CHFL round 2 - what did we learn

1.Daylesford will be a team to be reckoned with in the Central Highlands Football League this season.

Even with a win over Hepburn it is too early to say whether the Bulldogs can finish in the top eight, but there is now a strong belief within the club that this can be achieved.

Now that it has beaten a 2023 finalist, if Daylesford is going to make a giant leap forward like Carngham-Linton did last year it must go very close to clean sweeping every team which missed finals last season.

2.It is clear Waubra and Beaufort need to capitalise on their encounter at Waubra in round three.

This might be their only chance of winning this season.

They were also both winless when they met in round 10 last year.

Even then neither could win. It was a draw.

3.Hepburn and Springbank are going to find it tough to again finish in an all-important top four position after losing their first two games.

It cannot be completely ruled out, but in the past two seasons anything more than three losses has not been good enough to earn a double chance.

The Burras had just two defeats in 2022 and three last season.

For Tigers it's been three losses in 2022 and two last year.

4.There is plenty of new goalkicking firepower in the competition.

Look at the first-year recruits who kicked four or more majors:

5.Carngham-Linton is primed to show that last year's finals appearance was not a one-year wonder.

A first round loss snapped them into gear and there were plenty of good signs in a win over Rokewood-Corindhap.

The Saints also confirmed recruits do not have to be high profile.

They are some more handy pick-ups in the likes of small forward Josh Pound, ruckman Jacob McMickan and a pacy Miles Picken, who are going to cause rivals some headaches.