THE Ararat Rats' vice captain Corey Taylor said the Rats expect a run for their money when they do battle against the Horsham Saints at Horsham this weekend.
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"Horsham Saints are a very successful club and they play a good round of footy," Taylor said.
That doesn't mean he isn't feeling confident though.
"Obviously we got off to a good start to the year," he said.
"We know from last year's results we were able to beat them three times, but most of those games were quite close."
During the 2018 season the Rats had a couple of narrow victories, winning round two by one point and round two of the finals by seven points.
In round 11 they won by a much bigger margin of 73 points.
Ahead of round four, Ararat has managed to hold onto its position at the top of the ladder, while Horsham Saints are sitting at number six.
"We know it is going to be a pretty close game but we match up pretty well against them," Taylor said.
Taylor, who has just stepped into the vice captaincy this year, generally plays in the back line and said accountability will be vital in this match.
"From a back line perspective, as each game has gone on we've been able to gel more, to the point where we haven't given many points away," Taylor said.
"We're starting to play some pretty good footy down the back."
Overall, Taylor anticipates a solid game - one which will not suffer due to injuries sustained by players in previous rounds.
"From a team perspective we've started the year quite well; we've still got a few things to work on," he said.
"We've had a few out in the year which is a positive for us, because it demonstrates to everyone we've got good depth and the players have been able to step in and play good footy.
"Our focus really is to play accountable football - we know that Horsham (Saints) are a really quick team, so we have to be accountable and make sure we're playing defensively and get them on the rebound."
Meanwhile, Saints senior coach Luke Fisher said their side was also preparing for a challenge.
"Last year we lost an early game that we thought we should have won," he said. "We had lots of opportunities and it seemed to be they were our bogey team but we understand it's a new year and different players, so none of that is on our mind at all.
"We'll just be focusing on this year and this game."
Fisher said the Saints will take a few defensive actions against the Rats.
"Last year Ararat moved the ball really well, so we'll just try and control the footy and not allow them to get the run on, because once they get their confidence up they can do a lot of damage on the scoreboard," he said.
"We just want to play the game on our terms a little bit more. Last year I reckon we let them have the game a little bit too much.
"We will also just welcome Ararat to our new facilities. We've got new goals, nets and surfaces, and a new fence around it, so they'll be surprised when they see it."
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