Casterton Sandford v East Gambier
THE Cats host the Bulldogs this week and both come off Round 7 losses.
East had a disappointing result against a young South Gambier and much will centre on the fitness of goal attack Sarah Lock tomorrow.
Like many teams this year, the reigning premiers have not been able to put their preferred starting line-up onto the court.
As the halfway point of the season approaches, the Bulldogs know it is time to start finding some consistency.
If Lock has recovered from her calf strain and can team up with Amryn Bosko, it looms as an intriguing battle with the new-look Cats defence of Caeleigh Humphries and Charlotte Rice.
The Cats also have the luxury of Ebany Jarrad to slip into the defensive circle if required, while the battles in the mid court also loom large.
The East mid court is the only surviving combination from their premiership roster.
It includes the speed and smarts of Tarsh McCallum, the hard running and athleticism of Emily Hunter and the tight checking and intercept ability of Tyne Bosko.
They are a well-polished unit so the likes of Tess Marra, Scarlett Jarrad, Makayla Hutchins, Chloe Foster and Gaby Tomkins will need to pay as much attention to their defensive efforts as they do delivering the ball into the shooting circle.
Madalene Cleary continues to be the shining light in the Cats’ goal circle and has teamed with Foster the past few weeks.
She will need to lead the young Cats attack line so they can find a way through the tough defence of Bo Creek and Morgan Amy, who are both as strong on the ground as they are in the air.
East Gambier should bounce back and it needs to if the Bulldogs want to continue to push for a finals berth.
