More important clashes await as teams set themselves for round 9 action of Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3 football.
All the favourites won in Round 8 with the ladder starting to take shape.
Epping took on Kilmore at Epping Recreational Reserve. A ten goal to five first half set up the 32-point win for Brad Hollow’s men who have now won three on the trot, with the potent forward line once again on fire.
Last week, Matthew Williamson, Seb Latina and Daniel Rakhlin all booted five majors. This week, Williamson slotted four and the other two each kicked three.
Paul Derrick’s men toiled away valiantly and were better after half time, without looking like bridging the gap. Captain Chris Barton led the way with another strong performance.
Old Eltham Collegians welcomed Kinglake to Eltham College in what some saw as a danger game for the Lakers. The home team was within striking distance at the main break with a small deficit of 13 points.
But Dave Florance’s men kicked five unanswered goals in the third term to seal the deal and went on to win by 47-points. Mason McAllister is having a great season and again impressed for the victors. The same can be said for Damian Pywell who kicked three goals.
Daniel Hallett returned for the Turtles and performed well, as did Sam Warren.
Ivanhoe ventured to Sir Douglas Nicholls Oval to take on league leaders the Fitzroy Stars. The home side had yet another brilliant start and led by 37-points at the first break on the way to a 45-point victory. Kain Proctor wowed the locals with a great display which included three goals.
The Hoers were too far back to challenge after quarter time, but did well limit the damage thereafter. Playing coach Wayne Schultz and Michael Doyle again led the way for the visitors.
Laurimar played Lalor at Laurimar Reserve and consolidated their spot on the table with a big 145-point triumph, the biggest winning margin for the year to date as well as the highest score.
Patrick Fitzgerald was unstoppable with a bag of ten, while Jake Francis joined the party with four. Jimmy Atkins’ men go to the bye well placed to firm up the double chance.
It was tough day for the Bloods, but Heath Patton continued his stellar season with another great performance.
Mernda and Reservoir faced off at Waterview Recreation Reserve in an entertaining game that was the closest tussle of the round. The second term won it for the Demons when they booted eight goals to three to lead at half time by 38-points.
The Mustangs were 42-points down midway through the third, but kicked six unanswered goals either side of three quarter time to reduce the deficit to a solitary goal with plenty of time left on the clock.
The locals were relieved when Robert Fletcher’s men kicked the final two goals of the contest to claim a 17-point victory.
Josh Mazzarella and Jayden Bell were best for Mernda. Aaron Edwards had his biggest haul for the year with nine for Reservoir, while Josh Grabowski did enough to ensure he continues to challenge for the Coaches MVP.
The Fitzroy Stars remain undefeated on seven wins and a game in hand on Laurimar who also have seven victories. Epping is two wins adrift, with Kinglake and Mernda rounding out the top five with four wins.
Reservoir, Kilmore and Ivanhoe are just outside the five on three victories.
Round 9 action promises to provide plenty of interest, including the clash between Reservoir and Epping at Crispe Park.
The Blues are in good form with high scores in three wins on the trot. Coach Brad Hollow would be looking for a fourth consecutive victory to take them to the round 10 bye well placed to grab what looks to be the final double chance, with the Stars and Laurimar seemingly having a firm grip on the other two spots.
The Mustangs will be aiming to snap a two-game losing streak and will be desperate to do so, given that they are playing the top two sides after the Epping clash.
With the Blues having plenty of in-form forward targets in Daniel Rakhlin, Seb Latina and Matthew Williamson, they will score heavily if they get supply from the midfield.
Up the other end, Aaron Edwards is in hot form and can slot goals from difficult angles, so an entertaining shoot-out is a distinct possibility. With the chance to regain a top five spot, the Mustangs will be highly focussed on their home ground to continue their resurgence for 2025. However, they are likely to go in as slight underdogs in a fascinating encounter.
Ivanhoe will be looking to get back on the winners list when hosting Lalor at Ivanhoe Reserve. The Hoers have just recorded a trio of losses against the top three teams to see them fall out of the top five.
Wayne Schultz’s men will be the tip for most pundits this week, given the home ground advantage and ladder positions, and a win would put them close to the five.
Fans of the Bloods would regard this clash as a bit easier than last week’s trip to Laurimar Reserve. And, although facing back-to-back away games which adds to the difficulty, Lance Whitnall’s men acquitted themselves quite well at this venue last season when going down by only 20 points.
Heidelberg West comes off the bye to play the Fitzroy Stars at Heidelberg Park. The Stars have been irrepressible this season and their fans will be confident that their unbeaten run will continue.
The Hawks lost to the Stars at this venue last year by 46-points, but did win both contests against the Stars back in 2023. The month of June pits Dale Mayne’s men against four teams in the hunt for finals. If they can win at least half of these tough challenges, their hopes of playing finals will still be alive, with this Saturday being the toughest test of them all.
Kilmore hosts Old Eltham Collegians at J.J. Clancy Reserve in a must-win game for the Blues. After beginning the year at 3-0, they now have lost their past four contests and slipped out of the top five. They have a chance of going straight back in with a victory and will be strong favourites to prevail.
The Turtles are also on a losing streak, having lost their past six matches after overrunning Reservoir at Eltham College in round 2. Matt Sleeman’s men may see this as a chance to snap their losing streak, having won at their last visit to this venue by 33-points back in 2023.
The home ground fans will be cheering hard for their team to register a win and get their season back on track.
An intriguing and crucial match-up sees four playing five when Kinglake hosts Mernda at Kinglake Memorial Oval. The Lakers bounced back from a defeat at the hands of the Fitzroy Stars to easily account for Old Eltham Collegians last weekend and so Dave Florance’s men should approach this contest with some confidence.
Adding to their positive outlook is the fact that Kinglake is 2-0 against Mernda at this venue. The Lakers were never in doubt in the 2023 encounter, while last year’s clash in round 14 went down to the wire, with a four-point result.
Robert Fletcher’s men have been building nicely and have followed three straight losses against the top three sides with four wins on the trot. If the Demons can prevail in this challenging road trip, they should be well placed as they play two teams in the lower parts of the ladder following.
With the loser in big danger of dropping out of the top five, a great contest looms.
