Tigers tackle Hawks at Kyneton

IT’S a huge match for Kyneton and Eaglehawk in this Saturday’s sixteenth round of the Bendigo Bank Bendigo Football League.

The Tigers and Hawks meet at Kyneton Showgrounds locked on 32 premiership points each and separated by .64 per cent.

Both line-ups are on the rebound from defeat.

Despite an eight-point loss at Golden Square’s ground, Kyneton moved back into the top five as Eaglehawk slid to sixth after a 19-point loss to Sandhurst at Canterbury Park.

The winner of the Tigers and Hawks showdown will hold a four-point buffer on Sandhurst which is hot favourite to beat Maryborough on Saturday at Queen Elizabeth Oval.

Indigenous Round on 28 May featured a 21-point win by the Paul Chapman-coached Kyneton at Eaglehawk.

Key players for the yellow and black include Rhys Magin and Cameron Manuel in attack, Frazer Driscoll in defence, Guy Dickson and Dean Bartrop.

The Travis Matheson-coached Hawks will be fired up after tumbling from the five just two weeks after a stunning 84-77 win on Golden Square’s turf.

Billy Evans, Darcy Richards, Noah Wheeler, Shaun Knott and Clayton Holmes will play key roles in the Hawks’ bid to win at Tigerland.

Sandhurst’s hopes of a finals campaign are still flickering after a great win by the Ash Connick-coached Dragons in the Borough.

They are up against another Borough this round in the form of the Rick Andrews-coached Maryborough.

Stung by a seven-goal loss to Gisborne at the QEO, South Bendigo faces another big test on Strathfieldsaye Storm’s turf at Triple M Park in Tannery Lane.

Storm dominated play at Maryborough last Saturday as gun forward Lachlan Sharp kicked nine goals.

In round seven, Storm beat the Bloods by a point.

Gisborne returns to Gardiner Reserve to take on Kangaroo Flat.

The Bulldogs’ best against the Bloods were key defender Jack Reaper, ruckman Braidon Blake, and onballer Seb Bell-Bartels.

The James Flaherty-coached Kangaroo Flat will work hard, but the ladder-leading Dogs have plenty of skill in the midfield attacking power.

Key players for the Roos include ruckman Nic Lang, Lachy Wilson and Mitch Rovers in attack, Liam Collins and Ryan O’Keefe.

Castlemaine is at home in Camp Reserve to take on Golden Square.

The Magpies will look for big games from the likes of Liam Wilkinson, Tommy Horne and Zac Denahy against a powerful Bulldogs line-up that includes Joel Brett, Jack Geary and Hamish Morcom.