By Gary Stocks
At the top of the WA Amateur Football League ladder sits Fremantle CBC, two games clear of its nearest rival. Down the bottom Swan Athletic and Whitford are anchored in the 10th and ninth positions respectively.
For the other seven clubs it’s squishy through the middle of the ladder and North Beach would like to bring CBC back into the crush when it confronts the ladder leader at Morris Buzzacott Reserve tomorrow.
CBC has won the last nine games in succession – after opening the season with a three-goal loss to University – and have quickly become the competition benchmark.
When the Beach clashed with Fremantle CBC in round three at Percy Doyle Oval the visitors endured by 22 points in a high calibre contest and the Beach is looking forward to the return bout.
Again the O’Rourke Realty North Beach A-Grade team will take a handful of changes into this match with a couple of injuries coming out of last week’s clash with Kalamunda, but also welcoming back a couple of key players, including lively half-forward Josh McGinnity, debutant Peter Harvey and emerging ruckman Kieren Yakas.
With several players also taking overseas holidays, the depth of the Beach has been tested but will still field highly competitive teams.
Unfortunately, the line-up of players watching, rather than participating in training on Thursday night, was a little longer than one might like and the most devastating news came when outstanding defender Adrian Clarke passed on news that a scan had shown he had ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament a few weeks ago.
Remarkably, Clarke missed two weeks with the injury, played a game in the Credent Financial Services A-Reserves a fortnight ago, before again ‘pulling up sore’ and sitting out last week’s fixture against Kalamunda.
While there are some other less serious injury concerns around the senior squad, there is also some positive news, with ruckman-forward Kyle Cranley in line to make his long-awaited return in the reserves.
Opportunities have also been created in the club’s senior teams, with Shane Duckworth, Alex Luck and Xavier Williamson all being included in the reserves line-up.
The club is excited about the depth of talent pushing through and those youngsters will appreciate the chance to combat Fremantle CBC, who are sitting on top of the A-Reserves premiership table as well – also losing just the one game for the year.
The colts production line is in good shape and the Coast to Coast Imports Phil Scott team will be keen to consolidate second place on the ladder in this clash against fourth-placed CBC.
The Cabling Network Solutions D1-Grade, Hybrid Linings D1-Reserves and Brett Jones Colts will all play at Percy Doyle, while the Express Bins E2-Grade will follow the A-Grade fixture at Morris Buzzacott, starting at 5pm.
Fixtures
Saturday, July 5, 2014
O’Rourke Realty A-Grade
Fremantle CBC v North Beach, Morris Buzzacott Reserve, 2.30pm
Credent Financial Services A-Reserves
Fremantle CBC v North Beach, Morris Buzzacott Reserve, 12.35pm
Coast to Coast Imports Phil Scott Colts
Fremantle CBC v North Beach, Morris Buzzacott Reserve, 10.40am
Cabling Network Solutions D1-Grade
North Beach v Fremantle CBC, Percy Doyle Oval, 2.30pm
Hybrid Linings D1-Reserves
North Beach v Fremantle CBC, Percy Doyle Oval, 12.35pm
Brett Jones Colts
North Beach v Fremantle CBC, Percy Doyle Oval, 10.40am
Express Bins E2-Grade
Fremantle CBC v North Beach, Morris Buzzacott Reserve, 5pm
