NFNL HQ, LA TROBE UNIVERSITY, VIC. — A super Saturday of games awaits fans in Round 8 of the Northern Football Netball League’s Division 3 football.
The unbeaten teams in Laurimar and Ivanhoe lock horns, while Kinglake and Lalor battle it out for their first win of the season, as the other teams tussle for the lower spots in the top five in a round that looks quite challenging for tipsters.
Lalor and Kinglake meet at Lalor Reserve as each team looks to break through for its maiden win in 2026. The Lakers are currently doing a little better than the Bloods in terms of percentage at 44% compared to 35%. The strength of their fixtures to date is roughly equal.
Based on that, Kinglake may be slightly favoured to get a win for the recently appointed coach Justin Sherman. If his charges could reproduce the effort of the first half against Epping last weekend, they would be highly likely to get the chocolates.
Lalor has the benefit of home-ground advantage, which brings them well into calculations. Last weekend they were no match for the highly credentialed Ivanhoe outfit. Having said that, they matched it with the Hoers in the last quarter. A repeat of that effort would surely see them win this coming weekend. It makes for a fascinating clash in which one lot of fans will be celebrating hard.
Old Eltham Collegians face off against Mernda at Eltham College. The Turtles snapped a three-game losing streak last weekend when coming from behind late in the game to defeat Reservoir at Crispe Park. That win will give them confidence as they meet a higher ranked opponent, but back on their home deck. If they can pull what most think of as an upset win, they will find themselves in the top five or right at the door as they head to the Round 10 bye.
The Demons have back-to-back away games as they look to secure their grip on the third spot on the table. Brent Marshall’s men have attained this spot on the back of being able to score away wins against the teams just below them on the ladder. Their fans will be hoping this trend continues to make it five straight after their bye. If they keep winning these types of games, they are likely to get a break on the chasing pack.
Watsonia comes off the bye and travels to JJ Clancy Reserve to play Kilmore. The Saints have surprised most pundits in holding fourth spot on the ladder for several weeks. A win in this game will keep them within reach of the double chance. Having Cameron Cloke, who recently celebrated his 300th senior game, at full forward is a great help. The rest of the team has gelled together well, and if they maintain their form prior to their bye, they will be every chance to win.
New Blues coach Mick Marrett now finds himself with a winnable game in a second straight home game. Given that they are level on four wins with Epping, which has the bye, they can jump into the top five with a win. With that sort of incentive on their home ground, the local fans will roll up with great enthusiasm. It should be an interesting afternoon’s viewing.
Heidelberg West hosts Reservoir at Heidelberg Park in the 4.00pm start game. The Mustangs and Hawks are in eighth and ninth spots on the table respectively, but just one game outside the top five.
While it may appear equally vital for both teams to get the win, it may be more critical for Reservoir. After this clash, they face teams currently in the top five in Epping and Mernda. The Mustangs would not like to go into these games having lost three in a row since their bye. But a rebound win would send them forward with renewed confidence.
A major drawcard of this game is the inclusion of a couple of former AFL premiership stars, with Heath Shaw playing for Heidelberg West and Trent Cotchin making his second appearance for Reservoir this season.
The Hawks play the bottom two sides after this game. They have the benefit of a night home game and, if they can prevail, would fancy their chances of pushing for a top five spot in the coming weeks. Each team will be going 100% in order to keep close to a top five spot and a great contest looks likely.
Top spot is up for grabs as Laurimar and Ivanhoe clash at Laurimar Reserve in the NFNL’s Match of the Day. Fans of the Power and the Hoers would have circled this date some time ago and will have been counting down the days, with the victor laying claim to premiership favouritism.
The top of the table clash is similar to the contest between Lalor and Kinglake in that good cases can be made for each team. A quick look at the ladder sees Laurimar on top, courtesy of having played an extra game to give them seven victories. But Ivanhoe’s percentage is superior at a whopping 450 compared to 285. That suggests that the Hoers should be the tip and they are likely to be selected by a lot of pundits.
The Power, however, have the home ground advantage and also have had a slightly tougher draw, having played both Mernda and Watsonia, while the Hoers have played nobody higher than fifth. Jimmy Atkins’ men were more impressive in their win last weekend, so it shapes as a close battle.
It is their first big test for the visitors who would want to show that they are able to more than match it with the other top sides.
It would be a spectators’ delight if MVP leaders Jesse Donaldson of Laurimar and Ivanhoe’s Riley Loton went head-to-head. Regardless, there should be lots of tantalising one-on-one battles all over the field.
The midfield duels may be critical because both sides have potent forward lines. The Power has the leading goal-kicker in Patrick Fitzgerald with 40 goals, ably assisted by Hayden Trim on 21 and Joel Lawson with 14.
Marcel Moran had 21 majors for the season for the Hoers, with Patrik Della Rocca close behind on 19 and playing coach Wayne Schultz on 13. A huge crowd is expected for what should be a tremendous spectacle.
Coverage of Laurimar vs Ivanhoe will be available on Sportscast Australia and 88.6 Plenty Valley FM from 2pm Saturday.
