Round 4 of A Plus Labour Solutions Division 2 looks set to be another exciting round as sides look to separate themselves from the congested pack and prove their premiership credentials.
A logjam has already emerged on the ladder, with six sides sitting on two wins after the opening three rounds.
Undefeated duo Banyule and Watsonia top the table despite playing one less game, however only percentage keeps them perched above sixth-placed Eltham – making it crucial to continue winning form.
Watsonia is back in action after two weeks off when it hosts Banyule at A.K. Lines Reserve. Only one side in the competition will remain unbeaten following the contest, unless there is a draw.
The Saints have endured a lengthy break due to the Easter weekend and then a bye in Round 3 but have been the competition’s most improved side in the early stages of the season under new mentor George Lattouf.
Their last start was a convincing win in the Round 2 outing against Epping, which
doubled their win tally from last season after just two rounds.
While the Saints’ two wins have come against the competition’s two bottom-placed sides, the convincing manner they have notched their victories must give them faith ahead of a tough month of upcoming fixtures.
Adrian Alfonsi has made a brilliant return from an injury layoff and has nine goals in two starts this year, while Michael Perfetto has been among the best players on the ground in his first two games with the club after joining from West Preston-Lakeside.
Banyule also has two wins from two games, with the Bears shaping as the early-season premiership favourite given their red-hot form to start the new campaign.
After downing Eltham comfortably in their opening game, the Bears’ second victory was even more dominant – thrashing St Mary’s in the twilight game on Anzac Day at Beverley Road Oval.
The Bears led from the outset and were unrelenting throughout the 112-point demolition, which perched them at the top of the A Plus Labour Solutions Division 2 ladder.
Scott Gumbleton and recruit Ricky Dyson played their first game of the season in the big triumph.
Recruits Reuben Blackmore-Moore and Jack Langford each made their presence felt with commanding performances, while Mannon Johnston and Mitch Lovell came away with four-goal hauls.
Eltham hosts Fitzroy Stars at Eltham Central Park in what looks to be an intriguing match-up.
The Panthers bounced back from a tough loss to Banyule in Round 2 with a vital come-from-behind triumph over Whittlesea last week. The result kept the Panthers within percentage of the top-four.
Trailing all day, the Panthers were able to overcome a 15-point three-quarter time deficit to outscore the Eagles by four goals in the final term and come away with a much-needed 14-point win.
Darcy Vallance, Anton Woods and Ben Montanaro were named in Eltham’s best, while teenage forward Jesse King booted three goals in his first senior game of the year.
The Panthers’ line-up is still without the likes of Tim, Paul and Sean Currie and Tom Rogers, but could be bolstered by former Collingwood player Adam Oxley against the Stars. The rebounding defender is aligned to Collingwood’s VFL side this year, however the Magpies have a bye this weekend.
Fitzroy will be on the hunt for its first win of the season after suffering yet another tight loss, this time to Thomastown by 11 points. The Stars have now lost their opening two matches by a total of just 25 points.
The Stars led for the majority of the Anzac Day match and had an eight-point buffer at the final change, but a four-goal to one final term in favour of Thomastown was enough for the Bears to overturn the result.
This week’s match becomes vital for the Stars, who despite showing plenty of improvement this year have now slipped two games behind a host of their fellow finals’ contenders. A 0-3 start to the season would be less than ideal in what looks a very tough competition in 2019.
Thomastown and Diamond Creek will both be looking to improve their record to 3-1 when they meet in an anticipated match-up at Main Street Recreation Reserve.
Few would forget their most recent encounter in Round 18 last year, when at the same venue Thomastown came from 50 points behind to lose by just two points – pinching the last finals spot off the Creekers on percentage.
Thomastown was gutsy in its come-from-behind win over the Fitzroy Stars on Anzac Day, in a result that could prove telling when determining finals places later in the year.
Three-goal hauls from Daniel Caruso and Anthony Capeci were pivotal in ensuring the comeback came to fruition, while Daniel Chadwick and Jacob Osei-Duro were named among their side’s best in the win.
Diamond Creek bounced back strongly after a fadeout loss to Whittlesea the round prior, putting Epping to the sword in the second half to run away with a 49-point win on Anzac Day.
Leading by just seven-points at half-time, the Creekers burst out of the blocks in the third term to kick eight goals to two, before keeping the Blues’ goalless in a dour final term.
Oliver Stapleton and Jack Empey continued their strong early-season form, recruit Sean Casey again played well, while Nathan Searl returned to the goal kickers with a haul of three.
Diamond Creek had trouble getting past Thomastown in 2018 – losing the opening two outings between the sides, before suffering the massive fadeout in Round 18, where a two-point win felt like a loss.
Whittlesea will be favoured to bounce back from its first defeat of the season when it hosts a St Mary’s outfit who will be hungry to taste its first win in A Plus Labour Solutions Division 2.
The Eagles faded out during their 14-point loss to Eltham last weekend, despite leading for the majority of the match. After impressing greatly during the first half, the Eagles failed to run out the game against a fast-finishing Panthers line-up.
Despite the disappointing loss, there were several highlights for the Eagles – most notably the continued red-hot form of Xavier Dimasi. The star on-baller polled 10 votes in the Coaches MVP award and has now racked up 29 of a possible 30 votes in the opening three games.
Jaron Murphy and Jack Dyson both played well and finished with three majors each, while youngsters Blake Watson and Blake Fitzgerald both showed good signs in promising performances.
St Mary’s tough start to life in second division continued in Round 3, suffering its heaviest defeat of the year in a 22.19 (151) to 5.9 (39) result against Banyule. The Burra hung in early, before being completely outclassed by an opponent in blistering form early in 2019.
Jacob Yeomans, Nicholas Dean and Mitchell Green were again named in St Mary’s best players, while Rhys Rigoni looked up to the grade in his senior debut.
The Burra will have fond memories of Whittlesea Showgrounds – the scene of last year’s Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3 grand final win – and will hope to create more history on the ground this week.
