by Davyd Reid

WARRAGUL will be eyeing off an opportunity to start its season in winning fashion when it hosts Bairnsdale as round one of the Gippsland League continues Saturday.

The Gulls will enter the clash following a solid pre-season.  And up against a Redlegs side that finished only two rungs above them on the ladder and facing one of the longest trips to begin their season, the home side will sense an opportunity.

There appears to be a strong local interest in seeing how much the young side can improve under Dean Alger, with big crowds flocking to Western Park to take in practice matches against Devon Meadows and Neerim-Neerim South.

Warragul’s Tom Hobbs, who returns from VFL stints with Port Melbourne and Frankston, and Bairnsdale’s Simon Deery, who is returning from injury, will be key players for their respective sides on Saturday.

With the Warragul’s ability to stay connected over last year’s enforced break and into pre-season, along with the fact the match is at home, could swing the match in the Gulls’ favour.

Other enticing match ups bring the round to a close, with a bolstered Traralgon team taking on 2019 runners up Leongatha and Latrobe Valley rivals Moe and Morwell facing off.

Sale and Maffra face off on Sunday, with Magpies coach Jack Johnstone up against his former side.

Drouin and Wonthaggi have the week off, the Hawks obliging for the Powers’ traditional Easter Saturday match last week.

That begins a truncated start to the season for the Hawks, who will take on Warragul in the local derby on Sunday, April 18 before another day off for the Anzac Day weekend.

Saturday’s games at grounds of first named clubs:

Warragul v Bairnsdale; Traralgon v Leongatha; Moe v Morwell.

Sunday’s game:

Sale v Maffra.