by Nicholas Duck
It's part two of the split round this week in the West Gippsland Football Competition, as the remaining four games of round three are all set to go, including the big stage of an ANZAC Day match. Here's how this week's games are shaping up:
Saturday April 23
Bunyip vs Garfield
Time: 2pm
Location: Bunyip Recreation Reserve
It's a local rivalry first up this weekend in the West Gippsland Football Competition, as Bunyip meets neighbour Garfield in what usually proves to be a fiery affair.
Coming off their first win of the year last round, Bunyip will be looking to make it two in a row against a Garfield side that still hasn't quite managed to make it all click just yet.
The Bulldogs will be relatively pleased with their form thus far in season 2022, having pushed a strong looking Nar Nar Goon team to the final siren before dispatching of Cora Lynn the week after.
Garfield, meanwhile, have a very different looking side to their 2021 variant, and as of yet haven't quite been able to make it all work as they would like on the field, losing both their games by significant margins.
Among the Stars' problems, perhaps the most significant has been their struggle to consistently find ways to score, as they have managed just three and nine goals in their first two games respectively.
Improving the side's scoring capability will be top of coach Paul Carbis' to-do list for this week, otherwise Garfield appear likely to find themselves on the wrong side of the ledger once again and start the season with three straight losses.
The rivalry between these sides has been strong in the past, so a bit of a battle looms with both sides desperate to see the other off and get their form rolling for the 2022 season.
Nar Nar Goon vs Koo Wee Rup
Time: 2:00pm
Location: Nar Nar Goon Recreation Reserve
It's been a dream start to the new season for the Goon, who find themselves with two wins and no losses going into the round three match.
Coming off a strong 56 point win against Garfield last round, Nar Nar Goon will be looking to keep the good times going as they look towards a very winnable match-up against Koo Wee Rup.
The Demons are 1-1, having already matched their total wins from last season, but looked out of their depth in their last match as they were easily disposed of by Inverloch-Kongwak.
Nar Nar Goon should be wary of a wounded opponent looking to bounce back from a poor game, but would still remain confident of winning their third game straight and continuing to firm their spot towards the top of the ladder.
Korumburra-Bena vs Dalyston
Time: 7pm
Location: Korumburra Showgrounds
Here are two sides that will be desperate to get on the board for the new season, as Korumburra-Bena hosts Dalyston in what looms to be a tight battle.
Korumburra-Bena have been quite possibly the unluckiest side in the league in their fixture to start the season, having met and been duly thumped by premiership contenders Inverloch-Kongwak and Tooradin-Dalmore.
This isn't to say the Giants have looked a strong side otherwise, but this week may offer up a more accurate indicator as to where they sit among the rest of the teams.
Dalyston, meanwhile, will be kicking themselves that they haven't been able to break through so far this year following a torrid 2021 season.
The Magpies have been up to their eyeballs in both of their matches so far, even leading Koo Wee Rup at three quarter time before succumbing in the last term.
With a forward line led by current league leading goalkicker Adam Amin, Dalyston look to be a more competitive side this year but with a brutal run of matches coming up, they won't want to squander too many more chances to win games.
This one appears a tough one to tip, but the result will certainly tell us more about these sides for season 2022.
Monday April 25
Tooradin-Dalmore vs Warragul Industrials
Time: 2pm
Location: Tooradin Recreation Reserve
This year's ANZAC Day match sees Warragul Industrials head west for an extremely tough test against one of the league's top sides.
The Dusties have looked a reasonable side so far, having easily accounted for Garfield before putting in a relatively competitive performance against Phillip Island.
A string of winnable games looms for the Dusties after this week, but first they must meet a team that has truly looked the goods in season 2022.
Tooradin-Dalmore have barely broken a sweat this year, scoring 262 points over their first two games while only conceding 91 points as they've romped to 2-0.
In all fairness the teams the Seagulls have played thus far don't appear to be two of the stronger sides in the competition, and a match-up against the Dusties looks on paper to be their biggest challenge yet.
Despite this, a Warragul Industrials win would be a big upset, though with both teams eager to perform on the big stage of the ANZAC Day match anything is possible.