Nicholas James Lawyers Men’s Match Preview: Back-to-Back on the Line at The Grange
A huge thanks to Nicholas James Lawyers for presenting this weekend’s men’s fixture.
Last week marked the 60th Anniversary of the infamous UFO sighting over The Grange Reserve in 1966.
The Royals men head to the very same spot this Friday to take on Kingston City, and if the past fortnight is anything to go by, we should expect more tales of the unexplained and unexpected.
4-0 up and cruising against Whittlesea United in Round 8, the final 20 minutes seemed like the invasion of the body snatchers. The performance in the first hour was the best football the Royals have produced all season, but nearly blowing that deserved lead was a wake-up call. Too often, panic has set in after conceding a goal.
The seven-goal thriller was the Royals’ second win on the bounce in all competitions, after prevailing 4-2 over Brunswick Zebras in the Dockerty Cup in extra time. The Zebras were physical and fired-up to face opponents from a higher division, and while conceding early against a State League side will have dented Essendon’s pride, avoiding the potential banana skin was a credit to their resilience.
Round 9 at The Grange Reserve is a chance to make it back-to-back league wins for the first time in 2026, and the table says there is every reason to chase it hard.
Kingston City sit 8th on 10 points with a game in hand on most of the division, while the Royals are a single adrift. Win on Friday night and the Royals climb past Kingston, close in on the pack fighting for the top six, and turn what has been a stop-start start to the season into a genuine run at the promotion mix. Drop it, and the margin for error gets thinner as the fixtures keep rolling.
Kingston have conceded the fewest goals in the league by some distance, built around a compact shape and a backline that does not give much up in open play. The flip side is that they do not create a huge amount either, with only seven goals scored in six games, so the match is likely to hinge on the Royals’ ability to force tempo, win second balls, and take their moments when they come. Home advantage at The Grange, a surface the Kingston players know well, tilts the evening towards a tactical grind more than an open contest.
The individual storyline worth following is Jordan Adeyemi, who has seven goals in eight games and sits third in the VPL Men 2 scoring charts, behind only Michael Hughes at Goulburn Valley Suns and Michael Hornsby at Malvern City. With a brace in each of his last two outings, Kingston’s defensive record will get its sternest test of the season – provided the supply line from Marcus Kotronis and Dean Clarke matches what it was last Friday.
This is the moment for the Royals to show that the last fortnight was no fluke. Kick-off is 7:45pm in Clayton South, and a travelling contingent in red and white would not go astray.
As the famous poster reads on Mulder and Scully’s wall: I Want To Believe.
Forza Royals!
