WBFL: Cats hold advantage

BIG FOCUS: Casterton Sandford’s Nic Upton will be a major focus up forward for the Cats as the chase a victory in the Western Border Football League first semi-final on Saturday against Millicent. Picture: JAMES MURPHY

WESTERN Border football finals kick off this weekend, with third and fourth place to do battle in the hope of staying alive in the post season.

Casterton Sandford will face Millicent at Blue Lake Sports Park, with the Cats hot favourites to claim the honours and move on.

Both sides have had impressive seasons, with the Cats coming on strong in the back end, while the Saints first half of 2017 saw much time spent at the top of the ladder.

But the last half of the year has seen a change in fortunes for both sides.

The Saints have struggled to maintain their early-season form, while the Cats have hit their straps, showing they are a real threat to the premiership honours.

A season-ending injury to Saints coach Clint Gallio proved tough for Millicent to overcome, with his performances early in the year providing a real spark for his side.

Since then the main prime mover has been Tom Hutchesson, who continues to provide drive through the middle of the ground.

In the latter part of the season he has been joined by Dylan Bromley, who has shown his value to the club after changing leagues this year.

Four of the last five rounds have seen him poll votes in The Border Watch Sportspower Player-of-the-Year award, suggesting he is in good form when it matters most.

Add to those two the likes of Steve Duldig marshalling the back line, Hamish Nitschke running through the midfield and a focus up forward in Peter Duncan and the Saints can certainly enter this clash with confidence.

However, last week’s final minor round clash suggested the Saints have plenty of work to do leading into tomorrow’s game.

They faced the Cats and were dealt a big defeat, which would have knocked the wind from their sails as the fist semi-final loomed.

While Millicent was assured of a finals spot before that game kicked off, it still would have hoped for a more competitive performance.

After a relatively even first term, which saw the Saints with a small advantage on the scoreboard, the Cats simply ran rampant, never allowing Millicent back into the game.

The second term was telling, where the Saints were held scoreless and the Cats banged on six majors.

That game was down at Island Park, which has been a happy hunting ground for the Cats this year, with the wide open spaces of Blue Lake Sports Park sure to make a difference to their game plan.

The Cats have been dubbed the dark horses in The Border Watch sports department, simply because of their slow start to the season.

But on paper they have always had the talent to be up at the pointy end of the field.

Names such as coach Hamish Jarrad, Michael Cummings, Tom McArlien and Dylan Ayton continually pop up in the best players, with their run and carry around the ground a feature of the Cats football.

Further forward the ability for many different names to feature in front of the big sticks make them hard to hold back once they gain possession.

Last week saw eight goal kickers share the 15 majors, with Nic Upton a stand out.

His strong marking ability makes him a big focus, but if the Saints place all their eggs in that one basket defensively, the Cats will tear them apart from the likes of Todd Clode, Dylan Ayton and Josh Stephenson.

Stephenson in particular has been a major factor in the Cats’ success this season, with his ability to pop up around the ground and play a solid defensive or offensive game.

Add to that a host of youngsters who are all making their mark on the competition, such as Billy Galpin and Tynan Shannon, to name just two and the Cats are certainly the team to beat this week.

For the Saints it will be imperative they are off to a good start.

They have shown they are capable of that, but cannot back off and let the Cats run away as they did last week.

If Hutchesson, Nitschke, Callan Hobbs and James Weir can have an effect on the contest, we could see the underdog come through, but the Cats should win by a comfortable margin and continue their march towards a grand final show down.