X-Men meet Swans in huge round of Div 4 action

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Jake Morris

Round 10 is in the books and the back-half of the home-and-away season is now in full swing. The top four teams of the competition continued their collision course towards September with ladder leaders North Brunswick keeping their perfect season alive, while St Francis Xavier, South Melbourne Districts and Parkside all remained hot on their heels after convincing victories of their own. Here’s what to expect from Round 11.

Premiership favourites North Brunswick will carry their unblemished record into Hughes Park for a clash with the pesky Mt Lilydale. Just five weeks prior to this in Round 7, the Bulls put the Rams to the slaughter in a dominant 91-point victory for their second biggest win of the year. Daniel Orr and Brendon George combined for 12 majors, which almost doubled what the Rams were able to muster. Averaging just over 122 points per contest, the Bulls have no trouble putting points on the board, while the Rams on the other hand struggle in that regard, currently sitting in ninth in scoring at 76 points per game. The Rams have a relatively strong back six that have been able to limit teams to under 100 points all but three times this season, but one of those teams that did get to triple-figures was North Brunswick, and they should do it again here. Bulls to win.

After a thrilling contest in Round 5, St Francis Xavier and South Melbourne Districts meet again for what could be another classic. The two previously undefeated sides locked horns in early May with the Swans escaping with a one-point win thanks to a hot start and relentless defensive pressure that was able to keep the X-Men to just 68 points. SFX still boast the stingiest defensive unit in the league, allowing just 51 points per game, while also being the second-highest scoring side in the competition at just over 121 points per contest. The Swans manage just 95 points per game and keep sides to just under 71 a match. The Swans will be after another defensive clash similar to Round 5, which will be based around limiting SFX’s possessions and keeping the likes of Harrison Coe and Dylan Alexander off the scoreboard. The X-Men will be after a run-and-gun style of play that will benefit their forward line as to try simply outscore their opponents in a manor they’ve done so many times this season. X-Men to win here.

After losing two in a row and sitting with a 3-3 record after Round 6, you wouldn’t be crazy to think that Parkside’s season was teetering on the edge of collapse, but four wins in a row, two of which came against the Swans and SFX, has pushed them into third position and well into finals contention. Their opponents this weekend in Elsternwick sit four games behind the Red Devils. Parkside’s last four wins have come by an average of 59-points, thanks in the most part to their incredible defensive play that has suffocated their opponents and allowed just under 48 points a game. Led by Julian Yeatman, the Wickers are an above average scoring side that are more than capable of putting up big numbers, which they did in Round 5 when they shocked the Red Devils and came away with an impressive 11-point victory. Parkside should win, but in a close contest.

The Eley Park Sharks are circling, and have their sights on their fourth consecutive victory over the winless Masala. Like Parkside, the Sharks have come from the clouds to shoot up to fifth on the competition table and are just two games out of fourth. Dwelling in ninth spot with just two wins and an average losing margin of 71 points, the Sharks season was all but over, but three wins in a row has seen them catapult into serious finals contention. A win this weekend over Masala, paired with a Swans loss to the X-Men, will see them sit just one game out of the top four. Their opponents in Masala have had seven triple-figure defeats this year, but one of those defeats by under 100 points came against the Sharks in Round 2, where Masala kicked a respectable 11.11 (77) to go down by 27-points. Sharks to make it four in a row.

Our final clash sees the struggling Box Hill North travel to South Mornington for a match-up with the Tigers. Entering this clash on a three-game losing streak, the Dees will be keen to right the ship and finish their first season back in Division 4 with some confidence, while the Tigers will be looking to stay close with the pack and keep their finals hopes alive. Managing just 59-points per game in their last three outings, the Dees have stumbled back into the red after two promising wins in Round 6 and Round 7. Things started positively for the Dees in their Round 10 clash with the Swans, but a scoreless second term and goalless third quarter all but solidified another loss for Alan Chung’s men. The Tigers entered the bye on a three-game winning streak and all the confidence in the world, before being bundled over by Parkside in a very one-sided affair. This will be a good chance for the Tigers to make it four wins from five, and continue their unlikely run towards September.