Despite the Southern League having a bye this weekend, two old rivals will come together and battle it out at Robinson Reserve in the only match of the weekend.
Both Hampton Park and Doveton came together earlier in the year and agreed to play their Round 9 clash, which was originally set for the June long weekend, this Saturday instead.
Doveton has won three out of its past five matches and comes into this clash full of confidence, but the formidable Redbacks sit second on the ladder and firm as serious flag favourites.
Division 2 has been incredibly even this season and while the Doves are sitting second last in ninth position, they have actually won five games and are just two wins from fifth-placed Highett (who they beat a few weeks ago).
Doveton will be looking to exorcise a few demons when it takes on Hampton Park, hoping to show a lot more than it did in Round 1.
The opening match of the season was a bloodbath as the Redbacks won by 120 points, thanks to four-goal performances from Declan Brunell and Liam Myatt.
Doves’ coach Matt Stapleton said his team was looking forward to the challenge and expected a more competitive performance.
“In Round 1, we let ourselves down with a really poor performance, so our mindset will be a lot like last week … first and foremost, it is about us going out there, being competitive and hard to play against,” he said.
“You can’t do much if you don’t have your hands on the footy, if we can do that consistently, you never know what can happen.”
The Doves will welcome back a key players for the clash including Jake Basa and Cameron Williamson, while the Redbacks will also be looking to add some big names back into the mix.
