by Nicholas Duck

It's round five in the West Gippsland Football Competition and there are plenty of close matches on offer, including a top-of-the-table clash that promises some blockbuster football. Here's how this week is looking:
Saturday May 7
Bunyip vs Warragul Industrials
Time: 2pm
Location: Bunyip Recreation Reserve
An intriguing match-up awaits in this one, as Bunyip looks to make it four wins on the trot while the Dusties are coming off a big win and looking for more.
It's been a solid stretch for Bunyip, as after their nail-biting round one loss to Nar Nar Goon they've worked their way into the year and find themselves fifth on the table and looking like a serious team.
Two thumping wins in their last two weeks will have them full of confidence, though the Warragul Industrials may prove to be more of a challenge than some of their previous opponents.
The Dusties have looked solid in season 2022, with a sizeable ANZAC Day loss to contender Tooradin-Dalmore the only truly poor performance they've put in.
As expected last week, they put Korumburra-Bena to the sword, though the margin by which they did it was a surprise as they ran out 138-point winners to show that when they need to they can put a big score on the board.
Bunyip will enter this game as favourites, especially given the home ground advantage, but if the Dusties keep their form from last week rolling this may be quite the competitive game of footy.
Kilcunda Bass vs Koo wee rup
Time: 2pm
Location: Bass Recreation Reserve
Two of the league's battling sides meet as they both seek their respective second wins of the season.
Kilcunda Bass have faced a tough run of games to start their season, having played and been thoroughly outplayed by three of the four undefeated sides in the competition.
Their one game against a similarly ranked side was a tight win over Dalyston, which will give them some confidence of knocking off Koo wee rup given their similar record.
For the Demons its been tough going since round one, where they also won over Dalyston, and after three big losses in a row they'll also bee keen to make the most of finally playing an opponent they'll see as gettable.
This is a tough one to predict, and though the home side may be given slight favouritism both teams will be looking at this game very keenly as an opportunity to steal another win and gain some confidence going into the next phase of the season.
Korumburra-Bena vs Garfield
Time: 2pm
Location: Korumburra Showgrounds
It's a battle of the strugglers as Korumburra-Bena plays host to Garfield, with both sides searching for an elusive first win.
Neither side has inspired much confidence in their performances thus far, but barring a draw one of them will find some much needed happiness in what should prove to be an intense game.
Korumburra-Bena has been recently ravaged by injury and have lost a number of their better performers, which helps explain just how poor they were last week in their destructive loss to the Warragul Industrials.
Even before that it hasn't been a pretty sight for Giants fans this season, but the team won't get many better chances to get on the board this year than this match-up against Garfield.
The Stars haven't been a threat in any of their games so far, kicking four goals or fewer in three of their four losses this year.
Garfield, having lost a number of senior players since last year, have simply been unable to get any sort of flow or consistency in their scoring and have been punished as such, with a 183-point loss last week to Phillip Island being a true low point.
The outcome of this one is nearly impossible to predict, but one thing's for sure, both of these sides will be desperate to get the win.
Nar Nar Goon vs Cora Lynn
Time: 2pm
Location: Nar Nar Goon Recreation Reserve
Nar Nar Goon are undefeated after four rounds, and a match-up against Cora Lynn will be giving them plenty of confidence that they can make it five and zero.
The Goon have proved a tough side to beat in 2022, and with forward Dermott Yawney having booted 15 goals in the last two weeks they'll be backing themselves in against a Cora Lynn team that has underwhelmed thus far.
The Cobras, who were expected to be at the very least a tough side this season, find themselves winless and stuck near the bottom of the ladder with time quickly running out to turn it around.
They can consider themselves unlucky, however, as three of the four sides they've played are undefeated and seemingly premiership contenders, and the other side was Bunyip, who also appear strong.
Nar Nar Goon, by comparison, have had a seemingly softer draw against a number of the competition's weaker teams, and may be susceptible to a surprise from the Cobras.
The Goon should win this one, particularly given their home ground advantage, but don't rule Cora Lynn out entirely.
Phillip Island vs Inverloch-Kongwak
Time: 2pm
Location: Cowes Recreation Reserve
This is the match of the round as the league's two top sides meet in an early-season blockbuster.
Phillip Island, partly thanks to the league-wide COVID shutdowns of the last two years, haven't lost a game since 2019 and remain the team to beat if anyone wants to claim this year's premiership.
A brutal 30-goal performance last week against Garfield showed that even with all their recent success, the Bulldogs' hunger is still present in spades and rest of the league should still fear the power of the reigning premiers.
Inverloch-Kongwak, for their part, seem to have emerged as one of the main challengers to Phillip Island's crown.
The Sea Eagles have thoroughly dismantled every side they've met, and come into this match off the back of consecutive 100-plus point wins that have displayed the depth that they have across the park, especially in the forward line.
This will undoubtedly be their biggest test yet, and though many sides have succumbed to the might of Phillip Island on their home turf, the Sea Eagles will be backing themselves to send an early-season warning shot to the rest of the competition and show that they are in fact the real deal.
Tooradin-Dalmore vs Dalyston
Time: 2:00pm
Location: Tooradin Recreation Reserve
Tooradin-Dalmore will be looking to make it five and zero against a Dalyston team that has been certainly having its struggles.
The Seagulls have looked like one of the teams to beat this season, especially at their home ground where they've shown little mercy to their opponents.
Dalyston, fresh off the news that AFL legend Shaun Burgoyne will be joining them for a one-off game later this season, may need to take some inspiration from the four-time premiership player's exploits if they want to cause an upset in this game.
Still missing star recruit Adam Amin up forward, it's tough to see where Dalyston will be getting their goals from, with a one-goal team performance against Inverloch-Kongwak last week hardly inspiring any confidence.
Tooradin-Dalmore should get the job done here and get it done handily.