Katamatite will be looking to kick off its day of celebration in the right fashion on Saturday, when the club welcomes Katunga for round four Picola and District Football League action.
It will be a massive day for the Tigers, with delayed 125th anniversary celebrations, along with 20- and 25-year premiership reunions set to draw big numbers to the Katamatite Recreation Reserve.
Spectators are sure to be treated to a cracking game of football, with both Katamatite and Katunga sitting on two wins each after two games played.
Katamatite coach Jedd Wright said there was a real buzz around the club ahead of the game, with everyone excited to celebrate the occasions.
He said that on the field, it should be a good game, with the Tigers expecting Katunga to be one of the big movers for 2022.
“We’re expecting them to really come out and really hunt us,” Wright said.
“Our form has been pretty good ourselves so we’ll just be focusing on ourselves and playing the brand of footy we want to.”
The Tigers are hoping to welcome back a number of players for this weekend’s game, with the final squad to be confirmed at Thursday night training.
“I’m sure there will be a huge crowd there and Damien Kennedy, who coaches Katunga, was a past coach of Katamatite in 2001,” Wright said.
“He coached the Tigers to the flag so I’m sure he’ll be really revving up Katunga to try and get them up for the game.
“For us, once that first siren goes it will just be business as usual.
“We want to really try and finish top four this year and Katunga will be one of those teams that we are really competing against for that top-four spot so it really is an important game.”
Katunga will be hungry to ruin the Katamatite party.
Swans coach Damien Kennedy will be right in the thick of the action this weekend, having captained Katamatite’s 1996 premiership side and coached the club to its 2001 triumph.
He said Katunga was looking forward to the challenge against Katamatite.
“We’ll be trying to upset the party, no doubt about that,” Kennedy said.
“It’s going to be a battle in the middle, I think if we get enough entries we could stick it to them a bit but it’s going to be a big challenge.
“They’re an older, more mature group and we’re younger and probably a bit quicker.
“I really hope that we can be competitive and take it up to them and if there is an opportunity there to take the game off them we’ll certainly be busting our chops, so hopefully it’s a really good contest.”
Katunga will put a next-to-unchanged line-up on the field for the big game, with action set to get under way at the Katamatite Recreation Reserve at 2.05pm on Saturday.
In other games on Saturday, Rennie will welcome league leaders Waaia, while Katandra will travel to Mathoura.
Blighty will play host to Picola United and Deni will take on Tocumwal at home.
Tungamah will be looking to get up over Berrigan in Berrigan while Jerilderie and Strathmerton will have a week off.