As one of Australia’s largest head races of the year, the Melbourne Head open eights event is sure to turn heads. Featuring some of Australia’s best male athletes going around, this three and a half kilometre contest will be closely battled against the clock. At this early stage of the season, Melbourne Head serves as an initial indicator of speed for Australia’s top crews, offering some insights into the Australian National Rowing Championships scheduled for next March.
Mercantile Rowing Club
Mercantile Rowing Club has been building strong momentum through the off-season. With the famous Scott Rowe now teaming up with one of Australia’s oldest and most successful clubs, the future is bright for Mercs. Dom Fredrico returns to the Yarra after a successful Golden Oar Regatta, bringing home bronze and a handy cash prize. Most notably for Mercantile, is their newfound depth in the program, their rejuvenated coaching team has managed to boat two incredibly high-quality eights.
Melbourne University Boat Club
While Mercantile has been busy rebuilding its program, the Melbourne University Boat Club has been busy on the phone, with many of its Men’s National Training Centre athletes getting the call-up. Almost every athlete in the Melbourne University crew has represented their country at least once in an Underage or Senior Australian team, with the exception of James Houghton, but including Patrik Rocek, an Italian World Champion.
Lake Eildon Composite
As one of Victoria’s more grassroots clubs, the Lake Eildon Composite might be in for a tough time against the legendary Mercantile and a powerful Melbourne University Boat Club crew. The crew is made complete with the help of athletes from the Footscray City, Nagambie, Yarra Yarra, Wentworth District, Rutherglen Lake, and Hawthorn Rowing Clubs. A true liquorice allsorts combination. While these men may have their work cut out for them, head racing can be unpredictable, and a miracle might just happen.
Prediction
This race will always be tough to call; however, I feel obliged to pick the Melbourne University Boat Club crew as the top crew, purely for their Men’s NTC horsepower. With the Mercantile ‘A’ boat coming in close behind for second, and the Mercantile ‘B’ boat coming in for third.
