Football is back in the EDFL's leading competition with plenty of tantalising match-ups on the cards for Round One.
The Nena and Pasadena Match of the Day van makes its first journey in 2022 to Clifton Park with Aberfeldie set to host Maribyrnong Park.
With the two sides finishing third and fourth last year before the season was cut short, both these teams will consider themselves in the hunt for premiership glory this season.
Adam Marcon takes the reins from the departing Adam Potter as the powerhouse club goes through a changing of the guard.
Premiership stars Josh Toy, Ryan Allan and Josh Cubillo have all left Abers but Marcon's strong Williamstown connection sees him reunite with 2021 Reynolds Medallist and cousin Nick Meese as well as former team mate Tim Currie.
For Maribyrnong Park, Brad Swain will see this fixture as an excellent chance to make a statement early.
The Lions won the reverse fixture last year at Monk Oval, sneaking home by two points with Chris Prowse best afield that day.
Be sure to tune in from 2pm thanks to Cluch TV and 98.9 North West FM to catch this Round One epic.
It will be a big day for East Keilor at Overland Reserve as the Cougars plan to unveil their Strathmore Community Bank Division One flag with Essendon Doutta Stars their opponent.
The Cougars have been making big statements the past few seasons and a win first up in the League's top flight would reaffirm their belief that this is where they belong.
Nick Grabowski joins forces again with his brother Josh after playing with the Cougars in the 2019 season and former Reynolds Medallist Rodney Van Riet joins the fold for new coach Tim Bongetti.
For Douttas, they'll have to fill some holes in their best 22 with the likes of Jordan Schroder, Alex Boyse and Mitch Day leaving Nipper Jordan Oval.
With some suggesting the Stars might be a chance for relegation, an early win on the board is the perfect way to silence the critics.
At Sewell Reserve, Pascoe Vale will be wanting to prove a point when they travel to Glenroy.
The Panthers have added former junior and AFL player Paul Ahern to their ranks to compliment the top end talent of Matt Watson, Julian Hemala and Liam Ogden.
Glenroy look to be a tough prospect in 2022 with a number of VFL aligned prospects joining Ross Terranova's squad.
At Joe Brown Oval, Keilor will play host to Greenvale.
Not much has changed for Mick McGuane's team and you'd expect the master coach to have his team primed for this Round One contest.
The only notable out for the Blues is Dylan Joyce, as the premiership stalwart heads to the country to pursue a new opportunity.
The Jets have lost arguably their best player from last season with Tyson Young heading back to Airport West after a one year stint in green and black.
A strong showing against the highly rated Blues might just swing some opinions on how Darren Bewick's side will travel this year.
Avondale Heights will face one of the toughest challenges in Round One as they welcome Strathmore for its season opener.
The Heights were more than competitive in a number of contests last season, even pinching a win against Keilor but a win over the Mores will be a tough ask.
Matthew Horne will have the expectations set high for his team after finishing on top of the ladder in the 2021 season.
There are a number of cracking matches scheduled to open the Strathmore Community Bank Division One season.
Craigieburn returns to Division One with a trip to Shore Reserve where they'll face a sturdy West Coburg side.
It has been a quiet off-season for the Burgers with Ibrahim Taha the only notable out for Dale May's squad.
It's almost a polar opposite for the Eagles who have had a flurry of transfers coming in and out of D.S Aitkin Reserve.
With the likes of Caelan Anderson, Brock Chircop and Dayne and Liam Middleton on the list of outs, it will be up to new coach Justin Sherman to settle this Eagles side in Division One and build for the future.
Expect this fixture to present a good indication on where these two sides might sit for the 2022 season.
Roxburgh Park were flying high at the end of last year and will want to replicate some of the form they were showing when the 2021 season was inevitably called off.
The Magpies had won four in a row at the back end of last year and were eyeing off a spot in the four come season's end, and there is no doubt finals football will be the goal for Michael Farrelly as he enters his fourth season as coach.
Hillside will be the Pies' first match-up and there has been a bit of coming and going out of Shark Park.
The big watch will be on Josh Covelli and how he performs in his new division.
The power forward managed 269 majors across his 59-game spell at Burnside Heights in Division Two and the challenge of a higher standard of football will be a good test for the former Bear.
Could this game turn into a bit of a shootout if it opens up?
Moonee Valley faces a difficult task in its first game in the division as the Fog host Westmeadows at Ormond Park.
1999 premiership coach, Ian Denny, is back at the club to help guide them in their new division but with Team of the Year star Braden Padmore leaving the club as well as the retirements of Cory McGrath and Luke Ryan, the Valley are a very different looking side compared to 12 months ago.
For Westmeadows, they will have to adjust to life after Robbie Castello as their former skipper returns to junior club Keilor Park.
The Tigers got a small taste without Castello on the field after a season ending injury in Round 5, but went on to keep a 5-2 from line without the former Hutchison Medallist.
If Mo Kaakour's team are serious contenders this year, they should take home the four points.
Airport West will take on Rupertswood at the Nest come Saturday with the Eagles proving to be very busy this off-season.
Former Hutchison Medallist, Tyson Young, is back at his home club and headlines a number of big inclusions to Hansen Reserve this year.
Joining Young is West Coburg young gun Ibby Taha, East Keilor regular Fabian Brancatisano, VFL aligned Rueben William and Luke Sultana is a chance to line up against his old club.
Rupertswood proved to be a tougher match-up last year than its 2-9 form line suggests.
Departing the Shark Tank alongside Sultana is Patrick Scanlon who returns to the Sunbury Lions, a club he last featured for over a decade ago in the juniors.
Arron Bray has brought in some handy inclusions such as Matt Italiano, Zak Saad and Ben Said.
It should be good early test for the side from up the highway.
Finally, under lights, Tullamarine are set to unveil their boom recruit with Shaun McKernan returning to his junior club after 91 games at AFL level.
McKernan headlines a number of good inclusions for Tulla, who will now be lead by co-coaches David Connell and Ben Chapman.
Matthew O'Dwyer, James Vistarini, Nick Bruno, Peter Dispenzeri and Matthew Bennardo are amongst some of the other major ins at Leo Dineen Reserve.
As for the Kangaroos, Leigh Sporle's team are shaping up to be a pretty good outfit in 2022 as they look to build on the success of 2021.
The Kangaroos have kept a majority of their list together over the off-season and have topped up adding to the depth now available at Eric Boardman Reserve.
2019 premiership star, Tierone Cuffe, is back at the club after a stint at Strathmore while rising star Cooper McPharlane will add another avenue to goal in the Roos' forward line.
Strathmore Community Bank Division Two will be welcomed back with a number of intriguing games.
Taylors Lakes face off against Coburg Districts in its first game in this division after relegation last year.
There have been a number of big outs for the Lakes with Luke Denny transferring to Point Cook while young gun Salvatore Mellili stays in Division One with Tullamarine.
Districts will provide a good match-up for the Charles Cuzzupi's side with Tom Gleeson's outfit a strong benchmark of Division Two for a number of years now.
Keilor Park has generated plenty of discussion over the summer with the Devils making moves that mean business.
Robbie Castello returns to his junior club while Damian Cavka has been lured out of the WRFL to pull on the orange and green.
With the Devils sporting two thirds sides this year, the depth of the club is at an all time high and quite remarkable considering where things were at a number of years ago.
Taking on the competition's bolter will be Hadfield, who have made a few strides of their own.
The Hawks put forward their most competitive season in years and will be looking to build on that again in 2022.
Burnside Heights will welcome Oak Park to their new home for 2022 when the two sides go head-to-head at Brookside Recreation Reserve.
The big talking point out of the Bears has been the loss of Josh Covelli but Aidan Stott still has Team of the Year forward Anthony Fawcus at his disposal as well as some forward half recruits that the home team are quite bullish about.
For Oak Park, they fell agonisingly short of promotion last season with the Kangas knocking off Moonee Valley in the last home-and-away round of the season.
You'd have to expect Todd Clark's side to be around the mark once again this season with five Team of the Year members returning for season 2022.
Lastly, it will be Jacana playing host to the Northern Saints in Round One.
With Jacana backing up from last year, the purple and gold will be looking for steady improvement once again this year.
Of the Jags' lowest conceded scores last season, six of them came in the last seven rounds of the year.
For the Saints, it will be Tamer Abdallah's first game as senior coach as the Northern Saints' homegrown product still plans to pull on the boots this season.
Northern will be a young side on the build this year with no expectations what they can achieve.
THIS WEEKEND’S FIXTURES
ABERFELDIE v MARIBYRNONG PARK
🎥 Cluch TV
📻 98.9 North West FM
Saturday 2:15pm at Clifton Park
EAST KEILOR v ESSENDON DOUTTA STARS
Saturday 2:15pm at Overland Reserve
KEILOR v GREENVALE
Saturday 2:15pm at Joe Brown Oval
AVONDALE HEIGHTS v STRATHMORE
Saturday 2:15pm at Canning Reserve
GLENROY v PASCOE VALE
Saturday 2:15pm at Sewell Reserve
ROXBURGH PARK v HILLSIDE
Saturday 2:15pm at Lakeside Oval
WEST COBURG v CRAIGIEBURN
Saturday 2:15pm at Hillside Reserve
AIRPORT WEST v RUPERTSWOOD
Saturday 2:15pm at Hansen Reserve
MOONEE VALLEY v WESTMEADOWS
Saturday 2:15pm at Ormond Park
TULLAMARINE v SUNBURY KANGAROOS
Saturday 5pm at Leo Dineen Reserve
BURNSIDE HEIGHTS v OAK PARK
Saturday 2:15pm at Brookside Recreation Reserve
JACANA v NORTHERN SAINTS
Saturday 2:15pm at Jacana Reserve
TAYLORS LAKES v COBURG DISTRICTS
Saturday 2:15pm at Lionheart Reserve
KEILOR PARK v HADFIELD
Saturday 2:15pm at Keilor Park Reserve
