Kew stamp their authority with a crushing win at home

Round 2 was a mixed bag with plenty on offer in Division 1. From high-scoring games to a couple of thrashings, to close contests that came down to the final quarter – the second round of play had it all. One of the biggest storylines to emerge from the weekend was the strength of Kew who now sit atop the ladder with a big win at home against Elsternwick.

Ormond continued their strong start to the season with a 91-point victory over Therry Penola. Ormond started well with the first couple of goals of the match, however before they could settle in, Therry Penola quickly struck back with two goals of their own, with a narrow 5-point margin at the quarter time siren.

The second term saw Ormond break away and make the most of the opportunities that presented themselves, putting on a dominant display up forward with eight majors.

Their 36-point lead at half-time expanded to 61-points at three-quarter time and by that stage it was clear they had the momentum to carry this game home, which they did in style with another seven goals in the last quarter. Samuel Bailey starred with six goals for the winning side.

A high-scoring game in Mount Eliza saw Old Peninsula take the chocolates over UHS-VU by 31 points. This game had swings and roundabouts with Old Peninsula up by 10-points at quarter time, yet UHS-VU had a dominant second quarter, moving the footy around the ground with ease to bank seven majors and an eight-point lead at the main break.

However, the home side quickly re-grouped and retaliated to take charge in the second half and controlled the majority of play until the final siren to take the four points.

After kicking four goals last week, Old Peninsula’s Bailey Payze well and truly backed up this week with eight goals in this game, whilst despite their team’s defeat, Jeffrey Fox, Jacob Hunt and Archie Frazer stood up for UHS-VU with good performances.

In the biggest win of the weekend for this section, Kew showed that they are a side to be taken seriously as they thrashed Elsternwick by 137-points. The Bears virtually silenced the Wicks in the first quarter, keeping them scoreless with a 35-point lead.

Kew only reached greater heights in the second quarter and continued to pile on the scoreboard pressure in the third term to acquire a massive 99-point advantage by three-quarter time. Elsternwick kicked two early goals in the final term, but Kew quickly responded with seven consecutive majors.

On a tough day for Elsternwick, Daniel Marchese impressed for his side with two of their five goals, whilst Kew’s William Llewelyn starred with six goals and will be a key player for Kew this season. Kew finished the game 24.26 (170), so the pain could’ve been a lot worse for Elsternwick if Kew had been more accurate in front of goal.

Despite a valiant final quarter effort from the Monash Blues, the Preston Bullants walked away winners at Frearson Oval having done the hard work in the first three quarters.

The Bullants managed to control the game on their terms in the first half as they converted opportunities inside 50 into goals which saw them with a healthy 27-point lead at the main break.

The third quarter had good periods for both sides, but the Bullants continued to lead the way and built up their lead to 36 points. The Bullants kicked the first goal of the final term and with their lead now 42 points, many thought the game was all but over. But to Monash’s credit, they continued to put in consistent efforts and kicked four consecutive goals to keep themselves in the game.

Alas, it was a case of too little too late as the Blues lost by 18 points and Preston were rewarded for their early effort.

Both coming off Round 1 wins, it was Oakleigh who managed to go 2-0, as they defeated Brunswick by 39 points. Oakleigh led this game from start to finish and were in control early on, commanding a 20-point lead at quarter-time and increasing that by half-time.

Brunswick clawed back some ground in the third quarter with a couple of goals from Oscar Watt firing them up, however Oakleigh were just the better side on the day, putting the game to bed in the last quarter and returning home worthy winners.

Luke Ashen made another significant contribution for Oakleigh with five goals to his name.

The competition resumes after the Easter break with five new match-ups ready to do battle in Round 3.

Undefeated Ormond host the winless UHS-VU in their first home game of 2025 as they look to go 3 and 0. UHS-VU will be looking to sustain a four-quarter effort this week after struggling to keep up with oppositions in the second half of their first two games.

Therry Penola host the Monash Blues with both teams aiming to register their first win of the season. Therry Penola narrowly avoided relegation last season so will be acutely aware of the importance of early wins to avoid 9th and 10th position on the ladder. Whilst the Monash Blues have a point to prove under new Coach Andy Batten, after coming down from Premier C.

The 6th placed Preston Bullants host Elsternwick who are yet to register a win. This game could go either way, and Elsternwick particularly will be eager for the challenge and ready to bounce back after their big loss to Kew.

The match of the round in Round 3 would have to be Oakleigh hosting Kew at Scammell Reserve. This promises to be an attacking, high-scoring game, with Oakleigh’s Luke Ashen and Kew’s William Llewelyn both sitting in the top five Division 1 goal-kickers at the early stage of this season. Whoever wins this game will make a big statement that they are a serious contender in 2025.

Brunswick host the undefeated Old Peninsula. This is another game that should be tightly contested as Brunswick looks to halt the high-scoring Old Peninsula who have cracked the triple digits on the scoreboard on both occasions they’ve played this year, one of only two teams to have achieved this feat.