Round 2 of the MC Labour Division 2 competition shapes to be an enthralling round with even matchups across the board.
Fitzroy Stars will host Lower Plenty, with both sides looking to find their first victory of the year.
Each showed promising signs in Round 1 against teams tipped to be there at the pointy end of the season. Fitzroy challenged Northcote Park on the Cougars home deck and just fell short by eight points, while Lower Plenty hosted Old Paradians, with the visiting side prevailing by 22 points.
If the Stars manage to win, it would be their first victory in Division 2 since Round 11 2021, which came against Panton Hill. However, they will draw confidence from their recent impeccable record at their home ground – winning their last 16 games at home throughout the last two seasons, remaining undefeated over the course.
Lower Plenty will be pleased to welcome back co-captain Jordan Sacco to the line-up, boosting their engine room stocks.
Panton Hill will be aiming to get their campaign underway when they face Northcote Park at AE Cracknell Reserve. On paper, the contest appears even, with the sides finishing seventh and fifth on the ladder last year respectively.
Michael Farrelly’s men will be looking to start the contest strongly, after a disappointing opening quarter last week that saw them register only one scoring shot. On the flipside, the Cougars managed nine scoring shots in their opening term against the Stars.
Northcote Park won both clashes last season, claiming a 21-point victory in Round 4 at the same ground, and a 55-point win in the Round 11 return match at Bill Lawry Oval.
South Morang return to Division 2 after a disappointing season in the top-flight last year. They’ll be aiming to make amends for last week’s result against Whittlesea, when they face St Mary’s who were impressive in their eight-point victory over 2025 runners up Macleod.
Taking charge of the Lions this year, Matthew Penn has a new-look list and will be eager to avoid an 0-2 start to his tenure. Meanwhile, Burra coach Jack Bianchin will be seeking to claim another win and build on last week’s impressive performance.
Lions’ recruit Ethan Lowe has kicked 88 majors over the past two seasons, but he will be looking to find form after being held goalless last week. Despite the spearheads impressive record, the Burra have been able to shut him down in their last two meetings, keeping him to zero majors.
Thomastown will travel to Garvey Oval to face Old Paradians. Both sides will be feeling good about themselves after important wins in Round 1, but a chance to go 2-0 could ensure an early break in a very even comp.
Each team claimed a victory in the respective matchups last season, with the away side winning each contest.
The Bears will be primed for this contest, with a chance to go 2-0 for the first time since 2017.
A mouth-watering clash between Macleod and Whittlesea shapes as the match of the round. A win out of this fixture could earmark Whittlesea as the early premiership frontrunners.
The pair met four times last year, two of which came in the finals. The Eagles will be keen on redemption, after they suffered two heartbreaking defeats to the Kangaroos post the home-and-away season.
Whittlesea will no doubt be doing their homework on Darcy Barden, who was the hero in the qualifying final with his unforgettable mark inside-50 followed by a goal proving the difference between the two sides on the day. The superstar will be looking to bounce back after being kept goalless in Round 1, a feat that only happened once in his record-breaking season last year which happened to be against the Eagles in the preliminary final.
