Rovers take top spot, Bears, Two Blues claim first wins

There were some close contests and some overwhelming triumphs in Round 3 of the Division 1 competition. Ormond upheld their undefeated status when they nudged out West Brunswick by 22-points, while Ivanhoe solidified their bottom of the ladder spot when they went down by 24 goals at the hands of the impressive Hampton Rovers. Kew and Preston Bullants were able to deliver victories in front of home crowds against Brunswick NOBSPC and Therry Penola OB respectively, while Prahran Assumption notched their first win of the season against Oakleigh. Let’s have a closer look how these games went down in Round 3, and give a bit of an insight on what to expect come Round 4.

Kew registered their first victory of 2018 as they defeated Brunswick NOBS by 69 points at Victoria Park. Leading by 24 at three quarter time, the Bears piled on nine goals to two in a dominant fourth term. Six players kicked multiples for the Bears with Mark Brazzale leading the charge with three. Darcy Spencer continued his impressive individual form with a BOG display while Tyson Wiegold and Brin Duggan found plenty of it. The win elevated the Bears to seventh spot on the ladder, while the NOBS are ninth.

Ormond’s unbeaten start to the season continued as they defeated West Brunswick by 22 points at EE Gunn Reserve. Both sides entered the game without a loss but it was the Monders’ second term, where they kicked 3.6 to the Westies’ 1.3, that proved the difference. Luke Gogis led the charge for the Monders with three goals while Jeremy Simon and Blair Atkins continued their outstanding form and were named in the best for the third consecutive game. Bill Irving top-sored for the Westies with three goals and Stephen Borovac was fantastic as their top-ranked player.

Hampton Rovers showed absolutely no mercy in their Round 3 clash against Ivanhoe as they ran out 145-point winners at Ivanhoe Park. 16 goals to one in the first half set the scene for the massacre before the Rovers piled on another 11 goals to four in the final two terms. 12 players shared the goal kicking spoils for the Rovers, with Josh McPherson bagging five and taking his season tally to 13. Josh Pavlou was one of 10 to miss out on a goal but his performance earnt him best on ground honours alongside a standout display from Adam Schaeche. Seamus Hoffman fought valiantly for the Magpies but they were no match as they slumped to a percentage of 32.04% at the bottom of the Division 1 ladder.

Prahran Assumption’s season officially kick-started as they recorded their first win via a 38-point victory over Oakleigh at Scammell Reserve. The Two Blues trailed by two points at quarter time but kicked 12 goals to six in the ensuing three terms. Tom Freeman starred in a BOG display, while Jack Matherson top-scored with four of the Two Blues’ 13 goals. Aaron Cloke snagged three goals for the Krushers and took his 2018 tally to 17 from three games, and Gary Bennett stood up as their best player. The Two Blues sit in eighth spot on the ladder and just two spots below the Krushers.

Preston Bullants claimed the win of the round when they shocked the previously undefeated Therry Penola by 44 points at Ruthven Reserve. Trailing by four points at half time, the Bullants took a 16-point lead into the last break via seven goals to four in the third term and continued to apply the scoreboard pressure with a further five goals to one in the fourth. Patrick Vanin was on fire and showcased his elite talent as BOG for the Bullants for the second time in three games, while Jackson Curic bagged four majors. Robert Carr stood tall for the Lions as they give up top spot and now sit fourth on the ladder. The Bullants climb to third following the win.

PREVIEW

Hampton Rovers will look to continue their high-scoring capabilities in Round 4 when they meet the win-less Brunswick NOBS at Boss James Reserve. Brunswick will need to improve upon their average game total of 62 points if they want to be at all competitive against the Rovers, who are so far sitting 154.43% clear on top of the Division 1 ladder with an impressive 324.07%.

Ormond will host Ivanhoe at E.E. Gunn Reserve on Saturday afternoon, where they will be searching for a percentage boosting victory against the bottom of the ladder side. Hoping to put their blowout Round 3 loss behind them, the Hoe’s will need a unified effort to achieve more forward entries, and give their forwards the opportunity to convert on the scoreboard.

Therry Penola will be looking to get back on board the winners train this weekend when they play Kew. Though Kew notched their first win of the season in an impressive 69 point victory over Brunswick NOBSPC, it will be a difficult feat to achieve the same against the Lions at home.

West Brunswick will take on Oakleigh in Round 4, with the Wesites looking for redemption off their close defeat to Ormond in the weekend past. Both teams boast a similar percentage at this stage of the season, and have only suffered relatively close losses so far in the context of the Division 1 competition, but look for the Westies to come out with 4 points in a close encounter.

Prahran Assumption will be wanting to mirror their Round 3 victory at Toorak Park when they take on third place Preston Bullants. Having only lost in the opening round by a single point, and taking down the then undefeated Therry Penola in Round 3, the Bullants are sure to be a tough outfit for Prahran to overcome.