Essendon District Football League action returns on Friday, with the league’s two annual Good Friday clashes to get the season underway.
Premier division clubs Keilor and Strathmore will do battle at Joe Brown Reserve, while division 1 local rivals Hillside and Taylors Lakes will also face off.
Keilor president Craig Hill said the Good Friday match up was one thy looked forward to every year.
“I think it’s been happening for five to seven years,” Hill said.
“From our perspective, the Good Friday appeal is synonymous in Melbourne.
“Outside of finals, this is the highest attended game. We normally get between 3000 and 5000 people attending depending on the weather.”
Hill said they would have tin collectors at the gate to help raise money for the Royal Children’s Hospital appeal.
The senior match looks set to be a thriller with the two sides finishing fourth and fifth last year.
The Blues have recruited aggressively in the off season.
The under-19s will kick off action, followed by the reserves and seniors. This year there will be a fourth match, with the women to also do battle.
One of Keilor’s women’s sides will face Strathmore’s first ever women’s team, in the first match of the EDFL women’s season.
The Blues will have two women’s side this season, after a successful first season which included the Essendon District and Western Football League Women’s Football League premiership.
The other side will play in the Northern Football League.
Hill said they were excited to have the women’s sides involved as well.
“It will be a great day and we hope to see plenty of the community down watching the games and supporting the Blues.”
The first match starts at 10am, with the seniors at 2.15pm and the women’s game from 5pm.
