HE'S only been a Bendigo Brave for two seasons, but the historical significance of the enduring Bendigo-Ballarat basketball rivarly is not lost on Matt Andronicos.
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In fact, the 2016 championship centre and former Cairns Taipan has been only too glad to buy into it.
"I would like to consider myself a local one day - I might have to play anothe season or more," he said.
"But I definitely like buying into the club and the rivalries.
"Obviously I have a mate or two in Ballarat which doesn't help.
"Living in Cairns, it took a while to get into the Cairns-Townsville rivalry, so hopefully next season I can get right in to hating Ballarat as much as others."
What's for certain is that rivalry has brought out the best in the Braves throughout the decades, and vice-versa.
Andronicos expects that to again be a spur on Saturday night as the Braves continue their push for a SEABL south conference playoff berth.
It's a must-win game for both teams, but for different reasons.
The Braves (10-11) need a win to keep their finals hopes flickering, while the Miners (13-7) are looking to protect top spot after going 1-1 last weekend.
Coach Ben Harvey's side arrested a four-game losing streak, with a 10-point win over Sandringham Sabres last Saturday night.
If there was ever a need to back-up a victory it is now, with the Braves starting the weekend one win behind North West Tasmania Thunder (11-10) in the battle for fourth spot.
A clash against the top-placed Miners is exactly the sort of clash that has in 2017 brought out the best in the Braves, who have defeated the top two sides in the east conference and two of the top three in the south.
A string of losses to team's below them in the standings continues to confound the Braves.
"Hopefully Ballarat being on top and being the team to beat brings the best out of us and it all comes together like it has against Mount Gambier and Nunawading," Andronicos said.
"You see it in the sport all the time, when you play against the best teams you have to step up, otherwise you'll be thrashed.
"But when you come up against the weaker teams you go out thinking things will happen. I've been guilty of that."
Echoing the thoughts of coach Harvey earlier in the week, Andronicos believed nothing more than three wins from their last three games would even go close to sealing a finals spot.
"The last thing we want is to rely on other team's results to get us into finals," he said.
The Braves will confront a Miners team bristling with confidence.
Marvin King-Davis (33 points), Ash Constable (20 points) and Leon Henry (12 points, 14 rebounds, six assists) were the stars of a last round win over Dandenong Rangers, who are second in the conference.