Round 13 William Buck Premier Men’s Preview

A couple of pivotal matches in the finals and relegation races headline Round 13 of VAFA William Buck Premier Men’s.

Collegians & Old Xaverians enter the weekend locked together at 7-and-5 in the race for fourth spot. But by 5pm Saturday one of them will have kicked a game clear after their blockbuster clash at Harry Trott Oval.

The reigning champions limped to the double bye with a raft of key injuries that contributed to them losing 3 out of 4. But the Lions returned with a vengeance last weekend, hammering Uni Blacks as they got their link-up game rolling again.

But will they be able to do that against the #1 Clearance team in the competition? Old Xavs control games by getting first hands on the ball at stoppage and, like Collegians, play a high-possession style. They’ll need to navigate the Lions’ elite interceptors across half-back, which is where so much of their offence begins.

Will Alex Spralja control the clearances for Xavs and give their mids first use? He looms as a huge factor in this contest, because if the Lions can negate Xavs on the inside, they’ll back themselves on the outside.

There looks to be so little between these two teams and with so much on the line, this one shapes as one of the most significant games of the season!

Catch all the action live on our KOMMUNITY TV double-header between COLLEGIANS & OLD XAVERIANS from 11.40am Saturday (Reserves) into the Seniors from 1.45pm.

It’s crunch time for University Blues who need to find some of their best form in a hurry if they are to keep pace with the Top 4. This week they host Old Scotch, who will arrive at Melbourne Uni Oval on a 5-game winning streak that has elevated them a game clear in third spot and still with some hope of a Top 2 finish.

The Blues have struggled without injured gun forward James Stewart, who led the league’s goalkicking before suffering a hamstring issue.

But Sam Grimley remains a dominant presence Inside 50 and is just 1 goal behind SKOB Patty Kerr in the race for the sharpshooting title. The challenge for the Blues is to give him enough quality supply.

Ranked 7^th for Disposals, Ground Gets and Inside 50s, the Blues need to get more football. But this week they face the Number #1 Disposal team in the comp – the Cardinals – who win it, hold onto it and share it around as well as anyone, boasting the fewest Turnovers in the league.

So the Blues must crack in like their season depends on it – because it may. Ruck Sam Hayes is having a super year – he and Dale Crognale have been their only inside presence for most of the season. Some others will need to jump on board to prevent Old Scotch racking up prodigious numbers.

Catch every moment of our VAFA SEN MATCH OF THE DAY LIVE on the SEN app, SEN.com.au & VAFA.com.au from 1.45pm Saturday.

Meanwhile at the other end of the table, a huge game in the race to avoid relegation will play out at the Snake Pit when St Bernard’s host University Blacks.

Both teams are locked together alongside OMs on 3 wins, with the Roys one game behind. So the victor in this one will kick a game clear of the drop zone in the mad scramble for the finish line.

The Snowdogs were cruelled by injury in the first half of the season, but returned from the bye full of energy and provided a timely reminder of their talent when they led Old Scotch by 2 goals at half-time last week.

While they couldn’t maintain the rage in the second half, coach Steve Alessio saw enough positive signs to enter this week with some confidence that they can provide a repeat performance of their last home game where they belted the Blues by 7 goals in Round 10.

Uni Blacks will arrive at the Snake Pit on a 4-game losing streak, but in fairness, those losses were to the Top 4 sides in the competition. With the hardest part of their draw now behind them, Dale Bower and his team will be hoping to kickstart some momentum with a critical win here.

Blacks have been solid in and around the contest but have struggled to generate enough supply Inside 50. Moving the football efficiently and effectively has been an ongoing challenge, but will be critical in this game against a team that handles that part of the game very well (the Snowdogs are #8 Disposals but #3 Inside 50).

This one could be season-defining for both teams. The winner buys a little breathing space and gains some precious confidence for the road ahead.

The fact that one of the Snowdogs or Blacks will collect 4 premiership points makes Old Melburnians’ clash with St Kevin’s even more important for OMs.

Paul Satterley’s men have lost 5 of their last 6, and while the final margins have been less than flattering, they belie the fact that OMs have been capable of challenging the best teams in patches, such as last week when they held the league-leaders to 1 goal with the wind in the opening term, then kicked 2 in a hurry with the breeze to start the second term.

Their challenge is to do it for long enough to make a meaningful impact on the scoreboard.

And if recent history tells us anything, it’s that you have play four quarters to beat St Kevin’s, who are the masters of ultimately breaking teams with their relentless pressure.

It’s been a difficult week for all involved with SKOB after popular clubman Michael Pisker was seriously injured in last week’s clash with Uni Blues. It has rocked the club and the carryover effect will be the unknown factor entering this game.

St Kevin’s has triumphed in the face of adversity many times before and will have a steely determination to do so again.

Can OMs turn on one of their trademark bursts of brilliance and throw this game off its axis?

The final clash of Round 13 sees Fitzroy host Old Brighton at Brunswick Street Oval.

The Royboys have shown plenty of pluck all season and are just one win away from climbing up out of the drop zone. They always walk a little taller in front of the Fitzroy faithful packing the Kevin Murray Stand.

Last time they faced Old Brighton, the Tonners jumped them early and this has been an ongoing concern for the Roys throughout the season. They must dig in early and weather the initial storm. The longer they hang around, the greater their belief will grow.

That’s easier said than done against the league-leaders, of course.

Old Brighton are 11-1 for a reason – and that reason is their consistency, both week to week and across the field on any given Saturday. They have a well-balanced line-up stacked with talent across all lines and their true strength is in their depth – you can’t shut them all down at once.

They play an efficient style that sees them win it on the inside but not overuse it (#5 Disposals but #1 Inside 50s and Points For). They also work equally hard in both directions (#2 Tackles & #1 Points Against).

They will enter this one as the white-hot favourite but, as mentioned above, the Royboys always believe at Brunswick Street…

Join the VAFA SEN MATCH OF THE DAY call team for our live coverage of UNI BLUES vs OLD SCOTCH from 1.45pm Saturday on SEN.com.au & the SEN app.

Take your headphones or earbuds, download the SEN app & listen to our commentary LIVE IN REAL TIME while watching the action via SEN STADIUM!

Catch our WILLIAM BUCK PREMIER MEN’S double-header between COLLEGIANS & OLD XAVERIANS live streaming on Kommunity TV from 11.40am Saturday (Reserves) into the Seniors from 1.45pm.

Keep up-to-date with live scores and the latest news at VAFA.com.au