James Murphy
THE first split-venue round of the Limestone Coast Women’s Football League season will take place this weekend.
All Round 3 games will be played on Sunday, but will be spread across two locations.
The Nangwarry Football Club will host its first women’s football games, with the opening clash between Casterton Sandford and Penola.
That will be followed by the home team’s encounter with South Gambier.
Casterton Sandford has started its year well and currently has two wins from two games.
After finishing top of the ladder in 2023, but missing out on a chance at playing in the grand final, the Cats will be determined to go one step further this campaign.
Big wins over Kongorong and Kybybolite have started things off on the right foot, while Penola will have the freshness of the bye this week.
The Eagles opened the season with a 51-all draw against Kyby, which could suggest this weekend will be a tough encounter, seeing as the Cats bested them by 38 points.
Caroline McGrath is always one to watch for the Eagles, while the likes of Milly Thomas and Holly Smith have impressed for the Cats.
The second game will have Nangwarry eager to put a win on the board, after its first outing last week had the Saints go down against Millicent.
Up against South this week could be their best chance.
The Demons have not registered a win either after playing two games, with a combined deficit of 148 points.
Jarrah Altschwager has picked up where she left off last season and can be expected to be amongst South’s best again this week.
Yet to kick a goal this season, the Demons will aim to achieve this feat and also secure a win.
However, as the newcomer to the league, Nangwarry will not go down without a fight and showed plenty of determination against Millicent last round.
The remaining games will be played further north at Kybybolite Oval.
Mundulla is set to play Kongorong in the first clash, while Kyby will meet an in-form North Gambier in the later game.
Mundulla should be untroubled against the Hawks, having defeated Millicent and South comfortably in the first two rounds.
Kelsie Turner comes off a strong game, while Brooke Ballinger will look to replicate her six-goal haul from the opening round.
Kongorong put in a valiant effort against North last round, but was unable to hold the Tigers at bay in the end.
There is plenty of talent in the Hawks’ list, which was led by captain Sarah Lucas last week.
Another one-sided battle could unfold between the home team and North.
Kybybolite had a draw in Round 1, while a loss to Casterton Sandford last week had it restricted to a lowly eight-point score.
North on the other hand has two big wins under its belt and the Mount Gambier based Tigers appear to be a frontrunner this season.
The likes of gun new recruit Chloe Newton, along with regular top performers Tess Andrews, Alice Tentye, Grace Altschwager and Georgia Gentile have all started the year well.
For Kyby Dellie Brown is always reliable, while Amelia Frick comes off a best-on-ground performance.
The home-ground advantage will help, but Kyby will likely find itself in another tough position on Sunday.
Millicent has the bye for this round.
ROUND 3 SCHEDULE – SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4
Nangwarry Oval – Casterton Sandford v Penola, 11am; Nangwarry v South Gambier, 12.35pm.
Kybybolite Oval – Mundulla v Kongorong, 11am; Kybybolite v North Gambier, 12.35pm.
