By: Lachlan SHIRLEY

LOOKING ahead to this weekend’s Round 3, it will be a good opportunity for the top three teams to prove why they are there and will also be a good opportunity for some of the other high flying teams to start cementing themselves in the top half of the table. As it is only early stages, the teams lower down on the table will be looking to keep up with the top teams and not let the gap get too big.

Seventh placed Barwon Heads will host second placed Barwon at Village Park on Friday night.

Barwon Heads will be looking for their first win of the season as the best they have managed so far is a 2-2 draw with newly promoted Corio last week. Reigning premiers Barwon will be hoping for a third consecutive victory to maintain its perfect start to the season. Kick off is 7pm.

Also on Friday night, competition leaders Geelong Rangers will travel to Shell Road Reserve in Ocean Grove to tackle 5^th placed Surfside Waves.

It will be hard to call this game, as both teams came away with good results last week. Rangers have had a better start to the season, however, winning both of their first two games. Surfside have only won one game and lost one so this week will be very important for Surfside to keep up with the teams at the top.

On Sunday afternoon at the new Drysdale Sporting Precinct, Drysdale will host Corio in a mouthwatering 3^rd v 4^th battle at 1pm.

Drysdale will be looking to maintain its winning start to the season and pull away from Corio. A victory would see Drysdale jump five points clear of Corio. Corio will be hoping to spoil Drysdale’s good start to the season and overtake them on the table as they are currently just two points behind the hosts. This will be an important game in shaping how the table looks going into the following week’s Round 4.

Surf Coast will host Deakin Ducks at Banyul Warri Reserve on Sunday.

Both teams will be hoping to come away with what would be their first victory of the season. Both Surf Coast in 8^th spot and Deakin in 9^th have started the season poorly with both teams going into round three without any points.

To wrap up Round 3, bottom placed Breakwater Eagles will come up against mid table side Lara United at the White Eagle House.

Both Breakwater and Lara will be hoping to bounce back after the two teams came away with disappointing losses last week, the young and inexperienced Breakwater side’s 6-1 destruction at the hands of Surfside being the Men’s Division 1’s highest scoreline so far this season.

Lachlan Shirley is a young SEDA student, currently doing work experience with FFV Geelong. He will be compiling regular weekly reports on the Geelong Region Men’s and Women’s Division 1 competitions.