by Rob Popplestone
Thorpdale vs Foster
An interrupted start to the season for Foster had made it hard for the Tigers to gain any real momentum.
A round one bye, round two success, an Easter break and now Thorpdale on their home ground, was not an ideal way to start the year, but nevertheless the Tigers did what they needed to do, and did it with class, 17.18 (120), all over Thorpdale 7.3 (45).
Non-playing Thorpdale coach Daniel Taylor was forced to pull on the boots and didn't shirk the issue playing at times, on the last line of defence.
Harrison Sinclair Stanley, Mitch Gorman and new recruit James De Virgilio have plenty but simply ran out of juice against a Foster midfield that runs at least seven or eight deep.
Cory Meloury (three goals) is a find for Thorpdale but with so many of their best 21 missing the fact they kicked three last quarter goals after going scoreless in the third term is perhaps the biggest take away for the Blues.
"Completely outworked and comprehensively beaten by a very good side in Foster," Taylor said of the day.
"We had too many lapses in concentration and too many basic skill errors which gifted Foster easy goals which was disappointing. Credit where credit's due though, I thought Foster were fantastic and if Jake Best had his kicking boots on we would have lost by a lot more. It's obviously only early but they'll take some beating in my opinion."
In short, it's safe to say Foster is no doubt a contender in 2025.

Hill End vs MDU
MDU arrived at the home of Hill End with every intention of building on their round two success.
And in doing so, starting to make up for some early ground lost in round one.
The Rovers had shown that they could be competitive, but had their work cut out from the very first bounce on the weekend, eventually going down to an impressive and more complete outfit, MDU 23.9 (147) to Hill End 7.3 (45).
Hill End coach Adrian Burns said "they are a good side, and yes they do have some big bodies all over the ground."
"We tried so hard and gave some really talented youngsters, and I need to make sure that even in losing these 18-year-olds keep positive."
The testing winter months lay ahead for Hill End, but if the group can hang tough through the testing times, there will be no doubt they will come out the other end much stronger.
As good as the win was for MDU, it was also a reality check for the valiant Hillsmen who, as much as they gave an honest performance, just found it hard to match it with the class and big bodies of their opponents.

Mirboo North vs Tarwin
The Tigers started the season with some mixed fortunes but were very much of the belief that their weekend clash against Tarwin was a most winnable game, even if their early matches had shown some areas of improvement were still needed.
The Tigers won by a solitary straight kick, in what was a thriller, albeit a low scoring game, 6.7 (43) to 5.7 (37).
"Great to get a win on the home deck," Mirboo North coach Damien Turner said. "We really put a focus to bounce back after Boolarra, and work on some key areas. The boys responded which was really pleasing."
Winning ugly is fine, winning any way you can is a must, as different opposition will throw up varying tests each week.
The Tigers hung tough and despite there being very little between the two teams, the Sharks will no doubt highlight a number of areas or instances that could have turned the game in their favour.
Tarwin coach Lachie Jones described it as "a tough day for us as Mirboo North were just a bit better when it mattered and executed some better fundamentals."

Stony Creek vs Yinnar
Taking the scalp of a premiership contender is never an easy task and the Yinnar side had been the hunted for long enough in recent years to be well prepared for almost any encounter.
The Lions, with a win under their belt prior to the Easter break, were keen to secure a victory against the odds, but it wasn't to be on the weekend, as the visiting Magpies flexed and shook the home side off comfortable 11.11 (77) to 4.6 (30).
Sam McCulloch, Yinnar coach was "very happy to come away with the four points."
"First half we played some good footy, but dropped off in the latter stages of the half. Was a bit of a scrappy second half, which we did not capitalise on our opportunities in front of goal. But overall, glad to get another win on the board."
The Lions are a good side, and the fact that the Magpies could do what they did, should send shivers down most other sides in the competition.
It is however a long season, and all sorts of things, good and bad can happen in the next four months.

Toora vs Fish Creek
As tough as Toora can sometimes be on their home deck, the opposition don't come much tougher than what the Magpies faced on the weekend in Fish Creek.
The Kangaroos might not yet be playing at the level they plan to later in the season, but the quality of personnel means that they are a formidable opposition at any time of the year as they won 14.6 (90) to 7.13 (55).
"A tight contest all day, a real arm wrestle," said Fish Creek coach Jarrad Walker.
"Toora moved the ball really well and made it hard for us to defend. We were able to get the game on our terms toward the end of the third quarter and last quarter which was pleasing."
The scoreline indicated the Kangaroos finishing in front of goal played a major part, but the effort, tenacity and pressure applied by the Magpies shouldn't be overlooked.
Jai Acardi, Toora coach, said "we played really good high pressure football for a half against the competition's best side and really took it up to them unfortunately we couldn't quite sustain this for the journey."

Boolarra vs Morwell East
A standalone game built and planned for the Anzac Day long weekend was a just reward for two clubs that have recruited well and worked hard for a successful 2025.
Boolarra, on their home deck, had planned to have former AFL star Mitch Robinson in their line-up but a suspension for him the week prior through a spanner into the works.
However, former AFL Saint Stephen Milne was secured late in the week and the Demons looked to be about as good as they could hope to be as they welcomed the visiting Hawks to their round three blockbuster, the Demons getting the win 15.6 (96) to 9.9 (63).
The premiership quarter was when the cream rose to the top with Boolarra really putting their foot on the throat of the visiting Hawks, opening them right up to a lead of better than three goals.
Mitch Robinson replacement Stephen Milne was made to earn his handful of goals from a resolute East defence while Robinson earnt his keep running a half time clinic for the kids.
From there things got even worse for Morwell East as the Demons left Morwell East standing racing away to a comfortable 33-point win.
The victory for the Demons continues the perfect start to the season for Boolarra and raises some serious concerns for Morwell East's aspirations in 2025.

Bye: Newborough