AN OTHERWORLDLY performance from Laurimar’s Patrick Fitzgerald helped his side to a crushing 158-point win over Kinglake at home on Saturday.
Playing in his 300th senior game in a career that started with Montmorency and is now with Laurimar, the party started early for Fitzgerald as he kicked the first two majors of the game.
He added three more in the second term to put the game away before half-time, and with the scoreline reading 86-11, there was surely talk of a big day out for the key forward during the coach’s address at the main break.
The Power continued to pile on the goals through the third with Matt Keys kicking three of his own, but come the fourth quarter it was all about Fitzgerald again.
Already with a six-goal haul, Laurimar’s sharpshooter kicked three majors in five minutes to edge his way towards double digits, which he converted in the 14th minute bringing massive cheers from the crowd.
But he wasn’t done there, kicking four more in red-time to take his tally to 14 for the day and 23 for the season in just three games.
There was no uncertainty that Fitzgerald was best on, but Bailey Macleod, Jesse Donaldson and Luke Wilson were also more than handy in a clinical performance.
Earlier in the day, the reserves did even more damage to the Lakers with a 201-6 rout thanks to a seven-goal haul to Nicholas Storer and six-apiece to Jake Francis and Zac McMahon. The under-19.5s did the job on Macleod by 108 points.
Over in Whittlesea, a sombre pre-game ANZAC Day ceremony was the precursor for a strong performance from the Eagles who took down Old Paradians in division two, 101-43.
It seemed like everywhere you went people were producing five-goal hauls, and it was Caden Allen who joined in on the fun for Whittlesea, kicking six.
The game was still tight at half-time when Whittlesea led by 10 points, but a second half scoreline of 10.6 (66) to 2.6 (18) proved that the Eagles were not to be underestimated despite a big loss last week.
Bailey Robinson kicked two of his own and was alongside Allen in the best with Mitchell Andrews, Deakin Tennant, Steven Dempsey and Thomas Crowley also featuring.
Meanwhile the Whittlesea reserves made it two in a row with a six goal win over the Raiders thanks to Angus Smith’s five goals, and the under-19.5s put a gap on the rest of the competition by beating Bundoora 115-45 to remain undefeated.
Down the road at Lower Plenty Oval, South Morang came from behind to pull off a stunning two-point win against the Bears to move to 2-1 for the season.
Things were looking dire when Lower Plenty’s Tyler Wallace but the home side in front by four goals early in the second term, but the Lions fought back hard to take the lead late in the third quarter.
It was an all-in performance from the visitors with no one kicking more than two goals. Star recruit Noah Cumberland put one through midway through the final term to give the Bears a 13-point advantage, but the game was still far from over.
Lower Plenty hammered away at the goals but were unable to convert as the clock ticked down, and they were left to rue six consecutive behinds to finish the game as South Morang held on to clinch a stirring victory.
Cayden Failla, Tyrone Leonardis and Teague Van Zweinen were among the best for the Lions, while Cumberland, Ethan Lowe, Ben Peterson and Carter McCall each kicked two.
It was close in the reserves too where a late comeback from Lower Plenty was curbed by two late goals to Max Hayes, the Lions holding on to that one by 15 points.
South Morang’s under-19.5s were clinical in their 94-point win over Old Paradians under the lights on Friday night.
Both Whittlesea and South Morang’s seniors will play home games this Saturday afternoon against Fitzroy Stars and Northcote Park respectively, while Laurimar will travel to Eltham to take on Old Eltham Collegians. Mernda will be back in action after their bye, taking on Watsonia at Binnak Park.