Football
31 July, 2025
Pimpinio and Harrow to battle for second
Pimpinio will get the ultimate finals warm-up match when they host Harrow Balmoral this Saturday in round 16 of the Horsham District Football Netball League.
Both sides have 11 wins this season, with Harrow Balmoral ahead in second based on percentage, while Pimpinio are third.
Making the clash even more enticing is the strong form each side will bring into the game.
The Tigers enter Saturday with a six-game winning streak, which includes quality wins over Laharum and Kalkee in recent weeks.
With the return of several key players in recent weeks, the Southern Roos have won their last four games decisively, putting the competition on notice.
The sides last met in round five, when Harrow Balmoral prevailed 75-53, having trailed Pimpinio for most of the game.
Guy Smith, coach of Pimpinio, is relishing the opportunity to take down the reigning premiers.
“We’re super confident going into it,” Smith said.
“We’ve been waiting a long time to have another crack at them, that’s for sure.
“We've got the buy the week after so we're kind of prepared to throw everything at it because if we get over the top we could take second spot.
“The whole theme for the year, our focus, is just to finish as high up the ladder as we possibly can, and that's another test in front of us.”
Coming off a round 15 bye, Harrow Balmoral will be refreshed and ready to prepare themselves in the lead-in to the finals.
Smith says he's hoping the Tigers will be close to full strength but that some players will be question marks.
“Hopefully next week we can bolster the side a bit more with a few returning,” Smith said.
“But that’s not certain at the moment so we’ll have to see how the week pans out.”