The New England Nomads are bracing for their biggest challenge of the season when they come up against the high-flying Tamworth Swans this Saturday.
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The Swans are four points clear of the Roos at the top of the AFL North West table.
"I am not sure what to expect but off what I have heard it will be a challenge which is good," Nomads player-coach Clarrie Barker said.
"We are always up for a challenge."
The Nomads are coming off a 20-point, 14.10-94 to 10.14-74 win over the Inverell Saints in round eight to hold on to fourth spot on the table.
The last time the Saints and Nomads played each other in round four, it was the Inverell side who scored a one-point win.
"I was happy to beat them by 20 points in the end," Barker said.
"They are a team who plays four quarters of footy so you can't stop playing footy or relax throughout a game.
"We stuck with it the whole way and got it in the end."
Barker said they're building slowly and their skills has been key to improvement.
"I think the way we move the footy, we have been trying to move the footy quite quick this year and it is slowly coming to us," he said.
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"That is what helped us on the weekend, it was quick ball movement.
"I think if we keep on improving that, the game will start to fall into our hands and we will really start to control each game we play."
The competition also celebrated Pride round and the players donned coloured socks to mark the occasion.
While the Nomads men scored a win, the women weren't as lucky. Down on players, they were beaten 19.9-123 to 5.2-32.
"They are always quite resilient, they turn up and come to training each week and play," Barker said.
"They are really keen to keep playing footy and, same as us just keep improving and getting a good footy game in."
This Saturday's matches against the Swans are at Bellevue Oval.
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