Trevor Jackson
NORTH GAMBIER V WEST GAMBIER
North Gambier hosts West Gambier in the Western Border football match of the round on Saturday.
About all to separate the two sides at this early stage of the season could well be the Vansittart Venue, giving the Tigers the home-ground advantage.
It is too soon to take much from the 2023 season, but going on Round 1 results, these two sides could remain at the pointy end of the ladder throughout the minor rounds.
The Roos currently hold down top spot by virtue of their big win over Casterton Sandford in the season opener.
The Roos claimed that win by 79 points, but it could have been much more, had they not kicked 17 behinds.
Several recruits joined the roster at Malseed Park over the off-season and have made their mark already.
Tom Holmes is back and was named in the Roos’ best.
There is nothing unusual there and he will no doubt be a prime mover all season.
Andrew Stone was solid on-baller for Kalangadoo and he slotted in to West’s roster perfectly, with plenty of touches and a best-on-ground performance.
Brandon Newton also swapped leagues and was names third best.
Add to that list Joe Ferguson-Lane to provide leadership and height on the ground and the Roos look solid.
Michael Minuzzo and Ben Papps were good pick-ups for the Roos several years ago and have stuck around.
They both bagged three goals against the Cats.
They came down as friends of Todd Lewis from Adelaide and slotted into the roster well, with some quality Western Border seasons up their sleeves.
Lewis is also back, travelling each week to add to the tall options for the club.
They will face a tough Tigers outfit this week who come off a tough win against South Gambier in the Anzac Day clash.
That game is always a blockbuster, drawing a big crowd and Tuesday was not different, with parking at a premium around the Blue Lake Sports Park venue.
At first it appeared the Tigers would run away with the contest, but the Demons kept them honest, with North claiming a 27-point win in the end.
While the Demons are depleted this season, they certainly put up a fight, which makes it tough to see where the Tigers are really at.
The North roster boasts much of the usual suspects, along with a few inclusions or returning players.
Sam Zeitz is a big inclusion, but the likes of captain Nick McInerney, Sam Stafford, Nick Blachut, Cairan Buckley and the list goes on, remain at the club and continue to do much of the heavy lifting.
Stafford topped the score sheets last week against the Demons, with four goals to his name, while Toby de Wit and Cameron Ortlepp chipped in with two each.
McInerney was named best-on-ground to claim the coveted Tony Casadio Medal and led his team in his usual fashion – hard at the ball and with good disposal.
When you add in names such as Hamish Telford, Josh Jenner, Jake Schutz, Sam Egan and Brett Shepherdson and the Tigers are certainly not without a strong core group.
It will be a matter of putting it all together under a bit more pressure than probably felt on Tuesday.
This one is too hard to pick at this early stage of the season, but however the result pans out, it will certainly be one game not to miss.
