Bendigo Advertiser | IT’S only the second week of July, but games don’t get much bigger than Saturday’s LVFNL clash betwen Bridgewater and Pyramid Hill.
The winner of the top-of-the-table clash will grab pole position in the race for the minor premiership and an automatic berth in the second semi-final.
Pyramid Hill scored an upset 13-point win over Bridgewater when the two teams met in round five and coach Paul Grayling expects his side to test the Mean Machine again.
“That win showed that we were capable of beating them, but it doesn’t count for too much now,’’ Grayling said.
“It’s all about who is the best team on Saturday. We have a fair bit of belief in ourselves and we know that we can beat anyone in the competition when we play our best footy.
“We know that Bridgewater had a few out the day we beat them, but we’ve improved a lot since then… and I’m sure Bridgewater has improved as well.
“We’re really looking forward to the challenge and, whichever way you look at it, it should be a cracking contest.”
With hail and heavy showers forecast for Saturday, a rare day of wet weather footy is on the cards.
“The wet weather won’t worry us too much,’’ Grayling said.
“When it’s wet it becomes a war of attrition and whoever wants it more, and is willing to put their head over the footy, generally comes out on top.
“The rain will make it a bit of a scrap, but sometimes those games are just as good to watch.”
Bridgewater coach Andrew Collins said the Mean Machine was looking forward to a finals-like game against the Bulldogs.
“With so much on the line in Saturday’s game, as far as top is concerned, it’s going to be a huge game,’’ Collins said.
“There’s still a month of footy to go, but the winner of this game will more than likely finish on top of the ladder which is a big advantage for the finals.
“Everyone has a fair bit of confidence in themselves playing in these big games.
“We’ve got the trust in each other that we’ve been able to deliver in important games. It’s no different tomorrow.”
Collins said the Mean Machine would need to make a fast start on Saturday.
“We started poorly against them last time and our starts all season haven’t been great,’’ Collins said.
The Mean Machine will be without Alex Galea and Tom Kuhne for Saturday’s game.
“We’ve got a pretty fit squad at the moment and it’s hard at selection when you have 26 or 27 players battling for 22 spots. It's a good problem to have,’’ Collins said.
