By RHYS WOOSNAM - Division 3 Seniors
AS we reach the point end of the 2017 season, the ladder is beginning to take its final form. For a few teams, this weekend was a chance for them to sharpen their skills and structures heading into finals.
For one team in particular however, it was a last ditch effort to break into the top four before the regular season bids us adieu. North Sunshine took that chance by the throat and delivered a crushing blow to their opponents Braybrook. The final margin was two points shy of the century and the result keeps the Roadrunners within six points of fourth placed Sunshine Heights.
The win keeps North Sunshine’s season alive by a whisker, but it also will fill the squad with a supreme amount of confidence. There are two games left in 2017, and they will face Laverton in Round 18, before finishing against premiership favourites Parkside.
Their cross-town rivals Sunshine Heights will be looking to keep their ascendancy over the Roadrunners, after being thumped by Parkside on Saturday afternoon. The 100 point loss was a misstep in what has been an up and down year for the team.
Parkside displayed their dominance, leading all match after kicking six goals to one in the first quarter, and continuing to stretch the margin throughout the game. Goal-kicking machine Jason Cloke notched the magical ton, booting seven majors to move onto 104 goals for the season.
His attacking nous will be a critical element of Parkside’s premiership tilt in the coming weeks. Parkside’s near perfect season has been an amazing journey and it will take a significant drop in form for them not to reach the Grand Final.
The match of the round saw Tarneit and Sanctuary Lakes play a thriller, with Tarneit coming from behind to win by two goals. It was a topsy-turvy encounter, with the lead changing at every break. In the final quarter, the second-placed Tarneit came home strong, kicking three goals and keeping the Sharks scoreless.
Elsewhere, the Wyndham Suns smashed Laverton 90-points, keeping the Magpies in last place. The Suns were spearheaded by Rhys Kirk and his five goals, while Steve Neralic and Daniel Hovey both kicked two apiece.
TOP FOUR DECIDED
By BEN CALDWELL - Division 3 Reserves
THE top four teams in the finals for the Division 3 Reserves were decided in Round 16, as Sanctuary Lakes’ loss assured that Sunshine Heights would join Parkside, Tarneit and Wyndham in the top four.
The game in question was extremely one-sided, as Tarneit ran over Sanctuary Lakes in a one-sided affair at Wootten Road.
There was less than a goal the difference at quarter time, but Tarneit’s clinical ball movement became a large factor in the second quarter, and they ran away with a large 10 goal win. The Titans moved incredibly well through the middle of the ground, preventing Sanctuary Lakes from finding useful attacking movement and allowing their own forwards to have clear marks on the lead.
In Sunshine, the Roadrunners overcame a deficit at three-quarter time to kick two unanswered goals and get the win over Braybrook. Braybrook’s Leon Garada was the only multiple goal kicker, managing two goals in a very low-scoring game.
In contrast, it was a big day for Parkside’s Matthew Radziejewski, who finished with a bag of seven goals in the Magpie’s 58-point win over Sunshine Heights.
The outcome shows worrying signs for the Dragons, who will need to be in better form if they want to challenge Parkside and the other big clubs in the finals.
Over at Goddard Street, the Suns rolled Laverton by a huge 134-points in a day out for the Wyndham forwards.
Dillon Hinge kicked four goals for the Suns, while Steven Hogan managed the only goal for Laverton.
Next week is the second-to-last round of the home and away season, and while the teams in the finals have been decided, the top three positions on the ladders could still potentially change.
Second-placed Tarneit will play Braybrook, while Laverton and North Sunshine will meet at Laverton Park.
At Ainsworth Reserve, Sunshine Heights and Sanctuary Lakes will face-off and in the game of the round, first-placed Parkside and third-placed Wyndham will play in a game that could potentially affect the finals fixtures.
Last Modified on 07/08/2017 18:39