AFTER a week off due to last Wednesday’s Public Holiday, the Victorian Men’s and Mixed Netball Association (VMMNA) returns to Parkville tomorrow night. We take a look at the six Premier League clashes on display.

MIXED PREMIER LEAGUE:

A mid-table clash between Melbourne Quakes and Ariels looks to be the pick of the bunch for Round 8, with the third placed Valley Wolves having the bye. The Wolves had edged within four points of the top two sides, but that looks likely to extend out to eight, with clashes against the bottom two sides respectively, as the winner of the Quakes and Ariels game will go outright fourth, with the former able to build a six-point buffer on fifth if they can pick up the win.

In the fourth against fifth clash, the Quakes will look to the likes of shooter Jed Christian who stepped up in the last outing, whilst Chloe Gray was also impressive with her versatility across the court. Simon Cartwright and David Chisholm have also provided consistent performances, and loo as important players for Melbourne. Meanwhile the Ariels have outstanding defender Dan Stone who is always a threat, whilst when on court, Kurt Thompson and Ally Black can be dangerous.

In the other games, top of the table Parkville Panthers take on the sixth placed NNE Vipers. Jake Hederics has proven incredibly valuable in the defensive goal circle, with Georgette Paatsch and Riley Richardson enjoying strong seasons. The Vipers will look to the likes of Bridget Ryan and Ben Bruitzman who have put out some solid performances throughout the season. Meanwhile, second placed Geelong Cougars will tackle the last placed Eastside Sonics. In what appears to be a one-sided contest, the likes of Zanna Woods and Cameron Allum join a stacked lineup that makes the Cougars one of the teams to beat with the Panthers, while Rachel Powell looms as a key player for the Sonics.

MIXED PREMIER LEAGUE ROUND 8 FIXTURES:

Ariels vs. Melbourne Quakes | Court 6 @ 6:40pm
Parkville Panthers vs. NNE Vipers | Court 7 @ 6:40pm
Geelong Cougars vs. Eastside Sonics | Court 8 @ 6:40pm

Bye: Valley Wolves

MEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE:

The top three teams in the M-League Men’s Premier League have the chance to create further separation on the bottom four, in what could be a finals-defining game. Top of the table St Therese sit alone undefeated after defeating Seahawks last round, whilst Netblacks took full advantage of the Seahawks loss to jump ahead of them into second spot. St Therese face fifth placed Sirens who are vying to remain in contention for the top four, just two points adrift of City Heat who take on Netblacks. A win would see City Heat draw within four points of their opponents, but a loss could see them blown out to as much as 12 points behind if Seahawks can also get up over the one-win DDNA outfit.

Though all the results may seem fairly straightforward, it does give the chance for an upset, with the most likely being the underrated City Heat against Netblacks. Back in Round 1, Netblacks got up by seven goals in that encounter, lead by volume shooter Junior Levi. The midcourt of the Netblacks is incredibly strong, with Deepak Patu among the best players in the competition this year, whilst Cameron Powell and Remy Pirihi are ever-dangerous.

City Heat have enough talent to be a concern for the Netblacks, with James Matthews capable of putting up some big numbers. Through the midcourt Jake Noonan is always a threat, whilst Simon Cartwright and Al Punshon have consistently performed well when push came to shove.

Across the two other games, DDNA will need to find a way to limit the impact of Danny Loats and Taurin Eimermacher who have had some strong performances, whilst Brayden Pastore has been a regular contributor for the lower ranked outfit. In the final game, Riley Richardson has been outstanding in centre for St Therese this season, but young gun Connor Lilly continually piles on the pressure for the ladder leaders. Brodie Roberts has been one to watch for Sirens.

MEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE ROUND 8 FIXTURES:

Seahawks vs. DDNA | Court 9 @ 9:20pm
Netblacks vs. City Heat | Court 10 @ 9:20pm
Sirens vs. St Therese | Court 11 @ 9:20pm

Bye: Ariels