ONE team’s winning streak will come to an end this Saturday as South Mildura host Ouyen United in the Sunraysia A Grade.
The last time the sides met in round 2, which was the Kangas’ first hit-out of the season, Ouyen United came away with the points from their five-goal win over the Bulldogs.
The only thing currently separating them on the ladder is percentage, with the Kangas just slightly ahead, sitting in fourth, while the Bulldogs are on the edge of the top five.
The Bulldogs are on a streak of five wins in a row, while the Kangas boasted four wins in a row before their bye last week.
Kangas playing coach Kyra Nathan said the bye round couldn’t have come at a better time for her team.
“We were certainly ready to have a break, having had a bye at the beginning of the season and not having had a rest since then,” she said.
“It’s given the girls an opportunity to have a rest and freshen up and get ready to go.”
A key focus for the Kangas this week will be trialling some new combinations to get ready for the departure of midcourter Ellen Morrish, who has only two weeks left at the club for the season.
“I’d say that she (Morrish) has been our best performer in the first rounds – she is just so consistent and dominant – so we really need to consolidate what our line-up is going to look like without her,” Nathan said.
“We’re still fiddling around with that and making sure we’ve got the right combinations once she has gone to try to fill some of the void.
“I guess that is the start of that process this week.”
But the Kangas will be taking full advantage of having a full complement of players this weekend, with the welcome addition of young gun Maggie Smith in the goal circle while she is on school holidays.
“She has improved so much since last year. We get so excited when she is home and we are more than happy to slot her into the team,” Nathan said.
“It allows Casey Crothers to go back into that keeper role in which she is so good and takes a bit of the pressure off her.”
Smith will likely have to hold strong against Bulldogs defender Ellen Brewster, who was named one of the team’s best in their solid win over Merbein last round.
In other games, Mildura take on Merbein at Brian Weightman Oval, Imperials will travel to George Gordon Oval to play Wentworth, and Irymple will host Red Cliffs at Henshilwood Oval.
