By Luke Mathews
AIRPORT WEST 13.8 (86) def. by PASCOE VALE 22.18 (150)
MATCH CENTRE
Pascoe Vale keep their spot inside the top two on the ladder after defeating Airport West by 64 points at Hansen Reserve.
The Panthers squandered golden opportunities in front of goal early in the first term kicking 3.6 to Airport West's 2.1, but found their mojo late to record their second biggest win in season 2024.
The loss leaves Airport West sitting on the bottom of the ladder and still searching for their first four points in 2024.
Ahmed Saad was the best on ground for Pascoe Vale kicking eight goals while Ben Allan and Julian Hamala put in strong performances that would’ve pleased coach Leigh Tudor.
Youngster Corey Barbaro was the shining light for Airport West on a difficult day kicking three goals with the 18-year-old not missing a beat since crossing over from Aberfeldie.
Ned Gentile continues his strong season kicking two goals from the midfield while Joel Brown kicked three goals.
Next up, the Eagles will be hoping to register their first four points for the year when they take on East Keilor at Overland Reserve while Pascoe Vale will travel to Section Road to take on the Jets.
KEILOR 35.12 (222) def. EAST KEILOR 5.8 (38)
MATCH CENTRE
Keilor has made light work of East Keilor, defeating the Cougars by 184 points to record the biggest win in Premier Division in 2024.
Saturday’s win makes it two thrashings in a row for Mick McGuane’s men after they took care of Pascoe Vale last week to the tune of 133 points.
Harrison Kennedy made the most of Collingwood’s bye in the VFL kicking seven goals, while Nathan Colenso and Chris Kosmas filled their boots kicking four goals each.
The Blues had 14 individual goal kickers with nine players kicking two goals or more on a dominant day for Keilor’s forward line.
Keilor’s stars all put in strong performances with Corey Ellis, Josh Honey, and Kane Barbuto all starring for Keilor in Saturday’s big win.
Lachlan Smart showed positive signs for East Keilor kicking three goals while Jack Cackett and Lucas Watson both hit the scoreboard on a day when goals were hard to come by for the Cougars.
Keilor will be hoping to continue their dominant form next week when they take on Avondale Heights away from home while East Keilor will host the winless Airport West.
DEER PARK 20.16 (136) def. AVONDALE HEIGHTS 13.10 (88)
MATCH CENTRE
Deer Park have put in one of their best performances for the year and returned to form defeating Avondale heights by 48 points.
Saturday’s win sees the 2023 Division One premiers move into seventh spot on the ladder and two games clear of the bottom of the ladder.
Majak Daw starred for the first time in 2024 kicking a whopping 11 goals in the eight goal victory with the Heights unable to contain the prized recruit and were made to pay on the scoreboard.
Captain Spiros Amarantidis also played a big part in the win kicking six goals to take his season tally to 17 from five games, while Jack Dorgan kicked 2 goals to be Deer Park’s only other goal kicker.
The Heights were in the contest for much of the day trailing by only eight points at the final change, however were blown away in the final term conceding eight goals which proved to be the difference.
Captain Jackson Robb put in a solid performance for the Heights while Liam Banco and Danko Bzenic continued their strong 2024 season.
It doesn’t get any easier for the Heights when they host Keilor, while Deer Park will be hoping to build on Saturday’s win when they play Essendon Doutta Stars at home.
View this post on Instagram
STRATHMORE 10.14 (74) def. GREENVALE 10.11 (71)
MATCH CENTRE
Strathmore has held off a fast-finishing Greenvale winning one of the games of the year by three points.
The Mores skipped out to a 16-point lead by half time, however the Jets clawed their way back to hit the front 13 minutes into the last quarter thanks to a goal from Callum Di Pietro.
Athan Tsialtas steadied the ship for Strathmore booting back-to-back goals just before time on in the fourth quarter, before Ben Speight kicked his second goal of the day to reduce the margin to four points.
Despite being one of the best players on the ground, Speight had the chance to be the hero for the Jets missing a crucial shot on goal with minutes to play that would’ve put the Jets two points up with only a few minutes to play.
Kyle Weightman starred for the Mores in his first game at EDFL level for the year with four goals along with Trent Dumont and Carlos Egan who also helped Strathmore get over the line.
Judd Brewster showed promising signs for the Jets with two goals while Liam Podhajski battled hard all day in the ruck for the Jets.
Strathmore will sit out next week before taking on Aberfeldie in one of the marquee games of the year at Windy Hill, while Greenvale will host Pascoe Vale.
ESSENDON DOUTTA STARS 11.8 (74) def. by ABERFELDIE 14.7 (91)
MATCH CENTRE
Aberfeldie has proved to be too strong for a gallant Essendon Doutta Stars outfit winning by 17 points at Nipper Jordan Oval.
The win sees Aberfeldie solidify their spot inside the top five by two games after they failed to feature in September action last year, while Douttas remain a game clear in sixth spot.
The 'Rillas were too strong when it mattered kicking five goals to three in the final term after taking a slender six point lead into the final break.
Youngster Ben Parker starred for Aberfeldie in only his eighth game at senior level. The 18-year-old is going from strength to strength kicking his second goal for the year and was among the side’s best players.
Josh Kemp continued his strong form kicking three goals, while Max Ollington, Max Simpson, and Daniel Thompson all kicking two goals.
Bailey Ryan was the best forward on the ground from both sides kicking five goals for the Stars while Daniel Romero and Oskar Balta would’ve pleased coach Barry Prendergast with their strong performances.
Aberfeldie will have a much-needed break before playing Strathmore at Windy Hill on King’s Birthday weekend, while Douttas will travel to Deer Park to take on the Lions.
By Luke Mathews
CRAIGIEBURN 6.7 (43) def. by OAK PARK 10.12 (72)
MATCH CENTRE
Oak Park have recorded their best win for the 2024 season, defeating Craigieburn by 29 points at Highgate Recreation Reserve.
Despite a shaky start to life in Division One, the win sees the Kangaroos make a charge for the top five as they move into sixth spot only one win and percentage out of the top five.
Oak Park set the win up during the second and third terms kicking six goals to two after Craigieburn went goalless in the third term.
The 32-point three quarter time lead proved to be too difficult for the home side to overcome.
Kane O’Halloran continued his strong 2024 campaign with four goals and took his season tally to 23 from seven games while Paul Pascu had another superb game in the midfield for the Kangaroos.
The Eagles struggled to hit the scoreboard with captain Jake Carlisle well held, however John Bellino and Sam Laffan did provide some spark kicking two goals each.
Next week, Oak Park will have their first bye for the year before taking on West Coburg at home after King’s Birthday while Craigieburn will face West Coburg at Shore Reserve.
HILLSIDE 28.12 (180) def. KEILOR PARK 10.8 (68)
MATCH CENTRE
Hillside continues to be the team to beat in Division One recording another big win, beating Keilor Park by 112 points at Hillside Recreation Reserve.
Despite playing a game extra, the Sharks now sit two games clear on top of the ladder with a strong percentage.
The Sharks were on fire in the first term kicking nine goals to two and kicked 15 goals in the second half to ensure another comprehensive victory.
Once again it was the Josh Covelli show with the full forward kicking 13 goals to take his season tally to 49 from only seven games.
Robbie Castello put in a solid performance against his old side with two goals, while Nat Caruso and Lachlan Henson both kicked three in a good outing.
James Mifsud was one of the Devils' best with four goals while Nicholas Spano fought hard with two goals to his name.
Keilor Park will be hoping to record their first win when they host Moonee Valley while Hillside will play Maribyrnong Park in a blockbuster clash at Monk Oval.
ST ALBANS 18.12 (120) def. TULLAMARINE 11.7 (73)
MATCH CENTRE
St Albans are continuing to put the pressure on the top two sides on the ladder easily taking care of Tullamarine by 47 points at Kings Park.
The Saints kicked six goals in the first quarter and fought off a Tullamarine fightback with seven goals in the final quarter to record their sixth victory of 2024.
Josh Carter kicked his first bag of the year with five goals while Mason Dipetta kicked four.
The Demons had an even spread of goal kickers with Jake Long, Stephen McCallum, Dominic Micallef, and Nicholas Papakalodoukas all kicking two goals despite the loss.
Next week the Demons will host Roxburgh Park while St Albans will play Rupertswood at home.
ROXBURGH PARK 13.11 (89) def. RUPERTSWOOD 14.9 (93)
MATCH CENTRE
Rupertswood has won one of the best games in recent memory, downing Roxburgh Park by four points thanks to a James Fox goal after the siren.
The sides were evenly matched for much of the encounter with Rupertswood taking single figure leads into each break after quarter time.
The Magpies hit the front for the first time since the opening quarter with a behind 29 minutes into the final term. They missed three golden opportunities late in the final term and led by just two points at the 34-minute mark of the last quarter.
With seconds left Lachlan Shore bombed a ball to the top of the goal square that was marked by James Fox. Fox went back after the siren sounded and calmly slotted the goal to record one of Rupo’s best wins in their time in the EDFL.
Clayton Bonello proved to be the difference on the day with seven goals with three coming in the final term, while Fraser Phelan-Smith continues his sublime 2024 with four goals.
Despite the heart-breaking loss, Cooper McPharlane kicked four goals while vice captains Thomas Barker and Jamie Grant lead from the front with two goals each.
Roxburgh Park will be hoping to bounce back when they take on Tullamarine at Leo Dineen Reserve while Rupertswood will be looking to test themselves against St Albans at Kings Park Reserve.
View this post on Instagram
MOONEE VALLEY 9.6 (60) def. WEST COBURG 28.18 (186)
MATCH CENTRE
West Coburg have recorded their second thumping in as many weeks taking care of Moonee Valley by 126 points at Ormond Park.
The win sees West Coburg now boast a percentage of 204.81, the second best in the competition behind Maribyrnong Park.
The Valley did show some promise early, kicking the first three goals of the match and looked to be up for the fight.
It ended there with West Coburg kicking 28 of the next 34 goals, ensuring their second triple-digit victory of the season.
Veteran Omar Saad cashed in with eight goals in his best game of the year, while Ruairi Cleary kicked six and Jesse Martini kicked three to help West Coburg to its biggest total for the season.
Youngster Julian Hinton showed plenty of promise in front of his home crowd and fought hard in a backline that was under siege for most of the day, while Ben Ryan showed some positive signs with three goals in the heavy defeat.
Moonee Valley will be hoping to record its second victory for the year when they travel to Keilor Park to take on the Devils while West Coburg will host Craigieburn.
By Eli Duxson
BURNSIDE HEIGHTS 15.8 (98) def. SUNBURY KANGAROOS 11.7 (74)
MATCH CENTRE
One more challenger has been well-handled by Burnside Heights as they defeated 2023 grand finalists Sunbury Kangaroos by 24 points.
They were able to get out to a 30-point halftime lead and maintain that separation on the Kangaroos as they move to seven wins from seven games.
Nick Gregson departed the game early with a finger injury leaving a hefty void up forward, one filled by Daniel Hovey in his most dominant game for the Bears this season as he slammed through nine majors.
The Bears dominated the contested ball and the clearance count (+24) giving them 11 more inside 50s than the Kangaroos, and with Hovey showing his ability, they proved hard to control.
Bears skipper Jordan Hughes continues yet another strong season with 40 disposals (22 contested) and nine clearances, while Dion Lawson recorded a staggering 22 clearances from 32 disposals.
Mitch Kook (35 disposals) and John Corso (32 disposals, 10 tackles) led by example for the Kangaroos as Shawn Bowden and Mitch Streiff kicked four goals each.
The Kangaroos will host Glenroy next week while Burnside Heights will head to Martin Reserve to play Hadfield.
COBURG DISTRICTS 13.7 (85) def. GLENROY 10.15 (75)
MATCH CENTRE
Coburg Districts have found themselves on the right side of a close result defeating Glenroy by 10 points.
It was the Lions' first win since Round 1 with all six of their games remarkably decided by 13 points or less.
Districts trailed by seven points at the final change and were able to hold the Roys goalless in the final term and kick three of their own to win the game.
Jack McNamara was pivotal for the Lions with three goals, while Jasper Lynch and Angus O'Meara put in strong performances.
Aaron Kite has been enjoying his return to the red and white with his fourth game of four goals or more booting through five on this occasion, while Matt Walker and Jake Young kicked two each.
Tanner Nilsson and Daniel Ferraro continue to perform strongly for Glenroy with fellow veteran Lachlan Cox serviceable as well.
The Roys will look to get on the right side of the result against Sunbury Kangaroos while Coburg Districts will face Northern Saints.
EAST SUNBURY 9.8 (62) def. by HADFIELD 18.13 (121)
MATCH CENTRE
Hadfield won their third game of the season with a 59-point triumph over East Sunbury.
Ange Lamanna's men led by 33 points at the first change and broke the game open with a six-goal third quarter.
Sam Godden was yet again their best with four goals and was supported by Rhys Gleisner, Michael Pell, Jake Polizzi, Mitchell Sciberras, and Jack Wallace who all kicked two goals.
Although the winless streak continues for the Thunder, it was their highest score of the season as they found more avenues to goal with eight individual goal scorers.
Josh Crump led the way with two goals while Mitchell Shields and Simon Collis were named their best.
East Sunbury will have the week off while Hadfield will host Burnside Heights.
View this post on Instagram
TAYLORS LAKES 14.9 (93) def. NORTHERN SAINTS 13.8 (86)
MATCH CENTRE
Northern Saints have found form after securing their first victory last week and took it up to the undefeated Taylors Lakes, but were unable to best the Lions losing by seven points.
Taylors Lakes were strong out of the blocks with 27 and 22-point leads at the first and main breaks, before a strong resurgence from the Saints saw the deficit at just nine points heading into the final quarter.
The Lions kicked 10 goals in the opening half and were restricted to just four on the second half as the Saints kicked seven goals in that stretch.
Although it wasn't enough in the end and it remains tough for Tamer Abdallah's group to secure the finals post they'd be striving for, it indicates they're not far off.
Nick Bruno (four goals) and Khoder Taleb (three goals) did the damage up forward while Saeed Abdul-Wahed and Musa Hussain were important around the ground for the Saints.
Taylors Lakes skipper Chris Vulic was yet again sublime with Luke Nappi kicking four goals in his second senior game this season, and Lachlan Rayner (three goals) showing his class.
Northern Saints will look to bounce back against Coburg Districts, while Taylors Lakes will face Westmeadows.
By Joseph Ibic
ESSENDON DOUTTA STARS 12.16 (88) def. MOONEE VALLEY 0.0 (0)
MATCH CENTRE
Essendon Doutta Stars recorded a massive win over Moonee Valley this weekend which keeps the Stars in third place.
Douttas started out with some wayward kicking in front of goal in the first term, kicking just the one goal and seven behinds. However, their accuracy improved as the game went on and their dominance in the contest increased.
It was a match to forget for Moonee Valley who were held scoreless for the entirety of the game.
The last few rounds have been difficult for the Valley as they have now lost three games in a row by a considerable margin after starting the season with two wins in their first three games.
The Valley next play Aberfeldie, while Essendon Doutta Stars come up against the unbeaten Hillside.
OAK PARK 18.14 (122) def. KEILOR 0.0 (0)
MATCH CENTRE
Oak Park recorded a huge win over Keilor by over 100 points as they continue to build towards another top-two finish.
The Oakers dominated in all aspects of the game from the backline to the forward line and were especially impressive in the third quarter as they booted eight goals.
It was a disappointing loss for Keilor who were brought back down to earth after they recorded their first win of the season last week.
Keilor will look to bounce back against Marby Park at home, while Oak Park will face the winless Westmeadows.
View this post on Instagram
MARIBYRNONG PARK 4.4 (28) def by. HILLSIDE 5.7 (37)
MATCH CENTRE
Nine points was all that separated Maribyrnong Park and Hillside at the end of the game as the Sharks came out on top extending their unbeaten streak to six games.
Hillside started faster than Marby putting on two goals to none in the first quarter.
Marby fought back across the rest of the match, but Hillside proved to be just too strong in the end.
Hillside’s star forward Caitlin Sargent and Marby Park’s key forward Tegan Matthews scored two goals each as their race for the goalkicking award continues.
While there would be disappointment in the Maribyrnong Park camp at not getting over the line, there would also be great pride and confidence in the fact that they have proven they can compete against the best teams in the comp.
Marby Park will next play Keilor and Hillside will face off against Essendon Doutta Stars.
WESTMEADOWS 1.1 (7) def by. ABERFELDIE 11.12 (78)
MATCH CENTRE
Aberfeldie recorded a big win over the bottom-of-the-table Westmeadows by 71 points.
Abers took charge early booting five goals to one in the first half before backing it up with another six in the second.
Maddison Wilczynski was particularly impressive slotting five goals as Aberfeldie continue to rebuild their season after a couple of losses to start the season.
It was another tough game for the struggling Westmeadows who are still winless and a game clear at the bottom of the ladder.
It wasn’t all bad news for the Tigers, Yasmine Guzel and Ruby Smith both had great games while Kate Sellers was able to score their only major.
Westmeadows' task doesn’t get any easier next week as they face Oak Park, and Aberfeldie will come up against the struggling Moonee Valley.
By Joseph Ibic
AIRPORT WEST 5.4 (34) def. STRATHMORE/PASCOE VALE 4.7 (31)
MATCH CENTRE
Airport West won a thriller against Strathmore/Pascoe Vale as the Eagles look to lock in a top-three spot.
The Eagles were down by three points at halftime but were back in front by the final change and were able to keep it that way for the rest of the game.
Airport West now sit a game behind the top two teams in Burnside Heights and Greenvale as those three teams start to look like the only teams that can challenge for the flag this season.
Strathmore/Pascoe Vale finally seem to have found their footing these past few weeks as they recorded their first win last week and now pushed a strong Airport West team all the way.
Strathmore/Pascoe Vale will look to continue their fine form against top-of-the-table Burnside Heights next week, while Airport West will attempt to defeat second-place Greenvale.
TULLAMARINE 0.0 (0) def. by BURNSIDE HEIGHTS 17.13 (115)
MATCH CENTRE
Burnside Heights have bounced back in strong fashion after their first loss last week defeating Tullamarine by 115 points.
It was complete domination by the Bears who piled on 17 goals to none across the four quarters.
Bella Negri was formidable up front booting five goals, while Tayla McKeown was also handy kicking three.
Importantly, the accuracy issues that have plagued the Bears this season – especially in their loss last week – were nowhere to be seen.
It was a rough day for Tulla who were simply outclassed by a better opposition as they failed to score a single point throughout the entire match.
Tulla now sit equal on points with last place and are only saved from last by percentage at the moment.
Tulla will next face Keilor Park while Burnside Heights will take on the last-placed Strathmore/Pascoe Vale.
View this post on Instagram
By Joseph Ibic
ROXBURGH PARK 15.18 (108) def. EAST SUNBURY 0.2 (2)
MATCH CENTRE
It was a big win for Roxburgh Park on the weekend as they defeated East Sunbury by 106 points.
The win was Roxy’s third for the season so far which leaves them in fourth place and in a good position to keep pushing for finals.
Forward Natalie Tull-Boyle booted seven goals and Jameson Best scored five in what was a demolition from start to finish.
A difficult season continued for another week as East Sunbury recorded their second 100-point loss in a row as their search for a first win continues.
East Sunbury next play Taylors Lakes, while Roxburgh Park come up against the undefeated Sunbury Lions.
SUNBURY LIONS 4.1 (25) def. COBURG DISTRICTS 1.2 (8)
MATCH CENTRE
Sunbury Lions have extended their unbeaten streak to six games as they defeated Coburg Districts by 17 points.
Sunbury Lions were able to pull away slightly from Coburg Districts after halftime scoring two goals to none in the second half.
Natachia Abela kicked two goals for the Sunbury taking her season tally to 21 goals from six games.
Coburg Districts were competitive all game but, in the end, just couldn’t quite match it with Sunbury.
The loss was Districts' second in a row after they started the season with three straight wins.
Coburg Districts will look to rebound against the Sunbury Kangaroos next weekend, and the Sunbury Lions will look to extend their unbeaten run against Roxburgh Park.
View this post on Instagram
SUNBURY KANGAROOS 10.11 (71) def. GLENROY 2.6 (18)
MATCH CENTRE
Sunbury Kangaroos recorded a 53-point win over Glenroy which leaves them in second place four points behind first.
The match was relatively close for the first half before the Kangaroos proved to be a class above kicking away to a comfortable win.
Tara Crisp booted four majors, while Nat Dunne was once again influential kicking two goals and taking her season tally to 15 goals.
There were some promising signs early from Glenroy who seemed up for the fight early on before falling away in the later stages of the match.
Glenroy will have a bye next weekend giving them a much-needed chance to rest and refresh for the rest of the season, while Sunbury Kangaroos will battle it out against Coburg Districts.
