![Jackson Carter has played a major role in the Blayney Bears' early season success. Picture by Mark Logan. Jackson Carter has played a major role in the Blayney Bears' early season success. Picture by Mark Logan.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/YpbCWLfGAstDHC22gJwdbm/f40b4eb5-ff87-4d34-a7ed-47d4976cc964.jpeg/r360_1013_4987_3520_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
THIS Sunday will be a huge day for Blayney Bears five-eighth Jackson Carter and his teammates when they take on his former team in a top-of-the-table contest at Carrington Park.
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The Bears have got off to a red hot start in the Western Reserve Grade Premiership by winning three of the four games, as the new-look Blayney outfit have shown that they've gelled quickly.
Carter said it's no surprise to see the Bears get off to a flying start after such a positive pre-season.
"It's been really good. I'm enjoying it, having a lot of fun, and we've made a really good start to the year," he said.
"We had a pretty good pre-season. We took a great crack at getting the boys into shape and we always had a pretty good turnout."
The Bears' winning start came to an end last weekend - but only by a whisker.
A late Trae Fitzpatrick field goal gave his St Pat's side a 23-22 victory over the Bears at King George Oval on Sunday.
Prior to that game the Bears had racked up plenty of points in their wins over Orange Hawks, Cowra Magpies and Orange CYMS.
The Blayney men have shown that their offence has no trouble finding the line, with 156 points to their name over the opening four matches.
"We had a great start over our first three games and then got a tougher matchup against Pat's on the weekend just gone. I think that will do us some good though," Carter said.
"There were still lots of positives to come out of it."
Carter is one of several Panthers players who made the switch to the Bears this season.
While it meant that he's had to forgo playing in the Peter McDonald Premiership it means that Carter could lock down a guarantee start at five-eighth and the extra minute to help develop his game.
Carter said the move has been of great benefit to him - even if he hasn't reached the individual level of football he wants to see from himself yet.
"It was a tough decision to make. It took me some time to decide what I was going to do," he said.
"Once I made the choice I was pretty happy with it.
"The group around me is great. I feel like I need to get myself into form. I feel a little off my game.
"There's a couple of boys who I played with at Panthers last year who have come across as well. There's Nate Barlow, Daniel Pentecost., Bailey Large, Mitch Bonham and then also Nic Barlow, who played with Panthers a couple of years ago."
Bears and Panthers are set to meet at 12.40pm this Sunday for one of the biggest reserve grade games of the season to date.
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