This week is a must win round for a number of sides as they look to keep in contact with the competitions front runners Sale City and Churchill who sit two wins clear of the pack.
Rosedale leads the pack in sixth position one win outside the five, followed by last year’s premiers Heyfield and the two Bombers TTU and Boisdale all with two wins a piece.
While the Blues tap on the door to the top five their credentials will be tested with third placed GORMANDALE to host ROSEDALE.
The Tigers are brimming with confidence after coming off the back of a five goal victory over arch rival Glengarry.
While the Tigers have flexed their muscle in past weeks, this week’s opponent Rosedale has bounced back from a tumultuous fortnight with coach Damien Birss full of praise for his chargers ability to regroup and focus last Saturday.
“It has been a very tough few weeks, the guys confidence dropped and in many ways it felt like our season was going to be derailed after losses to TTU and Cowwarr,” said Birss.
“Full credit goes to the boys in the way that they have stuck together and worked hard to get back on track.
“We were missing a few players, injuries can be a great excuse as to why you are getting beaten but you put the best side out on the field that you can. We went into the match on Saturday without the two Mayman boys who are two of our best players and we still won.”
The coach however is under no illusion as to the task ahead; with the Tigers at home a tough assignment.
“I expect the guys to be very competitive it will be super tough, Gormandale at home are always a hard assignment and in their present form it will be a big ask.
“If you read into past weeks score lines we will have to work hard, but if the guys go into the day with the right mental application and we play to the best of our ability then anything could happen.”
Both CHURCHILL and GLENGARRY will have to rebound from their first defeats of the season, when the two sides clash at Gaskin Park.
The Cougars were outclassed in the table of the table clash while Glengarry were out played by a sleek Tiger lineup who didn’t let the Magpies get a sniff.
A win to the Magpies would be a confident booster for the improved Glengarry outfit who would be keen to claim the scalp of a fellow top five opponent, but Josh King and his side will be under no illusions as to the enormity of meeting the rebounding Cougars on their home ground.
Expect a high quality contest which should go down to the wire.
COWWARR will return to the field after the weeks break with TTU their opponent.
The Saints were forced to regroup in round five, after starting the season off strongly the side succumbed to Sale City and Glengarry with coach Cory Bannister noting that his sides efforts after quarter time in the Glengarry match set the side up for the week following.
“Our first quarter against Glengarry was terrible, the guys regrouped after quarter time and the last three terms dug deep and got the momentum going,” said Bannister.
“It was a big reality check for us over those few weeks, we perhaps expected things to happen as we had had two big wins in the first rounds and the match against Sale was our first big test.
“In many ways it set us up before even going into the Rosedale match as our confidence was up and running.
“Against Rosedale there was positive signs the guys really grinded it out, before we kicked away.”
Bannister is not taking Heil’s Bombers likely with the Saints aware that the Bombers have had their match in past seasons.
“TTU has given us a bit of trouble in past seasons, we wont be taking them lightly it will be a good battle. Heil has a good side who are up and running and have been playing good football,” he said.
WOODSIDE will be confident they can carry their match winning form into this weeks clash against BOISDALE.
The Wildcats stormed home in the final term to cement their first win of the season, in an impressive team performance which will serve them well going into Saturdays clash.
Boisdale are also flying high after the Bombers recorded consecutive wins, the side benefiting from midfielder Winston Gieschen's dominance in the engine room which will need to be closely kept in check by Wildcats coach Anthony Pavey.
While the Wildcats will be mindful of the Bombers midfield led by Gieschen, the Bombers will need to keep Woodside spearhead Justin Staley in check who went to town last week booting six.
With both sides keen to continue their momentum the stage is set for an enthralling contest.
STRATFORD has what has quick become the toughest assignment on the fixture, the Swans to host the Dogs who are yet to drop a match.
While it may be described as a David and Goliath battle with the bottom placed Swans yet to record a win, Stratford coach Peter Morrison is optimistic that his side will put in a strong showing against the competitions number one ranked side.
“Sale City are sailing along at the moment, we will be sure to do everything that we can to ensure that we can be competitive,” said Morrison.
Although dropping the points last week, Morrison notes that there are a number of positives that came out of the side’s performance.
“Last week we had 25 scoring shots compared to 15 the week prior, if we had of kicked 8.3 (51) instead of 3.8 (26) in the first term then it could have been a different story but to boast 10 more scoring shots is promising.
“We didn’t fall away as much as the week before, the guys kept persevering and the young kids lit us up in the final term which kept us charging at them.
“We know that we need to take little steps before we take big ones, but the side is improving each week. We won’t be going into this match any differently then in past weeks we will be training hard again on the track and we won’t be deterred by the fact that we are facing the number one side,” he said.
Taking the competition by storm, SALE CITY remain the only undefeated side in the competition moving into top place on the ladder after last Saturdays demolition of Churchill.
The Dogs have come off a tough run on the fixture which has seen them account for seasoned finalists Heyfield, Gormandale and Churchill in convincing fashion in one of their best starts to a season.
HEYFIELD has the BYE
Last Modified on 12/05/2010 17:16