AFL Central West Round 4 Preview
Photo: Ben Neely
Round 4 of the 2021 AFL Central West Senior Competition will be held across George Park, South Dubbo Oval, and North Parkes Oval on Saturday May 22. AFL Central West preview all the action, including the Match of the Round local derby between the Tier 2 Bathurst Bushrangers Outlaws and Bathurst Bushrangers Rebels . All the action begins at 11am, and with Covid restrictions easing slightly from the 2020 season, fans are welcome to come down, and cheer on their side!
Men’s Tier 1
Bathurst Giants vs. Bathurst Bushrangers
Time: 2:15pm
Ground: George Park #1
Comments: In a rematch from the Round 2 Match of the Round, the Bathurst Giants will look to stay undefeated when they take on a hungry Bathurst Bushrangers side looking for redemption. The Giants have looked strong this year, and defeated the Tigers by 50 points in their Round 3 encounter, whilst the Bushrangers will look to make an impact after defeating the Demons on the road by 66 points. The Giants kicked 4 goals in the last quarter to seal the 13 point win in their previous encounter, so expect another close game at George Park.
Dubbo Demons vs Orange Tigers
Time: 2:15pm
Ground: South Dubbo Oval
Comments: Both the Dubbo Demons and Orange Tigers will look to bounce back after heavy losses in Round 3. The Demons will aim to improve on their 4th quarter defence after conceding 6 goals in the last against the Bushrangers whilst the Tigers travel to Dubbo in the hopes of getting their season back on track after a 50 point loss to the the Bathurst Giants. The Demons enjoy home ground advantage this week, so look for them to have a big game in front of their home crowd.
Women’s
Bathurst Giants vs. Bathurst Bushrangers
Time: 12:30pm
Ground: George Park #1
Comments: The Bathurst Giants are beginning to look like hot favourites this season, defeating the Orange Tigers last week by 19 points and staying undefeated after 3 games. The Bathurst Bushrangers have had a rough start, winning 1 out 3 games, and losing to the Dubbo Demons last week. This is a new week however, and look for the side to improve as they try and upset the Giants. Come to George Park on Saturday and see if the Giants continue their marvellous start to the 2021 season, or whether the Bushrangers (the only side to take points off the Giants in the past two seasons) can give them their first loss of the year.
Dubbo Demons vs Orange Tigers
Time: 12:30pm
Ground: South Dubbo Oval
Comments: The Dubbo Demons were superb last week, defeating the Bathurst Bushrangers by 73 points in Dubbo. The Orange Tigers fell short to the Bathurst Giants in Orange, losing by 19 points. The Demons will look to continue their recent run of form, which has put the side into second place on the ladder. Look for the Tigers to come out strong this week, as the visitors will want to keep the top two within their grasps. To do this, they’ll have to stop star of the competition Emily Warner, who was outstanding last week, as well as the potent Demons forward line who have hit their straps in the past fortnight.
Men’s Tier 2
Bathurst Bushrangers Rebels vs Bathurst Bushrangers Outlaws (Match of the Round)
Time: 11:00am
Ground: George Park #2
Comments: The Match of the Round this week pits the two Tier 2 Bathurst Bushrangers sides against each other in their first contest this year. The Rebels are coming off a high, unbeaten in their past two whilst the Outlaws will be looking to bounce back from consecutive defeats to competition heavyweights Parkes and Cowra. While the Rebels will be favourites for the contest, don’t count out the Outlaws just yet. As Rebels coach Damian De Montemas said, “Well it’s a local derby, and we are playing our own club, so they are tricky games really.” If you are in Bathurst this weekend, come to George Park and check out the footy.
Dubbo Demons vs Orange Tigers
Time: 11:00am
Ground: South Dubbo Oval
Comments: The Dubbo Demons will look to bounce back this week as they take on the Orange Tigers in Dubbo. The Demons lost heavily to the Bathurst Bushrangers Rebels last week, so look for the side to improve on last week’s performance as they try and turn South Dubbo Oval into a fortress this season. The Orange Tigers will look to win their second match on the bounce, after defeating the Bathurst Giants last week in cold and wet conditions in Orange. This has the potential to be a great match, so come check it out.
Parkes Panthers vs Cowra Blues
Time: 2:15pm
Ground: North Parkes Oval
Comments: In another Match of the Round candidate, the top 2 sides in Tier 2 will battle it out at North Parkes Oval on Saturday. Both sides are undefeated in 2021, so it should be a cracker of a contest. The Cowra Blues will be coming off a convincing 81 point defeat over the Bathurst Bushrangers Outlaws whilst the Parkes Panthers will be looking to come out strong after enjoying the bye last weekend. If you are in Parkes this weekend, this is a game you won’t want to miss.
Bathurst Giants – BYE
Junior Grades (action begins at 9:30am)
Orange Tigers vs Dubbo Junior AFL – Waratah Sports Club
Bathurst Giants vs Bathurst Bushrangers – George Park #1
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