Derby rivals amped up

Surf Coast, Barwon square off in long-awaited clash

When the Men’s State League 4 fixtures were announced prior to the start of the season, the focus immediately shifted to when the highly anticipated southern Geelong derby between Surf Coast and Barwon would be contested.

It’s only taken until round 6 for the two rivals and near neighbours to finally square off on the pitch, but the anticipation ahead of tonight’s clash is palpable.

Surf Coast comes to Grovedale Reserve with an unblemished 5-0 win-loss record after the opening five games.

The Coasters find themselves in joint top spot, along with their direct rivals for the title and the lone automatic promotion spot, Keilor Wolves.

Barwon, meanwhile, last week emphatically overcame fellow Geelong side Bell Park 6-1.

The Blue and Whites’ season is back on track after recently suffering two unfortunate losses, which sees them occupy fifth spot on the ladder.

Tonight, however, both sides will be seeking all three points, as neither a draw nor a loss will aid either of their promotion aspirations. The Coasters desperately need a win to keep pace with the joint competition leaders Wolves, whom they will meet in a likely top-of-thetable clash in two weeks’ time.

“It’s a massive game coming up on Friday night, one that we all have been looking forward to all year,” Coasters captain Kreso Jurkovic said.

“We’ve gone into training this week full focused on the task at hand, because we know when it comes to derbies, all form goes out the window.

“It’s a big occasion, but we won’t let that interfere with our game plan. We know Barwon have recruited heavily during the off-season, so we’re expecting more of a challenge than our games provided last year against them.”

Jurkovic’s counterpart at Barwon, Jackson Davis, is equally excited about Friday night’s showdown under lights.

“It’s our second derby in two weeks, this one’s set to be a cracking game,” Davis said.

“The boys are all fired up and raring to go after last week beating Bell Park 6-1. There’s a lot at stake on Friday, and not just the three points. Local bragging rights are also up for grabs.

“This game’s result will give a good indication on who is a contender and who is a pretender.

“I’ve played in plenty of derby games over my career, but for some reason, this one’s right up there as one I’d really love to win. Hopefully the crowd will be a big one, because it will definitely be a game worth watching.”

Kick off is scheduled for 8.30pm.