Town rivals to continue tradition
Wimmera league football supporters will bounce from one public-holiday clash to another this weekend as eyes turn to round two and an annual Anzac Day game.
A standalone Anzac Day match under lights between Horsham and Horsham Saints on Monday is the star round-two attraction.
The public-holiday match comes after the traditional Good Friday clash between Ararat and Stawell Warriors at the weekend.
The Rats got their season underway in emphatic style on Friday with a runaway win against their Western Highway rival.
The Rats led at every change of the weekend’s standalone game, defeating the Warriors 18.12 (120) to 10.11 (71).
Matt Walder’s men had played it cool all pre-season but came out firing when it mattered to lead Tom Eckel’s Warriors by nine points at quarter time.
That was as close as it got all game as the Rats steadily extended their advantage with consistent five-goal quarters.
The Warriors have a round-two bye this weekend and two weeks to prepare for a trip to Davis Park to take on a competitive Nhill.
The Rats will sample the Tigers’ spirit first, however, with Nhill set to board the bus for its longest road trip of the season, bound for Ararat’s Alexandra Oval.
Nhill coach Trevor Albrecht will have faith his charges can muster an upset against Ararat, but the Rats’ domination of the Warriors has only hardened the already big ask for a Nhill side that’s on the up, but not there yet.
Meanwhile, Warrack Eagles will start their 2022 season this weekend with a game against Southern Mallee Giants following a round-one bye.
A win against the Giants will be a challenge for last year’s woodenspooners, but an Eagles’ renewed 2022-season spirit and a home-crowd advantage always has potential for an upset.
Dimboola has a long road ahead if finals remain a hope as it starts round-two 12 premiership points further back than it did after round one.
The Roos will be acutely aware of the situation and Minyip-murtoa will prepare to battle a Dimboola crowd on its home turf, revved up on solidarity and tales of an underdog motif this Saturday.
Round two concludes with the all-horsham Anzac Day clash.
A 7pm start at Horsham City Oval in front of a big crowd will give either side the opportunity to go four points ahead of its cross-town rival and secure bragging rights until a round 11 rematch.
Even as mid-autumn evenings start to lose their summer warmth, supporters of Horsham’s proud clubs should fill the stands for what is set to be a cracker of a match.