Main contenders emerging
After the third round of Mininera and District Football League action, some teams are beginning to emerge as the main contenders, remaining undefeated, while at the other end of the scale others are still searching for their first win of the season.
Ararat Eagles’ unblemished start to the season continued on the weekend when they had a massive 167-point victory over neighbour Great Western.
The Eagles came out firing right from the get go, putting six goals, seven behinds on the board in the first quarter, leaving behind the Lions who could only manage one goal and one behind by the first break.
From then, Ararat kept the foot on the throttle the whole game to reconfirm the massive score.
Jaydo Wright had another good game, named in the best for the third week in a row, while his team-mates Naish Mcroberts and Zac Jenkins have also featured multiple times.
The Eagles will be looking to all their big play-makers across the ground this week when they take on the also undefeated Lismore-derrinallum.
Lismore-derrinallum’s three from three sees it sitting on top of the ladder and will be looking to keep it that way after this weekend.
The Demons, who also recorded a massive 263-point win over Caramut, will hope they can take the momentum from their good start to the season with help from players such as Beau Ketchen, Steven Ryan and Jack Atkins, along with Micheal Lockyer who booted 12 majors on the weekend, into this early season high-stakes game, which will really put both teams to the test.
Great Western and Moyston-willaura’s seasons have so far been at the other end of the scale, with both teams still looking for their first win, however that will change for one of them this week when they play each other.
Both teams are coming off major losses last round, Great Western to Ararat Eagles and Moyston-willaura’s loss was at the hands of Wickliffe-lake Bolac to the tune of more than 28 goals.
Great Western’s Thomas Cairns, Tom Robinson and Nicholas Mccartney have all been shining lights in the otherwise dark start, while for the Pumas it has been Zak Varley, Ben Skubnik and Riley Thomas who have been battling hard despite the losses.
This will be a big game for both teams to get an early season win and to kickstart their program for 2022.
In other games around the league, Penshurst takes on Glenthompson-dunkeld, Woorndoo-mortlake will play Hawkesdale-macarthur, Tatyoon will host Wickliffe-lake Bolac and SMW Rovers, coming off a narrow 11-point loss in a hard-fought match with Woorndoo-mortlake, plays the winless Caramut.