Round 4 of the Peter Jackson VFL kicks off this Saturday when the North Ballarat Roosters take on the Williamstown Seagulls in the ABC TV match of the round. The game promises to produce a spectacular show with the two clubs developing a fierce rivalry over the past few years.
In the 2010 & 2011 home and away seasons, North Ballarat ended as victors in every game, winning by an average of only 6 points. Williamstown however were able to turn the tables on the Roosters come finals time in 2011, denying them the chance for a fourth successive flag with a Qualifying Final win over the reigning 2010 premiers.
Both teams currently sit at 1 win and 2 losses, having started the season slowly, with North Ballarat only snatching their first win last weekend against Collingwood.
Coach Gerard FitzGerald was pleased with the overall result as well as the performance of his up and coming players.
“We won the ball well and improved our kicking efficiency.
“We threw the responsibility to the young boys last week and they didn’t disappoint us. Marcus Darmody and Liam Hoy performed particularly well. We were also happy with Angus Grigg who played his first game for the Club,” FitzGerald said.
Williamstown have experienced two challenging weeks, making a late run in both games, to only be successful in one. General Manager Brendan Curry believes the Club will eradicate this trend.
“We have been forced to fight back in both games as our opposition in the Northern Blues and Geelong have played well to establish substantial leads. Our aim is to produce a four quarter effort because anything less will see us unsuccessful this week,” Curry said.
Both teams will be approaching the match with one mindset, chasing those 4 points.
Gerard FitzGerald was candid when stressing the importance of the game.
“If we win this game we will be at 2 wins and 2 losses, so it is a crucial game for us. No matter who we were playing, this game is very important. A win will put us in a sound position.
“We have always had very close contests with Williamstown, other than last year’s final, so it should be a tough game,” FitzGerald said.
When asked about Williamstown’s unanticipated 65 point win in the Qualifying Final last year, Curry played down its significance.
“North Ballarat and Williamstown games are always a high standard, high energy game. Although we got over them in the final at Box Hill last year, they were depleted by injuries. “We can’t take much out of that result as we have a brand new team in 2012 and we are still getting used to playing with one another,” Mr. Curry said.
North Ballarat vs Williamstown, live on ABC TV from 1pm Saturday.
Last Modified on 13/04/2012 16:02