THE match of the round in Western Border football will again take place at McDonald Park, when East Gambier hosts Casterton Sandford.
The Island Park venue is still undergoing works and is not ready for action yet, meaning the reigning premiers host their second game in a row.
If last week is any indication, the Bulldogs will be hard to beat, after staging a classic come-from-behind win over the classy North Gambier outfit in Round 1.
However, the Cats held off a hard-charging and reinvigorated West Gambier – also coming from behind – to record a win and will want to continue that momentum tomorrow.
The Bulldogs were best served by a host of players last week, including Giancarlo Cooper, who was a big contributor to the victory, with four final-quarter goals.
But he was joined by the likes of John Forster, Jesse Fry, Mark Rumbelow – and the list goes on.
After a sluggish first half, there were no passengers as the Bulldogs methodically closed the margin and pushed hard as the clock wound down to steal the lead.
From there it was all academic, as the East supporters celebrated a 20-point victory.
For the Cats the scenario was a bit tougher, with the final eight-point margin a heart-stopper for those who made the trip across the border to support their team.
Casterton Sandford was off to a cracking start, building a handy lead by the first break, but the next two quarters belonged to the Roos.
By the final change the margin was just five points and West actually led mid-way through the term.
But the Cats held on and chalked up the win, with new recruit Callum Currie showing his value.
Currie returned home this season and was instantly in the action, finishing the day with three goals and best on ground for the club.
Will Macdonald also returned to his home club this year and was rewarded with second best for his work in the ruck and around the ground, while Ben Guthrie continued to show his ability at the senior level after a solid 2017.
Overall it adds up to an intriguing match tomorrow, with the Cats up against the new benchmark of the competition.
A lot will depend on the weather, with rain forecast which could even out the competition.
However, East looked stronger last week in the second half, where North’s accurate ball movement was limited.
If the game turns into a wet-weather scrap, either side should be able to cope, bringing the advantage down to desire around the stoppages.
Both sides have plenty of hard “ball-getters”, with the likes of Cats Dylan Ayton, Tom McArlein and Josh Stephenson able to fight for possession and push forward.
Likewise, the Bulldogs boast a solid mid-field, with Jesse Fry, Shem Balshaw and Tom Williams all willing to get “down and dirty” in the clinches.
While the Bulldogs were able to pull back a 22-point deficit last round against the Tigers, that scenario would not be recommended against the Cats, who are renowned for their hard work at ground level.
They will head to McDonald Park fired up with the belief they are up to the job.
That is certainly the case and the Bulldogs will need to be on their game to keep their undefeated season going.
East should win, but it will not be by much.
