PROFESSIONAL GROWTH
It was great to be able to score a big gig at my beloved Mernda on Saturday as I was invited to give a great one-on-one interview with Collingwood great Tony Shaw for the Demons’ sponsors day and president’s lunch. Shaw is one the greatest captains the Magpies have ever had – a hard worker who made the most out of his smaller frame to have the know-how to win the ball, and a great natural leader who, of course, famously won the Norm Smith Medal in the 1990 grand final. And who kicked five goals that afternoon? It was Essendon, of course.
THE RACE TO 100 IS ON!
Laurimar’s Patrick Fitzgerald was close to 100 goals last year – in some ways, it was a surprise that he didn’t quite get there but his presence was still very much a positive for Laurimar as the Power made it back to the grand final after relegation in 2024.
Fitzgerald has been firing on all cylinders so far this season – a haul of 15 against Kinglake the clear highlight, but he added another eight on Saturday against Heidelberg West to take his tally to 35 off just five games at an average of seven per game.
Is this the year the man they call ‘Doita’ finally gets his century?
Stealing the show a little bit over the last couple of weeks though is fellow Power forward Hayden Trim. The youngster had a great battle with fellow impressive young Whittlesea forward Caden Allen for the under 19s goalkicking in division two last year as they both tied for the award.
As I’ve written about previously, Allen has gone on with it at senior level for Whittlesea this season, but Trim is really coming into his own, and has kicked nine goals in two weeks.
Sitting in second position on the division 3 goalkicking list is Epping’s Daniel Rakhlin. Another young player who knows where the goals are. He’s a great talent and it’s pleasing to see him get rewarded.
IVANHOE MAKING HISTORY
Wayne Schultz’s men are just the second team this century to win four games in a row by 100 points or more – even if they only just managed the feat by winning by an even 100 points against Epping on the weekend. The other team who have managed the feat is Lalor in 2004, but Ivanhoe have done it in each of its first four games.
Still, the game showcased two things. First of all, Epping’s young team look impressive – noted by Ivanhoe on the weekend that if they are given a couple of years, they will be dangerous in the division 3 competition.
The other was that, despite sitting only five goals up midway through the third quarter, Ivanhoe simply have a gear that is extraordinarily hard to match.
The Hoers’ next assignment is Old Eltham.
STARS ON THE UP
Fitzroy Stars have put division 2 well and truly on notice in the last fortnight with two ultra-impressive victories, showing that its style of play very much holds up in what is a tight competition this year.
The win over Whittlesea was noteworthy enough away from home. To back it up against last year’s grand finalists, Macleod, even more so.
The manner in which they won suggests they have quickly learned lessons in a short amount of time. The Stars had their opportunities to take wins against Northcote Park and Lower Plenty, but small mistakes meant they missed out on potentially being 5-0.
This time around, the Stars didn’t panic when Macleod hit the front in the last quarter, and it was a goal from inspirational leader Kain Proctor in the final minute of the game that allowed the Stars to win by five points.
Also from the Stars on the weekend caught their senior women’s game against Ivanhoe on Sunday at Ivanhoe Park. The performance of Amina Keegan was mesmerising – her ability to create leading lanes, win the football and showcase her nous, run and dash inside 50 was solely the difference, and she finished with eight of the Stars’ nine goals as they won comfortably by 38 points.
GOOD DIVISION 1 FOOTY
Had a look at Hurstbridge and Bundoora at Ben Frilay Oval on Saturday afternoon. The game can best be described as one that was a real defensive affair, but it’s a credit to both teams that they can each stop the ball that’s moving so quickly around the ground, particularly on a smaller ground like Hurstbridge’s.
Bundoora had its chances, but probably utilised one too many handballs in their forward thrusts and were repelled by the Bridges, who ended up taking a 13-point win.
Still, the Bulls have been a nice story so far this season. They finished second last last year, narrowly avoiding relegation, but had many games they could have won. This year, so far, they have been able to turn the tables a bit, but it will be a tough outing this week against Heidelberg.
MONTMORENCY STARTING TO FIRE
Monty were a team I had pencilled in as the next best behind Heidelberg, but it was a difficult start to a season that seemed like the Magpies expected so much from.
Still, the best thing for them is we are only at round five. The last couple of weeks have delivered 100-point wins over West Preston and Banyule respectively, and things are just starting to click. There’s still a long way to go yet, even in a competition where many teams will jockey for top five spots.
The best thing for the Magpies is that boom off-season recruit Kamdyn McIntosh hasn’t had to play an enormous role, while Nash Holmes, after such a big health scare, is getting better and better with each outing, and kicked three goals on Saturday.
THE REAL DEAL (AGAIN)
South Morang clearly expected to be back among the division 2 contenders this season, even though there was a large amount of turnover.
That familiar bugbear that runs through many clubs – injury – has admittedly hit the Lions quite hard in recent weeks, but that has not fazed coach Matt Penn, who is doing a stellar job after a round one loss to Whittlesea.
Wins over Northcote Park and Thomastown over the last couple of weeks have meant the Lions currently sit just percentage behind the Cougars on top of the table.
CRUCIAL GAMES THIS WEEK
With the ladder starting to take shape, there’s already a number of crucial games that could very well shape the final ladders in each of the three grades.
West Preston and Diamond Creek meet in a huge game for both teams in terms of their division 1 future.
The Roosters are desperate for a win, having gone winless so far, and have lost both of their last two games by over 100 points each.
After a great start to the season, Diamond Creek have come back down to earth just a bit, and have now lost their last two, while scoring the fewest points in the competition to go along with it.
Panton Hill are desperately seeking a scalp in division 2, and although coming close to both Old Paradians and Whittlesea at home, couldn’t quite get it done. They now have to travel to Macleod, still as the only winless team, but the pressure is well and truly on for their future in the division.
In division 3, a big opportunity to jump into the top five might be afforded for either Kilmore or Epping, who meet at Epping Recreation Reserve.
Kilmore had a good win over a plucky Old Eltham outfit last week, while Epping, as alluded to above, played well for two and a half quarters against Ivanhoe before the class of the premiership favourites showed.
