SWAN HILL v MALLEE EAGLES
THE Central Murray Football Netball League’s NAIDOC round feature game will be at Swan Hill Showgrounds on Saturday afternoon, with Swan Hill set to host the Mallee Eagles in a must-win game for the visitors.
The Eagles (sixth) find themselves a game behind the top five, but a healthy percentage means they are far from out of the finals race. They do however have a tough run home and play Woorinen, Kerang and Lake Boga in their final five matches – meaning they can’t afford any false starts in winnable games such as Saturday’s.
Helping their cause will be the possible return of full-forward Sam Dunstan and Braidon Bennett, with Dunstan only needing to pass a fitness test at training to be declared fit to start. Dunstan, who hasn’t played since the Eagles’ round 5 loss to Kerang with a broken hand, would be a massive inclusion and would give their forward line the target they’ve been crying out for in recent weeks.
If there has been a benefit for the Eagles in Dunstan’s absence, it’s been the re-emergence of Andrew McDonald as a viable forward threat. The veteran has booted 13 goals in the past two games and the pairing could provide the Swans key defenders with a real headache on Saturday – especially if Xavier Mertz is unable to return after his shoulder injury.
One player who won’t be out there for the Mallee Eagles is rebounding defender Jacob Wade, who tore his ACL in his team’s 35-point win over the Saints before the bye.
This will be a huge loss and, although Clinton Cummins stepped up across half-back in Wade’s absence against the Saints, Wade will still leave a massive hole in the Eagles’ back six.
The real battle between these two teams is likely to come from the midfield, with much of Swan Hill’s play coming from the boot of joint coach Matthew Wade. While Wade has been in superb form this season, he’s quite often been left to get it done on his own, although the return of Xavier Moloney to the centre square against Woorinen made a difference and gave the Swans that extra touch of class in the middle.
As good as Wade and Moloney are, they will most likely be no much for Harry Allen, Toby Sheahan, Darcy McGregor and Beau Bennett, and the Eagles have every chance of keeping their finals dream alive for another week.
Tip – Mallee Eagles to win by 10 points.
TOOLEYBUC-MANANGATANG v TYNTYNDER
TYNTYNDER will be out to solidify a position in the top five when they travel to Manangatang to take on the Saints this weekend.
Depending on other results, a win for the Dogs could have them two games clear inside the finals, and with three very winnable games out of their last five, secure them a finals berth.
But Tooleybuc-Manangatang are playing for pride for the remainder of 2022. Their results over the past three games have shown signs of improvement, with competitive losses to Woorinen, Kerang and the Mallee Eagles. Despite their recent form, the game will give a good indication of just how much they have improved – especially on the back of a 109-point hiding when they last played the Dogs in round 2.
Jason Eagle tore the Saints to shreds that day, kicking 10 goals and stamping his authority on the competition with a dominant display of lead-up forward craft. Tooleybuc-Manangatang gave Eagle far too much room inside his attacking 50 on that occasion and, coupled with the lack of pressure that was applied on Tyntynder’s midfield, it made for a perfect day out for the Doggies.
Shylo Smith, who missed the round 2 encounter, will make a considerable difference, as will Peter Rothacker through the centre. Agile big man Alex Powell is the Saints’ barometer, however, giving Dean Helmers’ team a completely different look about it since moving permanently into the ruck.
Tyntynder have also taken on a different look since changing their ruckman, with Elia Ware completely transforming their engine room in recent weeks. Ware’s athleticism enables him to play as an extra midfielder – much like Powell – and their battle in the centre alone will almost be worth the price of admission.
With Tyntynder looking for their fourth win on the trot and with Tom Sala, Brock Storer and senior coach Josh Stone all set to return, it’s hard to see anything but a Doggies victory.
Tip – Tyntynder to win by 36 points.
KOONDROOK-BARHAM v LAKE BOGA
KOONDROOK-Barham will host Lake Boga on Saturday in a game that the Magpies not only should win, but win well.
Lake Boga are precariously placed in fifth position, but with a run home that contains matches against Kerang and Woorinen, along with a season-defining encounter with the Mallee Eagles in the penultimate round, the Magpies must win games such as this weekend’s match against the Raiders. The real worry for Boga is their percentage, which is a far behind their most likely challenger, the Eagles – which is why a big win over the struggling Koondrook-Barham is a must.
They did what they had to last time out with a 24-point win over Balranald at home, with youngster Dustin Burns continuing to impress in his breakout season for the Pies. Jacob Simpson was also among the better players, as he was when these teams met back in round 2 – and he again looms as a key player.
Owen Uaongo did a good job of nullifying Simpson on that day and should again get first crack at the dominant Boga big man, with Max Baldissera to offer support throughout the day. The midfield battle should also be an intriguing one, with Matt Filo, Nathaniel Holmes-Brown and John Harvey set to battle it out against the Iudica brothers, Jordan and Lucas, and big-bodied midfielder Colin McVeigh.
With finals on the line and only pride at stake for the River Raiders, the result should be predictable – but with Koondrook-Barham a three-goal better team at home, anything’s possible.
Tip – Lake Boga to win by 24 points.
NNW UNITED v KERANG
KERANG will be out to keep their unbeaten season in tact when they face Nyah-Nyah West United this weekend.
The Blues made light work of the Demons when the two sides met back in round 2 with a 137-point victory, although NNW United were without a number of injured key players, including coach Corey Daniels.
Daniels has long since returned from the hamstring injury that kept him out of that game, not only returning to the line-up but returning in form with a couple of best-on-ground performances in recent games.
NNW United will need Daniels, along with Brady Davidson, Zac Caccaviello and Jaydyn Stirling at their best Saturday in order to mix it with the deep Kerang midfield, which will only get stronger with both Ryan Gillingham and Sam Heavyside set to resume from hamstring injuries.
The Blues will still be without Rylee Smith and key forward Bryce Curnow, while ruckman Scott Pay will sadly be missing for the remainder of the season after injuring his Achilles tendon during his team’s 114-point win over Koondrook-Barham.
The home side will also have a couple of changes to their line-up for the big game, with Ethan Saville set to be sidelined for the remainder of the season after injuring his knee. Both Matt Duffy and midfielder Dylan McLachlan will also be missing from the side.
While United have improved since they last faced each other 91 days ago, they should still be no match for the premiership favourites, who are showing no signs of weakness in their push towards finals glory.
Tip – Kerang to win by 70 points.
BALRANALD v COHUNA KANGAS
THE Cohuna Kangas will make the long trek north to Balranald, with Neil Bradley’s men no doubt keen to atone for their shock loss to Tyntynder at their last outing.
While the Kangas sit second on the ladder with their finals berth almost guaranteed, the Roos have their finals aspirations on life support following their costly loss to Lake Boga before the bye.
While unlikely, Balranald are still a realistic chance to play finals, especially with five winnable games to follow Saturday’s match. But if they really want to be a genuine threat, they really need to get a result against Cohuna.
They may not get a better chance, either, with the visitors still with a number of key players missing through injury and Tyntynder exposing Cohuna’s lack of midfield pace in their round 11 encounter.
Tyntynder were able to match the Kangas on the inside – which is one of Cohuna’s big strengths – and then use their speed and outside run to devastating affect in the first half onslaught a fortnight ago. The challenge for Balranald will be whether they have the cattle to replicate that game plan – and if not, how they then go about dismantling the visitors’ midfield and potent forward line.
While Ben Fuller has been in irrepressible form up forward for the Roos, so too has Rhys Free – with both key forwards set for a shootout. The problem for the home side comes with the absence of Ryan Hodgson, who would have been one of the first options to play on either Free or his partner in crime Dylan Johnstone, which will most likely leave Balranald vulnerable down back.
Tip – Cohuna Kangas to win by 27 points.
