Falcons soar to first win

Round 4 in the Men’s Division 3 competition has provided another superb round as teams start to show where they sit amongst the rest of the competition.

Power House received their first real test for the season against Box Hill North, but the ladder leaders rallied to win away from home by 33 points.

In unfamiliar conditions for this season, Power House found themselves trailing by 20 points at quarter time despite having an equal number of shots on goal. With injuries to key players in Matt Auchettl and Luke Stubbs in the first quarter alongside the eight outs for Power House coming into the match, the Demons’ chances of an upset were rising.

However, coach Nick Cox was pleased by his team’s ability to create uncontested possessions, to then get the ball on the outside and outrun Box Hill North through the likes of Gerard Stack and Mitch Newman.

This would ultimately prove to be the difference for Power House as they wore down the Demons’ pressure and converted their chances to claw back the lead and charge home to another victory.

While Box Hill North may sit 7th on the ladder with a 1-3 record, they have faced strong competition at the start of their season, having to play the three finalists that stayed in Division 3 from last year, but have been competitive throughout.  

And with strong performances across the entire 2,2, particularly from the goal-kicking duo of Blake Williams and Josh Alderson in the forward line, don’t be surprised if they bolt up the ladder in the not-so-distant future.

Albert Park has achieved their first win for the season with a 12-point win against Swinburne University.

The Falcons got out to a solid start, kicking the first five goals of the match, which proved to be an unassailable lead for the match.

While it had been a long-awaited result for the Falcons, coach Jack Aimes feels that his side has much to improve on after their win.

In particular, a focus on being more disciplined and improving their accuracy in front of goal was one of the key takeaways to work on for next week and beyond.  

While Swinburne did find themselves on the losing end, coach Johnny Andrinopoulos was pleased with the way his team played, especially after quarter time considering that two of his players succumbed to injuries during the second term.

Wattle Park remains undefeated with a notable win against Richmond Central at their home ground by 14 points.

Once again, the Snakes got out to a slow start in the first quarter and were chasing Wattle Park’s lead throughout the game. But they found their way back into it as they would take the lead halfway through the fourth quarter.

But with the wider ground at Kevin Bartlett Reserve, the Animals were simply able to move the ball out wide and outrun the Snakes and would kick the last two goals to seal their undefeated status for another week.

Richmond Central coach Michael Motta would say as much, believing his side “ran out of petrol tickets and gassed to go on with (them)” in the final stages of the game, which saw them concede late.

For Wattle Park, coach Glenn Hopkins was particularly impressed by his team’s effort and ability to pressure for all four quarters. This game has provided further validation of the focus that his side has placed on maintaining possession and creating more uncontested possessions.  

La Trobe University delivered a comfortable 160-point victory against Eley Park. It was a statement performance from the Trobers, considering that they had lost the previous week by 78 points; bouncing back to assert themselves back in the competition.

In a game like this for La Trobe, there are often many stand-out performers, but it was Indy Williamson who really impressed, kicking nine goals for his side.

Speaking on his performance, coach Andy Castles was impressed by his ability to win one-on-one contests which gave him multiple chances on goal. But Castles was most impressed by his team’s ability to spread the goal kicking, with 11 different goal kickers contributing to the team total of 29 goals.

For the Sharks, they did show some signs of improvement with their performance in the third quarter as they managed to score the majority of their points in that period. But, it was another case for Eley Park needing to be more consistent throughout the entire four quarters to ensure that they are competitive.

After surviving a late scare last week, North Brunswick has responded with a 117-point win against Chadstone.

Despite the blowout result, the Synners recovered from a poor start in the first quarter to go into quarter time only down by 11 points.

But that’s about as good as it got for Chadstone as the Bulls proceeded to score 115 points in the next three quarters and held the Synners to just nine points.

Chadstone coach Ian Ledder had hoped for a better performance but was pleased that his team was able to play good football in small segments, he just wants to see it over a longer period.

On a more positive note, for the Synners, Jarryd Schelling was once again listed as one of the best on grounds for Chadstone, becoming the only player in the division to have done so for four consecutive matches. And what makes it even more impressive is that he’s done it in his first four games of Australian Rules Football, showing how well he has adapted to the sport.

From the Bulls’ point of view, this game was a reminder that when their game plan comes together, they become nearly unbeatable regardless of the skill level of their opposition.

The clash between Power House and Richmond Central will headline Round 5 when they go head-to-head at Kevin Bartlett Reserve. Wattle Park will return home to face Chadstone, looking to maintain their undefeated start to the season. Albert Park is hoping to continue their winning ways when they face La Trobe University. Box Hill North plays Eley Park in a local derby with the Demons hoping to boost their percentage while the Sharks are looking to be more competitive. Swinburne will come up against North Brunswick at Allard Park to close out the round.