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Battle for 5th spot could last till August

THE battle for fifth spot and a berth in the Bendigo Bank Bendigo Football League finals seems likely to go deep into August if Saturday’s form is anything to go by.

Two of the three clubs in the mix --- Maryborough and Kangaroo Flat --- fought out an absorbing battle with the four, premiership points in doubt until the final siren.

The Princes Park Pies eventually clinched the valuable four, premiership point by the slimmest of margins to grab a valuable buffer over the Roos.

Castlemaine remains the other club right in contention, but the Camp Reserve Magpies went down to Golden Square by 37 points.

But it’s not curtains for the Maine. We haven’t even reached the halfway point of the 2008 season yet.

There’s still plenty of time, and a series of matches, which will ultimately decide the elusive fifth spot on the ladder.

Let’s look ahead to the pivotal matches which seem likely to decide one of this year’s elimination finalists.

There’s one as early as next Saturday. Kangaroo Flat (seventh) just has to account for Sandhurst after the Dragons opened their winning account at Kyneton’s expense on Saturday.

And the Roos will have to win by a fair margin. They have the worst percentage of the three clubs in the fifth spot mix, more than 32 per cent behind the Maine.

In round 9 another eight-point game looms. Castlemaine (fifth, at present) will be at home to Maryborough (sixth) who will be coming off next round’s bye.

Then in Round 11 the Camp Reserve Pies will host Kangaroo Flat while in Round 16 the Roos will run out onto Dower Park against the visiting Maryborough.

Could fifth spot still be up for grabs when Round 18 rolls around on August 23? Very likely, with the big match-up that day the battle of the Magpies ---- Maryborough at home to Castlemaine.

And as the season plunges deep into winter all three clubs will be looking to boost their percentages, albeit at the expense of Kyneton and Sandhurst.

Kangaroo Flat has two games to come against the Dragons, Maryborough and the Maine one each.

The hapless Tigers meet each of the three fifth spot contenders once in the run home. Those games all come in succession for Kyneton --- against the Flat (Round 13), versus Maryborough (Round 14) and then matched up against Castlemaine (Round 15).

It all adds up to an absorbing second half of the season, even if the top four berths are already booked and only a shuffle for positions remains there between Eaglehawk, South Bendigo, Gisborne and Golden Square.

FIFTH spot contenders after seven rounds: Castlemaine (fifth), 12 premiership points, 98.90 %; Maryborough (sixth) 12 points, 86.74 %; Kangaroo Flat (seventh) 12 points, 66.45 %.

By Richard Jones

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