A tantalising suite of matches await fans as Round 2 beckons in what is already forming as a very strong Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3 Football competition.
After a summer of slogging it out on the track, teams took to the field with high hopes last weekend to kick off the season.
Kilmore hosted Lalor at J.J. Clancy Reserve, with many pundits tipping the Blues to be improvers in 2025. The home team delivered with a big 122-point triumph to see them at the top of the ladder.
Jaden Smith, who produced a four-goal performance in Kilmore’s reserves premiership win, impressed at senior level with another four in the victory on Saturday, while recruit Caleb Newport also slotted four to delight the home crowd. The Blues go to the bye, and then Easter and won’t be back in action until the 26th of April.
Hirsi Twomey returned to the Bloods after playing at Oak Park and was among the best, with other recruits Nicholas Eades and Nawid Najafi also featuring.
In a match featuring the runners-up of 2023 and 2024, Laurimar hosted the Fitzroy Stars at Laurimar Reserve. The Stars trailed narrowly at the main break but kicked eleven goals to six in the second half to win by 24-points.
Excitement machine Patrick Farrant kicked seven majors to grab an early lead in the goal-kicking ladder. Neville Jetta excelled as playing coach, while Jai Burns carried on his good form of 2024.
For the Power, recruit Stephen McCallum impressed as did vice-captain Kaiden Arthur.
Mernda hosted Epping at Waterview Recreation Reserve in a replay of the 2024 first semi-final which was won by the Demons to the tune to 34 points. The script was flipped this time, as the Blues came from eight points down at the main break to run away with an impressive 31-point victory.
Epping forward Daniel Rakhlin began the season well with a bag of four, while Jordan Wilkins shone and looks set for another good season.
Two recruits in Matthew Campbell and Lachlan Evans stood out for the Demons, with Campbell returning to his old club after several seasons in other leagues.
The battles between Heidelberg West and Old Eltham Collegians have been intriguing in recent years. Despite the Turtles finishing higher on the ladder than the Hawks, Heidelberg West had a five-game winning streak going against Old Eltham Collegians by the midway point of the 2024 season.
That streak was snapped late last year when the Turtles won by 91 points at Heidelberg Park. But it was Heidelberg West who prevailed over Old Eltham Collegians last weekend at the same venue. The Hawks jumped out of the blocks with a four goal to one first term and were never threatened on the way to a 35-point win.
Brad Moore starred in his return to the Hawks, while three-time Division 3 best and fairest Jarryd Coulson was back in club colours and marked his return with four majors. New recruit Liam Riley kicked two for the Turtles.
The twilight game saw Reservoir host Ivanhoe at Crispe Park. The Hoers controlled the game throughout on the way to a 53-point win. Wayne Schultz, who was runner-up in the league’s best and fairest last season, led from the front, while Liam Jacob acquitted himself well in his Ivanhoe debut.
Reservoir recruits Aaron Edwards (three goals) and Joshua Grabowski with two made a bright start for their new club.
Kinglake had the bye in Round 1 and will begin its campaign this weekend by welcoming Lalor to Kinglake Memorial Oval.
The Lakers would be keen to begin their season on a winning note after being slow out of the blocks in 2024 and based on their form in the back half of the previous season, the locals will be expecting a win. A key signing for the 2025 is Michael Florance from North Heidelberg, brother of coach Dave Florance, who is set to impress in the ruck.
The Bloods begin their season with back-to-back trips to the country. Their fans will be looking for the team to acquit themselves better this weekend as they look forward to their clash with Reservoir at Lalor Reserve in Round 3.
Old Eltham Collegians will play Reservoir at Eltham College, with both teams eager to get on the winners list after losing in the opening round. Based on last season’s results, where Old Eltham Collegians were finalists and the Mustangs were tenth, the Turtles would be expected to prevail.
But with significant changes to the lists of both sides, fans will be watching on with eager anticipation as they look to gauge how these two combatants will perform in 2025.
While Rohan Davies’ men would see a chance to claim a scalp early in the year, Matt Sleeman’s team would regard this as a must-win game as they seek to claim a spot in the top five.
Two outfits full of confidence and wishing to go 2-0 to start the season are Ivanhoe and Heidelberg West who are set to meet at Ivanhoe Park.
Based on the two meetings between these teams last year which resulted in 24 and 134-point wins by the Hoers, Ivanhoe should be warm favourites.
However, the Hawks look a stronger team this year and were very impressive last weekend. With the likes of Jarryd Coulson and Brad Moore back in the fold, this match-up shapes as a great contest.
The Fitzroy Stars and Mernda meet in a fascinating contest this week at Sir Douglas Nicholls Oval. These sides began 2024 as two of the front-runners for the flag, with many expecting both teams to be there on Grand Final day. The teams failed to meet in the finals series, with the Demons exiting on preliminary final day and the Stars losing the decider the following week.
It was 1-1 during the regular season in 2024, with Mernda winning a thriller at Waterview Recreation Reserve by a solitary behind and then the Stars exacting revenge to the tune of 31 points at Sir Douglas Nicholls Oval later in the year.
The Demons will be desperate to go to the Easter break 1-1 after losing last weekend, but the Stars look to be a formidable opponent. All eyes will be on Patrick Farrant this weekend, and while Stars fans will hope to see him shine, Mernda will be aiming to win the midfield battle and cut off supply. An enthralling contest is likely.
Laurimar travels to Epping Recreational Reserve to play Epping in what promises to be an exciting confrontation. The Blues kicked off their season with a great win over Mernda and will be looking to continue their excellent start to the season.
The Power will be hoping to atone for last week’s loss and square the ledger leading up to Easter. The only year in which these teams clashed was way back in 2017, the year that Laurimar entered the senior men’s competition.
Jimmy Atkins’ men will be looking to get the ball to their top recruit in Patrick Fitzgerald, who began the season with four majors. Epping coach Brad Hollow will have prized signing Brent Macaffer on the ball, which will greatly help against a strong Laurimar midfield.
Regardless of who gets on top, this spectacle is sure to draw a big crowd.
