THE AROUND GROUNDS
TORQUAY’S RESPONSE
GOALLESS through the opening term and down by 34 points at the first change, Torquay’s ability to work itself back into the contest and eventually beat Modewarre — a side in premiership calculations — shows the sign of a flag contender. Out on their feet, the Tigers bounced back in the second stanza to kick six of the next eight goals and wrest back momentum, before out-muscling the Warriors in the second half. With all due respect to Newcomb, the Tigers can afford to rest a few of their stars this week, while they enjoy watching Barwon Heads and Geelong Amateur belt each other. With Ammos’ strong percentage, Torquay will be barracking for the Seagulls to halt the triple-reigning premier’s run of form and back itself to prevail over the Seagulls in Round 18 to claim the minor premiership.
ANGLESEA’S COLLAPSE
FOR Geelong Amateur to pile on 16 of the last 18 goals against Anglesea on Saturday, it highlights the gap between the top half and bottom half of the BFL table. While the Roos were predicted to find life tough from the moment Dale Carson went down with injury last month, their record against the top five has been disappointing. From nine matches, they’ve only won one, and in the eight losses, their average losing margin is 63.5 points, which includes a nine-point loss to Modewarre. They’ll be looking for a more competitive effort against Ocean Grove the second time around in Round 17, after going down by 91 points to the Grubbers six weeks ago.
PERCENTAGE A QUERY?
HOW much impact will percentage play come the pointy end of the season? No one knows yet, but it would be safe to say that it will play some sort of factor at the very top. Just one game separates the top three sides — Torquay, Barwon Heads and Geelong Amateur — and interestingly, it was percentage that saw Barwon Heads concede top spot on Saturday night. The Seagulls were 0.44 per cent ahead of Torquay going into the weekend but their 11-point win compared with Torquay’s 14-point victory saw them change spots. They’re now separated by just 0.02 per cent — less than a goal. Barwon Heads plays both Geelong Amateur and Torquay in its remaining three games but will be sure to chase percentage against Portarlington in a fortnight.
HAWKS HEAD FORWARD
DRYSDALE has been an improver in the second half of the season, courtesy of a healthier list. But with just four wins on the board, attention has already turned to 2018. Coach Wade Chapman is locked in for another season and started planning for next year a month ago. Chapman has locked away 10 of his best players already, including Daniel Jull, Matt Hebbard, Kyle Davis and Josh Rushton. Retaining players on its list will be crucial to playing finals next season, with most of its side one-point players. The Hawks used 35 player points on Saturday, with seven guys to drop a point next season if they stay on, freeing up the cap to allow the Hawks to add some depth and class to the line-up. Chapman has identified a lack of midfield polish on his list, which will be a key focus with recruiting in the off-season. In the meantime, the Hawks’ form has been solid and with some winnable games in the next three weeks, Drysdale will be chasing a solid end to 2017.