Round 3 of the MC Labour Division 2 season continues this weekend, with some exciting fixtures to look forward to.
With nine out of the 10 sides already in the winner’s column after the first two rounds, this weekend’s action could see sides begin to pull away or fall behind from the pack.
Current ladder leaders Eltham will be looking to keep their undefeated run going when they take on Lower at Eltham Central Park.
Eltham have had a positive start to 2022, having won their opening two games by an average winning margin of 33 points. They will be eager to do the same when they take on the Bears this Saturday.
Despite a slow start against Diamond Creek, the Panthers turned the tables in the next three quarters and proved that they will once again be a strong side in the competition. Matthew Williamson and Bradyn Taglieri put in impressive performances in the 37-point win.
The Panthers would also be pleased by their spread of attack, with Robert Hyde’s side producing nine individual goalkickers in their round 2 victory.
It didn’t take long for Lower Plenty to get their season back on track, with a 102-point win over the Fitzroy Stars to record their first on the season.
Darcy Barden was influential around the ground, while William Barden and Tom Keys were dangerous up forward, kicking 11 goals between them. If the Bears want to record back-to-back wins, they’ll need the duo to be prolific again.
These two sides always produce great contests, their last four meetings have had an average final margin of just over eight points, one of those games being the famous 2018 Division 2 Grand Final.
Playing their first home game of the season, Diamond Creek will look to bounce back against a red-hot Banyule.
Having surprised Thomastown in their season opener, the Creekers were unable to scalp another contender, going down by 37 points to Eltham almost a fortnight ago.
Down by just 10 points at quarter time, the Creekers would fall away in the remainig three terms, with Joel Randall and Nathan Searl the standouts in the losing effort.
A concern for Diamond Creek over the past two rounds has been their wayward kicking, having kicked a total of 15 goals and 26 behinds for the season. It’s something they’ll need to address if they are to win more games.
Having faced Thomastown and Eltham in the opening two rounds of the season, the Creekers are in for another challenge. Their opponents come into Saturday’s game undefeated, establishing themselves as a strong premiership contender early in the campaign.
Facing a scare against Thomastown last week, Banyule never led at any of the first three changes, but rallied home to win by five points to ensure their perfect start to the season stayed intact.
Nicholas Biscontin, Mitchell Lovell and Michael Edwards were impressive in the win while James Kayrooz and Jack Langford made for a dangerous attacking tandem, scoring five goals each.
If Diamond Creek are to get a result, their backline will be looking to mitigate their impact on the contest.
Panton Hill and Watsonia will lock heads at A.E. Cracknell Reserve, with this being the perfect opportunity for either side to begin the 2022 campaign 2-1.
Having been run over by Eltham in the second half of season opener, Panton Hill would do the reverse to Epping in the previous round to record their first win of the year.
Jackson Grimble and Nathan Jasper led the way for the Redbacks and were influential in the 21-point victory. Brody Tickell, who was goalless in round 1, led the scoring with three majors.
Still looking like they’re finding their feet, the Redbacks will be hopeful it all comes together against Watsonia.
The Saints will reset after the Easter Break following their 40-point loss to neighbours St Mary’s in Round 2.
Trailing by just six points at half time, the Saints were well and truly in the contest, but would be blown away in the second half, kicking just four goals to eight after the main break.
Harrison Sinclair and Jamie Haber were the shining lights in the six-goal defeat, having both received coaches MVP votes. Kyle Wheatley continued his hot start to the season, averaging four goals a game, Watsonia could be in for another win if he can find the goals again.
The only side in the division without a win, the Fitzroy Stars will be eager to get off the mark this weekend when they host St Mary’s.
Having been in a relegation battle last year, 2022 has been another season of struggles for the Stars who’ve been overrun in their first two fixtures.
Coming off a 102-point loss to the Bears last week and kicking just three goals for the game, Lionel Proctor’s side will be hungry to make amends against the Burra.
The positives for the Stars have come in the likes of Jack Kesper and Aaron Lynn while Nathan Lovett-Murray continues to have a beneficial influence on the group.
St Mary’s will be coming into this fixture full of confidence following their six-goal win over Watsonia last week, Bailey Leonard has started the season strong for the Burra alongside Joel Wesley and Nicholas Dean.
If the Burra can dominate the contest as they did in the second half last week, they’re every chance of finishing the round with back-to-back wins, an opportunity they’ll need to take advantage of if they’re to repeat their impressive efforts of the shortened 2021 season.
