TYNTYNDER v COHUNA KANGAS
TYNTYNDER will look to claim their first big scalp of the season when they host the Cohuna Kangas on Saturday.
With just one loss from nine games, the Kangas have been one of the form teams of the competition, however, with as many as nine regular senior players potentially absent from their line-up, the match against the Doggies is shaping as a danger game.
Dan Paterson will join Tom Toma, Tyson Findlay, Tyler Jones and Jack Donat on the sidelines, while ruckman Christopher Anderson is rated no better than a 50-50 chance to take his place in the side. Anderson’s loss would be massive for Cohuna, with Ben Archard, who missed last Saturday’s win over Lake Boga, no certainty to return either.
Their absence would also open the door for Elia Ware to continue his good form for Tyntynder, with the Bulldogs ruckman having been named among his club’s best two players in each of their last five matches.
The Doggies will hope Ware has a big say in proceedings, as this game will most likely be won in the midfield, with Marcus Wattie, Brodie Bennett and Tom Sala to go up against Cohuna’s Joel Helman, Jarrod Findlay and Oscar Cooke.
It will be interesting to see how the Tyntynder brains trust go about the midfield battle and whether they back in their playing group to go head-to-head – or whether they send a stopper to Helman, who is one of the best players in the competition, or Findlay, who has also proven to be a matchwinner throughout the season.
Wattie, similarly, is a matchwinner for the Dogs and is the one player who can break the game open out of the middle with his speed. Tyntynder play their best footy when they are able to run and spread from the contest, and it’s this element of the game where Cohuna will need to monitor.
With the quality of players sitting on the sidelines, an upset wouldn’t surprise – but with Helman still in the middle and both Rhys Free and Dylan Johnstone still in the side, it’s still the Kangas’ game to lose.
Tip – Cohuna to win by 12 points.
LAKE BOGA v BALRANALD
FINALS aspirations of both Lake Boga (fifth) and Balranald (seventh) will be on the line when they clash this weekend, with the winner to take a big step towards September action.
Saturday’s encounter will be a traditional eight-point game, with both clubs set to fight it out for a finals berth come season’s end. The Magpies will be desperate for a win on their home deck to break a two-game losing streak, while Balranald will be hoping to build on the good form they showed seven days ago in beating the Mallee Eagles by 38 points.
While the Roos’ performance last Saturday was impressive, they’ll have to repeat the dose this week without Shaun McKernan and youngster Jesse Scott, although key forward Braeden Price is expected to return to the line-up and support Ben Fuller. Fuller has been in unstoppable form since returning from his hamstring injury and is averaging just under six goals per game this season.
Fuller holds the key to Balranald’s chances – and Lake Boga’s. If the home side are able to find a way to negate his influence, then that will go a long way to earning them the win.
The other key player the Magpies will need to watch is Jydon Neagle, who more often than not starts Balranald’s forward forays with his ability to break the lines and his classy ball use.
Alternatively, the Magpies’ great strength comes from their midfield dominance, especially around the stoppages and through winning the contested ball. Ruckman Jacob Simpson is Lake Boga’s barometer and, with Jordan Wilkins entering the game under an injury cloud, Simpson will again have a big say in proceedings.
The Magpies will be hoping Josh Cruse-Filo, Angus Monfries and Daniel Dzufer return after missing last Saturday’s loss to the Kangas, with Monfries’ absence requiring a major restructure to their forward setup.
In what should be a close and entertaining battle, the result will most likely come down to which team wins the midfield battle – and for that it’s hard to go past the home side.
Tip – Lake Boga to win by 5 points.
MALLEE EAGLES v TOOLEYBUC-MANANGATANG
THE Mallee Eagles will be desperate to arrest their current form slump and secure four much-needed points when they host Tooleybuc-Manangatang at Lalbert.
An injury crisis has engulfed the Eagles over the past six weeks and they have lost not only half of their senior side to injury, but also five of their past six games, putting their finals hopes at risk.
While it’s well documented that the Eagles are playing undermanned, they will regain the services of Callum Dickinson for this weekend’s match in what will be a small boost to their midfield rotations.
Tooleybuc-Manangatang have their own injury concerns, with Darcy Spinks (calf) and Ryan Standen (shoulder) expected to miss after both were injured during the Saints’ 70-point loss to Kerang last Saturday.
Alex Powell has been a revelation since returning to his home club this season and kicked six goals from the ruck last weekend, while Peter Rothacker, Shylo Smith and defenders John Wardle and Shane Foley have been in great form of late.
The other class player coach Dean Helmers has at his disposal is Brayden Pitcher – however, the midfielder-forward is clearly hampered by a hand injury that is reducing his impact for his side.
While the Eagles may be battling their growing injury list, they still have a number of high-quality footballers at their disposal who are still more than capable of winning a game off their own boot. Harry Allen is dominating games at present, along with fellow midfielders Beau Bennett, Darcy McGregor and Angus McKenzie, and defenders Ayden Tessari and Tom McGregor.
While undermanned they may be, it’s still hard to see the Eagles dropping this one, not with their dream of a fifth straight finals appearance on the line.
Tip – Mallee Eagles to win by 18 points.
WOORINEN v SWAN HILL
WOORINEN will be looking to further consolidate their top-three claims when they host Swan Hill on Saturday, with the Tigers looking for their seventh straight victory.
While the home side is starting to find the form that claimed the past two CMFNL seniors premierships, the Swans’ form is going the other way, with losses to both NNW United and Tyntynder over the past fortnight.
Luke Phelan will return for Swan Hill for only his second game of the season, while Jared Halligan is set to come back into the line-up in a major boost to the Swans’ midfield depth. Matthew Wade has been carrying the Swan Hill midfield for a number of weeks and, if they are to turn around their form slump, the midfielders must start getting their hands on the ball first and start using it better when they do.
The visitors are set to welcome back key players Patrick Veszpremi, Taylor Cameron and Tom Eltringham. All three will be massive additions for the Tigers both up forward and through the midfield, while Lachie Wright and Ben Booth may yet join them. Both were rated as 50-50 prospects to slide into Woorinen’s back six.
Woorinen have ball winners in every area of the ground, but it’s through the midfield where they will likely challenge Swan Hill the most, with Josh Domaille, Jye Barry and Rob Miller among the most in-form on-ballers in the competition.
With a big day of celebrations planned at the Tigers den, with up to nine premiership reunions planned for the afternoon, the current crop of Woorinen heroes will make sure that the day is soured with a loss.
Tip – Woorinen to win by 36 points.
KERANG v KOONDROOK-BARHAM
THE final game of round 11 won’t be so much about who wins, but by how much, with the undefeated Kerang to host lowly Koondrook-Barham.
While the Blues have been in breathtaking form this season, they are also slightly vulnerable at the moment, with a number of injuries to key players leaving them slightly exposed. Rylee Smith (hamstring) will join Sam Heavyside, Ryan Gillingham, Troy Coates and Troy Davis on the sidelines, while reigning Jack Betts medallist Bryce Curnow is set for an extended stint on the sidelines.
Curnow will be a huge loss for the Blues, with his absence set to be filled by a combination of Michael Runciman, Sean Hunter and the bevy of talented midfielders who can all rotate forward. Another option could be Brandon Hayes, who will return to the Blues’ line-up this weekend and has played as a key forward in the past with success. Hayes won’t be the only addition for Kerang this weekend, with Marty Kelly and Nick Stagg coming back into the team after missing last Saturday’s win over the Saints with injury.
Koondrook-Barham will be just looking to be competitive and stick with the ladder leaders for as long as possible. While their form has been shaky all season, last Saturday’s 49-point loss to Woorinen was by all accounts a small step in the right direction, with the Raiders at least beginning to show signs of improvement in their ball use and forward movement.
If they are to cause an upset, though, the Raiders will need more than improvement to bridge the gap – they will need a miracle.
Tip – Kerang to win by 60 points.
