A MOUTHWATERING top of the table clash awaits in the Golden Rivers football league this weekend, as Ultima travel to Hay with hopes of taming the undefeated Lions.
Hay remains the team to beat so far this season, but Ultima are hot on their tails in second, just one game behind their round 9 opponents.
The Roos’ solitary loss for the year came at Hay, when they fell 17-points short of the reigning premiers in a wet weather scrap at the Lions’ den.
With only 63-points scored between the sides that match, Ultima coach Kyle Symons said he doesn’t know how much weight to place on the game.
“Last time we were up there I think they had about three inches of rain before we got there,” he said.
“We were able to get a look at a few of their new players, but it’s still a bit difficult to tell how much to take away.
“I’m sure Hay are probably thinking similarly. Both teams will be looking for a day where we can actually get a good read on each other.
“If we can put our best foot forward, we should be able to see where we are at and if we can match it with these guys.”
Other than that blip, the Roos have been just as untouchable as the Lions, scoring more than 100 points in all but one game against the rest of the league.
Ultima didn’t surpass the three-digit mark last round against Murrabit, but that could have been a different story had the Roos’ forwards converted their shots.
Much of that inaccuracy came late in the game, after the Roos found themselves on 11.11 before kicking one goal and 13 behinds to end the match.
Ultima’s drive comes primarily from their dynamic half-back line, with the likes of Jamie Nicholas and Mitch and Tyler Makepeace possessing strong rebound ability.
But each of Ultima’s back-six will need to be switched on against the Lions powerful attacking threats.
Symons said that against a side with the weaponry of Hay, defence has to come first.
“Obviously they’ve been the benchmark this season, so we’re pretty excited to be going up and test them out once again,” he said.
“First of all, we just have to defend – then if we have the chance to rebound into attack from that we’ll go from there.
“We’ll be respecting our opponents, that’s for sure. Their ball movement is something we have noticed and are preparing for.
“They like to move the footy pretty quick, and it definitely helps them when they have a tall full-forward down there like Declan Watson to finish things off for them.”
Watson took no time to have an impact in his first game back since round 6, shooting to the top of the goal-kicking ladder with a bag of 12 last week.
It’s not just Watson the Roos will need to keep an eye on, Kenneth Jubb, William Collis and Jack Cattanach have the ability to trouble defenders.
In the round’s other games, Murrabit will host Wandella in another match set to be an intriguing affair.
The Bombers took time to find their footing against Moulamein last weekend, before putting it together and running away with the game in the second half.
Wandella were without young bull Nathan Boysen and co-coach Justin Robinson in that match, with Robinson set to miss this round as well.
But the Bombers attack is still strong without their key-forward Robinson. Logan Keighran and Adam Ward are two who can do damage on the scoreboard.
The Blues will be sure to give all they’ve got this weekend, looking for their second win of the year having played the top two sides in the last three weeks.
In his first season of senior football, young half-back flanker Sam Copland has been a revelation in that time – slotting seamlessly into the Blues backline.
Copland, Sean Gillen and Jacob Wade will need to be at their best if they want to keep the Bombers dangerous forwards in check.
Moulamein travel to Macorna desperate to claim their second win of the season, having started strongly against the Bombers last weekend.
The Swans held a narrow lead at both the quarter and half time breaks, before running out of steam late and falling to a 22-point defeat.
The match displayed the Swans’ ability to burst out of the gates while controlling the football, the team showing rapid improvement from earlier this year.
But the Swans will need to show that cohesion for a full game this weekend, when they face a Tigers side looking to get back to winning ways.
On the end of a big loss last weekend, Macorna will look to this match as one that can get their season back on track.
The Tigers remain two games clear of the bottom two and are still within one win of moving into third spot,
Travis Mercadante and Malcolm Neiwand continue to be integral to the Macorna side, both with the ability to turn a game in the Tigers’ favour.
Macorna will be strengthened by the returns of centre half-forward Johnny Dawes, midfielder Michael Govus and Sam Whinfield.
