IT was a largely positive weekend for men’s teams in the Whittlesea area, with three wins from four games on the football field on Saturday.
The only slip-up came from Whittlesea in division 2, who was bested by a determined Fitzroy Stars outfit in an upset at the Whittlesea Showgrounds.
The result means the Eagles slip down to eighth, but such is the nature of the competition, they remain just one game behind top spot.
The Eagles were outclassed in the second and last quarters on Saturday, with the Stars kicking four goals to one in the second term, and four goals to two in the last to eventually win 13.10 (88) to 8.12 (60).
Paul Higgins led from the front in a good performance, while Riley Powell, Zane Anderson, Thomas Falls, Caden Allen and Thomas Crowley did their best to try and negate the Stars’ fast running game. Allen kicked three goals to sit second on the goalkicking tally.
A stunning run with the wind meant South Morang scored its third victory in succession, inflicting Northcote Park’s first defeat of the year at Mill Park Lakes Reserve.
It looked as though the Lions were in trouble early as the Cougars kicked the first four goals of the game to lead by 25 points at the first change, 26-1.
But, as it turned out, the Lions defended resolutely enough against the wind and added seven goals for the term in the second quarter to change the script entirely, leading 44-34 at the main break.
The Lions were successful in turning the third quarter into a contested scrap, with just three goals for the quarter as they held on to a 51-49 lead.
Running away with the game in the last term, a six-goal to three effort ensured the Lions scored a 14.10 (94) to 10.7 (67) win to show that they are perhaps the number one seed in a hotly contested division 2 competition.
Noah Cumberland starred with his best effort in Lions colours with four goals, while Christian Mardini, Carter McCall, Adam De Propertis, Nathan Stefanile and Ethan Lowe also played well.
In division 3, Mernda survived a scare from Watsonia to move into third position.
A high-scoring opening quarter was truly exhilarating, with Watsonia kicking the opening five goals of the game to shock the Demons, before the Demons added five of the next eight goals to trail 32-48 at the first change.
It looked as though the Demons kicked themselves out of the game in the second quarter, kicking seven straight behinds, while the Saints added two goals to lead 61-39 at the main break.
Mernda needed a response and it delivered, kicking four goals, yet remaining inaccurate, trailing 70-75 at the last change despite enjoying 10 more scoring shots.
In a thrilling last quarter, the Demons kicked three goals to one, with Kyle Green proving the hero in his best performance since arriving at the club by kicking the winning goal, 12.19 (91) to 13.7 (85).
Green kicked four goals in a great effort, while Josh Mazzarella, Declan Felle, Joshua Caputo on debut, Brent Marshall and James Sekulovski also provided a good effort.
Laurimar shook off a bout of inaccuracy to eventually score a 96-point win over Old Eltham Collegians.
The Power was deadlocked with the Turtles at the opening change, kicking 2.7 to leave the score 19-19, but eventually got going in the second term to kick six goals and lead 61-25 at the main break.
Six goals in each of the third and last quarters allowed the Power to extend its lead greatly, winning 20.18 (138) to 6.6 (42).
Hayden Trim had the best game of his young career in kicking five goals, while Jesse Donaldson continued his sensational start to life in a Power jumper. Luke Wilson, Liam Waldron, Cooper Cusinato and Josh Leather were also named in the best.
On the netball court on Friday night, Whittlesea had a perfect night, with its division 1 and division 3 teams scoring big wins over Diamond Creek and Bundoora, while its third and fourth teams also won.
Laurimar also went undefeated, scoring four wins and a draw from its five games, while South Morang had a tougher night, with its premier division 3 team losing to Heat, while scoring one win and a draw from its remaining four games.
