CALL me a pessimist, but on paper Saturday’s football throughout the AFL Central Victoria region has the makings of potentially the most one-sided day of the season.
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A look through the 17 senior matches across the Bendigo, Heathcote District, Loddon Valley and North Central leagues shows a common theme of a wide gulf between opponents in nearly every game.
Only one of the matches across the region pits two teams against each other that are currently in positions that if the season were to end now, they’d be playing finals.
That’s the Heathcote District match between Elmore and North Bendigo – fifth and third on the ladder, yet they are separated by three wins and 91 per cent.
Across all matches this weekend, the higher ranked team has won a combined 74 more games than the lower team and has an average superior percentage of 86.3.
Apart from Newbridge v Pyramid Hill where there’s only two wins difference between the sides, every other match-up has the higher team having had at least three more wins than it’s opposition.
Hope I’m wrong, but this could be one ugly weekend of results across the region.
Saturday’s matches:
BENDIGO:
Maryborough (10th, 0-9) v Sandhurst (3rd, 7-2).
Kangaroo Flat (4th, 6-3) v Eaglehawk (7th, 3-6).
Strathfieldsaye (2nd, 8-1) v Castlemaine (6th, 5-4).
South Bendigo (9th, 1-8) v Kyneton (5th, 5-4).
Golden Square (1st, 8-1) v Gisborne (8th, 2-7).
HEATHCOTE DISTRICT:
Elmore (5th, 5-4) v North Bendigo (3rd, 8-2).
Leitchville-Gunbower (2nd, 8-2) v LBU (9th, 0-10).
Heathcote (8th, 1-9) v Colbinabbin (4th, 7-3).
Huntly (1st, 8-2) v White Hills (7th, 3-6).
LODDON VALLEY:
Calivil United (3rd, 7-2) v Inglewood (6th, 3-6).
Newbridge (7th, 2-7) v Pyramid Hill (5th, 4-5).
Bridgewater (9th, 9-0) v YCW (8th, 2-7).
Mitiamo (2nd, 8-1) v BL-Serpentine (9th, 0-8).
NORTH CENTRAL:
Donald (3rd, 6-2) v Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers (5th, 3-5).
Wedderburn (8th, 0-8) v Boort (4th, 4-4).
Birchip-Watchem (6th, 3-5) v Charlton (2nd, 7-1).
St Arnaud (7th, 1-7) v Wycheproof (1st, 8-0).