By Matt Fotia
With no football of any sort going on around Australia, we have no other option but to look back into the annuls of history to get our footy fix. So let’s look back and see what happened on April 21sts gone by.
Saturday 21st of April 2001 and Mitcham have just thumped Boronia by 61 points! You might be thinking, well not much has changed the two clubs played each other in 2019.
The only difference – both clubs were playing in the top flight at the time.
Other Division One clashes saw Vermont smash Noble Park by 60 points and East Burwood, still in their pomp, thrash Bayswater 21.13(139) to 9.9(63).
If you’d caught the Lilydale Line to its end and popped up at the LSO (Lilydale Sports Oval) on this mid autumn afternoon you would’ve witnessed Lilydale putting 21 goals past Montrose to run out 57 point winners and grab four crucial points in Division Two.
Donvale and Doncaster played in a shootout on this day in 2001
Meanwhile Donvale and Doncaster played out a Division Two shootout with the Magpies winning by 33 points in a game that saw 40 majors kicked [(Donvale 22.14(146) def Doncaster 18.5(113)].
In Division Three Mount Evelyn, yes current AFL Outer East side Mount Evelyn, put Wantirna South to the sword winning 20.21(141) to 13.9(87) whilst recent Premier Division incumbents South Croydon won by a massive 149 points over Mooroolbark 28.12(180) to 4.7(31).
In Division Four Ferntree Gully (18.12.120) and the Whitehorse Pioneers (18.5.113) play out a thriller, Chirnside Park defeat Rowville by 10 points (89-79) and Coldstream run out 139 point winners over the Southern Cobras.
Jumping ahead to 2007, and Balwyn have made a big statement upon their arrival in the East, thumping Lilydale 29.21(195) to 12.7(79) in their Division One encounter, Croydon pull down Ringwood’s pants 22.20(152) to 7.6(48), Noble Park (141) enjoyed a comfortable win over East Burwood (43) and East Ringwood (153) won by 46 points over Scoresby (107).
Division Three also kicked off on this day in 2007 and recent strugglers (in this time) Nunawading enjoyed a 21 point victory over Coldstream 14.4(88) to 10.7(67) whilst Doncaster East and the Waverley Blues enjoyed comfortable 10 goal plus wins over Boronia and Mooroolbark respectively.
Fast forward to 2012 and in Division One Knox win the battle of the Falcons booting 9.8 to 4.7 in the second half to win 12.14(86) to 11.16(82) at Lilydale with ex North Melbourne listed forward Nathan O’Keefe kicking four goals for the Dales.
Current South Croydon star Dylan Marshall was best afield as the Dogs finish strong in a thriller against their neighbours Croydon[ 17.13(115) to 15.11(101)] and Scoresby legend Marc Williams boots four as the Magpies hold off East Burwood to win by just six points, 15.14(104) to 15.8(98).
Templestowe enjoyed the afternoon on this day in 2012
In Division Three there were big scores everywhere as Templestowe (117) defeated Wantirna South (81), Coldstream (133) enjoyed a cruisy 64 point win over Warrandyte, a Darren Sheen (nine goals) inspired Heathmont (126) knocked off local rivals Ringwood (85), John Tymensen booted six for Mitcham (138) as they defeated Whitehorse by 104 points and despite Matt Carnelley booting nine majors, the Glen Waverley Hawks (17.11.113) go down to Chirnside Park (22.11.143) with Marcus Baxter kicking six for the Panthers.
Finally in Division Four short lived EFNL residents Canterbury defeated Kilsyth by 49 points, Nunawading’s Sam McCallum bagged himself 11 majors as the Lions defeated Surrey Park by 115 and The Basin ran out 89 point winners over Forest Hill with Matthew Smith booting seven big ones.