Promoted Elsternwick and South Melbourne open Div 3 season with wins

Sheridan Harris

Misty rain and what appeared to be a command from the footy gods themselves descended from the heavens on Saturday, leaving most Division 3 Men’s teams unable to buy a goal, let alone kick one. Out of 186 scoring shots, 112 of those were behinds, with some of them arguably the difference between a win and a loss.

Divisional-newcomers Elsternwick and South Melbourne Districts both registered their first wins in their new home, while both Emmaus St Leo’s and Hawthorn will be left to rue some early opportunities gone begging to get on the winner’s list.

South Melbourne Districts have already made themselves well at home in Division 3 Men’s after knocking off the 2021 minor premiers in Hawthorn by eight points. The Hawks got off to a nice start, kicking the first three goals of the game but greatly stalled after the first quarter, only registering 1.12 for the remaining three. The Bloods got three goals on the board in the second term to steady the ship, before seemingly running away with it in a tough day for scoring. Oliver Dufficy (3) had his goalkicking boots on to star for South Melbourne Districts, while aptly-named Charlie Boots was Hawthorn’s best.

A four-goal second quarter set up Richmond Central’s first win of the season, downing North Brunswick at Allard Park by 19 points. It was an even contest at the first break before the Snakes kept the Bulls to just three behinds to go into half-time with a 26-point buffer. In the end, a late fourth-quarter, four-goal surge couldn’t get the home side over the line. In his first game for the club, Justin Perillo (3) was Richmond Central’s best in front of goal while Dane Roy (2) rode shotgun. For North Brunswick, Tim Liston kicked two majors as Cameron Lee took top honours on the best-on list.

Canterbury led at every break to run out 20-point winners against Emmaus St Leo’s at Bennettswood Reserve. The Melbourne rain tumbled down with very few reprieves, making goals hard to come by for both teams. Despite a valiant effort from Nathan Bird (3), the Animals never really gained their footing even as they kept close enough on the scoreboard, but it appeared the Cobras outfit was built for speed, increasing the points buffer every chance they got while their opponents could only watch on. Ryan Murray kicked five goals for Canterbury to be apart of their best-on, but it was Michael Topp who Topp-ed the list. For the home side, Ethan Phillips was their best.

Not one to be outdone, Elsternwick have also found a nice home in Division 3 Men’s after taking down the Westbourne Grammarians by 111 points at Holmes Todd Oval. An eight-goal first term already gave the Wickers a seemingly insurmountable lead, but they didn’t stop there, finishing the game 23.24 to leave the Warriors with some soul-searching to do. Matt Ball (7) has already taken an incredible lead on the divisional goalkicking tally with his best-on performance, while Sean Gibson (3) and David Convery (3) were only part of the ten individual goalkickers Elsternwick had on the day. Performing well in his first game for the club was Michael Szulc, who kicked three for the Westbourne Grammarians.

For their second home game in a row, Emmaus St Leo’s will welcome Hawthorn to Bennettswood Reserve. Both teams will be on the hunt for a win on the board after suffering arguably unexpected losses in round one. Canterbury’s first home game of the year is against North Brunswick at Canterbury Sportsground, with the Cobras hoping to continue their round-one form to start the season off 2-0. The Bulls will be looking to rebound quickly to notch their first win.

Both were winners in round one but only one team will be left standing when Elsternwick makes the trek to Kevin Bartlett Reserve for their second game of the year to take on Richmond Central. It couldn’t have been scripted better as both sides currently sit on first and second on the ladder. With an extra week off than the rest of the division, Parkside will be well-rested as they welcome the Westbourne Grammarians to Pitcher Park. The Red Devils had quite the opposite weekend compared to the Warriors, who suffered an unfortunate 100+ point loss.

South Melbourne Districts will have the week to assess all that went right for them in round one as they have the bye.