Someone must have paid the bill, because the power is ON in 2023

Mitch Dyer

It was another thrilling round of footy as the eastern suburbs of Melbourne came alive with fierce competition and nail-biting finishes.

The Canterbury Cobras clashed with Hawthorn AFC at the Canterbury Sports Ground, where the two sides were neck and neck in the first half, with both teams scoring identical points at 28 and 54 in the first quarter and half time respectively.

However, the Cobras turned on the heat in the second half, dominating the Hawks with their impressive forward and defensive play, and winning the quarter by a whopping 32 points. 

Tom Lowden and Jordan Dear leading the charge with their impressive goal-scoring abilities, the Cobras secured a well-deserved 31-point victory.

At the Holmes/Todd Oval, Elsternwick and Richmond Central faced off in a thrilling match. After losing in the first round, Elsternwick came out with a vengeance, but their inaccuracy in front of the goal proved costly. 

Richmond, on the other hand, capitalized on their opportunities and scored six majors in the first quarter. However, Elsternwick rallied back in the second half, thanks to the heroic efforts of Eli Holland-Dean, who scored two vital goals. 

Despite the valiant efforts of Benjamin Kreiger and Austin Creak for the Snakes, Elsternwick secured a hard-fought victory.

Over at the Ross Gregory Oval, the men from Power House continued their winning streak with a resounding victory over Wattle Park. 

Sharpshooter Michael Timmons was on fire with his four goals, while the team played with cohesion and energy. Though the Animals fought back in the latter half of the game, they couldn’t overcome the initial deficit and fell to the class of the competition, the men from Power House, by 40 points. 

Nathan Bird was the standout performer for the Animals, earning the best-on-ground honors.

Lastly, the battle of the universities took place at the TS Sheehan Oval, with last year’s division four grand finalists, La Trobe University and Swinburne University, facing off against each other. 

The game was a tight affair, with neither team scoring a goal in the first quarter. Swinburne took the lead in the second quarter, but La Trobe’s Luke Nelson stepped up and booted four goals to help his team regain the lead and secure the victory. 

The hard-fought game saw La Trobe register their first win of the year, while Swinburne showed that the adjustment to the higher league can be challenging.

As the ladder stands, Power House tops the list with 200%, followed by the Canterbury Cobras, who are the only other 2-0 team, as they gear up for a semi-final redemption match against Elsternwick next week. 

Wattle Park showed promise, and their tenacity could see them launch themselves into the top four during the year. While the Richmond Central Snakes are struggling, they could still surprise the opposition and win some games. 

With more fierce rivalries on the horizon, this year’s footy season promises to be an absolute nail-biter.