Elastoplast Division 4 Round Preview

By Lincoln Edmunds
Twitter@LincolnEdmunds


ROUND 15 PREVIEW


Sandown V Lyndhurst (Edinburgh Reserve)


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Last time they met – R8, 2 June 2018, Sandown 3.11 (29) def by Lyndhurst 15.8 (98).

Following their first loss since Round 2 last weekend, Lyndhurst will be keen to make amends this Saturday when the square off against Sandown at Edinburgh Reserve. Whilst the result against a resurgent Cerberus side is not disastrous, the manner in which the Lightning were dismantled will provide some concern for the coaching staff.

Having said that, the club has been up for a long time and a loss might just be the tonic the visitors need to keep them hungry heading into finals. They have the perfect chance to rebound this week, facing bottom-placed Sandown who have won just once this season.

The Lightning really struggled to score last weekend, kicking just three goals whilst being hurt on transition the other way. It was the first time they have conceded 100 points in a game this season with their defenders looking rattled for the first time in a while.

Their lack of scoring options is a major headache at the moment with the responsibility of kicking goals falling onto the shoulders of Hamish Browning each week. Whilst they have been able to paper over the cracks for the majority of the season, there are question marks as to whether this heavy reliance on one player will stand up in big finals.

Sandown were competitive last time they faced the Lightning but shot themselves in the foot with terrible inaccuracy in front of goal. The Cobras have showed some promising signs in the past fortnight but posting a victory here appears to be a long shot.

Lyndhurst will be hurting after surrendering top spot last weekend and will be eager to bounce back in a big way.

Lyndhurst by 50 points.

 

Frankston Dolphins V Dandenong (Overport Park)


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Last time they met – R8, 2 June 2018, Frankston 19.30 (144) def Dandenong 5.4 (34).

Frankston will be looking to make it four wins on the trot when they host Dandenong at Overport Park on Saturday afternoon. The Dolphins are building nicely heading into finals but will be wary not to let their guard down against the Redlegs.

Dandenong are coming off two drubbings and will be severely tested again when they travel across to Overport Park. These two clubs have already faced each other twice this season, with the Dolphins triumphing by over 100 points on both occasions. For the Redlegs’ sake they will hopeful that history does not repeat a third time around.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, Frankston’s poor inaccuracy in front of goal simply won’t go away with the club kicking more behinds than goals in six of their last seven games. It’s a sharp contrast to their opening seven rounds of the season, where not once did the Dolphins kick more behinds than majors. They must clean this area of their game up in the next month before finals.

If their forwards come to play with their kicking boots on this could get extremely ugly for the visitors. But Dandenong have shown that when they are switched on they are a very capable side and if they can produce some of the football shown a month back there’s no reason why they can’t compete here.

Having said all that Frankston seem to have rediscovered their mojo in the past three weeks and will most likely clock up another victory here.

Frankston Dolphins by 45 points.

 

Carrum Patterson Lakes V Cerberus (Roy Dore Reserve)


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Last time they met – R8, 2 June 2018, Carrum Patterson Lakes 14.14 (98) def Cerberus 4.4 (28).

Roy Dore Reserve will host the match of the round when Carrum Patterson Lakes take on a resurgent Cerberus side on the weekend. The Dogs are the most improved side in the competition by a mile and have now won six games in a row after dismantling previous ladder leaders Lyndhurst last round.

They get another great opportunity to knock off another team in top spot this weekend, after the Lions claimed first place following their 128-point annihilation of Dandenong. With both clubs in great shape this should be an absolute cracker!

Last time these two sides clashed at this venue in Round 8, the Lions were rarely challenged on their way to a big 70-point win. But six weeks is a long time in footy as the Dogs have not dropped a game since then, including some big scalps in Frankston and Lyndhurst.

A win here for the Dogs would all but lock up their place in the top four. Crucially for the Lions they face the red-hot Dogs on their home deck and should have plenty of home support for the clash.

CPL probably have a touch more firepower in attack but don’t discount the Dogs who are the only side to crack triple figures against Lyndhurst. The Lions will be wary of Jeremy Cross who slotted seven snags last round and has been in cracking form in the past fortnight.

This will be a belter of a game but playing on their home turf might just give CPL a slight edge.

Carrum Patterson Lakes by 6 points.

 

Moorabbin Kangaroos V Lyndale (Widdop Crescent Reserve)


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Last time they met – R8, 2 June 2018, Moorabbin 12.9 (81) def by Lyndale 22.9 (141).

Lyndale’s season is on the line when they travel to Widdop Crescent Reserve to face Moorabbin for a huge Round 15 clash. The Pumas simply must come away with the four points against the Kangaroos if they are to have any chance of featuring in finals action this season.

The club has dropped their past four games in a row and following Cerberus’ stunning victory over Lyndhurst, the Pumas are now four games outside of the top four. Lose here and it is curtains for 2018.

But Moorabbin will have a score to settle after the Pumas smashed them at this venue last time they clashed in Round 8. The Roos notched up their first victory in almost two months last weekend and will be determined to make it two wins in a row.

Both of these sides have had disappointing seasons up until this point with some good wins being overshadowed by consistent poor performances. Whilst it is still mathematically possible for both sides to make finals, Lyndale looks the more likely of the two due to Moorabbin’s poor percentage.

The Kangas had a good spread of goal kickers up forward last round and will be looking to forwards Dylan Bone and Lee Natsioulas to fire once again. The Pumas have battled to score recently but will enjoy returning to a smaller venue where they piled on 22 goals during their last visit.

The Pumas’ season is slipping away and they need to stop the rot with a win here. It won’t come easily though as Moorabbin have showed some decent signs in recent weeks. Should be close for the majority of the day.

Lyndale by 12 points.

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