BIG guns Carisbrook and Navarre will renew their Maryborough-Castlemaine District Football League rivalry on Saturday night when they meet in a blockbuster under lights.
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Reigning premier Navarre is 4-0 and sitting on top of the ladder, while the Redbacks have won their past three and are in fifth position.
When they last met, Navarre inflicted Carisbrook’s only loss of the season last year in the preliminary final in a massive upset.
The Grasshoppers boast a dangerous forward line headed by Ashley Driscoll (25 goals) and Kris Brennan (17), who combined for 13 goals against Campbells Creek last week, while Cody Driscoll chipped in with six.
Brent Flood has also been dominant for the Grasshoppers.
Jackson Bowen and Clayton Furniss continue to impress for Carisbrook, which for one of the few times in recent years will go into a game as the underdogs.
• Talbot will be desperate to recapture its winning form of round one when it travels to Trentham.
After belting Maldon by 128 points in round one, the Hawks have lost three in a row to Campbells Creek, Navarre and Carisbrook.
However, the Hawks were competitive through periods of their games against the powerful Grasshoppers and Redbacks.
Improvers Trentham suffered its first loss of the season against Royal Park last week, but on its home ground deserves the favourites tag for this clash.
• Harcourt will chase two wins in a row when it takes on Dunolly at Dunolly.
The Lions downed Avoca by 14 points to post their first win last week, while Dunolly has suffered three 50 point-plus losses in a row since its round one draw with Trentham.
• Lexton takes on the winless Rovers at home.
Tigers’ full-forward Matt Brown is coming off a 10-goal haul against Maldon last week in what was Lexton’s third win in a row.
While Rovers are yet to win a game, they have competed within matches much better than last year.
Rovers have shown enough to suggest they are capable of winning more games than last year’s one, but a challenging day looms on Saturday.
• Campbells Creek will chase its first ever win over Avoca.
Since joining the MCDFL in 2005, Avoca - winless this season - has won all 11 clashes against the Creekers.
However, the Creekers should fancy their chances of finally breaking their Avoca duck and maintaining their position in the top eight.
• Undefeated Royal Park can move a step closer to ending its finals-drought when it hosts Natte Bealiba.
Bushy has answered all challenges thrown at it so far this season, but the sixth-placed Swans (3-1) promise to provide quality opposition.
• A mis-match looms at Maldon when the winless Bombers host the undefeated Newstead.
