Northern Football League games getting closer as wintry conditions impact on results

NORTHERN Football League teams are coming to terms with muddy grounds, wet weather and closer scorelines as winter sets in.

NFL Footy: Heidelberg West v Watsonia 12 July 2014, Heidelberg Northern Football League: Heidelberg West v Watsonia at Heidelberg Park. Watsonia's Steven Goodwin under pressure. Picture: Eugene Hyland

COACHES across the Northern Football League will be hoping Melbourne’s wintry weather doesn’t rain on their finals ambitions.

While the league has avoided the worst of Melbourne’s recent cold snap, long-range forecasts suggest showers could fall on the next four Saturdays.

Since the start of winter, the average margin in Division 1 matches has dropped by seven points from 34.8 to 27.7.

Macleod, Greensborough and Lower Plenty have been the most potent sides over that period.

Bundoora coach Phil Plunkett said forecast rain impacted on team selection and tactics, often favouring some sides over others.

“Don’t over finesse with the football, I think trying to play pretty football in (those) conditions normally comes unstuck,” Plunkett said.

“It’s more play the percentages and try and win the contested footy.”

Plunkett said one of the Bulls’ rivals for a finals spot, Montmorency, was often able to capitalise on wet conditions.

He said rain was a great leveller and could add to the tension over the final rounds of the season as teams scrambled to play finals.

“What it does do is bring the level down and makes it more competitive for every side,” he said.

“You don’t have to have the most skilful, it’s just the most determined that will get the result.”

Who is the Northern Football League’s best wet-weather team? Have your say below.

West Preston-Lakeside coach Frank Raso said Macleod and Eltham were among the league’s best contested football sides.

But he dispelled the idea that bigger bodies dominate in the wet.

“On the outskirts that makes sense ... but it’s what team has got the most will on the day,” Raso said.

Mernda coach Brett Wilson said weather could have a significant impact on the mindset of a playing group, as well as the outcome of matches.

“It’s a big one because this time of year the mood of the players is very low because of the weather, work and all that sort of stuff,” Wilson said.

“From our point of view we try and freshen the players up. We’re just doing a program of a lot of skill-based, structural stuff and I suppose come game day depending on the weather you have to dumb it down a bit.”

The chance of rain in Melbourne over the next two Saturdays is about 50 per cent, according to forecaster Weatherzone.