Fresh off the Easter bye, teams will be hitting Round 3 with great anticipation in Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3.
Ivanhoe is undefeated and sits atop the ladder, and alongside them on two wins are the Fitzroy Stars. Also unbeaten are Kilmore and Kinglake who each have a win and a bye to date.
Coming off the Round 1 bye, Kinglake kicked off its season against Lalor at Kinglake Memorial Oval with a strong 87-point win. Key recruits Michael Florance and Dylan Hoysted began their year well for the Lakers, with Hoysted slotting four majors.
Sam Rexhepi hit the scoreboard with two goals for a Bloods side, who will be keen to return home after playing back-to-back road games.
Old Eltham Collegians claimed their maiden win for 2025 after coming from behind at half time to defeat Reservoir at Eltham College by 36 points. The combined total points in this match was 200, which was last achieved in 2023 at this venue. Recruit James McCallum impressed for the Turtles, while Thomas Burns booted four.
The Mustangs were in the game for a long time and were well served by Rob Holland and Aaron Edwards, who kicked four goals.
Ivanhoe made it two from two with a convincing 57-point win over Heidelberg West at Ivanhoe Park. Andy Otten returned for the Hoers and slotted six goals, while recruit Marcus Rogers contributed well and finished with 10 Coaches MVP Award votes. The Hoers have the bye in Round 3.
Impressive young defender Max Brown was among the best for the Hawks, who managed to finish well in the final term but were too far back to give themselves any realistic chance.
The Fitzroy Stars had a comprehensive 47-point win over Mernda at Sir Douglas Nicholls Oval. WA recruit Elijah Taylor kicked six majors for the Stars who were brilliant early and had an eight-goal lead at the main break.
It was a disappointing day for Demons fans who go to the bye at 0-2, but recruit Brayden Plant presented well with four goals.
Laurimar and Epping were involved in a battle at Epping Recreational Reserve. The Power seemed to be in control of the contest for most of the day, but the win wasn’t sealed until the final minutes, with the visitors claiming an 11-point victory.
Laurimar’s Patrick Fitzgerald was best on ground with eight majors, while former Turtles Brent Macaffer and Matthew Williamson shone for the Blues. Williamson booted five, including two late goals to reduce the deficit.
After the Easter break, teams now face an extended period of weekly games, with their two byes to come (only one for Kilmore and Kinglake) being their only weeks off until finals.
Some fascinating clashes await fans on Anzac weekend with several games laying claim to Match of the Day status.
It begins on Anzac Day as two finalists from last season in the Fitzroy Stars and Old Eltham Collegians clash at Sir Douglas Nicholls Oval.
The Stars are flying under new coach Neville Jetta and would be most people’s tip to win this one. With a classy midfield sending the ball to the dangerous forwards, they look hard to stop.
Adding to their favouritism is the unveiling of former Adeliade and Carlton AFL star Eddie Betts, who will pull on the boots for the club for the first time. Betts alone will be worth the price of admission alone as intrigue surrounds how well he’ll sync with his fellow Stars teammates.
The Turtles recovered from a loss to Heidelberg West in the opening round to withstand a challenge from an improved Reservoir outfit in Round 2. Matt Sleeman’s men are renowned for finding a way to win in recent years and have been consistent finals performers as a result.
The most recent match between these teams was at this venue last season when the Stars registered a seven-point win.
Kicking off a strong slate of Saturday April 26th games are Laurimar and Mernda who are set for their first meeting since facing off in the 2023 Grand Final thriller, which the Power won by a goal. While both outfits hope to be well entrenched in the top five by year’s end, Laurimar is 1-1 and currently seventh on the ladder while the Demons are 10th and without a victory.
Mernda will be desperate to get on the board this round, but it will be a difficult assignment to be able to overcome Laurimar on their home deck.
Robert Fletcher’s men do have Lachlan Evans and Matthew Campbell in form, while teenager Lincoln Coffey impressed in the previous round. If they can restrict the supply to Patrick Fitzgerald, it will go a long way towards Mernda getting the four points.
Jimmy Atkins’ men rebounded from a loss to the Stars to record a hard-fought win over Epping last round. With classy players of the ilk of Kaiden Arthur and Joel Lawson up forward to support Fitzgerald, Power fans would approach this match with a good degree of confidence in what shapes as an important early season encounter.
Epping has back-to-back home games either side of the Easter break, the second of which is against Kinglake this weekend at Epping Recreational Reserve.
The Lakers had a strong win against 2024 wooden spooners in Lalor in their only game so far this year and now get to test themselves against a team that played finals last season.
Brad Hollow’s team should be hard to beat on the back of a convincing win over Mernda followed by a close loss to the Power. Macaffer and Williamson have hit the ground running and have added to an already dangerous midfield and forward setup.
Dave Florance will be keen for his team to get off to a good start just like they did in 2023 when they started with a 7-1 record. With games against Kilmore and Laurimar to come, the Lakers will sense this clash as an opportunity to stay in the pack.
Two teams looking to establish themselves as a finals contender in 2025 face off when Heidelberg West hosts Kilmore at Heidelberg Park.
The Blues are one from one, with a big home win over Lalor at J.J. Clancy Reserve before their Round 2 bye.
The Hawks looked great with a comfortable win over the Turtles in the opening round before losing to Ivanhoe the following week. Their fans will be hoping that their Round 1 form is the better indicator of their 2025 chances.
Paul Derrick’s men have won the last two clashes at this venue, including a shock two-point triumph in 2023 as huge underdogs. Blues fans will be hoping that this trend continues.
In what has become an important contest in recent times, Lalor lock horns with Reservoir at Lalor Reserve. These teams have been cellar-dwellers in the past few years but have both been on the improve over the last 12 months.
The Mustangs look to have performed better so far this year, especially when considering that they led Old Eltham Collegians at half time a fortnight ago before going down by 36 points.
Newly acquired Aaron Edwards has proven to be a target up forward and sits equal second on the goal-kicking table with seven majors. He has been well supported by Joshua Grabowski who has four goals for the season to date, while captain Joseph Palazzolo has been influential.
The Bloods have been soundly beaten so far, but both losses came in the two longest road trips the team will make this season. Lance Whitnall’s men will feel much more comfortable on their home deck, and they would have pencilled in this match-up as a chance to secure their maiden win for 2025.
Hirsi Twomey’s return to the club as captain has been a success and he has impressed in both games so far. Bloods fans will be hoping he gives his team first use of the ball and that they can get the ball into the hands of Sam Rexhepi, who was the league’s leading goal-kicker in 2024.
A large crowd is sure to be there to witness this intriguing local derby, and the fans of the triumphant side will celebrate heartily.
