Good start key for Ongerup

Ongerup Football Association will be out to rectify their poor showing in the later stages of the Landmark Country Football Championships last year, with a first-up win in the regional clash this year putting them in a strong position to make the division 2 grand final.

The championships continue in Perth this weekend with the OFA in a strong position to top the south pool of division 2 after their 40-point win over the Great Southern Football League, although percentage from that full-length match won’t count.

Last year the OFA beat the GSFL in the regional fixture but then went to Perth and lost both their shortened games, essentially missing out on making the grand final by only percentage.

The OFA and the reintroduced Goldfields side sit on four points after they each won the regional games played last month and the pair meet in the first clash at East Fremantle Oval on Saturday at 11am.

The winner of that clash will be in the box seat to finish first in the south pool and meet the winner of the north pool containing Central Midlands Coastal, Central Wheatbelt, Mortlock and North Midlands in Sunday’s decider.

The OFA’s title hopes have been boosted after leading big man Jayden Brooks shrugged off a knee injury to remain in their squad which contains stars Luke Bairstow, Isaac Baum and ex-WAFL defender Jordan McAllister.

Key forward Dean Rintoul is a looming omission from the side that beat the GSFL because of a broken wrist while Jeremy Richardson (knee), Damien Stewart (cut head), Ben Hankinson (hamstring) along with Michael Hams, Alex Duckworth and Jedd Herbert also won’t play.

Beau Vaux, Jacob Conti, Joseph Duckworth, Darcy Thompson, Darcy Townsend, Harvey Lynch, Luton Eardley and Ethan Caldwell come into the side that will be coached by Kelvin Holmes. The OFA’s second match on Saturday, also at East Fremantle Oval, will be against Eastern Districts starting at 2pm.