Described by this week’s opposition coach as “the team to beat”, third placed Rosedale will play host to second placed TTU.
Fresh off the back of his side’s upset win over Cowwarr, Bombers’ coach Daniel Hawking knows round three will be no less challenging.
“Rosedale is the team to beat at the moment, they are the benchmark of the competition,” Hawking said.
While the Bombers coach was pleased with his side’s ability to start strongly against the Saints, Hawking said it was the players’ commitment to executing a new game plan that won points with him.
“We trained hard over the off season putting in place our new game plan, the young kids can now see that it is working and they can see the reward to sticking to what we have been training and working hard on.”
Drilling into his players the importance of getting off to the right start in matches to avoid playing catch up football, Hawking is fully aware of the consequences his side will face if they do not match the Blues from the opening bounce.
“We are a fairly small side across the board, it allows us to use our pace to hopefully exploit opposition sides but we are wary of the height difference that we will concede,” he said.
The match is being billed as the match of the round.
Woodside v Sale City
Suffering a heavy defeat at the hands of Glengarry, round three sees Woodside play host to the top of the table Sale City.
While reigning premiers Sale City boast a new look line up, it has not halted the side from bursting out of the blocks in its opening two clashes.
Staring down the barrel of three straight losses, the going does not get any easier for the young Wildcats.
It will be a tough assignment for Woodside who will need to counteract the Dogs’ many avenues to goal.
While the Wildcats’ defenders will be stretched, the home side will be hopeful for a strong performance from its forwards as it looks to cause one of the upsets of the season and seal its first win.
Gormandale v Churchill
Gormandale hosts Churchill this weekend, with both sides searching for their first win of 2012.
Must win matches are not usually associated with round three, but for Churchill, Saturday’s clash with Gormandale is crucial.
Enduring a tough pre-season and armed with a tweaked game plan, the Cougars are yet to see the fruits of their labour.
Boasting a strong back line the Cougars’ defence provides plenty of run from half back and the side’s ability to run and carry the ball with an added injection of pace this season will test the Tigers.
With both sides coming off the back of heavy defeats, Churchill will be confident it has the right combination to join the winners list.
Cowwarr v Glengarry
Beaten at its own game, fifth placed Cowwarr will re-focus its attention as it plays host to Glengarry.
Booting the highest score of the season to date, the Magpies were ruthless in their four-quarter performance over Woodside.
Dominating the contest from the onset, the Magpies flexed their muscles as their experienced players rose to the occasion.
This week’s opponent is a different proposition, no doubt reeling from its sluggish start last Saturday.
Given this, the Magpies cannot afford to let Cowwarr into a commanding lead in the opening term.
Renowned for their tight physical contests, the two relatively unchanged lineups have enthralled crowds over the past season and will provide a quality contest with both clubs’ backlines to be pitted against quality forward line structures.
It is hard to read into either sides’ form over the past two weeks; however, one thing we can expect is a dogged contest.
Heyfield/Boisdale Briagolong
Heyfield will enter Saturday’s match as favourites after the Kangaroos bounced back to record their opening win in a comprehensive 13-goal victory.
Kick-starting its season on a winning note, Boisdale/Briagolong quickly came back to earth at the hands of reigning premiers Sale City.
Matching the competition’s powerhouse team in the opening term, the Bombers will be confident that last week’s lessons will put them in good stead against their more fancied opponent.
