WOMEN by Kieren Vartuli

We still have much of the race to finals remaining but that doesn’t mean that the top positions are already set! Sturt are still chasing to finish as minor premiers and are only 3-points behind Forestville while the Bearcats are sitting 5th. Every match from here on out is critical for both sides and this one is no different. This round will be tough on the Bearcats and will test their strength as they face both Sabres and Eagles on a back-to-back. The last time the Sabres and Bearcats visited each other, it was the Bearcats who were on the wrong end of a demoralising 28-point blowout. Sturts wide range of scorers proved too much for the Bearcats to contain. Significantly, the Bearcats struggled to keep the ball safe and turned the ball over a horrifying 30 times and resulted in 34-Sabre points! Sturt edged out the Tigers in their last outing by 2-points but will look to resurrect their ferociousness and reputation with another strong victory over the finals bound Bearcats. Nonetheless, with West’s hardest fixtures both being played within 24-hours, the pressure will be on them to perform for the entirety of the weekend. Assuming the Bearcats will be pacing themselves throughout the Sabres game to get through the weekend, the Sabres may take the win.

Hang Time Prediction: Sturt Sabres 

MEN by Daniel Renfrey

The Sabres eager to right their wrongs after yet another disappointment, this time in Round 14 against the Tigers, in which they went down by 14 points. Ball security has arguably been the biggest concern for the Sabres this season, with multiple games of high turnovers for the side. This has often led to a vulnerable defence and easy points for the opposition. Sturt will need to be better than they have been for most of the season in this one, with a full performance across the board. The Bearcats will also be desperate for a win after suffering a defeat to the Flames in Round 14 and putting themselves in danger of sliding down to 8th on the ladder. West Adelaide have the offensive talent to defeat Sturt, such as Jefferson and Kubank, but they will need to hold them defensively as well. If they can play a complete game they should have no trouble ousting Sturt.

Hang Time prediction: West Adelaide Bearcats