By Trevor Jackson
PORT MACDONNELL V HATHERLEIGH
ROUND 5 of Mid South East football will see heavyweights Port MacDonnell and Hatherleigh go head to head down at the Bay on Saturday.
Hatherleigh sits undefeated after four games, while the Demons have lost just the one game, but in only three outings.
The Demons hit the ground running this season, with a comfortable victory over Kalangadoo, a big win over Nangwarry, then went down to a rampaging Mount Burr last round after holding the advantage at the final break.
That last game would have hurt and the Demons would certainly want to atone for that performance.
Hatherleigh had a close win over Glencoe in the season opener, but since then have barely put a foot wrong, with big victories over Kongorong, Kalangadoo and Nangwarry.
Considering the opposition, the Eagles have not had a hard run so far and even the hitout with Kalangadoo could not be described as tough, considering the Magpies’ form so far this season.
It leaves this one up in the air and it should certainly be an entertaining contest, worth heading down the Bay to watch.
KALANGADOO V TANTANOOLA
SATURDAY will see a chance for the reigning champions to chalk up a win and put their premiership defence back on track.
Kalangadoo is yet to open its winning account for season 2024 and will host Tantanoola on Saturday, with the Tigers also struggling to find a win.
The Tigers almost pulled it off last weekend, with a one-point loss to Kongorong, with the winning kick after the siren.
A solid first half put Tantanoola in a strong position but they let the Hawks back in and suffered.
Prior to that, the Tigers lost in a tough contest against Glencoe and opened their season with a loss to Robe, with the Roosters continuing to be one of the front runners in the competition.
In fact, Robe easily accounted for Kalangadoo last week.
The Magpies have certainly not been at their best so they will need to bring something special to keep the Tigers at bay.
They should be able to get the job done, but the Tigers would certainly see themselves as a chance and will throw everything at the contest.
KONGORONG V GLENCOE
KONGORONG hosts Glencoe in what could be a danger game for the Murphies.
Glencoe would want to keep in touch with the top four sides, but have chalked up just the one victory, a tough contest against Tantanoola.
The Murphies have also faced Hatherleigh and Robe this season, with a solid effort against the Eagles in the opening round.
They come fresh off a bye, while the Hawks would hope to regain their momentum from that final-kick victory last week over Tantanoola.
That is the only success for Kongorong this season, with some big losses handed down from the top sides in the competition.
Glencoe seems to have gelled well under new coach Reece Duncan and should have too much for the Hawks, despite Kongorong having the home-ground advantage.
NANGWARRY V ROBE
ROBE is set for a big win on Saturday when it travels to Nangwarry to face the Saints.
Unfortunately the Saints have struggled again this season, despite some early positive signs.
In the opening loss to Port MacDonnell, the Saints kicked nine major scores, with seven of those coming from the boot of Andrew Hyland.
However, since then the goals have been hard to come by for the sharp-shooter and the Saints have suffered a couple more big losses, with no wins from three outings.
In contrast, the Roosters have taken all before them, as they did in 2023 before injury decimated the side.
They are currently undefeated, but more importantly, have not looked like losing in any of their four outings.
It suggests a tough day for the Saints on their home deck, with the final result – a win to Robe – a matter of how much, rather than if.
