BFNL: Eaglehawk coach full of praise for improved Tigers

The Hawks host Kyneton at Canterbury Park on Saturday and the Borough coach has liked what he's seen of the Tigers in 2022.

"I think you can call Kyneton a top-five side, no question about that,'' Matheson said.

"You look at their performance against Golden Square and the calibre of players they have in their side, they're going to be very hard to beat.

"For us, it's just like last week (against Sandhurst), it's an eight-point game."

Eaglehawk (4-2) sits in fourth place on the BFNL ladder - one game clear of fifth-placed Kyneton.

A win over the Tigers would, potentially, give Eaglehawk a two-game break on Kyneton, South Bendigo and Sandhurst. A more than handy buffer considering how tight the competition is between third and seventh.

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"A win on Saturday would set us up for a massive game against (ladder-leader) Gisborne (in round nine),'' Matheson said.

"It would allow us to set up some plans for the second half of the season to ensure we are hitting our straps at the right time of the year as opposed to scrapping it out for the back of the year and being cooked when you get to September."

Kobe Lloyd injured his hamstring in last Saturday's win over Sandhurst and will miss the clash with the Tigers, while Zane Carter will play his first game.

"It's one of the first weeks where we've only had one change to the team,'' Matheson said.

"It's nice to have a more settled side. You're always going to have players in and out of the side, particularly this year with COVID and the flu going around.

"It's good for the boys to have some continuity in the way they play."

The Tigers regain the classy Ned O'Sullivan from injury, but lose Ben Cameron, who kicked four goals in the win over Golden Square, to NAB League commitments with the Bendigo Pioneers.

The key battle will be in the middle of the ground where Eaglehawk stars Billy Evans and Noah Wheeler go head-to-head with impressive Tiger duo Dean Bartrop and Hamish Yunghanns.

Matheson and the Hawks' match committee will need to put time into Kyneton recruit Cameron Manuel.

The midfielder/forward torched Golden Square a fortnight ago with five goals.

2.20pm Saturday at Eaglehawk.

EAGLEHAWK

B: O.Madden, S.Dean, L.Marciano

HB: J.O'Brien, Z.Bulger, D.Richards

C: J.Mullen, C.Laangford, B.Rowles

HF: C.Roberts, S.Knott, L.Davis

F: B.Evans, S.Williams, B.Thompson

R: J.Lawton, N.Wheeler, D.Williams

Int: S.Thompson, F.Verhey, C.Holmes, Z.Carter

KYNETON

B: J.Safstrom, F.Driscoll, B.Xiriha

HB: H.Huntley, L.Thompson, M.Crozier

C: M.Comben, D.Bartrop, L.Phillips

HF: B.McGee, N.O'Sullivan, G.Dickson

F: R.Pretty, C.Wallace, R.Magin

R: J.Orr, H.Yunghanns, C.Manuel

Int: D.Harris, J.Gaff, A.Nolte, O.Power

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