NAB League | Bushies look to bounce back against Pioneers

It shapes up to be a crucial contest for the Bushrangers as they come up against a side with who they sit equal on the ladder.

The last time these two sides met was round one, with the Bushrangers winning by 37 points.

Speaking after last week’s tense loss, Bushrangers assistant coach Mario de Santa-Ana said he was hopeful his charges could replicate their early season success.

“It would be great to have the same result (as round one), but I think their form has picked up a bit over the past few weeks and we have probably plateaued a little bit and part of that is we think our girls are looking forward to the bye,” de Santa-Ana said.

“We are going to expect a pretty solid game against them over there, they aren’t in bad form, so I think they are slightly better placed than us going into the game.

“I think we were lucky to win by so much in the first round and we are probably a lot closer than that in terms of skill levels between the two squads.”

The Bushrangers are currently on a three-game losing streak.

The outfit has suffered two defeats by less than a straight kick in the past fortnight.

Meanwhile, the Pioneers also suffered a narrow loss last week.

However, a classy 73-point win the week before has the Pioneers in good form, with de Santa-Ana wary of his side’s opponent.

“They have got some quality in their midfield, so we will match up pretty even there, I think at the moment what separates them from us is they have a forward who is kicking goals in Tegan Williams, so we need to find a way to nullify her and then kick some goals ourselves,” he said.

“We get a few girls back this week which might help our cause and strengthen us a bit, but I think it will be a very tough contest that could go either way, we are both level on the ladder, so everything indicates to a good game.”

The Bushrangers will take on the Pioneers on Sunday, 12pm at Bendigo’s Epsom Huntly Reserve.