By Noel McPheeDivision P Round 7Wins WinsDrawsStreakBalwyn–Doncaster East–––South Croydon19North Ringwood160SC 6^Berwick–Vermont–––Norwood11Blackburn150B1Doncaster6Rowville160R 4Noble Park Bye
Balwyn meet Doncaster East for the first time and will be the Lions’ 46th EFNL opponent; Doncaster East will be Balwyn’s 22nd opponent in the EFNL.
Vermont will face their 31st EFNL opponent with a trip to Berwick.Division 1 Round 8Wins WinsDrawsStreakLilydale19Croydon181C 3^Montrose26Mooroolbark250Mn 2Park Orchards2Mitcham10PO 2^Upper FTG1East Ringwood10UG 1^Wantirna South11Bayswater100B 1
Last round Montrose reached the milestone of 500 senior men’s wins. This week they face an important mid-table clash with old rivals Mooroolbark.Division 2 Round 8Wins WinsDrawsStreakSouth Belgrave1Mulgrave00SB 1^Ringwood8Templestowe110R 1Knox6Boronia21B 1^The Basin15Heathmont210TB 1
How quickly is season 2021 going! In an eight team fixture we are already up to teams meeting for the second time. Unless there is a massive turnaround in form it looks like Division 2 is not the close division this year.Division 3 Round 8Wins WinsDrawsStreakEast Burwood2Fairpark30FP 2^Ferntree Gully1Scoresby120S 5Donvale8Warrandyte40W 2^Whitehorse16Glen Waverley60W 4Waverley Blues Bye
Other than Premier Division there’s not too many years where the EFNL have a grand final rematch; neither would we expect a 20 month wait to see it. This time around Fairpark appear to be fighting a relegation battle while the Rams are clinging to the lower end of the finals’ race.
Division 4 Round 7Wins WinsDrawsStreakForest Hill26Coldstream300C 1Croy North MLOC0Silvan20S 2^Nunawading4Chirnside Park20N 2^Kilsyth22Surrey Park71SP 2
It’s a big ‘top-of-the-table’, ‘traditional rivals’ clash in Division 4. Forest Hill and Coldstream clash for ‘Premiership favouritism’ and to test their ‘finals credentials’. Cliches aplenty; facts are that for each team the other is their most played opponent in the EFNL.
Nunawading and Chirnside Park meet for the first time since 2002. The Lions have a greater than 50% winning ratio against six current EFNL teams and the Panthers are one of those. (The Lions best ratio is 100% against Mitcham; four matches played for four wins).
Current Streaks:
W6 Coldstream
L8 Nunawading, Upper Ferntree Gully
All figures are for men’s EFL matches 1962 – 2021 rd6/7.
^ Best Winning Streak against this opponent
Acknowledgment: localfootystats.com
© Noel McPhee 2021