Rovers' small defender Will Nolan has become a consistent performer in recent years, playing close to his potential in most games.

He has a number of attributes, but it's his coolness under pressure which is the standout.

The match will feature six ex-AFL players, including Ben Reid, Callum Moore (Wangaratta) and Sam Murray (Rovers), along with the two standouts from the opening rounds in Abraham Ankers (Pies) and Tyler Roos (Rovers), but Nolan will continue to slide under the radar.

"Yeah, I don't mind it, I'll just fall in behind the others," he offered of the home game.

At 178cms and 80kgs, Nolan doesn't stand out physically, although he's hard to miss, sporting the league's only set of dreadlocks.

But he showed over the Easter break his ability to lift, restricting former AFL player Jeff Garlett to only two goals.

"It was a great experience, I followed Carlton as a a kid," he explained.

Nolan laughed off suggestions he could have asked for an autograph from the former Blue, who played 107 games between 2009-2014, followed by another 78 at Melbourne until the end of 2019.

"It's always good to play on someone who's played at a higher level, you see how they go about their craft," he revealed.

Nolan certainly won't directly oppose a player with Garlett's standing, but there's no shortage of talent in the Pies' forward line.

The 22-year-old will play either back pocket or halfback-flank, meaning he could meet a resting Joe Richards or Jessie Smith, along with the improving Harry Smart.

Nolan went to school with Richards' older brother Nick, who no longer plays for the Pies.

There's some terrific rivalries between the five Albury-Wodonga-based clubs, such as Wodonga and Wodonga Raiders, along with Albury and Lavington, but nothing can match the Wangaratta derby.

"There's a bit more hype around the town, there's just that little bit extra from a regular game," he said.

Unfortunately the derby had lost its edge prior to 2019, with Wangaratta winning eight of the past nine games by an average of 65 points.

But the Hawks revived the derby in round eight with a stunning eight-point win at their home ground.

The Pies bolted to a 31-point lead in the second quarter, but the underdogs strangled their neighbours after that.

It was a momentum-building win after a winless wooden spoon, while the favourites fell in the grand final.

Rovers also hosted one of their biggest crowds in years of around 2000.

That game was played in early June, so given this clash is six weeks earlier and the forecast is for a mostly sunny 21 degrees, that figure should be smashed by a footy-hungry Wangaratta community.

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The match also doesn't clash with any in the region.

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