THE Victoria Premier Men’s Firsts competition has enjoyed a thoroughly entertaining start to the 2021/22 season to date. There have been some cracking contests and stirring upsets to begin the current campaign, keeping fans engaged on a weekly basis.

With the competition taking a well-deserved break over the Christmas and New Year period, we take a look at how each team has fared so far this season. The competition standings are currently extremely tight as we enter the new year, so the second half of the year looks set to ramp things up as teams look to cement themselves in the top eight of the ladder.

1. St Kilda

The competition’s top side has started the season in fine form, winning all five of their matches as they storm to first spot on the ladder. They have shown excellent ability with both bat and ball in hand, and while they don’t always post the biggest totals, they can typically make up for this by dismissing the opposing batting order for a lower score. If they can keep up this form moving forward, they will be the team to beat for the 2021/22 season.

2. Carlton

The second-placed team in Carlton have also enjoyed an impressive start to the current season, losing just one of their first five matches thus far. They started the year in blistering form, winning their first four clashes as they stormed to the top of the ladder. However, they were upset by the bottom side in the Greenvale Kangaroos in Round 6, as their bowling attack struggled. If they wish to keep their spot in the top part of the standings, they will need to improve from their most recent performance.

3. Northcote

The final team in the competition’s top three in Northcote have been equally strong to start the year, winning four of their first five games. They have shown the ability to not only bat their way to a strong score, but also rip through the opposition with the ball in hand. This was perfectly demonstrated in their clash against the Camberwell Magpies, where they bowled ruthlessly as they dismissed the opposition for just 59 runs, in an encouraging performance moving forward.

4. Footscray

The Bulldogs have kicked off their 2021/22 campaign in strong fashion, with just one loss next to their name after five matches. They have been able to keep opposing teams to lower scores in their outings, as they prove both damaging and economical with ball in hand. In their Round 6 clash, the Bulldogs were able to keep Frankston Peninsula to just 111 runs, and were also able to reach this total in just 25 overs themselves, demonstrating how dangerous this side truly is heading into the second part of the season.

5. Melbourne

This side has been strong in their start to the season, and just like many of the teams around them, have won four of their first five. Melbourne have shown the capability to post match-winning totals with bat in hand, exceeding 200 runs on multiple occasions. They will be looking to maintain their high-scoring ways as they look to keep themselves in the top five in 2022.

6. Melbourne University

Despite being fresh off a loss, the University side have still enjoyed a positive start to their year overall, racking up four wins so far this season. They managed to win all four of their opening games as they found themselves in the peloton of the standings. However, they dropped off, and found themselves bested by a determined Dandenong side in Round 6. If Melbourne University wish to stay inside the top eight, their batting will need to improve from their most recent outing.

7. Ringwood

This side has enjoyed a reasonably good beginning to the current season, winning three of their five matches as they look to build some momentum. After a shaky start to the season, Ringwood were able to find some serious power with bat in hand in Round 6, posting 325 runs against Prahran. If they can keep their scores around this mark, it will go a long way in securing some crucial wins throughout 2022.

8. Casey-South Melbourne

The final top eight side in the standings is Casey-South Melbourne, who have also found themselves with a record of three wins and two losses from five matches. The side has struggled for consistency of late, but have still done enough to keep themselves right in the hunt for a finals spot. However, they will need to prove capable of beating the top sides if they are to take the next step towards contention.

9. Richmond

The first side in the bottom 10 of the ladder is Richmond, who have been less than convincing to start the season, winning just two of their first five games. Wins against Geelong and Prahran have shown signs of promise, but these have not been converted into a winning streak. The side’s biggest area for improvement will be with ball in hand, as they frequently give up large scores to opposing sides.

10. Geelong

The next side down the ladder is Geelong, who have also been inconsistent in their start to the year, losing three of their opening five clashes. However, they have shown promising signs recently, and this came to a head in their Round 6 clash. Against Kingston Hawthorn, Geelong were clinical, particularly with bat in hand as they stormed home to claim their second win of the season and look to springboard off this victory.

11. Dandenong

Next up are Dandenong, who have struggled in their opening five matches, with just two wins next to their name, unable to generate any momentum on a weekly basis. They have produced both good and bad performances, but have not been able to put together any consistency in their performances. They will be looking to keep their form rolling off their Round 6 victory over Melbourne University, in an outing that delivered plenty of promising signs for the team.

12. Prahran

Also in the midst of an inconsistent season are Prahran, who are in the group of teams that have won just two of their first five matches, which sees them sit in 11th spot on the ladder. They have showed promising signs in their wins, but unfortunately have been poor in their losses. In their most recent match, they were dominated with ball in hand, allowing 325 runs to their opponents, so they will be looking to tidy up this area.

13. Fitzroy Doncaster

Next on the list are Fitzroy Doncaster, who are the final team in the competition with two wins and three losses next to their name at the conclusion of Round six. They have scraped together some strong signs in their wins, but these have been overshadowed by their losses. However, they are fresh off their second win of the season, where they performed admirably with both bat and ball, so this could be the start of something promising.

14. Kingston Hawthorn

The next team in the standings are Kingston Hawthorn, who have stalled to start their campaign in the 2021/22 season thus far. They have won just the one match from their five outings, and have been unable to get any weekly momentum rolling. While they have shown no lack of ability in passing 200 runs, they have also conceded an excess of this in their losses. If they wish to turn their season around, this will be the place to start.

15. Frankston Peninsula

In 15th spot on the ladder after six rounds are Frankston Peninsula, who have been underwhelming to start the season. They have lost four of their first five matches and have been bested by a number of teams around the competition. One of the flaws in their game has been their struggle to produce big scores, such as their 111-run total in Round 6. They will be looking for more from their batsmen moving forward.

16. Essendon

Next on the list are Essendon, who have not been able to generate any sort of winning streak in their first six rounds of action. They have won just the one game, and find themselves well off the pace when coming up against some of the better sides in the competition. However, there is not much separating them and the sides in the top half of the ladder, so there is plenty of time to turn things around in the coming weeks.

17. Camberwell Magpies

The penultimate team on this list are the Camberwell Magpies, who have also only been able to conjure the one win to start the season. They have looked quite shaky to start their campaign, and have plenty of work to do if they are to change their fortunes. In Round 6, they were bowled out for just 59, so they will be seeking more productivity from their batsmen.

18. Greenvale Kangaroos

The final team in the competition are the Greenvale Kangaroos, who have not been able to start their season in ideal fashion. They lost their first four games, as they looked a step behind the remainder of the competition. However, they stunned the league by taking down Carlton (who were on top of the ladder) at the time. This showed that this side does have plenty of potential if they can access it on a weekly basis.