THE South West District Football Netball League (SWDFNL) is well and truly in full swing for the 2023 season, and the league couldn’t have hoped for a better matchup to headline round four, as the two undefeated teams remaining in Coleraine and Dartmoor will go head-to-head today.

It will also be a rematch of last season’s preliminary final, in which the Giants got past the Maroons by just eight points in a thriller.

The Maroons have been dominant at both ends of the ground, generating the most points in the competition while also conceding the fewest.

They also currently boast three of the top five leading goalkickers in the competition in Will Slattery, Patrick Sinnott and Samuel Youngman.

Maroons senior coach, Ryan McClure said his group was feeling good, but remained focused on the task at hand.

“We’re head down and working at it at the moment, but we are happy with the progress we’ve made,” McClure said.

“We had a core group of about 16-20 guys who did a really strong pre-season, and I think that added fitness is starting to show.”

McClure said that in the past he felt like his side didn’t move the ball as quickly as he would have liked, adding that he has been very impressed with the work they’ve done since.

“We put a real emphasis on not overusing it and getting some speed behind the ball, it’s the best way to give our forwards a chance,” he said.

He added that the importance of this game would not be lost on his group, saying they had discussed the implications of the match at training.

“This is a big game for us, a chance to take something away from Dartmoor after last year’s preliminary final,” McClure said.

“It’s always a great game when we play against them, they’ve always got runners and they always look dangerous going forward.”

After a close win in round one over Heywood, Dartmoor has since rattled off a pair of solid wins against Heathmere and Branxholme-Wallacedale.

This will be a big test of both teams’ premiership aspirations, with a chance to take both a mathematical and psychological advantage over a premiership contender on the line for both clubs.

The match will be played on the Giants’ home turf, and spectators should expect a quality matchup between two high-flying teams.

Tyrendarra v Heywood

TWO teams looking to get back on an even keel will do battle at Tyrendarra, with the Darras and Lions both with plenty to play for.

Heywood will consider themselves unlucky to not be 2-1 or even 3-0 to start the season after they lost to last season’s grand finalists Dartmoor and Cavendish by a combined 14 points.

Leon Davis has been a force up forward, bagging 18 goals to be well in front in the league’s goal-kicking tally, and they’ll be looking for even more out of him along with the younger members of the group.

For the Darras, they’re currently in an 0-2 skid after a strong round one win and will be hoping to swing the momentum of their season back into a positive direction.

With home turf to protect, Tyrendarra has every reason to come out firing.

Cavendish v Heathmere

BOTH teams fresh off wins will contest this matchup, with Cavendish looking to put itself firmly back in contention for top spot with a win.

The Bloods are already sitting in third spot, a game ahead of the rest of the field, and now have a chance to make up some ground on the top two.

Meanwhile, Heathmere earnt its first win of the season against Westerns last weekend and will now look to build some momentum for the remainder of the season.

The Meres are set to be without a number of key players from the senior side according to coach Adrian Hann, but nonetheless the opportunity is there for the rest of the group to step up to the table.

Westerns v Branxholme-Wallacedale

WESTERNS and Branxholme-Wallacedale are two teams who will be desperate for a win when they clash at Hanlon Park.

Winless so far, Westerns will be looking for a positive result to kick-start its season.

While they’re yet to get themselves in the winners book, they’ve demonstrated an ability to score well at times, something coach, Winis Imbi, will want to see more of.

With a win today, the Saints will give themselves a chance to keep pace with the top-five, and with their finals aspirations at the forefront of their minds, there’s plenty to play for in this one.

TODAY’S contests across the SWDFNL will see some of the teams sitting out of the top four pushing for ladder points.

Coleraine will go up against Dartmoor at the Giants’ home ground, with the Maroons earning just one win for the season so far.

With an improved line-up from 2022, Coleraine will look to push last year’s grand finalists in a bid to get another four points for the ladder.

Coleraine’s shooting end will offer some key match-ups with Amy Lewis an impressive target in goal shooter, while Dartmoor’s new defensive combinations of Keely Price and Charlotte Rice has won back plenty of ball in their first two games.

So far, the Giants have gone up against Heywood and Branxholme-Wallacedale, securing two solid wins with Coleraine ready to challenge the home side.

Green and Gold match-up

TYRENDARRA hosts Heywood with the conditions set to make for a tough four quarters.

With plenty of rain forecast, it will be a matter of composure when the two sides hit the court.

Heywood will be up and about against the reigning premiers with the side yet to record a win this season.

The Lions have plenty of talented youth moving through the team, which will become a lethal force by the end of the season, combining with the experienced players of Aleesha Wilson, Mharni Gordon, Shakira Stuchbery and Jess Lovett-Murray.

The Darras’ tall shooting circle will be a focal point for the Lions’ defensive unit, while Stuchbery will play an important role for Heywood in their attacking end against Tyrendarra’s new defensive combination.

This afternoon’s match also marks the SayNo2Familyviolence annual shield game, when the clubs aim to accumulate points through wins to take home the shield.

The initiative was introduced by the Rotary Club of Portland to raise awareness surrounding family violence.

Rotarians and information will be available on the day to educate around family violence.

Roos host Saints

WESTERNS will welcome Branxholme-Wallacedale to its temporary home of Hanlon Park with the Roos keen to consolidate their line-up in round four.

It has been a solid start to the season for Westerns, defeating Heywood comfortably two weeks ago and ready to build heading into the middle of the season.

The Roos’ A grade side had last week off with Heathmere not fielding an A grade team in 2023, however, plenty of players were able to rotate through A reserve to keep there touch.

While the Saints are in a building phase of their development, they will be keen to get some small wins of one of the premiership contending teams.

Under the guidance of new coach Mandy Keightley, they will push to execute on the scoreboard.