By Rob Popplestone
WE ARE up and away for season 2025, with six clubs with wins on the board, and one club in Foster to have their first go this weekend after a bye in round one.
Surprises last week included Thorpdale's comfortable victory over Morwell East and Newborough’s impressive performance against MDU.
Foster v Newborough
The Bulldog's sent an early message to the league that they will be up and about and ready to mis it with the best sides in the competition after easily accounting for the MDU Demons in round one.
This weekend they face a fierce competitor in Foster who will certainly be a tough proposition on their home ground.
Pat Frendo Newborough coach: "Having Foster at Foster this week is always a tough task, expecting them to be right up there at the end of the season so we’re excited to see how we go against benchmark teams like them."
The Tigers have put together a really solid pre-season and with good numbers on the track are expected to be a contender once more, albeit they had to wait for an extra week to test themselves.
Sam Davies, Foster coach: “Round one bye for the second time in three years for us – we get Newborough first up coming off a really impressive win so we know we are going to be up against it. Hopefully, we can battle away and stay in the contest for a lot of the day.”
The Bulldogs new game style of quick legs on small forwards and equally impressive ball movement is the key for the Bulldogs and certainly will be a target for the Tigers who must manage an opposition that blew the cobwebs out just seven days ago.
Boolarra v Mirboo North
Two winning sides from round one get the chance to build on their good start to the season when the Tigers venture to the Demon's home ground for round two.
Boolarra held off a courageous and wayward Stony Creek side in round one, but the Demons have moved forward with an even stronger lineup this weekend as they take on their neighbours.
Brendan Mason, Boolarra coach: "This week we take on local rivals Mirboo North and hope to welcome back a couple of players who will strengthen our lineup. Ladder positions rarely matter when we take on the Tigers and I’m sure this week will be no different.
“We’ll put some time into their experienced pairing of Turner and Kerr but will predominantly back in our system in what shapes up as a pivotal round two clash".
These fifty-fifty games are inevitably the season changers that either winning or losing can be reflected on as ones that could have changed the season.
Damian Turner, Mirboo North coach: "Boolarra at Boolarra this week – another tough assignment, against a respected rival, who will be buzzing after a close win. Can’t wait for the challenge."
The challenge will be certainly be a might one for both teams and despite their first round wins, something extra will need to be found by the victors this weekend.
MDU v Thorpdale
It's crazy that teams can feel the pressure after just one round of football in an eighteen round season, but anyone who has followed the MGFNL in recent years knows to well that very little can separate third from twelfth later in the year, so winning early is crucial.
Rhett Kelly, MDU coach: “Looking forward to this week at home, which will be another big challenge for us to get the win on the board. There are a few players returning, and some players played well in the reserves game, so we will look to make a couple of changes.”
"Tac" Taylor might have been ecstatic with his Blue boys in round one after their comfortable win over Morwell East, but he experienced enough to know that last week was last week and the Demons will be ready to perform in front of their home crowd.
Daniel Taylor, Thorpdale coach: “MDU this week will be another good test. I'd imagine they'd be pretty keen to bounce back in their first home game of the season. I'm looking forward to it!”
Big things were expected of the Demons this season, but if they are to come, they cannot afford to drop games like this on their home deck.
Tarwin v Stony Creek
The Sharks showed some real grit in their first-round victory over local rivals Toora, Tarwin although leading at every turn (ten points at quarter time, fourteen points at half time and just eight points at the final break) it was their last quarter that the visitors did the dames, keeping Toora goalless and adding better than three goals themselves.
That said, Tarwin coach Lachie Jones is aware and respectful of this week's opposition. “Stony Creek will be another test next week as Troy will have them well drilled.”
The Lions may have lost last week, but the club feels they all but secured the points, given some long periods of the game they controlled only to be inaccurate in front of goal, but the saying goes and has always gone, "bad kicking is bad football" and you can'y afford that against an opponent like Tarwin.
Troy Shepardson, Stony Creek coach: “Looking forward to taking on a Tarwin side on their home deck. After a good win, they will be up and about, but we are looking to bounce back and get ourselves on the winners list.”
The Lions will be hoping that the likes of Kael Bergles, Zye Bergles-Brown, Tom Stone and Kurt Newton can get greater support this weekend and most importantly that their finishing in front of goals is much improved.
Yinnar v Toora
Yinnar confidently put the reigning premiers to the sword in round one with a courageous ten-point victory, the challenge now is to come off what was a long pre-season build-up to the grand final re-match to a round two clash with Toora.
Good sides take it as though their life depended on it.
Sam McCulloch, Yinnar coach: “We are looking forward to coming up against Toora for our first home game of the season, in front of our local supporters and past players. We will need to be on our game right from the start and are expecting a tough encounter.”
The Yinnar Magpies support from the local community is one of the best in the league and despite a couple of near misses in recent years, it is hoped that 2025 will give them another chance to contest the ultimate prize.
The Toora clash this week should be Yinnar's game to win, but that's just when you can get bitten on the behind, by a side that is keen to improve very quickly.
Jay Acardi, Toora coach: “We can see pretty clearly where we need to improve and heading to Yinnar this week will give us the perfect opportunity to see if we have learnt from some mistakes we made round one”
The clash of the Magpies will draw a big crowd, hoping to see their home side repeat the efforts of the week prior but beware a Toora side with plenty of talent and nothing to lose.
BYE: Fish Creek
