ABERFELDIE v STRATHMORE - Streaming Game
Saturday 1:45pm at Clifton Park
THE fixture gods did all of us a favour.
This Saturday we get to see star midfielder Jaryd Cachia take on his former Strathmore team mates after he left them for the reigning premier over the summer.
So bring your popcorn if you’re coming to Clifton Park to take a look.
That aside, both clubs were finalists last year and are keen to take that momentum into the new season.
Aberfeldie won’t be able to shake the ‘three-peat’ narrative in 2019 and given their side is very settled and littered with premiership players, the pressure is on to keep this remarkable streak going.
Cachia and young ruckman Jorden Braddy, if selected, will be among the new faces in two shades of blue, but most the remaining 20 will be full of familiar faces as they unfurl their 2018 flag.
For Strathmore, this may well be the grand final they never got to have.
We were a controversial, but correctly-paid free kick away from this being our grand final match-up last year, and the Mores are still hurting that it never eventuated.
Their young new coach, Matthew Horne, would love nothing more than to make an early season statement here and knock off the champ.
But with a very young, youthful list, Strathmore might be lacking the experience to get the job done here.
GREENVALE v PASCOE VALE
Saturday 2:15pm at Greenvale Recreation Reserve
This game was very stiff not to get the EDFL Match of the Day nod this weekend.
Many of us are tipping Pascoe Vale to bounce back in a big way after securing the highly-respected Digby Morell as coach over the summer.
The former North Melbourne forward has won flags wherever he’s coached at EDFL level and could well do it for a third time here with the Panthers.
They boast a very solid forward line with spearhead Matthew Watson getting some extra help over the summer with the arrivals of Daniel Archer and Dean Clare, while decorated midfielder Liam Ogden is a Reynolds Medal fancy before even kicking a ball in anger at EDFL level.
The Jets will have their work cut out for them here and their new key defender, Tom Cleary, has a big day ahead trying to quell the Panthers’ attack.
Hopefully we’ll see the likes of Addam Maric and Courtenay Dempsey named in EDFL Teams on Friday and if they are, then Greenvale will be at full-strength and on its home deck come Saturday.
That usually spells trouble for any team at Section Road that’s wearing white shorts.
GLENROY v KEILOR
Saturday 2:15pm at Sewell Reserve
On paper this is a game between an EDFL powerhouse and an up-and-comer still trying to find its way in Strathmore Community Bank Premier Division.
But the smart money seems to be on the underdog here.
If you take what Mick McGuane told the EDFL Tonight Podcast last week at face value, then the Blues are entering the new season in a spot of bother with numerous regular starters still on the sidelines through injury.
That includes star midfielder Damien Cavka, who recently hurt his shoulder in a practice match.
That was enough to cast doubt over Keilor for some, but if we know anything about Mick, it’s that he will most certainly have something crafty up his sleeve.
Exactly what that will be… well, we’ll have to wait until Saturday and see.
Maybe it will be something as simple as isolating Dean Galea inside 50 after he torched the Roys twice for bags of six and 10 respectively last year.
That’s something that will be playing on Ross Terranova’s mind heading into this one.
Glenroy comes into the new season with a very settled line-up that will have gleaned a lot from its first year back up in Premier Division in 2018.
At full-strength, Glenroy at times last year showed it can keep up with anyone in the competition and with a full complement to select from, we should get to see the best of what Terranova’s men have to offer.
ESSENDON DOUTTA STARS v AIRPORT WEST
Saturday 2:15pm at Nipper Jordan Oval
This is another Round 1 match-up that is a virtual coin flip.
Both the Stars and Eagles find themselves in a similar boat, having been recently-promoted Division 1 premiers with lists that boast some very talented players.
The only difference is the respective timelines are three years apart and Airport West is hoping to be competitive from the outset.
All but one of the premiership 22 have stayed with Geoff Maddern and the Eagles and there are roughly a dozen new recruits that will feature at senior level throughout the year as well.
So the Eagles certainly aren’t lacking in any depth.
It’ll be fascinating to see the likes of Tyson Young and Bior Malual ply their trade at Premier Division level and they’ll particularly enjoy the wide expanses of Nipper Jordan Oval.
But there’s also plenty of reason for optimism from a Douttas perspective, too.
Kyle Hardingham is not only a fresh voice as coach, but a very classy player as well.
His approach to coaching will vary significantly from that of Dean Wallis and the early part of the season will show us exactly how this young playing group will adapt to the Hardingham way.
The Stars will take a lot of positive momentum into the new season after successfully avoiding relegation with a stunning Round 18 win over Greenvale back in August.
Only five of the 22 that played in that game have moved on over the summer, so the remaining list is keen to get 2019 off on a good note.
MARIBYRNONG PARK v AVONDALE HEIGHTS
Saturday 2:15pm at Monk Oval
Unthinkable as it may have seemed perhaps only 12 months ago, this looms as a huge game in the battle to avoid relegation this year.
When EDFL Teams comes out, you’re going to see a lot of unfamiliar names on both sides of the team sheet.
And that makes this game very hard to predict.
We’ve heard little noise coming out of Monk Oval since Dean Laidley replaced Robbie Castello as coach and as a result, exactly what Marby is hoping to get out of the year remains a complete mystery.
From the outside looking in, consolidation and development of young talent should be the aim, given the exodus of key players over the summer, including reigning Reynolds Medallist, Will Martiniello.
To avoid relegation, collecting wins in games like this will be vital for the Lions this year.
The same probably goes for Avondale Heights, who have lost nearly 30 senior players in only a couple of seasons.
Consolidation in Premier Division is also the ideal outcome for the Heights, so this is a must-win game.
There is plenty on the line between two familiar rivals, but we’re not going to recognise many of the faces out on the park come Saturday.
An intriguing prospect for those who attend Monk Oval.
