Eight clubs make up the starting XI, while 12 of the 14 clubs were represented in some form when including the bench. Very few teams didn’t show up to the races, which accounted for a close round of fixtures, with the only blowout the 4-0 win for Port Melbourne over the out of sorts Oakleigh Cannons
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GK: Nikola Roganovic (South Melbourne)
A constant flow of pressure from Heidelberg meant Nikola Roganovic was kept on his toes for the full 90 minutes. The second half in particular belonged to the Bergers and he was a key member in ensuring South didn’t go on to lose the contest. A stunning save off Andreas Govas’ long range bullet was a highlight.
LB: Ivan Pavlak (Hume City)
Made a crucial goal saving tackle on Thunder’s Yusuf Ahmed, to keep the game level, and that was the general path the game took. He had the better of his opposition all afternoon and contributed in the forward half with a few bursting runs forward. Had plenty of the ball and used it well.
CB: Daniel Jones (Green Gully)
Would’ve made a strong claim for a spot in the team regardless of his late goal to tie proceedings 1-1 against Bentleigh Greens away from home, but that free-kick sealed the deal. He was commanding, and while not as vocal as the equally impressive Roddy Vargas next to him, the pair combined to take the Bentleigh forwards out of the game for large spells of the contest. To add to that, it was all done with the pressure of being a man down.
CB: Shaun Kelly (Port Melbourne)
Kelly makes his second appearance in the Team of the Week after his move from South Melbourne. The Englishman was a central cog for Port Melbourne as he kept Oakleigh at bay with a number of crucial challenges. This was especially so in the first half when the game was poised to fall either way.
RB: Amadu Komoda (Green Gully)
Chris Lucas was a non-issue on the left wing for Green Gully as Amadu Komoda continued on with his impressive start to 2015. Coupled shutting out the Bentleigh forward – eventually forced from the game – with an abundance of lung-busting runs from defence to add drive on the right flank.
CM: Troy Ruthven (Bentleigh Greens)
The former Palm Beach defender was forced to bide his time in a bid for first team action at Bentleigh but having secured a starting berth in recent weeks, he doesn’t look like surrendering it any time soon. Doing a role in defensive midfield, he was everywhere against Gully, sweeping up danger laterally across the pitch. Won the ball back a countless amount of times and his tenacious display went a long way towards Bentleigh earning a point against Gully.
CM: Jonathan Munoz (Avondale FC)
A star in the midfield for Avondale, the former Northcote man haunted his old club with an assist and the eventual winner from a corner as he pulled the strings in midfield. His ability to thread the defence nearly saw him grab another assist from the deep-lying playmaker role.
AM: Kamal Ibrahim (Port Melbourne)
If he’s not the form player of the competition at the moment, then he’s certainly in the top few as Ibrahim once again tore a game open, this time with his sublime second half performance against Oakleigh. His brace within 15 minutes of the restart set the tone for the contest, as he smashed home two beauties. Shied away from the left wing this week due to a reshuffle and was a menace in the free role through the centre.
LW: Nick Hegarty (Hume City)
Swapped between the two flanks and had the ball on a string for Hume, as his crossing caused headaches for the Thunder defence who were forced to deal with a constant stream of precise, measured delivery. He got the assist for Marcus Schroen’s opener and could’ve had more, but Hume just couldn’t capitalise on his classy delivery.
ST: Kaine Sheppard (Heidelberg United)
Was a constant threat in and around the 18-yard area. Always looked like scoring and when the opportunity came, he took it well. He could’ve had a couple more, were it not for Roganovic’s good work.
RW: Joseph Youssef (Pascoe Vale)
Was the main man for Paco on the weekend as his glorious hat trick was enough to down North Geelong 4-3. He was clinical coming off the flank as he also set up Jake Nakic for the first, before drifting more central to header home three goals in the second half to swing the contests Pascoe Vale’s way.
Bench:
Chris Irwin (Avondale FC)
Launched Avondale into a second half lead over Northcote City with his perfectly weighted lob and that was a highlight of an industrious shift from the forward. Avondale’s best on the day, he troubled the Northcote defence with his pace, which forced Northcote into a reshuffle before half-time.
Nick Krousoratis (Port Melbourne)
Port Melbourne’s super sub Nick Krousoratis came off the bench and sealed the contest for Port Melbourne, scoring two late goals for the Sharks to blow the result out to 4-0.
Marino Gasparis (Northcote City)
Northcote City’s best, in the narrow loss to Avondale, Gasparis sat in the hole and grabbed an assist, while also supplying what City thought was a late equaliser, only for James Kalafatidis to be ruled offside.
Michael Grgic (North Geelong Warriors)
Showed great composure in the first half, and was a real force in the North Geelong engine room, given the absence of Vito Cichello. He was involved in everything North Geelong did early and showed plenty of confidence with the ball at his feet. Did fade a little in the second half, but was the Warriors best in their thrilling loss to Paco.
Milan Batur (Melbourne Knights)
The centre-half had plenty to deal with in the second half against Werribee as they ramped up the pressure on the Knights. They nearly slipped too after conceding a late equaliser, only for Batur to pop up with an even later winner, heading home from a corner.
Daniel Chaabani (Werribee City)
The young right-back was Werribee City’s best, as he was given the almighty task of watching Adrian Zahra. Both the winger and the full-back had moments on top of the contest; Chaabani leaving the first impression with a robust tackle and a yellow card in the second minute. But the technically proficient wide man was good in all aspects, both up and down the pitch.