As we approach Round 3, we are no closer to determining which sides will stand out in the 2023 Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3 season.
Kinglake has been fabulous in both games this year. Their big win over Reservoir in Round 1 was followed up with a 25-point victory in the Country Cup over Kilmore at J.J. Clancy Reserve last week.
Joining them at the top of the ladder is Mernda as the only other team to record two wins so far. With the Demons notching up victories over Old Eltham Collegians and Laurimar to start the season, their stocks have risen strongly since the 2022 season.
Heidelberg West is also unbeaten but sits at 1-0 after having a bye in the opening round. Three teams in Old Eltham Collegians, Fitzroy Stars and Laurimar boast a 1-1 record with Kilmore, Reservoir and Lalor yet to record a victory.
Blues fans will need to wait a little longer for their first win of the season as they have the Round 3 bye.
Old Eltham Collegians will play host to the Fitzroy Stars at Eltham College. Stars fans may have been disappointed to go down to Heidelberg West last week, but that loss may not be as bad as it looked.
The Hawks won their previous night match back in early 2021 by a massive 77-points over the Turtles.
And while Heidelberg West is yet to play finals in Division 3, they have been extremely close to fourth spot in recent seasons, with many close games against the top echelon teams.
Lionel Proctor’s men then face Laurimar and Kinglake leading up to their Round 6 bye and those results, as well as this weekend’s, will likely start to clarify there the Stars sit in the scheme of things.
The Turtles would be favoured to win by most and would be keen to register a victory against a finals contender. With no previous clashes between the sides, coaches of both teams will be viewing tapes of the first two rounds to help formulate their plans.
With the loser likely to be out of the four at the end of the round, a keen tussle is anticipated.
Laurimar will be raging favourites when hosting Lalor at Laurimar Reserve. Although they currently sit back in sixth spot on the table, a sizable win is likely to propel them straight back into the top four.
The Power have an intriguing month of games ahead before the bye so a dominant victory to get back on the winners list will no doubt give last year’s grand finalists the confidence they need ahead of those battles.
Bloods fans will be looking for their team to match it with the top sides as they continue to rebuild.
Their last battle at this venue was the final home and away game of the 2022 season where the Power claimed a 138-point win. It would prove to be the Bloods’ lowest score for the season, so an improvement on that front at least will be a positive for Angelo Lamanna’s men.
Heidelberg West will be favoured to continue their winning ways when journeying to Crispe Park to take on Reservoir. It’s a must-win game for the Hawks as they chase that elusive finals berth.
Michael Missen will be keen for his men to continue momentum in this game as they face five finals contenders from Round’s 4 to 8 leading up to the King’s Birthday bye.
After a break in Round 2, the Mustangs can now look forward to a block of six straight games leading up to the mid-season break. These games will help Reservoir fans gauge the improvement of their team in 2023.
Following a 178-point loss to the Hawks early in 2022, Reservoir improved in their most recent clash in Round 14 last year, going down by 133 points. Another match where that deficit is reduced will show that Justin George’s side are on the right track in their development.
The top two teams face off at Kinglake Memorial Oval when Mernda travels to play Kinglake. While both teams have impressed many last weekend, the manner of their wins have been vastly different.
The Lakers won the game in the third term against Kilmore and then held their opponents at arm’s length in the final quarter to notch up a solid 25-point triumph.
Mernda established a big lead at half time against Laurimar and then had to withstand a serious Power comeback to claim a famous win.
Attempting to ascertain which team deserves the tag of favourites is quite difficult. The Demons probably get the nod after back-to-back wins over two sides some predicted to play on grand final day. But they have no experience at playing at Kinglake, so home ground advantage could assist the hosts.
The reward for the winner will be to sit a game clear on top of the table, which is vital place to be in such a competitive division.
