James Murphy
EAST GAMBIER v WEST GAMBIER
THE only senior game of Western Border football to be played at the usual 2.30pm timeslot will have East Gambier host West Gambier at McDonald Park this Saturday.
The Round 3 clash between first and sixth on the ladder will certainly favour the guests and the Bulldogs will have their work cut out to keep the Roos quiet.
West has so far toppled Casterton Sandford and North Gambier, both in convincing fashion.
The Roos had a busy off-season and some of those recruits have already made an impact.
Braiden Ousey blitzed the Tigers last week and booted a game-high six goals on his way to a best-on-ground performance.
Another Kalangadoo import in Andrew Stone has also made his presence known, while Joe Ferguson-Lane has slotted back into the club well and comes off a solid outing.
Of course then there are those who have picked up where they left off at West last season.
Coach Daron McElroy remains as dangerous as ever and will keep Carl Slape busy in the ruck.
Lawry Bradley-Brown made waves through the midfield on the weekend with his trademark intensity setting up plays into attack, while Ben Papps was another reliable option in front of goals.
That only scrapes the surface of the Roos’ in-form talent and as the bolstered roster continues to gel with each other, they are only going to reach greater heights as the year unfolds.
It presents a hefty challenge for the young and inexperienced East lineup, as the club continues to rebuild its senior squad.
There have been positives to come from the Bulldogs’ two outings so far, with Reece Lillecrapp’s efforts against Casterton Sandford last round and the likes of Shaun Lock and Jack Lawrence continuing to build on their standout 2022 seasons.
Slape will be leant on to help East gain first use of the ball, while Nick Lock and Jake Dowdy will look to utilise their experience to guide the youngsters against another tough opponent.
However, West is filled to the brim with talent and experience and the Bulldogs will not be the ones to put an end to the Roos’ early winning streak.
