The run home in Premier B

Posted on - Latest News, Featured, Premier B Men's

Jake Morris

Caulfield Grammarians (12-2 & 193.45%)

Recent Form: WWLLW

Run Home: Parkdale, Fitzroy, Monash Blues, Old Geelong

Thoughts: Despite dropping two of their last two games at the hands of Scotch and Beaumaris, the Caulfield Grammarians are all but assured a top-two finish thanks to their 11-game win streak to start the year. Will Edwards, Jack Wallace and Theophilos Thompson have been sublime all year in the middle while Julian Dobosz (27) and Nathan Page (20) have led the Fields’ to a league-high 101-points per game, while conceding a league-low 53ppg. With their final four matches coming against sides currently situated in the bottom-half of the ladder, it would take a catastrophe to see Simon Williams’ men fall out of a top-two spot.

Old Scotch (12-2 & 168.46%)

Recent Form: WWWLW

Run Home: Old Geelong, Monash Blues, Parkdale, St Bedes/Mentone

Thoughts: Also all but assured a finish inside the top-2 barring a historic collapse, Old Scotch are primed for a deep September run. Despite having their six-game win streak snapped in Round 13, the Cards’ still boast one of the more formidable line-ups in the competition. Tom Downie is arguably the best ruckman in the league with the ability to dominate when sent forward, while James Sansom, Charlie Cormack and Andrew Jelbart are always a threat when around the footy. The most accurate side in-front of goal in the competition (53.77%), the Cards’ will no doubt feature late in September, and are hungry to climb back into William Buck Premier for 2020.

University Blacks (10-4 & 168.44%)

Recent Form: LWWWW

Run Home: Old Haileybury, St Bedes/Mentone, Beaumaris, Parkdale

Thoughts: Now boasting a league high four-game winning streak, the Uni Blacks are rounding into form as the sprint towards finals action heats up. Sitting just out of arms reach of the Fields’ and Cards’ for majority of the year, the Blacks are still a serious threat to either side as a 2018 Prelim final loss still fuels this side to go one better. Possessing the greatest average margin of victory in the league at 64-points, and led by ball winners Jarrod Carlson, Tom Swift and Bede Mahon, with the league leading goal-kicker in Daniel McCollough up forward paired with Campbell Moorfield, this side has the talent to go all the way.

St Bedes/Mentone Tigers (8-6 & 100.09%)

Recent Form: LLWWW

Run Home: Fitzroy, Uni Blacks, Old Geelong, Old Scotch

Thoughts: Re-entering the Premier B competition after a brief two-season stay in William Buck Premier, the Tigers have had a tough time building consistency over the course of the year, which has seen them sit around the cusp of the top-four for majority of the season. Despite rebuilding from a brutal 1-4 start, the Tigers still find themselves in a battle for a finals spot with the year drawing to a close. Zac Calvez has put together a great 2019 campaign in defence and in the ruck on occasion, while Michael Barnes, Kye Beveridge and Chris Mangoni have also stood out in a very up and down year for SBMT.

Beaumaris (7-7 & 96.19%)

Recent Form: WWLWL

Run Home: Monash Blues, Old Haileybury, Uni Blacks, Fitzroy

Thoughts: After knocking off the ladder leaders in Round 13 and the Uni Blacks in Round 9, the Sharks are proving that on their day, they can compete with the very best sides in the competition. Despite averaging just 68-points per game, Beaumaris’ grit and grind style of play is proving to be beneficial, with wins in three of their last five, Guy McKenna’s men are limiting their opponents to just 54-points per match in those three weeks. Big man Callum Heath is putting together a fantastic year in the ruck and will continue to make lives easier for Riley Virtue and Chris Grigoriadis as they battle against the best midfields in the competition. It’s looking likely that it will be the Sharks and Tigers battling for the fourth and final spot in September, with the Sharks now on the outside looking in.

Old Haileybury (5-9 & 76.10%)

Recent Form: LWWLL

Run Home: Uni Blacks, Beaumaris, Fitzroy, Monash Blues

Thoughts: The Bloods were never able to string any consistent performances together all year, with their recent two game win streak in Rounds 11 and 12 over Old Geelong and Parkdale the only time they were able to gain back-to-back wins. Durras Seccull (23) and Samuel Loewe (22) have both put together great years up-forward while James Paul, Aaron Toy and Lachlan Treverton can all hold their head high for the seasons they’ve put together. Despite finals still being a slim mathematical possibility as we enter Round 15, the Bloods still concede the second most amount of points per game (89.4) while also possessing the lowest goal-scoring accuracy in the competition (46.34%).

Parkdale Vultures (4-10 & 78.65%)

Recent Form: WLLLL

Run Home: Caulfield, Old Geelong, Old Scotch, Uni Blacks

Thoughts: After Round 6, the Vultures were sitting in the top-four with healthy victories in tow, but a mid-season collapse has seen them win just one game from their past eight outings, and seen them fall all the way into the discussion for potential relegation. The loss of Harley Balic in their midfield has played a part in the downfall, but the seasons of Jack Vorbach, Alex Derzekos and Dylan Glasscott cannot be faulted.

Old Geelong (4-10 & 70.28%)

Recent Form: LLLWL

Run Home: Old Scotch, Parkdale, St Bedes, Caulfield

Thoughts: Much like Parkdale, the Ogs were competitive early in the year, sitting in equal fourth after Round 7 with a notable victory over Beaumaris. Since then, Old Geelong have dropped six of their last seven games, including a five-game losing streak which saw them average just 42-points per game. Despite this, Captain Scott Dixon, John Simson and Will Horsfall have all been bright lights in an otherwise bleak year for the club. Now also possessing the lowest average of score per game (60.1), the Ogs return to Premier B after a long 60-year hiatus didn’t exactly go as planned.

Monash Blues (4-10 & 70.19%)

Recent Form: LWWLL

Run Home: Beaumaris, Old Scotch, Caulfield, Old Haileybury

Thoughts: Despite managing just four wins on the year so far, in those wins, the Blues have been nothing short of astounding, with an average winning margin of 57-points, good enough for third highest in the competition. But on the flip side, they also succumb to defeat by the highest margin in the league at almost 10 goals a game. Ben Hart, Macgregor Cameron and Zac Ledin have been among the Blues best for the year, and despite having a rough month ahead, are in a good position to keep themselves in the competition for 2020.

Fitzroy (4-10 & 65.13%)

Recent Form: WLLLW

Run Home: St Bedes, Caulfield, Old Haileybury, Beaumaris

Thoughts: The Roys’ were able to grab a much-needed victory in Round 14 to tie with the likes of Parkdale, Monash and the Ogs on four wins, but with their percentage at a very low mark of 65%, Luke Mahoney’s men will need to steal a game or two in the last month of the year to give themselves the best chance to remain above the dreaded relegation mark. Outside of the play from Ted Clayton, Max Ellis and Jack Hart, their year has overall been a difficult one, as they possess the unwanted mark of conceding the most points per game in the competition, at over 92-points per contest.