Yarra Valley Water Weekend Takeaways

By Ryan Long.

Six weeks into the 2026 season, East Ringwood emerge as the Premier Men's front runner, while Doncaster East's Josh Schache has yet another big day out.

Roos big finish leaves East Ringwood undefeated

A top-of-the-table clash at East Ringwood Reserve saw the Roos storm home, seven goals to one in the final quarter.

Trailing at the final break, East Ringwood were dominant in the final term as they stormed home. 19 Inside 50’s to 5 in the last quarter. Josh Weightman had eight disposals and five clearances in the last term, while Seymour and Fox booted two goals each.

After playing predominantly forward, Steven May spent more time in the back half on Saturday, delivering a best-on-ground worthy performance. 30 disposals for May, 13 Marks, with eight of those being intercept marks.

East Ringwood finished up 18-point winners, their sixth straight win to start the season, a similar position to where they were at this time, 12 months ago.

Despite the final result, the Hawks' midfield brigade continued to impress. Anthony Brolic had 31 disposals and 15 clearances, Tyler Edwards had 27 and 14 clearances.

Two high-quality sides that are likely to feature deep into September, the return fixture at Seebeck Oval will be yet another highly anticipated encounter.

Is the ton on the cards for Josh Schache?

Despite the Lions having their first loss of the 2026 season, key forward Josh Schache booted another eight goals as he continues his outstanding start to the year.

In just six games, Schache has kicked 39 goals, an average of almost seven per game, 21 goals ahead of any other player in the Premier Division. This begs the question of whether the former AFL man might be able to reach triple digits for the year.

The last time a player in the top division of the EFNL kicked 100 goals in a single season was in 2008, when Vermont’s Matt Greig booted 110 goals.

It’s a long season ahead, but to have almost 40 goals next to his name in just six weeks has opened up the possibility of Schache joining an exclusive club.

Schache’s eight-goal, seven-mark, 14-disposal game wasn’t enough to get the Lions across the line for their sixth win of the season. But the signs have been positive for Doncaster East as they remain inside the top three on the Premier Division ladder.

The Big O leads the Dees to a huge win at home

Sitting two games outside of the top five, Montrose entered their Round Six game against Boronia needing a win to maintain touch in the finals race.

An outstanding performance at home saw the Demons pile on the goals, a final score of 26.20 176.

Using the breeze to their advantage in the first term, Montrose kicked 9.7 to the Hawks' 3.3, six of those Demon majors coming in the last ten minutes of the quarter. By Half-Time, they had already reached the 100-point mark, responding to five Boronia goals with five of the last six themselves.

Former Blue, Riley Britton, kicked a season-high five goals, while skipper Bailey White booted four of his own.

Premiership Lion Oscar McInerney came back into the side for his second game of the season with the Demons. A dominant day in the ruck and around the ground.

A must-win game for the Demons brings them within a game of the top five in what has been a very tight Division One competition.

Injury concerns for the Hawks, who finished the day without any rotations. They face a tough month of football, three away games against Wantirna South, Park Orchards and Norwood, before they meet Mitcham for the second time this season in Round Ten.

Montrose and Blackburn set to meet in blockbuster standalone Sunday game

It’s set to be a big Sunday at Montrose Recreation Reserve with Montrose meeting Blackburn in their annual Sunday Girls Day.

Both sides had big wins on the weekend against the other two top four teams. The Demons remained undefeated after a 63-point win over Heathmont, while Blackburn defeated the Waverley Blues by 65 points, with Bernadette Canavan scoring another seven goals.

The two sides meet this Sunday at Montrose Recreation Reserve at 11:45am in a One v Two battle.

Former Montrose Senior Women’s Coach and current Kilsyth Senior Women’s Coach, Shilette Baker, has also brought the initiative to her new club. The Kilsyth Senior Women’s teams are hosting both Heathmont senior sides this Sunday.