Dominant displays and oh-so-close upsets define the return of Div 3 Men’s

After a nice and relaxing Easter break, the Division 3 Men’s competition was raring to get back into action. Across the Anzac weekend, we had teams nearly pull off big upsets and sides putting on dominant displays despite the wet weather conditions.

Power House remains the team to beat in Division 3 with a resounding 150-point win against Chadstone on the weekend, 30.18 (198) to 7.6 (48).

The ladder leaders were once again able to put on a display despite Chadstone placing them under some pressure in the first half. But after a rev-up from coach Nick Cox, Power House played far better in the second half scoring 124 of their 198 points in this half.

Jack Taylor-Evans would once again kick a haul of goals that would outscore his opponents, this time kicking nine goals. Having kicked 26 goals across three games, he has well and truly ensconced himself in the ton-watch conversation.

Despite an incident that saw one of their players taken to a hospital in the first quarter, Chadstone played a commendable game as they continue their upward trajectory despite an 0-3 record.

Richmond Central has delivered a comfortable 74-point win against La Trobe University. It was a close first quarter between the sides, but the Snakes managed to pull away in the second quarter keeping the Trobers’ scoreless which saw the game break in their favour.

Richmond Central’s coach Michael Motta put this down to their ability to lock the ball in their half which created repeated chances.

The additions of Jack Bilson and Campbell Mellor into the side would help make a difference with Bilson kicking three goals and Mellor was named best on ground for Richmond Central through his ability to get and use the ball effectively.

For La Trobe, they were somewhat hampered due to a limited bench plus players cramping across the field. But coach Andy Castles was pleased with the performances of Luke Vaughan and Connor McCredden in defence with both being named in the best on ground votes for La Trobe.

Swinburne University are now back-to-back 100+ point wins having defeated Eley Park by 106 points to put them into fourth place on the ladder.

The captaincy duo of Simon Heather and Nick Ferguson would once again play an important role in the victory as they combined for 13 goals. But it was once again a team performance that helped lead to an important victory considering that the Razorbacks did lose to the Sharks last season.

Eley Park coach Matt Embling was pleased with his team’s ability to pick up their work rate during the second half scoring 29 of their 43 points in that period. But he would like a more consistent performance from the Sharks across all four quarters.

North Brunswick is back on the winner’s list after a thrilling one-point victory against Box Hill North.

Despite conceding the first score, the Bulls lead the entire match after that. But the Demons remained within striking distance and had there been a couple of more minutes left in the game; it could have been a different result. The result becomes even more impressive for Box Hill North as according to their player-coach Beau Parthenides, they had six of their best ten players out of the squad for this week.

While the Bulls would have hoped to have won by a bigger margin considering they beat Box Hill North by 145 points last season, their ability to close out the game and defend the red-hot Demons should give the players further belief in their gameplan.  

A missed shot on goal after the siren from Albert Park sees Wattle Park’s season remain undefeated with a two-point win over the Falcons.

Inaccuracies would mean that Albert Park maintained the lead throughout the first half. But the Animals managed to keep the Falcons scoreless in the third quarter as their ball movement saw them chain up possessions despite the wet weather conditions to get on the scoreboard.

Once again, this ability to spread the ball out of the contest and create forward opportunities has been the difference for Glenn Hopkins’ side.

Despite the close game, player-coach Jack Aimes felt that Albert Park didn’t adapt to the wet weather conditions fast enough which also contributed to his side’s loss. While they have started the season 0-3, the Falcons have been competitive in every match against highly ranked opponents in Richmond Central and North Brunswick. This should hopefully translate into wins as the Falcons hope to soar up the ladder in the not-so-distant future.

While some eyes may be focused on the contest taking place in the voting booths this Saturday, there will be plenty of interest for the Round 4 clashes taking place on the field. Box Hill North will look to test Power House at Elgar Park as they press their case for finals. Albert Park will be on the hunt for their first win for 2025 when they take on Swinburne at home. Eley Park plays host to La Trobe as both teams hope to rebound after big losses in Round 3. Chadstone is up against North Brunswick in Chadstone as the Synners look to try and tame the Bulls. And in the match of the round, it’s a battle between Richmond Central and Wattle Park with only one team leaving the match with their perfect record intact.