GNFL Rd 7 preview: Ladder leaders Chapman Valley and Brigades clash for top spot

The season is still young, but the Great Northern Football League is beginning to look like a four-team race and top of the table is up for grabs with ladder leaders Chapman Valley and Brigades clashing this week.

Chapman Valley have impressed throughout the early stages of the season, with the side already accumulating the same number of wins as they did for the entirety of last season.

First year player-coach and former Hawk Jayden Schofield has breathed some new life into a club that has been battling with mediocrity in recent years.

Now they sit on top of the GNFL ladder, and face a big test with the second side in Brigades travelling to Mazzuchelli Oval this week.

The winner of the clash will take the outright spot as top of the table. Despite Valley getting the win in round two, Schofield said that it’s a different story this week.

“Yeah 100 per cent, their team looks a bit different to when we played earlier on in the year, and so does ours,” he said.

“They’ve got about four or five different blokes playing, we’ve got about three or four…so we had a good win against them in round two, but on Saturday it’s a totally different ball game.”

Many tipped Royals to be a competitive side this year, but they have shot out the gate looking like a whole new club compared to the 2023 side.

The Valley are keeping a lid on their early success with a tough schedule ahead, begginning with the Hawks clash on Saturday.

“You’re always hopeful, but we put in the work, so it doesn’t really surprise me that we’re four and zero,” Schofield said.

“We’ve got a couple of big challenges coming up in the next few weeks, so in a month’s time we’ll really know where we’re kind of at.

“Like I’ve said to the boys in the past, as long as you make finals, anything can happen, and that’s our goal.”

With all the new players that have come to the club, the former Brigade said that many of the Royals faithfull have stepped up.

As the new coach gives praise to his squad throughout the early stages of the season.

“Mitch Thompson’s exceeded my expectations, only a young fella, played 50 games now, but he’s absolutely dominating on the wing,” Schofield said.

“Dyl Willow hasn’t played for a while and he’s just an absolute bull, he’d almost be leading our best and fairest at the moment I’d say.

“Our lockdown defender Nick Mozley, give him a job every week and the bloke that he plays on does not get a kick…he will have another big job against Brigades this week.

“Those three have really really exceeded my expectations at the moment.”

Still trying to find the right balance as a player-coach, Schofield has enjoyed the early success since taking over as the reigns for the Royals.

“I’m loving it, my footy hasn’t been quite up to my kind of high standard, but I’m loving the coaching side of it,” he said.

“I feel like I’m more of a coach on the field at the moment than I am a player.

“Obviously it’s all well and good when you’re winning, we haven’t had a loss yet so that might change, but absolutely loving the challenge and loving that I took on the job.”

Across the rest of the GNFL, Towns are back home at WA Country Builders Stadium for the first time since round one.

Beau Walker will lead his new side against his former club as they take on Northampton.

While a losing streak will be snapped for one team as the winless Rovers and Mullewa face each other at Greenough Oval in a Friday night fixture. Women’s will also be played on Friday, while Colts and Reserves will be played on Saturday.