WITH just one more sleep until former AFL player, Eddie Betts, takes to the field for Branxholme-Wallacedale, preparations are well underway for tomorrow’s South West District Football Netball League clash against Cavendish.

The club had a working bee last weekend and the club has settled on the number Betts will wear for the round seven clash, with the guernsey he wears set to be signed by the 350-game player before it is framed and hung in the clubrooms post game.

With 640 goals to his name across his AFL career, he is sure to draw a crowd and it will be a one-in-a-lifetime experience for all players on the field, but none other than Saints co-captain, Kieran Barker, who will be stand-alone skipper for tomorrow’s clash due to Sam Brewer’s unavailability.

Barker said the group was ready for the clash and would embrace the occasion of the day.

“The boys are very excited, it has been about a month since we found out,” he said.

“I don’t think we will have a crowd like this ever again.

“I might have to sit in the mirror and have a think on the Saturday night, I usually just say whatever comes to my head (before the game).”

Barker is coming off a 10-goal haul against Westerns, but was happy to give Betts the space he needs to perform for the crowd.

“Yeah, I’ll definitely give him some place for sure, but we will still play our game for sure,” he said.

“The first five minutes the nerves will be a big thing, but the game ahead will be good.

“Knowing there will be a massive crowd here, it is exciting and daunting, but it just brings us back to the juniors when we played on Sundays.”

The Carlton Draft initiative was designed to give back to community football after a tough two years with COVID interruptions.

Barker said it has boosted morale around the club and was excited to see how the game panned out.

“It is massive, 2020 we didn’t have anything and even this year the start has been good, we have been getting crowds back here, but this weekend is going to be a whole different ball game,” he said.

The clash is also critical to the Saints’ finals hopes, something which isn’t lost on the skipper.

“If we beat them (Cavendish) this weekend, it drives our finals campaign even stronger,” he said.

“We are just trying to build our season up, hopefully get the win this weekend and go from there.”

Full preview of the SWDFNL games on Page 34.