ROUND 2 of Western Border football again showed how tough the competition will be this season.
The weather played its part, with a strong wind causing all kinds of headaches for players, but it was the obviously the same for each side.
In the match of the round the reigning premiers East Gambier struggled against a tough Casterton Sandford outfit, which made better use of the conditions.
The Cats are emerging as the team to beat this year, with two wins on the road and a solid effort against the Bulldogs.
The ruck contest sees Will Macdonald a real handful for other clubs, with another strong performance on Saturday.
Again Dylan Ayton was in good form, winning the tough contest and helping the Cats move the ball forward through the middle of the ground.
In fact the list goes on, with plenty of players standing up to knock off the Bulldogs.
Over at Vansittart Park last year’s runner-up North Gambier also struggled, this time against Millicent.
The Tigers still occupy the bottom rung of the ladder, with no wins so far.
Much talk pre-season was about the Saints signing Matt Duldig up forward, but so far he has been kept quiet and Millicent has still managed to record two victories.
Saturday Duldig offered just one goal to the cause, with Hamish Nitschke bagging three, while Hamish Gordon and Dylan Bromley managed two each.
With plenty of run through the centre of the ground, the Saints are finding a lot of space and options up forward and will also be a team to watch this season.
Likewise West Gambier has staked an early claim on finals football.
Their first-round clash against the Cats almost returned a victory and this week they made no mistake against a struggling South Gambier.
Incoming coach Brad Wilson has his players up and about, with Tom Holmes also returning to the fold to add pace through the mid-field.
But it is also the players who have remained faithful to the club who are standing tall.
The young up-and-coming stars are rising to the challenge and all is on track for the Roos to push into post-season action.
This week’s Sportspower player-of-the-year honour goes to Lawry Bradley-Brown, who has been an emerging star for the club in recent seasons.
Without a key-position forward on Saturday, Bradley-Brown delivered the ball into the likes of Dale Robbins – who bagged three goals – and added one of his own to keep the Roos ahead of the Demons.
North Gambier v Millicent
3. Hamish Gordon (Millicent): Played another solid game through the mid-field and into the forward line.
2. Hamish Nitschke (Millicent): Chipped in with three goals against a tough Tigers defensive unit.
1. Mayson Ashby (North Gambier): A solid performer for the Tigers.
South Gambier v West Gambier
3. Lawry Bradley-Brown (West Gambier): Provided plenty of run around the ground and picked up a classy goal to keep the Roos ahead of the Demons.
2. Brad Bryant (South Gambier): Pushed hard as the Demons struggled to keep pace with the Roos.
1. Dale Robbins (West Gambier): Managed three goals in a side without a key-position forward.
East Gambier v Casterton Sandford
3. Dylan Ayton (Casterton Sandford): Continued his solid season, winning the hard ball and delivering with accuracy.
2. Josh Stephenson (Casterton Sandford): Another solid performer around the ground for the Cats.
1. Jesse Fry (East Gambier): Won the hard ball at ground level on day the Bulldogs struggled.
