The round 12 clash between Yarragon and Thorpdale will be hotly contested, with both sides desperate to avoid the bottom of the ladder.
Yarragon has not won a game this season and the only team Thorpdale defeated was Yarragon.
Blues coach Brett Sherriff said his side’s skill level and ball use have been improving, but more consistency is the key.
After Thorpdale’s loss to Yallourn/Yallourn North last week, Sherriff is challenging his side to win.
“We’ve got to start winning games, not just doing alright…I think it might have sunk in a bit, that there was an opportunity missed,” Sherriff said.
Yarragon coach Shaun Kleeven was expecting a good game, and will bring up some of the better thirds players to try and get the job done.
Trafalgar v Yinnar
Both teams are coming off wins in round 11, so this match should also be a great contest.
Trafalgar coach Chris Kyriacou is aware of how well Yinnar is playing, and said his side will have to play better if they want to beat the Magpies.
“Yinnar’s up to date going to be our biggest game for the year, because if we get done next week, we sort of nearly drop back right to the pack and we could end up losing our double chance in the finals,” Kyriacou said.
He said he is hopeful that the side can “grind out another win” to keep pushing forward.
Mirboo North v Boolarra
Boolarra takes on Mirboo North this weekend after a disappointing loss to Yinnar in round 11.
Tigers coach Troy Hamilton said he expected it to be a close game.
Mirboo North has a tough run ahead playing Yinnar, Trafalgar then Newborough, and Hamilton said these next few games will play the biggest part in determining where his side finishes.
Newborough v Morwell East
Newborough came very close to a loss last week to Hill End, and it is its determination that got them over the line.
This weekend it faces Morwell East, that have had a few disappointing losses in recent weeks.
It is clear in this competition that no side is unbeatable, and that just as a side is about written off they can pull out a great performance to win the big games or just fall short.
Spectators can expect big things from Morwell East that have their eyes set on a finals spot.
Newborough will also come out firing after a scare last week and will want a good four quarters so they do not have to play catch up football again this week.
Yallourn/Yallourn North v Hill End
After standing up last week, Yallourn/Yallourn North’s coach Tony Price expected his boys to play well for the entire game this week against Hill End.
“We’re really looking forward to next week,” Price said.
“We’ve been waiting to play Hill End ever since they beat us, so we’re really ready for them.”
He said the Bombers have set themselves a goal to win at least five games in this second half of the season, and a win this weekend is part of that plan.
Hill End came so close to the beating the top side last week.
Coach Josh Tymenson said his side gained some confidence from their efforts against the Bulldogs.
“I’m hoping it’ll be a bit of a springboard that we need for the second half of the year,” Tymenson said.
“And if we’re lucky enough to get one of those finals spots we know we can match it with the best teams; we’ve just got to do it consistently.”
