By Trevor Jackson
THE Western Border Football League has been under fire for many seasons now, with just six sides making up the competition.
That was through no fault of its own and the league has pushed on.
It all came to a head last season when Casterton Sandford put in a request to change leagues.
That is yet to materialise and the competition has continued as is.
Looking back over the recent seasons and it is fair to say it has been relatively even.
While the Cats and East Gambier – also looking for a new home – have struggled in recent times, the Bulldogs were not long ago premiers.
The Cats currently sit in fourth place and have also tasted post-season action in recent years.
Millicent has seen a big turnaround, from premiers, to win-less to twice premiers and looking for a three-peat this year.
The Saints tasted their first loss of the season last round against West Gambier, with both sides a cut above the rest.
West’s only loss came at the hands of Millicent back in Round 5, so it will take a big effort to knock either side off this year.
Having said that, it is not unusual to see a side go through the minor rounds undefeated, then fail to make the big dance.
While the Saints currently lead the league, North Gambier tops the goal-kicking list with Sam Stafford’s 32 majors.
Jacob Carger flies the Millicent flag next up with 29 goals, while Cats sharp-shooter Hamish McCrae sits in third with 27.
The Tigers sit in third place, with two wins on the trot, after a 30-point loss to the Saints and a 15-point loss to the Roos.
They face South Gambier next up and should be able to take care of business in that encounter.
That will make little difference to the ladder, as the Tigers sit eight points clear of the Cats and 12 points behind the Roos.
With South having claimed two victories – both over East – they have shown some fight, but will need everything to go right at this stage of the season to make the top four.
The Demons currently trail the Cats by eight points and face North, Millicent, Casterton Sandford and West in the next four outings.
That does not bode well for the young Demons, who will need to stand tall and show what they are made of.
Casterton Sandford has the easier run over the coming round, with West, East, South and Millicent.
The Cats should account for the Bulldogs without too many issues, while if the Demons can stand tall, the Round 13 clash could certainly be a danger game.
It is hard to see the ladder change too much as the season begins to wind down, but there is still plenty of interest in the competition and how it will look going forward.
While just six teams currently compete in the competition, it is hard to justify the big changes that were recently floated.
All teams have played finals in recent seasons, with the ladder taking on a different appearance each year.
The Saints broke a long premiership drought a few years back, then slumped to the bottom of the ladder.
They returned to the top and have stayed there since.
The once-dominant Tigers have also found the going tough, while the Bulldogs looked every bit a chance at multiple premierships, but have now slumped to the bottom.
Is that not better than a couple of teams dominating for years on end?
South and East may not think so at the moment, but both have tasted success in recent years.
For both sides, this year was about building the youth of the clubs, to look to the future, where the dividends will come.
Such has been the case with West, with the Roos now reaping what they have sown in recent seasons.
The Cats have seen some strong seasons and while it is hard for the Victorian-based club to draw on players, they have still managed to do that with good effect.
If anything, this season has shown a competitive nature across the league.
If another two sides could be added, it would certainly make for a strong competition down the track, leaving the South East region again with three strong competitions.
