Round two of the West Gippsland Football Netball Competition is here, and with all the teams having played once this week will start to give us a good indication of just which clubs are making moves up the ladder. Here's how the weekend action is looking:
Saturday April 9th
Bunyip vs Cora Lynn
Time: 2:20pm
Location: Bunyip Recreation Reserve
These sides will be out for redemption in round two, with both teams losing by under a goal in their respective round one games.
Bunyip, having failed to overcome Nar Nar Goon in their first game, will be out to show a similar level of competitiveness against an opponent who, on paper, will provide an even stiffer challenge.
The Cobras were left licking their wounds after pushing reigning premiers Phillip Island to the brink, and will be keen to atone and get their season on track as they aim to be thereabouts in the upper echelon of the ladder.
This game should provide a good glimpse into where these sides sit in 2022, but as it stands Cora Lynn should have enough firepower to overcome the Bulldogs.
Dalyston vs Kilcunda Bass
Time: 2:20pm
Location: Dalyston Recreation Reserve
With neither team being able to capture a win in round one, both these sides will be eyeing this game as a serious chance to get on the board in 2022.
Dalyston, last season's bottom side by some margin, showed some strong competitive signs in round one, where they led Koo Wee Rup until the final term where they were overrun.
Their lead in that game was largely thanks to the efforts of big name forward recruit Adam Amin, who performed exactly as promised with six goals.
This week they come up against a Kilcunda Bass side who will be wanting to show a lot of improvement, following a very disappointing 75 point loss to Tooradin-Dalmore in round one.
Make no mistake, both of these sides will have plenty to prove as they seek redemption in round two in a game that will be difficult to predict.
Inverloch-Kongwak vs Koo Wee Rup
Time: 2:20pm
Location: Inverloch Recreation Reserve
Having matched their 2021 win count after one round, Koo Wee Rup will be feeling good and hoping to keep things rolling in round two.
That's the good news. The bad news? Their round two game is an away trip to play Inverloch-Kongwak, one of the top sides in the WGFNC.
The Sea Eagles flexed their muscles in round one, disposing of Korumburra-Bena by 49 points, and will be keen to replicate that form in front of their eager home fans for the first time this year.
Having finished 2021 in second place before the season shutdown, Inverloch-Kongwak will feel they have unfinished business this year.
While Koo Wee Rup is to be commended for notching their first win last week, particularly through the efforts of six goal hero Jason Wells, though it must be noted they took until the final quarter to shake a Dalyston side that finished bottom last year.
Expect this week to provide a much larger test for the Demons, as both sides aim to continue their momentum.
Phillip Island vs Warragul Industrials
Time: 2:20pm
Location: Cowes Recreation Reserve
An excellent round one for the Dusties will quickly be put aside as they face arguably the toughest test in the entire WGFNC.
Phillip Island have been the dominant force of the league for the last three seasons, and facing them on their home deck will be no easy task.
The Dusties will be hoping to continue the excellent defensive efforts they produced in round one, where they managed to keep Garfield to just the three goals.
Those sorts of defensive efforts will be needed against a Phillip Island forward line that features 2021 league goalkicking runner-up Max Blake and former North Melbourne and Melbourne ruck/forward Cameron Pedersen. Despite this, the Bulldogs did have their struggles in round one, being held to eight goals in a hard-fought five point win against Cora Lynn, showing that they are still in fact mortal.
This game will be an excellent barometer for the Dusties, who appear to have a much-improved squad in 2022.
How much have they improved? This game may just give us the answer.
Tooradin-Dalmore vs Korumburra-Bena
Time: 2:20pm
Location: Tooradin Recreation Reserve
Tooradin-Dalmore fired a warning shot to the rest of the competition in round one with their utter dismantling of Kilcunda Bass, and will be licking their lips as they look towards round two.
The Seagulls were dominant from start to finish in their first match, booting a league-high 17 goals in round one, and will be liking the look of a Korumburra-Bena team that struggled to find consistency last week.
The Giants, who started positively against premiership fancy Inverloch-Kongwak before falling away to lose by 49 points, will be wanting a four quarter effort this week against yet another team that has premiership aspirations.
Don't be surprised if this is another strong result for Tooradin-Dalmore, as Korumburra-Bena hope to avoid another long season in the WGFNC.
Garfield vs Nar Nar Goon
Time: 7:00pm
Location: Garfield Recreation Reserve
Local footy returns to Garfield this week, where the home side will want to show some more scoring potency if they want their first win of 2022.
The Stars were well held last week by the Dusties, managing only three goals on their way to a 51 point loss despite the positive performances of some of their new recruits.
They may find kicking goals difficult once again, however, against a Nar Nar Goon side that played out a low-scoring thriller as they snatched victory away from Bunyip.
The Goon, who appeared finals bound in 2021 before the season was abruptly shut down, will be thrilled to have started the new season on a positive note, as they look to continue their good form.
Nar Nar Goon will enter this game as rightful favourites, although given Garfield has a very different make-up since last season, it wouldn't be a shock to see their new-look team gel more and more as the season progresses.
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