IT will be a showdown at Vansittart Park today when Casterton Sandford and Millicent lock horns in the Western Border football A Grade second semi final.
The stakes are high with a grand final berth on the line and neither team will give up this golden ticket without a fight.
Previous encounters between the clubs this season have yielded mixed results, with the record sitting at one win apiece.
The Cats made short work of the Saints back in Round 4, while arguably the best game of Western Border football this year was their Round 8 clash, which resulted in a 75-all draw.
The last meeting saw Millicent with the upperhand as it claimed a 36-point win at McLaughlin Park.
The two teams set the bar of the competition early and it was no coincidence they finished one and two.
However, both the Cats and the Saints were dealt some upset blows late in the season and neither side will want to fight it out against an in-form East Gambier outfit in the preliminary final.
There is no doubt it will be a battle of the midfields tomorrow, with some of the best on-ballers in the league taking to the field.
For Millicent the likes of Tom Hutchesson, coach Clint Gallio, Sam Willis and Lyndon Smith – just to name a few – all provide plenty of pace through the middle.
Likewise, the Cats boast names such as Will Macdonald, Callum Currie, Tom Sullivan, Billy Galpin and Aaron Nesbitt, who will thrive in the intensity of finals football.
The Saints’ midfield is on constant rotation and there is an abundance of players who are competent in a range of positions.
Gallio in particular has been in dominant form of late and along with his grit and hard work through the centre, has also found the big sticks in the last few rounds.
Willis is also capable of running forward and kicking a bag, while the likes of Matt Duldig and Dylan Bromley sitting up forward are dangerous in front of goals.
The contest in the ruck between Jonah Grimes and Macdonald will also be pivotal in the clash, while Angus Cleary has also lent his services at the centre bounce and stoppages for the Cats.
Down the other end of the ground for the Saints, Steve Duldig works as the general of the Millicent backline.
He is joined by the likes of James Weir, Blake Kenny, Brady Gibbs, and Dylan Tincknell.
However, Tincknell has been absent from the side in recent weeks and has not been named in the squad.
Casterton Sandford also boasts a solid backline, with Dylan Ayton, Daniel Wombwell and Ben Guthrie just a few key players.
Round 16 aside, Ayton was a standout for his team in the pointy end of the minor rounds and provides a brick wall off half back.
His ability to turnover the ball and drive it back into the midfield to set up an opportunity at goal is first class.
And the Cats have no shortage of goal kickers, with most of the midfield all capable of pushing forward and scoring, with Currie finishing runner-up for the league goal-kicking award this season.
Youngsters Tynan Shannon, Todd Clode and Jackson Gibbs add further depth, while Tom McArlein and Cleary have also been in impressive form.
Cats coach Hamish Jarrad will also be one to watch and he leads his team well, which can not be denied when looking at the turnaround of the club.
His presence – much like Gallio’s – spurs his teammates forwardwhich has been a major factor in the Cats taking out the minor premiership.
However, there is still a long way to go for both clubs and one way or another, one team will face the hurdle of the Bulldogs next week.
Based on season form it could be a matter of flipping a coin for tipsters, but the Cats should back up their minor premiership and find themselves preparing for the big game at McDonald Park on September 8.
