Picture: JAMES MURPHY
MILLICENT will chase its first win of the 2019 Western Border football season this weekend when it hosts East Gambier at McLaughlin Park for round seven.
It will be no small task and although the Saints have shown glimpses of competitive football, they will need to put together a four-quarter performance if they are to taste success.
A strong first quarter will be a must for the home team, as it will not want a repeat of its meeting with North Gambier last round.
The Tigers held a three-goal lead by the first change and Millicent was unable to recover.
Two close terms followed, but a strong finish from the North hosts finished the job for an eventual 41-point victory.
The Bulldogs also come off a disappointing loss, when they hosted West Gambier in round six.
Despite a close opening term, the Roos kicked away in the second and looked the goods from there on.
East will be eager to bounce back with a solid win and show it belongs in the top three of the competition.
Jack Dawe has been playing good football and led the way for the Bulldogs with three goals against West.
He also comes off a victorious interleague performance, which saw the Western Border league claim the senior honours at the annual carnival.
East had a strong representation at the event, with coach Matt Willson, Giancarlo Cooper and Kurt Rodis also part of the team.
They will all look to back up this week when the normal season resumes.
The likes of Matt and Frazer Scanlon have also shown good form of late, while Jayden Eldridge comes off a solid game against the Roos and Tully Balshaw is another who will pose a threat for the Saints.
Millicent also fielded several players in the interleague side, while veteran defender Steve Duldig hung up the boots for the weekend to coach the team for his third consecutive year.
Sam Willis, Kade Bradley, Dylan Bromley and Jonah Grimes all proved their worth in the representative team and will carry form into this week’s clash, while youngster Frazer Bradley was a standout in the Under 17 interleague side and will be another to keep an eye on.
Millicent coach Lyndon Smith leads the Saints by example through the middle of the ground and will provide opportunity for his team again on Saturday, while Peter Duncan and Mitchell Reilly have proven capable targets in the forward line.
This season has had its fair share of surprises and Millicent can not be ruled out, especially on its home ground.
The last time the sides met back in round two, East claimed a closer-than-expected 23-point win.
Millicent has shown improvement since then, but the Bulldogs should come out on top and claim their fifth win for 2019.
