Blues find their feet

Brenton Mann

After their tough initiation into Division 2, Northern Blues have ascended to third on the ladder on the back of a five game winning streak. The first two rounds didn’t exactly go to plan for the VAFA’s glamour side, but they now have found their mojo and the Blues sit second on the “form ladder”. They make the trek to Melbourne High this week which promises to be an intriguing encounter. The Unicorns have put the catastrophes of seasons past behind them and are now a side that can play at the level. They’re coming off a 100 point win over South Melbourne and will look to make it two in a row for the first time this year. A win will keep them in touch with the top-four and out of reach of the relegation zone. For the Blues, they’ll want to put in another professional, mature performance and consolidate their top-four spot.

St Johns made the arduous journey to Eltham College, a venue that hasn’t been kind to it in year’s past. The JOCs hadn’t beaten the Turtles on their home-deck since 2008, and went in with a “smash and grab” mindset, keen to break the hoodoo and bank the four points. To their credit, they did just that. The game was hot early, and Old Eltham looked dangerous going forward, but was leaking goals at the defensive end. Aaron Thornton was opportunistic while elusive half-forward Rohan Scott caused havoc. The Turtles were gallant but St Johns were simply a class above. Eltham face another tough assignment this week, as it heads to Kevin Bartlett Reserve to face fellow top-four aspirant Richmond Central. A win for the Snakes brings them within striking distance, while a loss for the Turtles may see them fall out of the top-four.

Old Paradians and Ivanhoe played out an enthralling encounter at Garvey Oval, where the Hoes stormed home with a blistering last quarter to prevail by 26 points. Just a point separated the two sides at ¾ time, but unfortunately for the Raiders, they were found wanting in the last. Five goals to two sealed their fate. Ivanhoe did what good sides do, they found another gear when required. For the Raiders, it’s the same old story. They still can’t find the consistent level of performance required to contend with the top sides. This game was there for the taking, a chance to take a big scalp, and they failed in a similar circumstances to the week earlier. This week, the Raiders face a lowly South Melbourne, and need to register a solid win. For Ivanhoe, they host a plucky Elsternwick side who shouldn’t pose any problems.

It was a shootout at Kevin Bartlett Reserve; Richmond Central spearheaded by Munro with five goals, while Fuller stole the show for the Wicks with eight in a losing side. After a tight first quarter, the Snakes showcased their attacking prowess, banging on 17 goals over the next three quarters to the Wicks’ 10. The win is Richmond Central’s third for the year and arguably it’s most impressive. They possess one of the better forward lines in Div 2 and will need to be firing this week against Eltham. The Turtles will go in as favourites but the Snakes will be in this one up to their ears and a win wouldn’t surprise. It gets even harder for Elsternwick, as it makes the long trek north to Ivanhoe Park and will need nothing short of a miracle to secure victory. The big bodied Wicks will want to play a high stoppage game, and restrict Ivanhoe’s outside runners, and also restrict their forwards in Blackmore-Moore and Lovell.

The individual performance of Round 7 took place at Lindsay Hassett Oval where MHSOB forward, Nick Hawking bagged an astonishing ten goals against South Melbourne. He was handsomely supported by Svirskis (5) and Toman (4). It was a poor performance by the Districts who let a five point quarter-time deficit blowout to 100 points by the final siren. The Unicorns put them to the sword with a seven goal second term and then blew them apart with a bombarding nine goal third term. The last was somewhat tighter but it was too little too late. The Districts remain anchored the bottom of the ladder while the Unicorns are on the march. They face a sterner test this week against Northern Blues, in a game that’s far from beyond them. If they do prevail, then finals may be more than just a pipedream. For South Melbourne, they head to Garvey Oval and will want a far better showing against Old Paradians. Unfortunately, they may have to wait another week to bank their first points for the year.

Round 8 Tips

Monash vs St Johns

Old Paradians vs South Melbourne

Ivanhoe vs Elsternwick

Richmond Central vs Eltham

MHSOB vs Northern Blues