The A-Grade competition is poised to enhance its reputation as a hard-fought, even 10-team battle so every game carries significance.
If one team happens to be slightly “off”, the opposition will pounce and take the points. That much has been evident in the first two rounds with University, the reigning premier and the club tipped to be hardest to beat, win-less after two rounds.
The students, after a tense and pulsating first-up loss to arch rivals Collegians, then ran into a white-hot Trinity-Aquinas. Of course, there is still plenty of time to retrieve that situation, but it does highlight the depth within the competition.
North Beach, after slipping up against North Fremantle last Saturday ay Gil Fraser Reserve, finds itself travelling to Maddington for an important clash at the impressive Harmony Fields Complex.
There is just one change to the team which fell to North Fremantle, with the important inclusion of class midfielder Josh Pearce, who was ruled out with injury last Saturday.
Pearce, who enjoyed a successful career with West Perth before joining his brother, assistant coach Chris Pearce, at the Beach can also push forward and offers strong leadership. Former Falcons teammate Kyle Holden was also important last week and will be looking to continue that form line.
Defensively, the Beach were a little short of expectations against the Maggies, not just the back six, but across all areas of the ground and that will be a key focus against Maddington.
Senior coach Bill Duckworth, who will be at the helm on Saturday despite undergoing surgery during the week, will be looking for Anthony “Chooka” Ingham and Aaron Jarvis to lead the way in that respect while ruckman Alex Hack will need to initiative the offensive out of the centre square.
He will have an abundance of talent at his feet through Kyle Riemann, Josh Bollen, Pearce, Jon Turner and Ryan Underwood, all of whom will need to be at the peak of their game against an opponent which has won respect from all competitors in the last season and two games.
The A-Reserves have won the opening two rounds without playing their best football, which sounds an ominous warning for their rivals. With a large influx of players, Michael Pratt is busy trying to mesh their respective talents in a team-based effort.
Newcomers Tom Hazell and Cade Faithfull, along with colts graduate Ben Sweeney, were among the strongest contributors against the Maggies and will be looking to sustain that form as they search for higher honours.
The Phil Scott Colts have made a disappointing start to the season, with the coaching staff working towards finding and settling on a balanced line-up. A high percentage of first-year colts are in the side and for many of them they are learning about the requirements of a demanding and highly-competitive league.
The return of highly regarded midfielders Kade Golisano and Riley Carter will certainly assist in this match against Maddington, another club that is yet to taste victory in the opening two rounds.
While those three matches will be at the southern end of the city, those looking for their local football fix, can still catch the Beach in action at Charles Riley Reserve.
The Brett Jones Colts will kick off action at Tigers headquarters at 10.45 against the highly-regarded Collegians outfit, followed by the D1-Reserves (12.35pm) and the then D1 game (2.30pm).
All of those games should produce some quality football and the boys would certainly appreciate the support.