with Rob Pobblestone
Round Three
Hill End v MDU
MDU 23-9-147 to the Hillsmen 7-3-45.
MDU arrived at the home of Hill End with every intention of building on their round two success.
and in doing so, starting to make up for some early ground lost in round one. The Rovers had shown that they could be competitive, but had their work cut out from the very first bounce on the weekend, eventually going down to an impressive and more complete outfit.
Mirboo North v Tarwin
Mirboo North 6-7-43 to Tarwin 5-7-37.
The Tigers started the season with some mixed fortunes but were very much of the belief that their weekend clash against Tarwin was a most winnable game, even if their early matches had shown some areas of improvement were still needed. The Tigers won by a solitary straight kick, in what was a thriller, albeit a low scoring game.
Stony Creek v Yinnar
Yinnar 11-11-77 to Stony Creek 4-6-30.
Taking the scalp of a premiership contender is never an easy task and the Yinnar side had been the hunted for long enough in recent years to be well prepared for almost any encounter. The Lions with a win under their belt prior to the Easter break were keen to secure a victory against the odds, but it wasn't to be on the weekend, as the visiting Magpies flexed and shook off comfortably the home side.
Thorpdale v Foster
Foster 17-18-120 to Thorpdale 7-3-45.
An interrupted start to the season for Foster had made it hard for the Tigers to gain any real momentum. A round one bye, round two success, an Easter break and now Thorpdale on their home ground, was not an ideal way to start the year, but nevertheless the Tigers did what they needed to do, and did it with class.
Toora v Fish Creek
Fish Creek 14-6-90 to Toora 7-13-55.
As tough as Toora can sometimes be on their home deck, the opposition don't come much tougher than what the Magpies faced on the weekend, in Fish Creek. The Kangaroos might not yet be playing at the level they plan to later in the season, but the quality of personnel means that they are a formidable opposition at any time of the year. Toora has already shown signs of significant improvement, even in losing. The Magpies still have a way to go, but the journey has started.
Round Four
Fish Creek v Stony Creek
Stony Creek 4-5-29 to Fish Creek 16-11-107.
The Kangaroos had been the standout club for the past two seasons and as back to back premiers, they entered this round four clash as warm favourites against Stony Creek.
Fish Creek at home is regarded as about as tough as it gets and the Lions found that out first hand on the weekend, going down by seventy eight points 4-5-29 to 16-11-107.
Foster v Hill End
Foster 22-16-148 to Hill End 4-8-32.
Foster has been fast becoming recognised as one of the early season premiership contenders, as their form against good sides, indicated some sharp improvement on seasons gone by, with some classy midfield, stoic defence and fine finishing, all syncing in team performances that left opposition sides equally impressed. The weekend was no exception, the home side comfortably accounting for the Rovers 22-16-148 to 4-8-32.
MDU v Boolarra
Boolara 8-3-51 to MDU 18-13-121.
The "Clash of the Demons" was a match that made the mouth water, as Boolarra, unbeaten in the first three rounds for the first time since 2008, came to the home ground of an in-form MDU.
with a sharp focus on keeping that winning momentum intact. What actually occurred however was somewhat of a reality check for the visitors as they went down 8-3-51 to 18-13-121.
Tarwin v Morwell East
Tarwin 12-10-82 to Morwell East 7-6-48.
The form of these two sides had been really hard to gauge in the weeks leading into Round four.
Tarwin coming off multiple losses and Morwell East struggling to find anywhere near the sort form they had shown in 2024. The question was who would take their opportunity?
The answer was the Sharks, and easy! Tarwin 12-10-82 to the Hawks 7-6-48.
