James Murphy
EAST GAMBIER v WEST GAMBIER
THE Bulldogs will ride the high of their first win into this Saturday’s Western Border football clash with West Gambier.
It was a long time coming, but East Gambier finally tasted success to notch up a drought-breaking victory over Casterton Sandford last round.
Now the Bulldogs will have their sights set on another, but face the tough task of taking down the second-placed Roos.
They will take confidence from their Round 8 meeting, which had East up at every change before stumbling in the final quarter to lose by nine points.
That was a wet and muddy day for football, but looking at the forecast conditions should be improved this round.
West will appreciate a drier contest, especially after the torrential finish to last week’s thriller against North Gambier.
After a four-quarter arm wrestle the Roos held on for a three-point triumph as the heavens opened up in the last term.
Brandon Newton was a leading force out of the backline and will be one to watch again, while the likes of Tom Holmes, Lewis Lean and Andrew Stone have all been at the top of the talent pool in recent weeks.
West boasts a well-rounded team and the Bulldogs will struggle to find a weakness across the ground.
However, they have shown vast improvement in the second half of the season and with a near full-strength roster available it could be their best shot to cause the upset of the year.
Patrick Hatch and Jack Lawrence are two absences after suffering season-ending injuries, but with the return of Matthew and Frazer Scanlon and Austin Jones last week the gaps are mostly covered.
Last week East looked to co-coach Jake Dowdy for on-field leadership and his efforts in the backline earned him the best-on-ground honours.
He will play a pivotal role again, while the likes of Reece Lillecrapp, Riley Flamank and the Lock boys Shaun, Nick and Sam all carry red-hot form into the round.
With nothing to lose the Bulldogs could pose a threat to their guests, especially with a few niggling injuries over at the West camp.
However, the Roos will not be an easy scalp to take and should get the job done when it counts.
