ONE of the marquee matchups for the year did not disappoint supporters who travelled to Waterview Reserve on Saturday with Laurimar narrowly beating arch rivals Mernda by ten points.
It was expected to be a tight tussle before the game even started as both sides notched up impressive Round 1 victories, but it was Laurimar who got the jump early.
Kicking the first goal just over a minute in off the boot of Liam Waldron, the Power added two more before Mernda had even got itself on the board, and the quarter ended with the scoreboard reading 23-4 in the away team’s favour.
Lincoln Coffey got the Demons going with the first of the second quarter, and the teams traded goals as the clock ticked towards half time.
Late goals to James Sekulovski and Andre Gill-Haimowich were split by a major from Laurimar’s best on ground Joel Lawson and the home team trailed by just nine at the main break.
The third quarter of footy saw the home side kick four goals to three to reduce the deficit to five points with a quarter to play, and it was all on the line for everyone involved.
Mernda kicked the first two of the quarter through Lachlan Taylor and Christian Evans to look as if they might run over the top of Laurimar but they would not be denied.
The Power slammed on four of the next five goals in a 10 minute blitz to take the lead by eight points with only red time remaining.
A fourth for Coffey brought it back to a three-point game with ample time on the clock left, but a sealer from Fitzgerald just before the siren meant Laurimar took the chocolates, 98-88.
Lawson finished with four goals for Laurimar, and was joined in the best by Jesse Donaldson, Waldron, Luke Wilson, Jai Langford and James Apted.
For Mernda, Josh Mazzarella was the best, while Coffey, Brent Marshall, Billy Morrison, Sekulovski and Lachlan Potter also starred.
Laurimar made it two from two in the reserves game thanks to a six-goal effort from Nicholas Storer, winning by 25 points.
Jake Valvo, three, and Oisin Irvine, two, also chipped in, while Jake Francis was instrumental to get the Power over the line.
Justin Spadorcia was the best for the home side, with Harrison Budgen kicking three and Riley Black adding two more.
In the under 19.5 competition, Laurimar couldn’t match it with South Morang, going down by 40 points.
The Lions had a good weekend with wins in all three of their men’s senior, reserves and under 19.5 matchups, capped off by the 55-point beatdown that the seniors handed to St Mary’s.
Over in division 2, Whittlesea were brought back down to earth by a classy Macleod side, going down by 78 points at De Winton Reserve.
The Eagles were only able to put three goals on the board for the day as inaccurate kicking made the margin more severe with Macleod converted well.
Steven Dempsey was best afield for Whittlesea who now sit eighth on the ladder heading into an Anzac Day clash with Old Paradians at Whittlesea Showgrounds.
The reserves side got up by 47 points to win their first game of the year while the under 19.5s were clinical in their 201-13 victory over the Kangaroos.
Harry Mcmahon and Nick Whewell each kicked five, while Chevy Gottwalt added four more.
This Saturday’s Anzac Day footy action will see Whittlesea take on Old Paradians at home, while Laurimar will look to continue its good run of form when Kinglake come to visit.
South Morang will travel to Lower Plenty to take on the Bears, while Mernda have a bye.