Week Three Preview

The third weekend of Outer East FN action gets underway tomorrow with a number of exciting matchups taking place for ANZAC Round.

Take a look at what’s to come for all matchups across senior men’s and women’s football and A grade netball with the week three preview:

Premier Data Premier Division Football

Monbulk will get its season underway this Saturday when they take on Narre Warren for the first time on its home turf at Monbulk Recreation Reserve. Andrew Williams continues as head coach and John Hevern is the captain for the Hawks as they take its side into the premier division competition for the first time in Outer East Football Netball. Fresh from a two-week break, given they started its 2022 campaign a week ahead of its opponents, Narre Warren will be hoping to make it two in a row for its ANZAC Round fixture.

Local Cardinia Shire rivals Officer and Pakenham will meet again for the first time since 2019 as they look to get the local crowd up and about for this ANZAC Round fixture. Both sides are coming off losses to Upwey Tecoma and Narre Warren in their Round One clashes and will come into this weekend with the clear aim of getting the four points on the board. Doug Koop and Ash Green have both trained their sides hard over the off-season and will be keen to get their seasons moving along and not go down in this all-important clash.

The first of two ANZAC Day clashes in the football space sees local Yarra Valley rivals Wandin and Woori Yallock go head-to-head as they try to get the upper hand over the other. Both the Bulldogs and the Tigers are coming off Round One wins over Mount Evelyn and Olinda Ferny Creek and will be keen to continue the momentum in its quests for success in season 2022.

Upwey Tecoma and Olinda Ferny Creek is the second ANZAC Day matchup, with the contest between the Tigers and the Bloods shaping up to be a tight game. Fresh off its win against Officer, the Tigers under playing coach Stuart Hill will be hoping to make it two in a row to start the season against its local Yarra Valley rivals, while for the Bloods it’s all about recovery from a close, but tough loss to Woori Yallock in Round One as they look to get the four points on the board.

Karcher Premier Division Netball

With both clubs enjoying success in Round One, Monbulk and Narre Warren will go head-to-head on the netball court for the first time as they look to capitalise on early wins. The Hawks will be keen to put on a show for the local crowd on Saturday under the guidance of Christina Puopolo while Erin Bell’s Magpies will do everything in their power to ensure that the roar from the Hawks won’t get to them.

Just as it is on the football field, local rivals ROC and Pakenham Lions will also face off for the first time since 2019, with this matchup looking to be a competitive one as they try to lighten up the crowd on the Starling Road court. The Kangaroos took a two-point win against Upwey Tecoma in its Round One fixture, while a win against its crosstown rivals will make up for the Lions disappointment of losing its Round One match to Narre Warren.

The first of two ANZAC Day clashes on the netball court sees Wandin and Woori Yallock go head-to-head as they fight to claim bragging rights over the other on one of the best sporting days on the calendar. Under the leadership of playing coach Ruby Tidd, the Bulldogs will be hoping to make it two in a row to start the season, while the Tigers will want to make amends for a tough loss to Olinda Ferny Creek in Round One and come out fighting once again in playing the home side.

Upwey Tecoma and Olinda Ferny Creek are the second matchup of ANZAC Day, with the netball sides looking to match the intensity of their partnering football sides. The Tigers are coming off a narrow two-point loss to ROC in Round One while the Bloods enjoyed a nine-point win against Woori Yallock to start its season. With both sides looking the goods, neither will want to go down in this matchup and come out firing once the whistle is blown to start the game.

Mount Evelyn will take on Beaconsfield in the standalone premier division netball fixture on the courts of Mount Evelyn Recreation Reserve on Saturday, with both sides chasing their first wins to start the season. The Rovers lost by 30 points to Wandin in Round One, while the Eagles went down by four points to Monbulk in a shock loss.

Community Bank Division One Football

Seville and Yarra Glen will meet again for the first time since both were part of the Division Two fixture in 2019. The Blues have enjoyed two straight wins to start 2022 against Belgrave and Berwick Springs under the leadership of new coach Chris Murphy and will be out to stake their claims against the River Pigs this week in their quest to make it three in a row. For Yarra Glen, its hasn’t been the best of starts to the new season, but they will be out to do all they can to get its first win on the board for season 2022.

Healesville and Belgrave will play on the grounds of Don Road Sporting Complex, as the Bloods attempt to make it three in a row to start season 2022 and eclipse its total win tally from 2021. Dean DeMunk has been a big influence on the young Bloods thus far and a third straight win will do a lot to boost their confidence for the remainder of the year while for Belgrave, it’s about continued development of the playing list and hope to put in a competitive performance this weekend.

Just like last year, local rivals Emerald and Gembrook Cockatoo will square off again for the ANZAC Round, with both sides fired up and ready to go. Under the tutelage of Sein Clearihan and Brad Coller, the Bombers and the Brookers have enjoyed wins to start the season and will aim to put on a show for their fans at Chandler Reserve. With Patrick Chin and Jordan Donadel firing up forward for the Bombers, and Michael Firrito and Myles Wareham going at it at the other end for the Brookers, this is sure to be an exciting contest.

Karcher Division One Netball

Seville and Yarra Glen are looking strong in their match up this weekend, with both sides enjoying wins to start 2022. With the match taking place at Seville Recreation Reserve, the Blues will be hoping to not let the River Pigs get in the way of them on its home court and Carly McDonnell will be instructing her side to go out and try as hard as they can in their quest for victory. For Yarra Glen, coach Brent Holtham will be hoping to make it two in a row this weekend, following its Round Two win against Healesville.

Healesville and Belgrave appear to be locked in a tight battle on the netball court this weekend, with the Bloods and the Magpies hoping to get its first win on the board for the new season. Under the guidance of Jodi Chandler and Krystyna Gabell, a win for either side will do a lot to boost their confidence heading into the remainder of the season.

Emerald and Gembrook Cockatoo will fight it out for ANZAC Round honours on the netball court and just as it is on the football field, this matchup looks to be a tight and enjoyable contest to watch. Michael Loulanting has enjoyed a good start to his campaign as A grade coach with the Bombers and he will be hoping to continue the good form of his side leading into this weekend, while for the Brookers Shanae Ingram will no doubt have her side up and about for this game.

The battle of local rivals Berwick and Berwick Springs is sure to be an entertaining match-up for this ANZAC Round, with the Wickers aiming to make it three in a row to start the season. With the two clubs meeting for the first time in the senior ranks, friends and close relations will come together for bragging rights in the Berwick region, as coach Jessie Hare tries to fire the Titans up against the Wickers for win number two this season as the away side.

ATC Traffic Division Two Football

Alexandra and Broadford will face off in the first of ANZAC Round fixtures for Division Two this weekend, with both looking to get the upper hand over their opponent this week. The Rebels are searching for its first win of season 2022, following its Round One loss to Warburton Millgrove three weeks ago while for the Kangaroos, it’s about getting themselves back on track following a big loss to Kinglake prior to the Easter break.

Local rivals Yarra Junction and Warburton Millgrove will go head-to-head for the second year in a row on ANZAC weekend, this time with the Eagles playing hosting duties to the Burras. Both sides have enjoyed ultra-competitive starts to the season, with the Eagles going down only marginally to Powelltown in Round One before a win against Yea the following week. For the Burras, despite beating Alexandra in Round One, they will be out to make amends for a tough, goal after the siren loss to Powelltown and will be hoping to make the most of all opportunities this week.

Just like the Eagles and the Burras, ladder leaders Kinglake and Powelltown will also play each other over the ANZAC weekend for the second year in a row, as both sides look to continue their strong starts to the season. This matchup, once again, appears to be a strong one and the Lakers under the leadership of coach Andrew Fairchild and captain Rohan King will be doing all they can to ensure they can make it two ANZAC victories in a row over the visitors. For Powelltown, a third consecutive win will do wonders for their morale as they progress through season 2022.

Karcher Division Two Netball

Over on the netball courts of Alexandra, the home side will play Broadford as they aim to get its season going this weekend with a win over the Kangaroos. Nicole Hadgkiss has been a good influence in her first year at the Rebels thus far, but a win on ANZAC weekend will do wonders for the development of the A Grade netball side leading into the rest of the season. For the Kangaroos, a third win in a row to start the season will be an excellent result.

Yarra Junction and Warburton Millgrove have enjoyed good starts to the year to sit in third and second respectively on the A grade ladder. For this ANZAC Round, both clubs will be very keen to get a win over the other to make their respective teams proud. Catherine Cook and Cara Moore will again look to extract every inch of performance from the A Grade line up this week, while for the Burras, Nat Petrucev will be hoping to make it three in a row to start the year.

Kinglake and Powelltown are still searching for their first wins of season 2022, which makes this match up even more interesting to watch. The Lakers, under the guidance of Kathy Carden will be hoping for a good performance this weekend against the might of Hayley Debuf’s Demons outfit where the battle of ANZAC Round supremacy will be strong in the minds of both clubs.

Karcher Senior Women’s Football

The matchup between Yarra Junction and Thornton Eildon looks to be a great game to watch, with both sides evenly matched heading into this Round Three clash. Despite having to forfeit in its last game due to a lack of numbers, the Eagles will be hoping to come out firing this weekend under the guidance of David Spicer. For the Shinboners, a win will also do wonders for their confidence following a close loss to Monbulk on their home turf before the Easter break.

The matchup between Seville and Yarra Glen is another game that looks to be a close one, with both the Blues and the River Pigs still chasing their first wins of season 2022. Despite some tough losses to start the season, Geordie Scott will have his side fired up as they go for an opportunity for victory early in the season. For the River Pigs, under the guidance of Glenn Murray, they will be looking to continue its development in a more even contest this weekend.

The matchup between Monbulk and Pakenham is also shaping up to be a great game, with each side having already enjoyed wins to start the season. Monbulk are coming off a win against Thornton Eildon before the Easter break, while Pakenham will be looking to bounce back following a big loss to Upwey Tecoma in Round Two. Sasha Wolfe and Rick Stalker are doing well thus far in their first seasons in charge of the women’s football sides at their respective clubs and will be hoping to carry it into this weekend.

Playing on Saturday afternoon, Healesville and Belgrave will battle it out for another win this weekend, with Mitch Hay’s Bloods side aiming to maintain its position on top of the ladder following a big win over Yarra Glen in the last round. The Magpies have not taken the field in three weeks, following the forfeit of their opponent in Round Two and will be fresh for its match up this week.

The highlight of the women’s fixture this weekend is the matchup between Upwey Tecoma and Olinda Ferny Creek, who will play on ANZAC Day following the senior men’s football match at the Dome. Both sides are off to a flyer in season 2022 to sit in second and third on the ladder and each will be hoping to continue the momentum on one of the most important days of the sporting calendar.