By Lachlan Onions
After a relentless run of fixtures which saw Penola take on the top five teams in the competition in consecutive games, there is finally a reprieve for the Eagles.
Penola will take on Bordertown in Round 13 of Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara football and will be eager to claim its second win of the season.
“We are looking forward to travelling to Bordertown and taking up the challenge,” Penola coach Brad Maney said.
The Eagles recently welcomed back a host of key players from injury and will look to use its new-found strength to full advantage when they visit the Roosters.
When these two sides met in Round 4, Bordertown claimed a 38-point win, where Penola was in the hunt until the final quarter.
“We played really well against them the first time and they only kicked away in the last 10 minutes,” Maney said.
Brad Bryant and Brad Merrett were the best players for the Eagles, while Tom Whittlesea and Lochie Eats were best on ground for the Roosters.
Bryant and Drew Clayfield both kicked two goals, while Whittlesea kicked seven majors in a dominant performance.
However, Whittlesea will not be in action for Bordertown this weekend as he was selected to play for SA Country against WA Country at the Adelaide Oval.
Bryant’s availability for the game was uncertain after he was selected in the initial squad for the representative game and named in the SA Country Championships Team of the Carnival.
However, the Penola co-captain will line-up for the Eagles on Saturday.
The Eagles will enter the game without Connor Hunter, who suffered a mild concussion during Penola’s clash with Keith.
Maney said it was pretty disappointing as Hunter had played well recently.
The Roosters are currently seventh on the ladder and have won just one game since these two sides last met, which was a seven-point win over Padthaway in Round 9.
The Eagles have just the one win next to their name this season which came in Round 2 against Naracoorte.
Penola’s last game was a defeat to the third-placed Keith, while Bordertown heads into the game off the back of a 106-point defeat to Lucindale.
With four games left in the season, the Eagles will feel confident they can add to their wins tally before the end of the year as they have a favourable run home.
“We are up and about, we have been setting ourselves up for these last four weeks and it is time to get some wins on the board,” Maney said.
This game sets itself up as a close contest and both sides will be equally confident they can claim the victory.
