The Cowra Magpies possess a player who has plenty of inside knowledge of Dubbo CYMS ahead of Saturday night's Challenge Cup clash between the two sides.
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CYMS are the defending champions of the statewide knockout and the title defence begins at Cowra's Sid Kallas Oval.
There they will take on a familiar face in Claude Gordon, the former Dubbo Westside co-captain-coach making the off-season switch to the Magpies.
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Gordon is loving life in black and white, the weekly trips from Dubbo to train no hassle at all.
One of the big reasons is the enjoyment there, reuniting with the likes of relative Jeremy Gordon, Ben Gunn and Joey Bugg who he played with during a previous stint in Group 10 with Bathurst Panthers.
"It's my first hit-out with the new club so I'm up for it," the well-travelled Gordon said
"The few years I had at Panthers … I really enjoyed that and they're the types of blokes everyone wants to play with so it was pretty easy (to sign with Cowra). I think it was a reflection of how happy I was off the field there too."
After his time with Panthers Gordon returned for a season with Westside in Group 11 so Saturday's clash is against a side he's all too familiar with.
And while he knows plenty about the Fishies, playing their first game under new captain-coach Jarryn Powyer, he won't overload his new teammates with too much information.
"I've probably got more individual knowledge about certain players," he said.
"I'm not sure what sort of structure or gameplan Jazz (Powyer) will have but there's probably some tips of individuals I can give.
"But realistically I won't be over-complicating things because we just want our boys to concentrate on their own game. If they do that and play to their potential then it makes everything easier."
Much like Powyer said earlier in the week, Gordon said there is no doubt it won't be the perfect game of footy.
The versatile Gordon, set to play halfback for the Magpies, is one of a host of new faces at the Cowra club while CYMS will be without a number of regulars in its first game under Powyer.
That, combined with the match being so early in the year, means the match is unlikely to be decided on skill alone.
Powyer pointed to fitness and enthusiasm as the key, but Gordon said whichever of the new-look sides comes to grips with the match faster will advance.
"I'm not expecting too much and it's going to take a while for us to gel," he said.
"It's our first hit-out so whoever does gel quickly will get the win. It could take us six games to gel but if we can do it in the first game then that's a good thing."
Both CYMS and Cowra finished last season as runners-up in their respective competitions but the premiers of both Group 11 and Group 10 opted not to take part in the Challenge Cup.
Gordon added it was a great thing for Cowra, one of the smaller centres in Group 10, to have the opportunity to play in the same competition as Sydney sides contesting the likes of the Ron Massey Cup.
"The boys were minor premiers last year and stumbled at the final hurdle but this is recognition for that," he said.
"The feeling at training is there and the boys are up for it."
There is 16 teams in the knockout tournament with the final to be held in June.
Saturday's match kicks off at 6pm.
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Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
