Four sides will be looking to back up their impressive Round 1 victories ahead of this week’s Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3 action.
Two new teams entered Division 3 in 2023 and both recorded brilliant wins against the cellar-dwellers of 2022. In their first game in the division, Fitzroy Stars hosted Lalor at Sir Douglas Nicholls Oval and notched up a 114-point triumph.
The Stars and Bloods boasted a total of 23 new players combined in their opening round line-ups, although several “new” Stars players were returning to the club after having represented the team in past years.
Recruits Hedley Smith and Jai Burns both scored multiple goals for the victors, while Anthony Walker featured among the best players.
Lalor recruits Moussa Ali and Jake Wheeldon impressed in their debuts.
Kinglake scored the biggest win of the round with a 151-point victory over Reservoir at Kinglake Memorial Oval. Former North Heidelberg captain Leigh Gilbert heads the goal-kicking table after slotting six majors in the win as the Lakers booted ten goals to nil in the final term.
Ryan Evans kicked two goals for a Mustangs side who will now reset following a Round 2 bye.
Recent contests between Laurimar and Kilmore have either been thrillers or comfortable wins for the Power. The latter was the case as the Power booted seven goals to nil in the first half at Laurimar Reserve and went on with the job in the third term to seal the deal.
The final margin was 70-points, with Jacson Cecil kicking 5 goals. The Power looked like a team eager for promotion to Division 2 and they have begun their 2023 campaign in style.
Blues recruit Mitch Portoglou excelled in his debut game in what was otherwise a disappointing first up performance for Paul Derrick’s side.
Mernda was not highly touted as a 2023 finals chance, but pulled off the upset of the round and potentially upset of the season by defeating Old Eltham Collegians by 30-points at Eltham College. A 3.2 to 0.1 first term set the tone for the day and the Demons never looked back.
Recruits Shannon Bennett and Billy Morrison featured strongly in what was a huge result for a club starved of finals appearances in recent years.
Despite prized recruits Luke Crowley and Liam Rushton-McCoach featuring in the best for the Turtles, they never looked likely and their fans will rue a wasteful score line of 2.10.
Round 2 action begins on Friday night at 7:50pm when Heidelberg West and the Fitzroy Stars face off at Heidelberg Park. With the Hawks having the Round 1 bye and the Stars winning last week over the 2022 wooden spooners, it is difficult to line up the comparative form for these teams.
Pundits generally expect both teams to be in the hunt for a finals berth, so this clash will give an early guide to how each team is shaping up. If the previous night game at Heidelberg Park is anything to go by, Heidelberg West would be strongly fancied.
Back in the opening round of the 2021 season, the Hawks had a massive 77-point win against Old Eltham Collegians.
Recruits for the Hawks include Banyule’s Daniel Kelly and Old Ivanhoe’s Dan Cookson. They’ve also welcomed Connor Hehir (Marcellin), Max Post (Ivanhoe) and Dylan Scott (Gembrook), so fans will watch their progress with interest.
Another contest of interest sees Mernda host Laurimar at Waterview Recreation Reserve. This local derby is a clash of arguably the two most impressive winners of last week. It would be a dream start for the Demons if they could knock over the team many are tipping for the 2023 flag.
But, if anything, the Power was the best performed team in the opening round, so it shapes as an enthralling contest well worth watching.
Old Eltham Collegians will be looking to return to the winners list when travelling to Lalor Reserve to take on Lalor. With the Turtles going deep into the 2022 finals series and Lalor rebuilding, a comfortable win for Matt Sleeman’s men would be the likely result, however last week proved that anything is possible.
Bloods fans will be able to get a sense of progress in their Round 2 encounter as they front up against a 2022 finalist. Their most recent clash yielded a 128-point win by Old Eltham Collegians at Eltham College last season.
Kilmore hosts Kinglake at J.J. Clancy Reserve in a match will give Lakers fans a good guide to their prospects for the 2023 season.
So far so good, after Kinglake recorded what was probably was a bigger win than many expected in their debut game. The Blues will be a sterner test than Reservoir, but the Lakers should go into the tussle full of confidence.
Kilmore will be keen to not only square the ledger with a win against the Lakers but show that they have the talent to cover the loss of 2022 best and fairest Chris Ryall.
Despite the football grounds of the teams being 60 kilometres apart, games between these sides may have the feel of a local derby as they are the two northernmost teams in the division. A large crowd is expected to see this fascinating contest as both sides play for the newly created Country Cup.
