Maldon v Lexton
Round two of the 2013 Bendigo Bank MCDFNL this weekend will see Maldon host Lexton on Sunday in the highlight game of the weekend.
Maldon had a tough battle with Talbot on Sunday and had to fight off the Hawks in the dying stages of the game, while Lexton also had a close encounter with Natte Bealiba and only got over the line by two points.
Both teams have lost a number of quality players from last season but Lexton were premiers in the Reserves last season so are expected to cover the loss of players better than the Bombers.
Maldon has been able to retain the services of Leigh Harrison up forward and he kicked seven goals in the Bombers win over the Hawks, while Wayne Burchell has returned and could likely have the role of stopping Lexton’s star forward in Matt Brown, who is very dangerous when he gets the ball in his hands.
There is no love lost between the two teams as both do not take a backward step so a strong contest is expected at the Bill Woodfull Reserve on Sunday afternoon, where Lexton could just get the points in a close one.
Trentham v Newstead
Newstead travel down to Trentham and with Newstead at full strength, they are expected to post a percentage boosting performance against a depleted Saints team.
The number of players that have left the Saints have placed them in a precarious position, but they will continue to fight on as they concentrate on rebuilding their stocks through junior development.
Newstead is considered one of the early premiership favourites and should win in all areas of the ground as they are a very well structured unit across the field.
The Steaders to win by a big margin.
Harcourt v Carisbrook
Daniel Smith will be expecting a better showing by his team this week than the one that ventured to Newstead in Round one.
Harcourt are expected to be one of the big improvers this season but were blown away by Newstead in the opening term and failed to recover as they went down by 79 points.
Matt Giri did not play last week and if he takes the field against the Redbacks, he will be the key focal point, but he will be up against some tough opposition as Carisbrook has one of the best defensive units in the league.
The Redbacks were very impressive in the season opener and are odds on premiership favourites at this early stage of the season. Jackson Bowen was outstanding against the grasshoppers and Matt Bilton’s reputation as one of the best midfielders going around will be on show against the Lions as the Redbacks continue on their winning way.
Royal Park v Avoca
The match between Royal Park and Avoca will be played at Hedges Oval (instead of at Avoca as fixtured) and is a match that could go either way as the boys from Royal Park have definitely improved under the guidance of Greg Stewart.
The Tigers handed Trentham a football lesson last week in a scrappy game, but it was also a game that saw the skill levels of the Tigers improve as the game progressed, and the ball movement was impressive late in the game. However Trentham were a depleted unit and it is difficult to judge how good Bushy are on that performance.
Avoca defeated Dunolly quire comfortably but the skill level was also ordinary for both teams as there was a lot of turnovers throughout the game.
Murray Bond was very impressive for the Bulldogs with a seven goal haul, as was the Bulldogs coach in Adrian Pilgrim, who was very strong around the ground, while Lachlan Edwards continued to gather possessions through the middle. Edwards and Beau Ketchen are strong in the middle and they bring the runners around them into the game and this is where they should be able to take control of the game.
The Bulldogs definitely have the ability to win comfortably, but should not take their opponents lightly.
Navarre v Campbells Creek
Navarre coach Daniel Parkin will be wary of a resurgent Campbells Creek this weekend as the Magpies set their sights on making it a two-zip start to 2013.
The Grasshoppers have an extra week's rest following their season opener against Carisbrook, and will be out to improve on the performance after an uncharacteristically scrappy showing.
The Hoppers will have to keep a close eye on the Creek forward line however, and in particular, high flyer Joel Smith, who booted 10 in the opening round. The Creekers surprised more than a few football followers with their round one defeat of Rovers and will have their sights well and truly set on another upset win this weekend.
Maryborough Rovers v Talbot
Maryborough Rovers and Talbot will be out to score their first wins for season 2013 when they do battle on Saturday.
Rovers were left shell shocked after a heavy defeat at the hands of Campbell's Creek weekend and will be desperate to give a better showing against Talbot at the weekend.
Coach Scott Sellers would have been pleased with the efforts of new recruits Corey Taylor, Grant Ryan and Frank Towers last weekend and will look to build around the Magpies' core of talented players as the year progresses.
Talbot put in a gallant effort against Maldon in round one and were unlucky not to score a shock win after a spirited second half. The young Hawks side looks to improved after a bleak 2012 and will no doubt challenge more than a few of the league's top teams this season.
Natte Bealiba v Dunolly
Two teams eager to make amends for their round one losses will square off on Saturday as Natte Bealiba hosts Dunolly.
The Swans went close to toppling 2012 minor premiers lexton in the opening round, going down by just three points. Natte's ball use, particularly in the opening half, proved to be the Swans' undoing, but with nine new faces in the senior side, coach Shane Green said he understood the team needs time to gel
Dunolly also had a plethora of new faces In its outfit last week as it went down to Avoca in what turned out to be a bit of a savaging for the Eagles. The side's back line in particular struggled to contain the Dogs' forwards, and will need to be on their game against the likes of Mark Fitzgerald and Zac Perez, as well as limiting the impact Brent Mortlock and Stephen Ross have up forward.
Last Modified on 26/04/2013 17:05