By: Lorcan MATHEWS

WHO would have predicted the reigning premiers to be winless after the opening two rounds of the GRFC Men’s Division 1 season? Surf Coast will be looking to capitalise on the Deakin Ducks' slow start to the season, with the game to be held at Deakin’s immaculate home base of Deakin University tonight (Friday night).

PHOTO: During the week, Drysdale SC appointed Jessie Maes as the new Team Manager for the Bellarine club's Senior Men's team. Here he is pictured with Senior team coach Jason Pickles (photo courtesy of Drysdale SC's Facebook page)

Pat Hicks’ men desperately need a win to kick-start their 2017 campaign, and what better way than in front of the Deakin home support tonight. This is most definitely a match to watch, goals most definitely on the cards in this one! Kick-off is at 8:30pm.

FC Leopold v Lara United FC 

TIME/DATE: 11:00 AM / SUN 7 MAY

LOCATION: ESTUARY RESERVE

IN a fascinating clash that commences Sunday’s Men’s Division 1 action at Estuary Reserve, the battlelines will be drawn at the unusually early time of 11:00am when two new teams to Division One do battle – the newly promoted Lara United and the newly created FC Leopold.

FC Leopold made history as the Greens bagged their first point of their inaugural Men’s Division 1 campaign as a club last week against Geelong Rangers and they will be keen to capitalise upon Hayden Coombes’ Lara United side.

United however, will make sure the points are earned in this fixture, as the newly promoted side under Coombes made an incredible start to the season in Round 1, beating runners-up Rangers SC in their first game since promotion. A intriguing clash lies in wait between these two sides.

Breakwater Eagles SC v Barwon SC

TIME/DATE: 1:15 PM / SUN 7 MAY

LOCATION: WHITE EAGLE HOUSE - PITCH 1

WHITE EAGLE House in Breakwater will play host to an intriguing first versus third battle, when Breakwater Eagles take on Barwon SC with both teams unbeaten so far this season.

Bill Wilson’s Breakwater Eagles side will be brimming with confidence, coming off a huge win away against the reigning premiers Deakin last week, and ‘the Eagles’ will want to once again impress, this time in front of their home support.

Branden Duthie will once again be the target man for the Eagles, with four goals in just two starts already this season, while Dale Harris’ free-scoring Barwon side face a stern test of their capabilities and ambitions away from home.

With an even spread of goal threats throughout the Barwon squad, ‘the Eagles’ will have to be wary however of an in-form Craig Cameron-Smith.

Barwon Heads v Geelong Rangers SC

TIME/DATE: 3:00 PM / SUN 7 MAY

LOCATION: BARWON HEADS VILLAGE PARK

BARWON Heads’ baptism of fire to their Men’s Division 1, 2017 campaign continues on Sunday afternoon as they welcome last season’s runners-up Geelong Rangers to Village Park.

Currently sitting at the bottom of the Division 1 table, Mark Smith’s Hammerheads are desperate to kick-start their campaign. Geelong Rangers will once again be there or there about’s come the end of the season surely, and Brian Conn has assembled a strong squad once again this season, with Rangers looking to go one better this season.

Drysdale SC v Surfside Waves SC 

TIME/DATE: 3:00 PM / SUN 7 MAY

LOCATION: HOWARD GLOVER RESERVE

HIGH-FLYING Surfside Waves travel to Howard Glover Reserve on Sunday afternoon to face Drysdale SC to wrap up the Round 3 fixtures in the Men’s Division 1 competition.

A comfortable opening two fixtures for Waves makes this fixture a huge test, while Drysdale have come off the back off two fierce fixtures against the likes of Barwon and Deakin Ducks respectively.

While being so early in the season, this will be a fantastic test for both sides, and could set the scene for where both Surfside and Drysdale finish at the completion of the Men’s Division 1 2017 season.