ULTIMA v WANDELLA
ULTIMA will be looking for an improved performance on last week’s capitulation to Quambatook when they host an improving Wandella on Saturday.
The season hasn’t gone to plan for the Roos so far and, while their finals hopes have long been dashed, they can still shape the eight with an upset win over the Bombers. That will be easier said than done, especially with the form Wandella have shown in recent wins over Murrabit and Macorna.
The Bombers will welcome back midfielder Mitchell Treacy for his second game of the season, although it’s expected Dillan Treacy will again miss with injury. Ultima will have a number of handy inclusions right across the ground, with Ryan Devereux (forward), Jack Gervasi (midfield) and Martyn Cooper (key back) set to resume from injury and illness, with small defender Lachie Edwards likely to be the only omission.
If Ultima are to cause an upset, they will need to find a way to nullify the Bombers’ midfield, particularly Russell Rich, Mitch Collins and Darren Rushton, who have been impressive in recent weeks. One of the Bombers’ big strengths is their work around the stoppages – and it’s in this area that the Roos must drill down and find a way to break even.
While Devereux returning to the line-up will help, they also need to find a way to hit the scoreboard against the strong Wandella defence. Tim Robinson will most likely go to Devereux, which should see the Roos spearhead in for a long day – so the responsibility may well fall to Kyle Symons, Jack Delmenico and their midfielders to contribute goals. The other option Ultima have is to swing Jamie Nicholas forward and see if he can have an impact, but this would also significantly weaken their defence.
The biggest threat to the Bombers may well be themselves, with the potential for a let-down after their club’s massive celebration last Saturday sure to be in the back of Logan Keighran and the Wandella coaching staff’s minds.
Tip – Wandella to win by 42 points.
NULLAWIL v MACORNA
MACORNA will look to keep pressure on Moulamein for a top-four spot when they take on ladder leaders Nullawil.
The Tigers’ victory over Moulamein has kept the Golden Rivers finals series alive for the next few weeks – and an unlikely win on Saturday would only heap further pressure on the out-of-form Swans over the coming weeks.
Macorna’s coach Jaydon Stiles told The Guardian this week he was confident of a good showing against the competition’s yardstick, with the confidence around Tigerland continuing to grow with each week.
“We just want to keep playing some good footy and try and go as far as we can this season,” Stiles said.
“There’s a fair bit of belief around the club at the moment – our kids are outstanding, Toby Whinfield’s playing some great footy in particular, but the rest of our young talent coming up through the ranks are also performing, which is great for the future of the club.
“We know we’ve got a massive challenge this weekend against Nully, but coming off a good win will help – we just need to remind ourselves that they are beatable, as Quamby proved a few weeks ago.”
It’s hard to argue with Stiles that that the game will be a significant challenge – especially with the Maroons set to welcome back key forward Andrew Oberdorfer and former E.G. Hunt medallist Daniel Watts to their line-up.
Oberdorfer has missed the past five games for Nully and will no doubt be keen to resume his partnership with Mitch Farmer, who hasn’t missed a beat in his fellow forward’s absence, booting 28 goals in the past four matches.
The Tigers also have a strong forward line to call on, with Troy Parker, Josh Walters, Chris Wilson and Stiles all capable of kicking big bags of goals. The challenge for the visitors won’t be having enough firepower up forward to trouble Nullawil, but rather their midfield giving them enough opportunites to hit the scoreboard.
Tip – Nullawil to win by 45 points.
MURRABIT v QUAMBATOOK
QUAMBATOOK will be looking to sew up a top-two spot – and a finals double chance – when they travel to Murrabit to take on the Blues.
The Saints (second) find themselves two games and considerable percentage clear of Wandella (third) – and with three games left in the home-and-away season, a win will all but secure them first crack at Nullawil in the second semi-final.
Despite their lowly position on the ladder, (seventh with two wins, 10 losses) Murrabit will be no pushover, with the Blues showing improvement in recent weeks despite a four-week stretch playing the top four teams. That run ends on Saturday, with the Blues set to finish the season with three winnable games against Hay, Macorna and Ultima.
Unfortunately for the home side, they will have to do it without key players Toby Gray, Matt Penny and Ashton Wood, who will all miss the match against the Saints – and will join Marc O’Neill and joint coach Leigh Millard on the sidelines.
The Saints will also be missing key forward Nick Mason, although his loss should be offset by the returns of Pras Sayakhot and Jarred Schlitz. Schlitz’s return to Quamby’s line-up comes at the perfect time, with the key defender set to take one of Daniel Hovey or Nathan Henry.
For Murrabit, Saturday’s match will be all about competing for as long as possible, especially around the contest with Quambatook’s constant pressure set to be one of the key elements of the game. The Saints play their best footy when they attack the ball and pressure their opposition into errors, which is exactly the game style they will need to employ if they want to beat ladder-leading Nullawil come the end of the season.
For now, their focus needs to simply be on getting to that point – and making sure they get the job done against the Blues.
Tip – Quambatook to win by 54 points.
MOULAMEIN v HAY
THERE is no margin for error for fourth-placed Moulamein following their disappointing 41-point loss to Macorna last Saturday.
The Swans blew their chance to shut the door on the top four last week and instead are now faced with must-win games all the way to the final home-and-away round of the season – with only one game now separating them and Macorna (fifth).
Despite their indifferent form of late, the Swans should still have enough weapons to handle Hay, who haven’t tasted victory since their shock round 8 win over Wandella at home. Their form since that win has steadily deteriorated and although their best football can be very good, their worst can be terrible.
That’s no surprise, as the Lions are investing in youth this season and their form is a by-product of that investment. The challenge for David Webb is to start closing that gap between their best and worst over the last four weeks of the season.
For the Swans, it’s all about the four points and making sure the club reaches it’s first finals series since 2008. Josh Flight will have a big say in that, with the key forward returning in solid form in recent weeks. Flight didn’t play when Hay hosted Moulamein back in round 6, with the Swans coming home with a 35-point win on that occasion.
Flight played higher up the ground during last Saturday’s loss to the Tigers, which enabled Beau Duggan-Hulands to be the Swans most dangerous forward in a combination that continues to improve with each game. The challenge for Moulamein is to get the ball into the hands of their most damaging midfielders more often to give their key forwards more supply. Luke Shannon, Daniel Aarsman and Morgan Turvey have all been solid contributors in previous weeks, while Rodney Reeves and Mason Bailey have shown themselves to be class footballers who rarely waste the ball when it’s in their hands.
If they can get it into their hands more often, then the results should fall their way – starting on Saturday.
Tip – Moulamein to win by 20 points.
