Week Eight Preview

This weekend sees another round of great matchups across Outer East FN as teams continue on its various pathways for the season.

The headline acts of premier division include Olinda Ferny Creek and Narre Warren while Wandin will play Pakenham/Pakenham Lions for the first time.

Beaconsfield and Woori Yallock will get some air time over Facebook this week, as they feature as the match of the round for netball, as part of its Super Saturday of festivities where 17 games of netball will be held across four courts at Holm Park.

Berwick Springs and Healesville is the headline act for Division One and will be the broadcast game for football, which is hoped to be a great contest.

Division Two sees great rivals Powelltown and Yarra Junction go head-to-head while Alexandra will host Warburton Millgrove.

Meeting for the first time in the women’s football competition, Olinda Ferny Creek and Healesville will each be hoping get first bragging rights over one another, with both having strong seasons to date.

Take a look at what’s to come this weekend with the week eight preview here:

Premier Data Premier Division Football

Mount Evelyn have an opportunity to make it two in a row on Saturday afternoon when they come up against Officer who are still searching for its first victory. With its big win over Upwey Tecoma last week, the Rovers have great confidence in its line-up now and will look to take some momentum with them into this weekend with the likes of Daimon Kift and Callum Urquhart up and about. For the Kangaroos of Starling Road who haven’t had a lot of luck this year, Mount Evelyn can be regarded as a club they can beat this year, which means Anthony Bernardo will be sure to have his troops up and about for this clash.

Beating Officer last week and sitting in fourth on the ladder, Olinda Ferny Creek have hit the good patch of form needed to stamp its authority on the rest of the competition but will have strong opposition this week when they host the might of Narre Warren. With several players in its line-up performing well on the field including the likes of Matt Scharenberg, Pat Rosier, Kelsey Currie and Nick Keegan, the Bloods have certainly got what it takes to get a win if they can string together a strong team performance. The Magpies, however, are riding its own wave of strong form and momentum, following its win in the top of the table clash against Woori Yallock last week and will aim to continue this on Saturday afternoon.

With both sides struggling for form in recent times, Upwey Tecoma and Monbulk share the same motives this week in trying to put a win on the board, with both eager to put their seasons back on track. The Tigers will be out to make amends and have its kicking boots on this week following a bad loss to Mount Evelyn where they went down by nine goals despite having six more scoring shots. For the Hawks, who were overrun by Wandin in the second half of its matchup last week, they will now turn its attention to the next task at hand which is to get up over the Tigers on its home deck.

Wandin and Pakenham will go head-to-head for the first time since the formation of Outer East FN on Saturday afternoon, with both sides looking to retain their positions in the top four on the premier division ladder. Tom Hinds and his lads have had a strong start to their season, with solid wins and have already cemented its position as a powerhouse in 2022. However, with a new rival in Pakenham comes new challenges, and for the Lions who are refreshed after a week off, they will be sure to not let the boys of the Yarra Valley get the better of them in its first matchup.

Karcher Premier Division Netball

Meeting again following its two matchups in 2021, Mount Evelyn and ROC will go head-to-head following a win and a loss in its games against Upwey Tecoma and Olinda Ferny Creek last week. The Rovers have slowly but surely worked its way up to be genuine contenders against its competitors this season with three wins seeing them go up to fifth on the ladder. A bad loss has seen the Kangaroos go through a bit of a rethink at training before they take on its next challenge with Sam Neil sure to fire up her squad for this match.

The game to watch in premier division this week, without a doubt, is the matchup between Olinda Ferny Creek and Narre Warren. Currently in second and first respectively on the ladder, the Magpies will be keen to get a win on the road to prove its dominance against a side who have traditionally had a very strong netball program, like themselves. In Erin Bell’s first matchup against the Bloods, she will be sure to inspire her girls to victory in this important clash while Brie De Jong will also do all she can to get her girls up and about.

Both searching for its second win, Upwey Tecoma and Monbulk are evenly matched on paper and a win for either outfit could push them up the ladder to stay in touch with those who seem to be running away with it at this point. The Tigers had to swallow a tough, two-goal loss to Mount Evelyn last week which put a spanner in the works for its campaign but have a chance to make amends for it this week when they go up against the Hawks. Monbulk, likewise, have also been strong but have been unable to pull it off in close games this year, which means they too have a chance to turn things around with a win this week.

Just like its football counterparts, Wandin and Pakenham Lions will meet for the first time on Saturday afternoon with both keen to draw first blood over one another. Sitting in fourth on the ladder, Ruby Tidd’s netballers have performed well in its campaign to date, but with a new rival comes new possibilities, and the Lions will have its own strategy in mind when they take on the Bulldogs with the hope of potentially pulling off. Fresh off two wins in a row, the Lions are up and about and ready to mount a challenge to the competition, with the game against the Bulldogs the first step in proving themselves.

Featuring as the broadcast game for netball this weekend, Beaconsfield and Woori Yallock will each be chasing win number two when they go head-to-head on Saturday afternoon. With both sides coming off losses to Pakenham Lions and Narre Warren respectively, each will be keen to perform well against one another for what will be Elizabeth Murphy’s first time travelling to Holm Park since defecting from the Eagles to join the Tigers for season 2022.

Community Bank Division One Football

The match of the round contest on the football field sees Berwick Springs seek redemption against Healesville following its loss to them in Round One. The Titans have been strong over the last three weeks with two wins and a draw placing them in second on the ladder and a win against the Bloods could see them leapfrog them into fourth, which would cause quite a stir for the crowd at Mick Morland Reserve if they were to pull it off. For Healesville, their job this weekend is to get its act together following almost a month of poor performances, particularly against Seville last week. They know the Titans’ gameplan and have already worked them out this year, but the challenge now is whether they can produce this same form on their home turf.

Hosting this time around, Yarra Glen will look to put in a better performance against Emerald on Saturday afternoon following its Round One loss seven weeks ago. Refreshed and ready to go after taking a bye last week, the River Pigs are in a better spot to put in a competitive performance and will be hoping to pull it off come this weekend. For the Bombers, who have really proven themselves to its Division One rivals, a win on the road would a great way to continue its momentum.

Belgrave will be hoping to put in a competitive performance this weekend when they take on top-placed Seville on its home deck. Yet to win a game this year, the Magpies are continuing its pathway of development and will hope to learn a lot from the Blues this week who have been fearless in its journey so far.

Karcher Division One Netball

Yarra Glen will host Emerald on Saturday afternoon, with the River Pigs looking to return from its loss to Berwick last week by putting in a strong performance against the Bombers. Sitting in fourth with three wins for the year, the home side have certainly got what it takes to pull off a win, but it will need to work together if they are to beat Emerald who have been strong, with its most recent win coming last week with a 23-point defeat of Belgrave.

Despite going down to Emerald last week, Belgrave took a lot of learning from the experience and will look to do better when they take on Seville on its netball court on Saturday afternoon. Refreshed after a bye last week, the Blues are ready to go and will have its eyes forward for this clash as they look to maintain its position on top of the ladder.

Gembrook Cockatoo will be hoping to make it two wins in a row this week but will firstly need to evade the might of Berwick if they are a chance of doing so. A nine-goal victory against Berwick Springs last Saturday settled the nerves for the Brookers who have had a less than ideal start to the year, currently sitting in sixth on the ladder. They do, however, have a chance to turn its season around starting with the potential of a good performance against the Wickers to signal to the competition they are on their way back.

ATC Traffic Division Two Football

Powelltown and Yarra Junction will renew its fierce rivalry on Saturday afternoon when they take each other on for the second time in seven weeks following its Round One clash. In this outing, it was a very even contest before the Demons took the ascendency in the final quarter to get the win. With Powelltown hosting the game this time around, Yarra Junction will be keen to get the upper hand on its rivals to ensure a second loss does not occur this time around, with captain Ewan Wadsworth leading the charge in the middle.

Alexandra and Warburton Millgrove are another lot of two teams to go head-to-head for the second time this year following its Round One matchup. The Burras took the chocolates in this match but have only achieved one more win since and are currently second last on the ladder. A win is badly needed for Warburton Millgrove if they are to stay in touch with those above them on the ladder, given they now sit in fifth. The Rebels have also been going well, but a loss to Kinglake last week now has them in fourth, so a win would be well received for the crowd in Rebels territory.

Broadford Yea will play Kinglake this week, with the combined outfit to show the Lakers what they’re made of when they host at Harley Hammond Reserve. Despite a big loss to Powelltown last week, Broadford Yea have taken some learning away from the experience and will use this to drive them forward this weekend. For Kinglake, who are sitting in equal first on top of the ladder, they just need another win to keep things rolling along for them in its season 2022 campaign.

Karcher Division Two Netball

Powelltown and Yarra Junction will resume its Round One rivalry this weekend with a win hopeful for both sides, following the draw that took place in dramatic circumstances on the 2^nd April. Sitting in fourth and third on the ladder respectively, the matchup this time around could have a very different result with both sides having a solid few weeks to prime them for the season. Both coaches at the Demons and the Eagles will be urging their sides on to not let their guard down.

Alexandra will have the tough task of fronting up again, 48 hours after its match against Yea on Thursday night and play ladder leaders Warburton Millgrove in a game that will test their mental toughness and physical strength. The Burras have got it the complete opposite way in terms of circumstances, returning from a bye last week and hoping to get a good run at it against a team who are directly below them on the ladder. It will be a tough task for Alexandra, but their strong performances against its rivals over the last month has shown they can back up its efforts, which are only 48 hours apart.

Following its narrow loss to Powelltown last week, Broadford now find themselves back in fifth position on the ladder and desperately need a win if they are to stay in touch with the four sides above them on the ladder. The Kangaroos have been competitive but need to get themselves back on track if they are to continue challenging its competitors as the year goes on, which makes its matchup against Kinglake on Saturday afternoon a good way to start this process. Still in its development era, the Lakers are hoping to put in a strong performance against the Kangaroos to do its netball department proud.

Karcher Senior Women’s Football

Thornton Eildon and Seville will have the opportunity to go up against one another for the second time in three weeks, albeit with this game taking place at Belgrave Recreation Reserve. The Shinboners look to be the favourites at this point following its big win against the Blues last time out, but Seville have been improving its fitness and game plan in recent weeks, which means the result has the potential to go either way.

The women’s football teams of Olinda Ferny Creek and Healesville will meet for the first time ever, with the matchup in the Dandenong Ranges expected to be a close one. With both sides sitting in first and third on the ladder, this one is expected to go down to the wire, which means both Simon Gilson and Mitch Hay will be firing up their troops as they try to get the upper hand over the other.

Belgrave would love nothing more than for some redemption for its loss to Upwey Tecoma last week when they take on first time rivals Pakenham on its home deck in the fixture that follows its senior men’s match against Seville. The Magpies have let their guard down a little following an indifferent start to the year but have an opportunity to turn things around at home on Saturday with a potential win against Pakenham. However, the Lions will be quick to not let the home side get the better of them, for they are performing strongly at the present time and another loss would be a speed hump with the momentum they carry now.

The women’s football side of Upwey Tecoma and Monbulk will put on a show for the crowd following the senior men’s match in the twilight of Saturday afternoon, with the Tigers looking to carry its strong momentum into this matchup, which is reflective of its second placing on the ladder. The Hawks, however, are going through somewhat of a form slump at the present time and desperately need to pick themselves back up again if they are to remain in touch with those above them on the ladder.