PERRENIAL battler Kangaroo Flat has the chance to move into the top five at the halfway mark of the Bendigo Football League season when it meets Gisborne on Monday.
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The Roos and Bulldogs will clash at Beck Legal Oval in one of two BFL Queen’s Birthday Monday games.
Both Kangaroo Flat and Gisborne are no strangers to public holiday football this year, with the Roos and Bulldogs having also played on Good Friday and Anzac Day.
While both sides - which have lost their past two games - have had to wait until Monday for the game, they know the ramifications of the result.
A Kangaroo Flat win would move the Roos from sixth to a game clear inside the top five.
However, a loss and they would remain in a logjam at 4-5 with Eaglehawk and Kyneton, who were both beaten on Saturday.
“We’ve lost a couple of games by a kick (against Kyneton and Golden Square), so we need to work really hard to get this one to make sure we get ourselves into the top five at the halfway mark of the season,” Kangaroo Flat coach Jason Stevens said on Sunday.
“We certainly know what’s at stake on Monday.
“We’ve got a young group in as we have had for the majority of the year, but we’ll get Simon Davies back.
“If we can come with a competitive mindset, we certainly think we’re a chance.”
On the flipside, a Gisborne win would keep the Bulldogs’ two games clear inside the top three, but a loss would leave them just one game ahead of fourth-placed Golden Square.
In Monday’s other game to round out the first half of the season, South Bendigo is at home to Strathfieldsaye at the Queen Elizabeth Oval.
The game promises to be a mighty challenge for the battling Bloods, who are coming off a loss to Castlemaine and must now confront the Storm, who have won their past five in a row.
The Monday scheduling poses an interesting test of Strathfieldsaye’s player management, with the Storm having to back up on Saturday against Golden Square.
Monday’s other combatants all have next weekend off.
• Monday's teams:
Kangaroo Flat v Gisborne at Beck Legal Oval.
Kangaroo Flat:
B: J.Wiegard, L.Clohesy, A.Pearson
Hb: T.Brooks, J.Bowyer, J.Saville
C: L.Lougoon, R.Turner, C.Kekich
Hf: B.Fletcher, C.Fleming, S.Davies
F: M.Giri, C.Rinaldi, L.Frost
Foll: N.Lang, M.Tregenza, C.Greer
Inter: (from) C.Argus, J.Ibberson-Coatsworth, T.Dargaville, M.Holt, A.Benbow
Gisborne:
B: E. McKenna, S. Greetham, J. Govan
Hb: C. Medica, H. Simpson, D. Weaver
C: S. Comerford, T. Walsh, R. Patterson
Hf: H. Govan, B. Sonogan, I. Trickey
F: M. Thornton, A. Headberry, P. Trotta
Foll: T. Waters, S. Walsh, T. May
Inter: P. McKenna, K. Grbac, H. Doricic, J. Lynch.
South Bendigo v Strathfieldsaye at QEO.
South Bendigo:
B: J. Swatton, J. Smythe, J. Miller
Hb: R. Barrack, D. Nalder, R. Alexander
C: M. Hocking, A. Connaughton, L. Sweeney
Hf: J. Barrack, B. Jones, A. Morris
F: A. Cussen, J. Whelan, L. Crawford
Foll: B. Allen, A. Crawford, D. Frew
Inter: (from) N. Howe, C. trotman, J. Postle, K. Strachan, B. O'Halloran
Strathfieldsaye:
B: S. Geary, L. Prior, S. Baker
Hb: M. Ladson, J. Dickens, K. Smith
C: L. Bonney, M. Johnston, T. Dowd
Hf: L V. Flood, K. Lea, J. Hall
F: S. Milne, S. Mildren, L. Sharp
Foll: M. Pilcher, M. Smith, N. Smith
Inter: (from) B. Lester, L. Marchesi, S. Johns, T. Bartholomew, D. Jones, H. Crone.