This weekend saw a further 15 leagues kick off their 2023 AFL Victoria football and netball season, leaving just the Central Highlands FNL, Mid Gippsland FNL, Millewa FNL, Sunraysia FNL and Upper Murray FNL yet to begin with each of them getting underway next Saturday.
There were some tight games again this weekend with an amazing 3 draws taking place. Poor kicking cost Mt Eliza FNC the win in their round 2 Mornington Peninsula Nepean FNL game against Langwarrin FNC, with the Redlegs wayward in front of goal, kicking 6.15 51 to the Roos more accurate 7.9 51.
In the opening round of the Horsham & District FNL it was Natimuk FNC and Rupanyup who couldn’t be separated, both ending the day on 6.13 40 apiece, while in the Tallangatta & District FNL there was more wayward kicking costing a club the win with, this time Yackandandah FNC scored 9.10 64 to the straighter kicking Chiltern FNC’s 10.4 64.
Another draw was avoided in the Bellarine FNL when Drysdale FNC, who drew their game last weekend, kicked a goal in the last 60 seconds to win their match against Queenscliff FNC, prevailing 10.8 68 to 9.8 62. Remarkably there has been a draw every weekend so far since the start of this season.
At the other end of the spectrum though, this weekend saw the biggest 3 scores for the season so far. The leader early on for 2023 comes from the Picola and District FNL where Waaia FNC managed 35.30 240 in their game against Blighty FNC who could only manage 1.2 8. Second on the table is Churchill FNC from the North Gippsland FNL who kicked 35.26 236 in their 193 point win against Rosedale FNC, while in the Maryborough Castlemaine District FNL, it was Carisbrook FNC who totalled 33.19 217 to be in third spot on the highest score leaderboard for this year so far. Unfortunately for these big scores, there are those like Caramut FNC in the Mininera and District FNL who were unable to trouble the scorers in their opening round match against Glenthompson Dunkeld FNC. Here’s hoping for a better result in round 2.
There were a couple of familiar faces involved in kicking some big bags of goals this weekend with former Magpie Leon Davis kicking 6 for Heywood FNC in their opening game of the South West District FNL season, and former Lion and Bomber Damian Cupido also snagging 6 for Murrabit FNC in their Golden Rivers FNL round 1 match.
However these efforts were both completely outshone by a couple of teammates who tag teamed and kicked 24 goals between them. Ben Kearns and Chris Wangman both kicked 12 each for Churchill FNC in their North Gippsland FNL match against Rosedale FNC. Joining them with his own haul of 12 majors was Dylan Nowak from Wodonga Saints FNCs in the Tallangatta & District FNL. Frazer Judd from the Greta FNC leads allcomers with 21 goals so far for the season, followed by Rennie FNC’s Chase Strawhorn on 18 and Churchill FNC’s Ben Kearns and Ethan Redcliffe from Mitta United, who both have 17 each after 2 rounds of matches.
