No side is safe to keep their spot on the ladder ahead of Round 5 of the 2023 Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3 season.
While Kinglake remains the only team with four wins, Heidelberg West and Laurimar boast three wins apiece with Mernda and Old Eltham Collegians both a game further back.
Pat Cronin Foundation Round saw Kilmore open their account for the season with a 116-point win over Reservoir at J.J. Clancy Reserve.
It was Paul Derrick’s first win in charge of the Blues after stepping up from an assistant role last year. Derrick’s son Ethan excelled with five goals, while Jake Beattie’s talents were on display throughout the afternoon.
The Mustangs were highly competitive in the third term and could’ve won the quarter had they kicked straight. They were also a chance for their first loss under 100-points for the year until a strong last term by the home team blew the margin out.
“We are learning every week”, Reservoir coach Justin George said.
“If we continue to play with effort, we will find success.”
George praised the work of Ryan Evans in the ruck as well as the efforts of Nelson Macdonald and Tom Dunn.
Laurimar made its first trip to Sir Douglas Nicholls Oval to take on the Fitzroy Stars. A downpour during the reserves match made for difficult conditions, but the Power flew out of the blocks with a 5.7 to 1.3 first term and never looked back in recording a 45-point victory.
“Proud of our effort around the contest,” Laurimar coach Jimmy Atkins said.
“We adapted to the conditions and played the better footy on the day.”
Atkins liked the work of Noah Mooney at centre half forward as well as Campbell Walker, who played his first game for the season.
Fitzroy Stars coach Lionel Proctor was pleased that his side fought it out to the end despite the defeat.
“Loved the way we competed, but we didn’t capitalise on our opportunities,” he said.
“The contest work from both sides was good, but they had the polish.”
The Stars debuted twins James and Connor Trajkovski and both mightily impressed, along with the ever-reliable Jai Burns who kicked one of his side’s two majors.
Kinglake continued its undefeated streak to start 2023 with a 170-point victory over Lalor at Lalor Reserve. Leigh Gilbert returned to the team and showed his class with six goals while Rory McIntyre and Joe Slattery also stood out, the latter receiving 10 Coaches MVP Award votes.
“Really pleased that we stuck to our process and game structures without wavering,” Kinglake coach Andrew Fairchild said.
The Bloods have the bye in Round 5 before a home game against Reservoir at Lalor Reserve.
Heidelberg West pulled away from Old Eltham Collegians early in the third term at Heidelberg Park and the Hawks were able to hold off the Turtles late to record an 18-point win. The victory puts Michael Missen’s team a game clear of the Turtles with a game in hand.
Some fascinating matchups await fans in Round 5 action. The Hawks and the Lakers, which weren’t the first mentioned when trying to tip a premier before the season began, now find themselves undefeated and aiming to continue their respective runs.
Heidelberg West has back-to-back home games when hosting Kilmore at Heidelberg Park.
The Hawks would fancy their chances to keep their streak going and won the corresponding match last year at this venue by 45 points.
Despite having lost a plethora of players since 2022 and now losing Bailey Taylor-Egan for an extended period, the Blues could still be a dangerous proposition for the Hawks.
A confidence-boosting triumph last week over Reservoir may have acted as a pressure relief valve for Kilmore and a win at Heidelberg Park this week would put them right back in the mix to challenge for a top four spot.
Mernda come off the bye to play Reservoir at Crispe Park, as teams coming off the bye to play the Mustangs is a repetitive theme in 2023.
Stunning the pundits, the Demons claimed victories over Old Eltham Collegians and Laurimar to open the season, before losing to Kinglake prior to their bye.
The most recent clash between these teams yielded a 106-point win to Mernda in Round 16 last season. The Mustangs will be looking to better that score line while tuning up for their Round 6 encounter with Lalor.
The Fitzroy Stars travel to Kinglake Memorial Oval to tackle Kinglake in a clash of the new teams in the division.
Many pundits were unsure as to where each team would place on the ladder, but the Lakers haven’t put a foot wrong in their 4-0 start to the season.
Conversely, the Stars have just the one win and so will go into the game as outsiders. But the tenacity that they showed in that last half against Laurimar last week suggests that better form could come soon.
Laurimar hosts Old Eltham Collegians at Laurimar Reserve and if 2022 form is anything to go by, a thriller is likely.
The Turtles defeated the Power in both meetings last season, registering wins of three points in Round 4 at Eltham College and then by a solitary point at Laurimar Reserve in Round 12.
That previous battle match saw Jacson Cecil boot six for the Power, while Nick Snowdon and Nick Milne combined for five majors, with each to again be fighting hard to give their talented forwards the best looks at goal this week.
Included in the mix of potent forwards is Old Eltham Collegians recruit Matthew Williamson who heads the goal-kicking table with 18, while Micah Vecchio has been among the goals for Laurimar this season.
Laurimar would be keen for revenge this time in a game which looks to be a tough one for the tipsters. With Old Eltham Collegians a game behind the Power on the ladder, they can draw level on three wins apiece with a victory, but to overtake them on percentage would be unlikely as this would require a margin in the order of 45 points.
