EFL 2019: South Belgrave setting the benchmark in Division 3

South Belgrave is living up to its pre-season hype as the team to beat in Division 3 after disposing of premiership rival Warrandyte.

Leigh Odermatt is the leading goalkicker in Division 2. Picture: Field of View Sports Photography

Can anyone get near South Belgrave this year?

Warrandyte coach Anthony McGregor believes so but knows the Saints will take some beating.

South Belgrave disposed of its fellow premiership fancy by 57 points on Saturday.

An undermanned Warrandyte was missing half its senior regulars and blooded five debutants.

Under-19 players Kyle Appleby, Oscar Hodgson, Leo Garrick and Connor Whitfield were called up for their first senior games, while Michael Richards was tapped from the reserves.

“That’s probably where you’ll see a greater improvement with us coming up against them next time,” McGregor said.

“I was really proud of the way they went about it being so undermanned. We were a hell of a lot smaller but South Belgrave were very good.”

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South Belgrave enjoyed a fruitful recruiting period and are living up to the pre-season hype as the side to beat in Division 3.

The Saints sit at the top of the ladder with a 7-0 record and a percentage of 337.

Their average winning margin has been 94 points and four of their wins have been by triple-figures.

South Belgrave led by 29 points at halftime against the Bloods and put the result beyond doubt in the third term with seven goals to one to finish with a 18.11 (119) to 9.8 (62) win.

Warrandyte was without a bench just before three-quarter time, with Lachlan Buckley (ribs), Tom Grimes (concussion), Josh Appleby (concussion) and Sean Bowers (groin) coming from the ground.

Captain Michael Cullen, Luke Dunn, Nikoda Brooking, Jack Grimes, Mitch Buckley, Jordan Powell and Josh Meyers were all missing for the Bloods.

McGregor said South Belgrave was “definitely the team to beat” this year.

“They’re very well spread across the board. Not many weak links at the minute,” he said.

“They’re an experienced side … older heads, bigger bodies, stronger bodies but they struggled with our speed a little bit.”

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