James Murphy
CASTERTON SANDFORD v MILLICENT
CASTERTON SANDFORD hosts Millicent this weekend in Round 14 of Western Border football.
Last time the Saints ventured out to Island Park they returned home with a 74-point victory.
Another big win could be on the cards as Millicent still occupies top spot on the ladder, while injuries have contributed to a drop in form for the Cats in recent rounds.
Last week’s loss to South Gambier dropped them out of the four and now the pressure is on in the final three minor rounds.
The Victorians will need at least one more win for the year, but will want it to come in the next two weeks, as a Round 16 rematch with the Demons looms as a potential season-breaker.
Despite the weight of the coming games, it is difficult to mount a case for Casterton Sandford heading into Saturday, even with the home-ground advantage.
There is no denying the Cats have been known to perform at their best on home soil, but the Saints have outclassed every club in the competition at some stage this year.
Coach Clint Gallio has been in exemplary form and leads his squad by example as he tears up the midfield each week.
He is joined by the likes of Jacob Carger, who has also impressed both up forward and through the middle, while young guns Harry Tunkin, Frazer Bradley, Josh Werchon and Jack Verbena have all been in red-hot form of late.
They are but a few of the consistent performers in Millicent’s ranks, with rarely any passengers across the ground.
The midfield is among the best in the competition, while the back six have been the undoing of many a side this season.
Up forward there are no shortage of options and it would be no surprise to see a long list of goal scorers this week.
The Cats are not without their own talent and have done well defensively despite recent results.
Matt Killey is a regular in the best, as is Jarrod O’Brien, while Nick Schembri also comes off a solid performance.
However, one player has stood out in 2023 and Michael Krieger has shown no signs of slowing down.
He has slotted into the midfield well and his on-ball efforts have earned him five best-on-ground awards so far this year.
Up forward Hamish McCrae has been the main target, while Krieger and Adam McKinnon have also been reliable avenues.
The Cats can never be ruled out entirely at home, but on this occasion Millicent should take the points by a decent margin.
