Football
26 July, 2025
Rupanyup out for redemption against Natimuk
Rupanyup will be keen to get back on the winners' table in men’s senior football when they travel to Natimuk on Saturday for round 15 of the Horsham District Football Netball League.
The Panthers have not registered a win since their round five victory against Edenhope Apsley and will be determined to get the better of a Natimuk United team who defeated them 80-60 back in May.
The Rams will enter the clash as favourites and have proven to be a team on the rise, winning four games this year and challenging quality sides like Noradjuha Quantong and the Swifts in recent weeks.
But Rupanyup will consider themselves a chance, having led Natimuk 55-34 in their round four clash before running out of steam in the second half.
Cam Weston, co-coach of Rupanyup, is optimistic ahead of Saturday.
"We were up by three goals against Natimuk at halftime earlier on in the season, and then they just had too many legs for us and ran over the top of us," Weston said.
"It's going to be wet on Saturdays, so we're just trying to explain to the group that it's going to be the players that put their head over the ball and take first possession, they're going to be the ones that come out on top."
Although Rupanyup is out of the finals race, Weston views these last few weeks as a chance to build confidence amongst the young Panthers side.
"We feel as though they're all winnable games, and it feels like we're playing much better football the second half of the year, even though probably not getting the results," Weston said.
"We're playing three really good quarters of football at the moment, and then we're losing touch in that fourth quarter.
"If we can stay in these games longer, we can definitely win a game we may not be expected to."