Adelaide Footy League: Focus on Furniture Div 2 Round 10 preview

CRUNCH time may have arrived early for Scotch OC in the Adelaide Footy League’s Focus on Furniture Division 2 season, with a vital clash with Gaza looming.

The Sharks will make life hard for Old Iggies.

CRUNCH time may have arrived early for Scotch OC in the Adelaide Footy League’s Focus on Furniture Division 2 season, with a vital clash with Gaza looming.

Scotch OC lifted itself off the rocks before the midyear break and over the second half of the season it will aim to break clear of the relegation zone and possibly even press for a finals berth.

In what was always going to be an important contest for both sides, Scotch OC came through victorious over Pembroke OS by a steadfast 25 points last round to swap places on the ladder.

It has left three sides together including Old Ignatians at the lower echelon of the ladder on three wins, creating an intense battle to avoid demotion.

Alas Broadview’s fate, at the base, already appears inevitable.

Scotch OC’s finals hopes could rest as early as this week’s home clash against fellow top-five aspirant Gaza.

Falling three wins behind the chasing pack would make earning a finals spot even more difficult, a fact of which stars Hugo Twopeny, Sean King, Jonathon Lagonik and William Thorpe should be well aware.

The Eagles will be looking to respond from a humbling loss to Unley Mercedes Jets, which has added pressure to their finals pursuit.

Pembroke OS faces a demanding encounter hosting Athelstone on Saturday.

The Raggies received a fright from bottom side Broadview two weeks ago but took home the points at the end of the day, albeit without a much-needed percentage boost.

Chris Lodovici, Matthew Glenn, Kyle Durdin and Christian Elliott would want to stay on their game for longer this week as one good quarter won’t be enough to contain the Kings, who have the ability to turn that fright into a nightmare.

Old Iggies face the toughest contest in Division 2 with a visit coming their way from the might of Henley on Saturday.

Old Ignatians found PHOS Camden too commanding last round and the Sharks will simply add to their troubles.

Even other major contenders are exposed to the ladder leader’s foreboding punishment after Sacred Heart OC was the last side to succumb to Henley’s strength by 45 points.

Old Iggies will feel the wrath of Jack Enright, Sam Davoren, James Stewart and Thomas Thunig on Saturday.

SHOC should be able to rally when it treks to Broadview this week.

To close out the round, the Jets host the most in-form group, excluding the Sharks, in PHOS Camden.

Unley Mercedes Jets’ win preceding the mid-season break, beating Gaza by an admirable 17 points coming from a 14-point deficit at lemon time, indicated that they are worthy of a top-five finish but they sit just outside at present.

Josip Habljak, Ben McConnell, Henri Westell and David Fogarty must limit the influence of Tom Finn, Sam Inglis, Nick Ramsey and Sam Williams, just to name a few of a talented Phantoms squad that could well hold back the Jets for another week.