Both Hanwood and Leeton are yet to drop a game this season, with both teams carrying some strong form leading into the round nine fixture.

Leeton are coming off a strong win over Cootamundra over the long weekend winning 10-1 with Adam Raso returning and scoring four goals in his first game in about 12 months.

Bertacco said his group is looking forward to the clash, with it giving them the opportunity to see where they are at in regards to their local rivals.

"Obviously the boys are very excited," he said.

"It is probably the local derby that we crave during the year, we always have a look for it in the calendar to see where it is.

"To get the first derby at home is always a big positive and I think both teams are going to be pretty revved up to go."

Hanwood have been dominant in their first eight games this year, with them putting in 49 goals into the back of the net while only conceding one against South Wagga at the end of May.

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However Bertacco believes that the scorelines don't often reflect the challenges other teams have put up.

"The scorelines in some of the matches probably haven't represented how tough certain matches have been," he said.

"Lake Albert, South Wagga games like that have been really good battles for us in different ways so we have had tests come up against us."

While managing to win their first eight games, Bertacco is well aware of the challenge ahead in Leeton.

"This is always the big test," he said.

"They are the defending premiers and they have brought in a lot of new players.

"We have to be ready for the battle."

Part of that battle will stopping Raso and Henri Gardner who combined for seven goals last week, however Bertacco said they were looking forward to the contest instead of trying to nullify the influence of the pair.

"We will just be concentrating on ourselves," he said.

"We are pretty happy with the way that we set up defensively .

"When you are coming up against good players you just need to be that bit more secure in everything that you do in your structures.

"We are pretty happy that Adam and a couple of the other Leeton boys have come back because it just adds a bit more having some Leeton locals apart of it in the match up against ourselves.

"It gets that local flair back into it, and you want to play against top players so its good that he is back playing."

Defensively Hanwood have been really strong, with that probably being the key to victory this weekend.

"They have set the tone themselves and they have been really stringent in what they want to do from goalkeeper to the back four," Bertacco said.

"I've been letting them run their own ship back there, we have got a lot of experienced boys and they set their own standards."

"They got on a bit of a run with the clean sheets and they wanted to keep that going for as long as possible."

Part of the struggle that Hanwood has had to face this year has been a constantly changing team with injuries and illness meaning that they have had players coming in and out of the side.

Bertacco confirmed that James Stockwell would be out while they are still hoping to get some more players in for the clash.

"We are still very undecided on our team," he said.

"I don't think we have been able to put the same 11 out yet and again we won't be able to do that this week.

"But we have been able to prove this year that we are one big squad and whoever comes in we are pretty happy with who we have coming in that they are going to be able to do a job for us."

Bertacco was hoping for a big crowd on Sunday, with this being a top of the table clash between the two local rivals.

"We really want to get as many people as possible there," he said.

"People usually come over from Leeton as well to support their team so we usually get a big crowd there.

"It all adds to the atmosphere for all of the boys so it is a big positive so fingers crossed everyone can get out there and we can get some good weather."

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