Top 2 wide open in D2W

Madison Connell

Old Mentonians (2^nd) V Canterbury (7^th)

The last time these two teams met was back in Round 7, where the Old Mentonians dished out an enormous 109-point win over the Canterbury Cobras. The Panthers have been outstanding since joining Division 2 after Round 4 of the season, displaying their dominance with five consecutive wins, and keeping their opponents to a score of 16 or less in every game. One of the main reasons for their continual ladder progression throughout the competition is Divisional leading goal kicker Jade Smith-Love. Leading the pack with 17 goals to her name, Smith-Love is the one to watch in front of goal with Monique Maitland the next best with eight goals. As for the Cobras, they had their one win of the season back in Round 4 against Preston Bullants but were only five points shy of RMIT three weeks ago.

Preview

Looking at the game ahead, Old Mentonians will be looking for their sixth straight win when the two sides meet under lights at Mentone Playing Fields this Friday night. They boast an amazing percentage but, with Old Melburnians on the same amount of wins, the Panthers need to claim victory to cement second spot and the double chance. The Cobras have now lost six in a row but will want to finish the season on a high with a win against either the Panthers or La Trobe next weekend.

La Trobe University (6^th) V Hawthorn AFC (4^th)

Hawthorn AFC will be eager to regain their spot in the top 3, which they have been tiptoeing around all season, while La Trobe Uni is on the lookout for their third win.

Tracking back all the way to Round 1 was the last time these two teams went head-to-head. At three quarter time scores were all tied up at 27 apiece, setting the scene for a nail bitting fourth quarter. In the end the agonising 1-point victory was all decided in the fourth quarter, and victory went in Hawthorn’s favour.

Hawthorn’s disappointing 51-point loss to ladder leaders Therry Penola last round saw their ladder ranking take a dive. Hawks leading goal kicker Alice Campbell, with an impressive 11 goals to her name, was the saving grace on the scoreboard with the Hawks’ only goal.

Preview

With La Trobe coming back from a bye and Hawthorn’s disappointing loss last round, it’s safe to say both teams will be looking for a win this week. Hawthorn will be keen to ensure another victory over La Trobe as it will cement a finals spot with a two-game buffer over the chasing pack and just one game remaining after this weekend.

Therry Penola (1^st) v Old Melburnians (3^rd)

While the race for the top spot is still hot, both Therry Penola and Old Melburnians will want to make their mark on Round 13.

Last round saw Old Melburnians claim a 33-point victory over Canterbury, resulting in a climb up into third spot on the ladder. They had an even display of goal kicking with five separate players hitting the scoreboard. They’ll want to improve on their accuracy, however, after they finished the game with 5.12 (42).

Round 12 also saw another high scoring display from the Therry Penola Lions, with a dominant 51-point victory over Hawthorn. Both Eliza German and Ruby O’Halloran had a major impact on the scoreboard with three goals each. It was O’Halloran’s finest display in front of goals this season.

Preview

The ladder leading Lions currently hold one extra win under their belt than Old Melburnians and a significantly higher percentage, but they won’t want to put pressure on themselves going into the final round. With just one game separating the top four sides, this is the most important round of the season – especially for OM’s as they try to crack the top two.