Football
12 June, 2026
Kalkee eye strong start against Rams
Despite being two wins clear of Natimuk United on the ladder, Kalkee senior football coach Clint Burdett believes this Saturday’s round nine clash is a “must-win” for his side.
With his side in fifth place, Burdett identified that a good start for either team could be critical to the final result.
“It’s a must-win for us to get our confidence back, and we won’t be taking it lightly,” he said.
“Any side that's outside the top five, if they get a good run on at the start and get some confidence, they can do some damage, and I don’t think Natimuk’s any different.
“We’re probably in the same boat; if we get our tail up, we can play good footy, but if we let our opposition get on top of us, we can be a bit susceptible to playing poor footy.”
Although the match is at Natimuk, Kalkee remains the clear favourite.
After their promising start to the year, the Rams have lost three straight games, including a 107-point loss to Laharum in round eight.
Kalkee will also be seeking redemption, having failed to score in the second half against Harrow Balmoral after leading the reigning premiers at halftime in round eight.
Burdett believes the team has performed well in stretches but has struggled to deliver a complete game.
“I would say we are about where we thought we would be,” Burdett said.
“A couple of games could have gone our way, but they didn't, and we’ve played half games of footy so far.
“Even the last game against Harrow Balmoral, we were really good in the first half and terrible in the second half, and that's things we can improve and work on in the second half of the year.
“We know our best is good enough, but our worst is pretty ordinary.”
Asked about the second half of the game against the Southern Roos, Burdett identified on-field leadership as a factor in the difference between the two sides.
“Harrow obviously stepped up their game in the second half,” he said.
“They probably got their matchups a lot better than what we did, and I think it also came down to a bit of leadership.
“Their leaders worked out where they could win the game and stood right up whereas, whereas we're lacking a bit of on-field leadership.
“Obviously, we’re a very young side, and we probably didn't identify things that we needed to do to stop their run.”