ROUND 11 PREVIEW
Dandenong V Sandown (Greaves Reserve)
V 
Last time they met - R4, 28 April 2018, Sandown 10.6 (66) def Dandenong 9.6 (60).
Dandenong will go in as favourites for the first time this season when they host Sandown at Greaves Reserve this Saturday afternoon. Had they not knocked off Moorabbin two weeks ago, the Redlegs would have pencilled this game in as their best chance of victory.
However, their chances have increased significantly since then, with the team showing very encouraging signs with the win over the Roos and a good effort last week against the Pumas. They should still be cautious of the Cobras though, who can play a good brand of footy when they are up and running.
These two sides met earlier in the year with the Cobras edging out the Redlegs by six points in an absolute thriller. Another tight affair is to be expected here but Dandenong will be buoyed by the fact that this time it’s on their home deck.
Don’t expect too much defence from either side in this one, with both clubs prone to leaking points. In an equally important game for both teams, expect to see plenty of energy and intent in the early stages of this one.
Playing on their home ground with some newfound confidence, remarkably the Redlegs should make it two wins from their last three.
Dandenong by 8 points.
Lyndhurst V Moorabbin (Marriott Waters Reserve)
V 
Last time they met - R4, 28 April 2018, Moorabbin 9.2 (56) def by Lyndhurst 15.15 (105).
Lyndhurst are looking to make it nine wins on the trot when they host Moorabbin at Marriot Waters Reserve. The Lightning have rarely been challenged on their home deck and are yet to drop a game there thus far.
Coming off a solid 11-point win against the Dolphins in Frankston, the Lightning will be confident of continuing their winning streak when they face the faltering Kangaroos.
Moorabbin has hit a major stumbling block in the last three weeks, falling to sides around them to dent their finals aspirations. The prospect of victory here looks very bleak, but the club needs to turn its form around at some point.
Hamish Browning has been lively up forward for the Lightning and has now slotted 27 goals this season as the team’s main avenue to goal. Shutting him down will be of paramount importance for the Roos defenders.
There haven’t been many positives for the Roos in the last month but Justin Berry and Christopher Baum could hardly have done anymore in their endeavours to help turn things around. The team will need all 22 players firing on all cylinders if they are to have any chance here.
Lyndhurst don’t lose often and they certainly don’t lose at home. This trend will continue here.
Lyndhurst by 38 points.
Cerberus V Lyndale (McAuliffe Oval)
V 
Last time they met - R4, 28 April 2018, Lyndale 11.8 (74) def by Cerberus 11.9 (75).
On paper this match looks the most absorbing match of the round with both teams in good form and challenging for finals. After a slow start to the season, both clubs are now sitting at 5-5 in a battle for the prized fourth position.
This match is a crucial eight-point game with a win vital in opening up some breathing space between the top four and everyone else. As a consequence, expect both sides to leave nothing left in the tank in what should be a cracker of a game.
Last time these two met it was as close as you can get, with the Dogs holding on for a brilliant one-point win on enemy turf. The Pumas will still be hurting from that encounter and will be hell bent on returning the favour when they clash at the Naval Base.
The Dogs have been able to find the big sticks more consistently in the past two weeks, averaging 71 points a game during this period. They will be required to kick another decent score if they are to come away with a win here as the Pumas love to go big on the scoreboard.
Possessing an array of firepower up forward, Lyndale’s Trent Day and Moses Faaola are in a rich vein of form presently. If they get off the chain once again it’s hard to see the Dogs getting up.
This is a genuine 50/50 of a contest and it’s hard to pick a winner. But Lyndale have a few more match winners and should get over the line, just.
Lyndale by 2 points.
Carrum Patterson Lakes V Frankston Dolphins (Roy Dore Reserve)
V 
Last time they met - R4, 28 April 2018, 12.8 (80) def by Carrum Patterson Lakes 12.11 (83).
Carrum Patterson Lakes return to their home ground to face a stuttering Frankston side who have dropped their past two games in a row. The Dolphins have hit their first real blip on the radar in their inaugural season, losing to Cerberus and Lyndhurst in the past fortnight.
While still sitting well placed in third spot on the ladder, the Dolphins seemed to have lost some of their early season momentum and face a big challenge in CPL to prevent three losses in a row.
The team has also lacked some of its attacking flair, with the side only registering tallies of 40 and 31 points in the past two rounds. Poor inaccuracy in front of goal has not helped them either, with the side kicking more behinds than goals in the past three games.
In the other camp, the Lions bounced back onto the winners list with a cruisy 82-point triumph over last placed Sandown on the weekend. Coming off a rare loss the week before, the win against the struggling Cobras was never in any doubt and the final margin was main interest from the clash.
The Dolphins ran CPL within a kick last time they met, but both sides are not in the same form from that Round 4 clash. That’s not to say that this match won’t be close though, as the Dolphins are still a quality side and one of the main threats to the Lions premiership chances.
On home turf and in better form, the Lions will head into this one as favourites but expect Frankston to give this one a red-hot crack.
Carrum Patterson Lakes by 9 points.
@LincolnEdmunds 
