Wet conditions no problem for fast starting Duo

The Anzac Day weekend matches served up some challenging conditions for teams, with the weather proving difficult for free-flowing football. It didn’t seem to bother fast starting La Trobe and De La Salle, who made it three on the bounce.

La Trobe University took nothing for granted after their 2-0 start. Head Coach Samantha Greene admitted hosting MCC FC was a challenge they were really excited for. Unfortunately, for MCC they only had sixteen available players on the day, meaning they had to endure a full game without any rotations.

The positive start from MCC saw the club take it up to league leaders La Trobe in the early stages. At three-quarter time they trailed by eight points and were very much in the contest. However, the class of La Trobe prevailed in the final term, as they kept their opponents scoreless and recorded a hard-fought 24-point win.

Second gamer Claire Wilson starred for La Trobe, kicking three of her side’s four goals. Head coach Greene also added that the contest between the two sides will be even more exciting next time out, seeing MCC should see players return and be able to utilise rotations.  

It was a similar story for De La Salle, who took on a winless Wattle Park side who were desperate for a maiden win. The Animals certainly brought their A-game early to Waverley Oval, jumping their rivals and leading right up until three-quarter time.

An inspired final quarter performance from De La Salle saw them boot three goals in six minutes to run over the top of a very brave Wattle Park outfit. Animals head coach Mel Dell’Ollio will be left puzzled after his side slumped to a third consecutive loss to kickstart 2025.

Although they are left with a mountain to climb, leading undefeated De La for three quarters will unearth a wide range of positives that the club can build on as they navigate through a challenging start to their season.

Old Carey continued to flex their muscles, downing a struggling Aquinas by 23 points. They led Aquinas at every break and were in control from the outset. An impressive afternoon from Old Carey’s Lucy Wynne and Lia Kelvie set the bar high and made it that little bit harder for Aquinas to assert any form of dominance.

Head coach Ryan Dobson will be delighted with his side’s cohesion, as his players continue to gel and rack up the wins. Life in Division 2 for Aquinas has certainly not been all sunshine and rainbows, with the Ringwood-based club searching for their first four points of 2025. The ability to play a connected brand of football will be something Aquinas really begins to drill down on in training. They host De La Salle in round 4, a clash that becomes even more important for Aquinas.

Box Hill North managed to outlast Brunswick in a relatively cagey affair at Gillon Oval. A dominant second term saw Steve Jackson’s side kick all three goals of the game in one quarter of footy.

The two teams headed into the contest with similar form lines, both sitting 1-1 after their opening two games. Jackson relishes that competitive spirit his side plays with and was happy to see that reinstated after it was challenged greatly against De La Salle in their Round 2 meeting.

The challenging conditions the weather threw up ultimately weighed on Brunswick the greatest, seeing they did not manage a major score all game. Brunswick will be looking to reattach their goal-kicking boots next round, as they face an Old Carey outfit that loves to play attacking football.

The win of the round certainly belonged to Parkside, who notched their first win of the season in emphatic style. The Devils showcased their talent behind the ball, keeping UHS-VU goalless right up until deep into the third quarter.

Kicking eight goals fifteen, it’s probably safe to say that Parkside left a few more goals out there. Nevertheless, the rate at which they were able to score was ultra impressive and boosts the confidence of those in the forward line.

Since their narrow victory in Round 1, UHS-VU has been on the end of two ugly-looking losing margins. The ability to score consistently across four quarters has seemed to have parted ways with UHS-VU over the past two matches, leaving head coach Alex Henry with a clear area in his side’s game to improve on over the coming weeks.

Round 3 was certainly a testing one weather-wise for all clubs across Division 2 Women’s, giving coaches and players insight into how they can improve in the wet. Hopefully the conditions can improve heading into Round 4, as the competition begins to heat up. Box Hill North play host to La Trobe University in what is shaping up to be a super clash. Old Carey face off against Brunswick while Aquinas will travel to play De La Salle. Rounding out the weekend, MCC host UHS-VU and Wattle Park will come up against a red-hot Parkside.