By: Matt Fotia
Twitter: @FotiaMatt
Beautiful sunshine was welcomed across the eastern suburbs over the weekend and it shone brightly on some fantastic football across the competition. It was welcomed with some high scores, some big wins and a lot of close enthralling encounters. Here’s five things we’ve learnt after Round 3.
Tough time for the Tigers
Mitcham finds itself winless and second-last on the Division 2 ladder after a 62-point loss to an undefeated Lilydale at home on Saturday, with the Falcons’ Lachlan Koger and Corey Bernstein kicking four and co-captain Lachlan Wilson finishing best a field.
This has followed a 93-point loss in Round 1 to the Kings and a 43-point loss to Croydon last week for the Tigers. They’ve managed 20 goals this season and have let through 49 majors themselves. The Tigers are overtly young and were outclassed in contested possessions. They also left the extremely talented Jake Parente all on his lonesome down forward.
Their next three weeks see clashes with Wantirna South, Park Orchards and Bayswater, leaving the Round 7 fixture with Mulgrave their first big chance at victory.
The Saints enter the fray
After two victories over sides they were expected to beat, North Ringwood’s first real test came this weekend against Vermont at the home of the Eagles.
The Saints kicked five goals to three in the last quarter to almost pinch a come-from-behind victory. Despite the loss, the Saints have showed everyone that they mean business in 2018. Curtis Dunne kicked four goals, whilst Michael Locco was impressive all day in the almost shock result.
After an impressive off-season recruiting-wise and a strong start to the season 2018, a finals tilt looks like a massive possibility for the men at Quambee Reserve this season.
The most even Division 1 in years
The Saints’ performance wasn’t the only thing we took a lesson from this weekend in Division 1.
We learnt that this season could be one of the most close-run Division 1 seasons in years.
Balwyn held off newly promoted Knox by just three goals, Norwood punished Noble Park after the Bulls had put Blackburn to the sword last weekend.
Blackburn defeated Rowville with relative ease, whilst the Hawks’ Round 2 victims Doncaster came from behind to win a shootout against the premiers. All the while Montrose grabbed its second victory as East Ringwood lost its third straight game by 10 points or less.
North Ringwood finds itself second with a 2-1 record, with Norwood joining it despite not being at its best according to coach Patrick Bowden and Montrose also have an unexpected positive ledger.
Meanwhile, South Croydon, Noble Park and Blackburn find themselves in eighth, ninth and 10th despite playing some scintillating football at times this season thus far.
It seems anyone can beat anyone, and we could have a massive battle for the top five spots in 2018. Anyone who enjoys EFL footy should be excited by the season ahead.
Bears out of hibernation.
The Basin Football Club notched up an impressive away victory on Saturday night away to the previously undefeated Ferntree Gully Eagles in front of a strong crowd at Wally Tew Reserve.
The Bears’ ability to repel Ferntree Gully’s attacks was particularly important as they joined the pack of four sides with a 2-1 record in Division 3 (Scoresby, Heathmont, Ferntree Gully). Jordan Roberts was impressive in a best afield performance with Daniel Galante kicking two majors.
The Basin has slid under the radar thus far, but after a four-point loss to second-placed Ringwood last weekend and this weekend’s hard-fought win shows that the Bears could be a finals aspirant, and should have enough to book that all-important top-six finish to lock up Division 3 football in 2019.
Pioneers looking the goods
East Burwood’s story may have stolen the headlines thus far this season in Division 4, but last season’s preliminary finallist Whitehorse Pioneers are looking good again in 2018.
The Pioneers have defeated Glen Waverley Hawks (who grabbed their first win against the much-fancied Forest Hill last weekend weekend) and Surrey Park with relative ease (despite six goals from Chris Smith) and defeated fellow 2017 finalist Coldstream by 25 points in Round 2.
The Mariani brothers kicked five goals between them this weekend, with Damian Betracco taking the honours for best on ground.
The Pioneers should find themselves heading into their Round 5 clash with Kilsyth with an unblemished record, as may the Cougars who face a revitalised Glen Waverley Hawks this weekend.
Put that one in your diaries.
All views expressed in this article remain those of the author and not of the Eastern Football League or its affiliated clubs.
