By Peter Wilkie

 

The Bendigo Bank CHFL swings back into action this week after the Queen’s Birthday weekend Competition Bye.

 

Mid season breaks allow clubs to ease players’ workloads, and are especially beneficial for recuperation as we have seen some genuinely heavy grounds this year, for the first time in a few seasons.

 

It’s also good to remember that leagues like the CHFL are far from professional, and sometimes families need to be able to dedicate some weekends to things other than footy.

 

So, we’ll bounce back into the action this weekend with freshened legs and renewed spirit, because from here on, things start to get fair dinkum.

 

ROUND 8 MATCHES – Saturday 16 June

 

All matches at grounds of the first named team.

 

Newlyn v Buninyong

Daylesford v Hepburn

Clunes v Creswick

Dunnstown v Beaufort

Ballan v Waubra

Gordon v Bungaree

Springbank v Learmonth (at Wallace)

 

A glance at the ladder tells the story. This week’s games will set the tone for the rest of the 2007 season, and it’s going to be compelling reading.

 

Two teams on top, unbeaten after 7 rounds, third only four points behind, then only two games separates 4th to 11th spots. Phew.

 

With a bottleneck looming for 4th and 5th spots, every win is crucial, every loss a potential season ending heartbreak.

 

The tantalising prospect for fans is the potential for some cracking games of footy, including the prospect of some upsets, the first of which may well come this week.

NEWLYN take on BUNINYONG as both clubs continue to resurrect their fortunes after slow starts to the year. A win for Buninyong would likely launch the Bombers into the five, with their superior percentage, but the Cats are very territorial, and will be very hard to knock off at home.

 

Buninyong’s past couple of outings have been good with wins over Gordon and Ballan, while Newlyn will look to bounce back after a loss to Hepburn.

DAYLESFORD have begun their second year in the CHFL like Phar Lap. Unbeaten and with a massive percentage the Bulldogs sit atop the ladder, and have an average winning margin of nearly 100 points.

 

This week Daylesford faces its first real test in the blockbuster clash with hometown rivals HEPBURN. The Shane Robertson coached Kookaburras are the best drilled, most experienced line up in the CHFL, and will provide a completely new challenge for Phil Davis’ Bulldogs.

 

As a new episode in one of country footy’s fiercest rivalries plays out on Saturday, will we also see the beginning of a new look to the top of the CHFL ladder?

CLUNES host CRESWICK and each side will fancy its chance of notching up win number 2 for the year.

 

Creswick produced one of their best performances last round, pushing the unbeaten Daylesford as hard as any team has this year, and it looks like the success Creswick has enjoyed with Junior teams in recent years is coming to fruition slowly for the Seniors.

 

Clunes was pipped in a close encounter by Beaufort, and will have been working to improve some poor kicking for goal in recent games which may have cost a win or two.

 

Despite their relatively lowly ladder positions this will be another ripper of a game, likely to go deep into the last term before a clear winner emerges.

DUNNSTOWN is nipping at the heels of the top five, and will want to continue its march up the ladder. At home to BEAUFORT the ‘Towners will be keen to continue their recent good form, including knocking over 4th placed Learmonth in Round 7.

 

Keen CHFL followers would advise Dunnstown not to take the Crows lightly, as Leo Fitzpatrick has his team improving with each week, and the emerging Beaufort are tipped to take some scalps of unwary, higher rated opposition this year.

BALLAN have not been able to produce the consistency of effort that Coach Malcolm Scott would have hoped for, partially through the team being patched together with injuries to top players.

 

Hosting the other unbeaten side in the league, WAUBRA, Ballan will need some of its big name players to stand up this week, or risk the season slipping further away.

 

Hayden Cartledge was getting back to some of his best touch last game against Buninyong, and is such a brilliant performer because of his ability to bring other players in to the game with his deft skills and “footy smarts.”

 

Shane Skontra will have his men primed for this game and the Kangaroos can expect a physical clash on the tight Ballan ground, where it may be easier for the Blues to restrict supply to Waubra’s goal kicking machine Lee Brown.

GORDON has one of the most beautiful grounds in country footy, the oval ringed by bush, the tall timber providing a stunning backdrop to the action on the ground.

 

This Saturday Gordon will host BUNGAREE, who will be far too focused on another win to take in their surrounds.

 

The Demons are another of the teams who can grab a finals berth, but will want to start stringing together some consistent efforts after an indifferent start to the year.

 

Bottom placed Gordon are yet to win in 2007, but like all the CHFL clubs, the Eagles are proud, tough and spirited, and a couple of unlikely victories can still come their way.

5th placed SPRINGBANK take on LEARMONTH, 4th, in another huge game this round.

 

Both these Clubs made excellent starts to the season, but after a blip or two in the last couple of rounds, both also need a win to reenergise their year.

 

 For the loser, the potential to drop out of the five means there will be plenty in this contest from the first bounce.