With six rounds completed, we’re now a third of the way through the season and for the first time in a long time, it feels as though this league finally has a level playing field in terms of opposition clubs.
While we have a clear top three already starting to establish itself, it is a fair assessment to say the remaining positions from fourth to 10th are almost anyone’s game.
Early results have shown all 10 sides to be competitive and capable of winning multiple games, but equally more so is the variety of results in the clashes between teams outside the top three.
We’ve had fourth-placed Portland challenged by eighth-ranked Terang Mortlake and beaten by bottom side Cobden, fifth-placed Camperdown narrowly defeat previously ninth-placed (now seventh-placed) Warrnambool, the Blues defeat Terang Mortlake by 20 points and the Bloods record a 10 point win over Port Fairy.
Port Fairy has subsequently beaten Cobden, Hamilton Kangaroos defeated the Seagulls and Warrnambool and Terang Mortlake both accounted for the Kangaroos to add to the merry-go-round of results we’re witnessing.
While this has only added another layer of intrigue to the competition this season, followers can expect the next three weeks to give a true indication of where those clubs outside the five really sit.
Followers can also expect this period to be exciting and season-defining for a number of these clubs as the competition gets closer to the halfway point of the year.
Each of those clubs still have an opportunity to get a true gauge on their game styles and plans and a chance to figure out exactly what does and does not work before their seasons may head in differing directions.
What we will learn though is those clubs that navigate this upcoming period strongly will more than likely be the ones that feature in finals action this September.
