VFL Round 7: Borough to battle the bloodthirsty Sharks

Coming up this weekend, the almighty Borough will face off against the 2024 VFL runner ups, the fierce Southport Sharks.

With the Sharks coming off a close fought 3-point loss to Williamstown in Round 6, they will be keen to get back into the winner’s column.

Standing in their way is the red and blue men from Port Melbourne, who enter this matchup with some momentum after claiming their first win of the season last week against the Northern Bullants.

Southport has had a prolific start to their season, collecting four wins from five games and sitting comfortably at 2nd on the table.

The backline group highlighted by co-captain Jacob Dawson alongside Boyd Woodcock has been a point of difference for Southport this season.

Both Dawson (34.4) and Woodcock (28.0) are among the top 10 disposal leaders for the VFL this season, providing a spark for the Sharks defensively.

Given Southport is only allowing its opponents an average score of 71 points a game, the ball movement of the Borough will need to be in top shape.

Coach Brendan McCartney says the team looking to build on what we have been working on in the last 5 weeks.  Each week we have had good patches in our contest work, ball movement and our defending, with some inconsistent passages where our opposition has been able to capitalise on our lapses.   This week we face a strong opposition interstate which is a challenge but also a great opportunity.  Southport has been able to dominate its opponents with possessions, our focus is to win th ball at the source and apply a lot of defensive pressure to their outside game.

The intensity of the Borough is a part of their game style they take pride in and has been top tier from the opening round.

Their desire to win the ground ball has been unmatched as well as their hunt for the footy through their immense tackling.

The sheer determination of the Borough can be the sole difference between a win or loss.

The ruck matchup between Brayden Crossley and Ajang Kuol Mun will be one to watch.

With Crossley leading the VFL in hitouts (40.0 per game), Kuol Mun will need to capitalise on his size and strength to create an even contest around the stoppages.

It will be a challenge for Port Melbourne this weekend given the form Southport find themselves in, but they have the pieces to put together a victorious outcome.

Be sure to tune into what hopes to be a cracking matchup, this Saturday the 10^th of May.

The game is set to kick off  with a 12.05PM bounce time out at Fankhauser Reserve, home of the Sharks.