Writer: James Woite

Men

 

Norwood Flames (10-3) v Southern Tigers (1-11)

The Flames will be chasing their first home win over the Tigers since 2012, in Saturday night’s clash at Mars. The Flames racked up their 10^th win of the season in their last match, reversing their Round 1 loss to West with a 77-69 victory. Elsewhere, the Tigers’ loss to Sturt sent them to their 11^th defeat of 2015. The Flames have already beaten the Tigers twice this season.

West Adelaide Bearcats (9-4) v Sturt Sabres (5-7)

The Bearcats will be attempting a 3-0 sweep of the Sabres in their Round 13 battle at Port Adelaide. The Bearcats defeated Eastern 101-93 in their most recent encounter, ending a two game losing streak and earning their ninth win of 2015. The Sabres have recovered from a streak of one win from eight games with back-to-back triumphs. Their most recent success came at the expense of Southern, by a score line of 81-62. The Bearcats’ average winning margin against the Sabres this year is eight points.

 

Woodville Warriors (11-2) v North Adelaide Rockets (9-3)

The Warriors will be attempting to avoid back-to-back defeats for the first time this season, when they host the Rockets at St Clair. Prior to the June long weekend, the Warriors had the chance to complete 10 successive wins. They led South by eight points at half-time, but were outscored by 12 in the final 20 minutes, ultimately falling 85-89. The Rockets’ last loss was also to the Panthers. They have won twice since, including a 79-70 triumph over Eastern on May 30. The winner of this match will hold the tie-breaker advantage, should these teams finish on equal wins at the end of the regular season. The Warriors won the most recent meeting between these teams, after the Rockets were victorious back in Round 2.

 

Eastern Mavericks (2-10) v Central District Lions (3-9)

The Lions will be hoping to avoid falling further behind the top five, when they make the trip east to take on the Mavericks at Adelaide Hills. A repeat of 2014’s trip to the Semi Finals is continuing to look unlikely for the Lions, especially after their 73-85 loss to Sturt in Round 12. They are now three wins below number five ranked South. The Mavericks fell eight points short of West in their last match, dropping to 2-10 in the process. This series is currently tied at 1-1, with the Lions winning at Starplex, and the Mavericks emerging victorious at Adelaide Arena.

 

Forestville Eagles (6-6) v South Adelaide Panthers (6-7)

In the Match of the Round, the Eagles-Panthers clash at Wayville this week could have a large bearing on who ends up with fifth spot. The Eagles are 6-6, having won their past two matches. The Panthers are 6-7, on the back of four successive victories. There have been two games between these sides so far in 2015, with the series split at 1-1. Whoever emerges victorious on Saturday will not only be in the top five for now, but hold, potentially, the most important tiebreaker of the regular season.