kicking four goals – twice as many as the Sunshine Heights team.
Sunshine Heights need just one more win to mathematically assure themselves a spot in the finals and lock in the top 4, but considering Sanctuary Lakes would have to beat Tarneit, Braybrook and the Sharks themselves and significantly boost their percentage, they could not be blamed for feeling confident.
Parkside, Tarneit and Wyndham are all locked in for the finals, but all eyes will be on Round 17, where a Suns win against Parkside could potentially leave the top 3 on the same amount of points going into the final round.
Last Modified on 31/07/2017 15:20