GOLDEN RIVERS FOOTBALL NETBALL LEAGUE
MATCH PREVIEWS
HAY v QUAMBATOOK
It will be fourth versus fifth when Hay hosts Quambatook tomorrow afternoon, with both team’s finals chances very much on the line.
Quamby will welcome back Brayden Montebruno from suspension, but his availability and that of many of his teammates, may well be decided on whether they are allowed into NSW following the border restrictions that have been placed on Victorian travelers.
One player who definitely won’t be out there for the Saints will be Jordan Lampi, with the midfielder/forward having been ruled out for the remainder of the season.
His loss will leave a big hole for the Saints to fill.
Hay finds themselves a win and percentage behind Quamby on the ladder and with games against both Wandella and the undefeated Nullawil to come in their last three games, winning the four points tomorrow becomes essential if they have any aspirations of playing finals.
The Lions will welcome back a number of key players this week, including damaging midfielder Hugh Crighton.
Also returning for this week’s match will be Simon Bunyan, Daniel Zambon, Jeremy Cross and Hugh McLean to provide a major boost to Hay’s chances of victory.
Jack Cattanach has been a standout across half back in recent weeks, as has Sebastian Webb, with both players generating a lot of run and drive out of the defensive half for the Lions.
Quambatook on the other hand derive much of their momentum out of the middle, with Tobie Cameron, Gregor Knight and Ricky Wild holding the keys to the Saints chances.
The difference may well be swingman Jackson Ferguson, with the Lions preferring to utilise him in defence in recent weeks.
With everything up in the air from both teams, it makes tipping a winner nearly impossible. But in the end, always back the team in form; and that honour surely goes to Hay.
Tip – Hay by 10 points
MOULAMEIN v NULLAWIL
Moulamein will be hoping lightning doesn’t strike twice this season when they host Nullawil at Moulamein this weekend.
The last meeting between these two clubs turned into a 204-point embarrassment for the Swans, who managed to score just one goal for the entire 120 minutes.
Andrew Oberdorfer kicked ten goals that day, while Rylee Smith and Andrew Casey both scored five goals of their own.
Complicating matters for the home side will be their ordinary form over recent weeks, with heavy losses to finals contenders Hay and Quambatook over the past fortnight.
Last rounds loss to Quamby was particularly bad, with the Swans scoring just one goal after half time.
They looked tired at times and were unable to stop the Saints quick ball movement, an issue that they will no doubt have to contend with again tomorrow.
With much conjecture over who will and won’t be available to play for either side due to the issues surrounding the NSW-Victoria border bubble, it’s hard to tell exactly who will and won’t take their place for both teams.
Although missing a number of their Melbourne recruits, the Maroons will still be tough to beat due to their numerous talented local players.
Kyle Doran will still be there to provide run off half back, Grant Ford and Zac Kelly will still win plenty of footy through the midfield, while Rylee Smith and Jordan Humphreys will no doubt continue to provide run and carry around the ground; that is provided Humphreys isn’t called up to Pioneers’ duties.
For Moulamein, a lot will rest on the shoulders of locals Brady Fordham and Nathan Buckley in the midfield, Heath Moloney in the ruck and the always dangerous Michael Morson up forward. In an extra boost for the Swan’s, James Shippen is expected to return to the team as well as Luke Kelson for just his fourth senior game of the season.
Despite the disruption and uncertainty throughout the week, there is one thing that you can almost be guaranteed of; that the Nully train will keep on rolling regardless and should once again pick up another W on their way through.
Tip – Nullawil by 30 points.
MURRABIT v MACORNA
With both team’s finals chances already decided, the Blues and Tigers will be playing for pride only when Macorna travels to Murrabit tomorrow afternoon.
The last time both clubs met was back in round six, where they played out a two-point classic with the Blues getting the win with the last kick of the day.
Jaydon Stiles kicked five goals on that occasion and he looms as the danger man once again, having brought up his 50th goal of the season last Saturday.
Bryden Morison was influential for the Blues that day and the Tigers will need to find a way to stop the damaging midfielder.
It’s not just Morison that will pose a threat for Macorna though, with Marc O’Neill and Nathan O’Toole both in sensational form since the Covid shutdown.
The midfield battle will go a long way to deciding the winner, with the Tigers engine room of Daniel Green, Harley Haimes and Jessi Lampi all very capable of winning their own ball and hurting the Blues going the other way.
While not the first team this year to suffer at the hands of Nullawil, the Blues were nonetheless handed a fearful hiding last week and will need to find a way to rebound from that performance.
Coach Leigh Millard will once again be on the sidelines with a knee injury, while Kyle Keane and Tom Hetherington are only a 50-50 chance to return at best.
Macorna on the other hand were competitive for a half last week against Wandella, with their pressure around the contest and attack on the ball seeing them in front at half time.
Unfortunately, they weren’t able to maintain that level after the main break; but if they can bring that same intensity this week for a full four quarters then they will be very hard to beat, in what should well be another classic encounter between these two evenly matched sides.
Tip – Macorna by 6 points.
ULTIMA v WANDELLA
Wandella will be looking for win number eight when they travel to Ultima to take on the Roo’s in tomorrows final match of Round 9.
The Bombers will go into the game full of confidence with five wins from their last six matches this season, while their great modern-day rival in Ultima have had a season to forget thus far with just one victory in 2021.
If Ultima are to cause an upset, one player they will have to stop is Wandella superstar Justin Robinson.
Robinson has been in sensational form this year and could well be a smoky for the E.G. Hunt Medal come seasons end.
It isn’t just Robinson whose been dominant for the Bombers of late however, with Chris Wilson posing significant headaches up forward for his opponents.
Wilson leads allcomers for Wandella with 22 goals this season, including six from his last two games.
At the other end of the ground, scoring has been Ultima’s Achilles heel, with the Roo’s averaging just 57 points a game in 2021, the worst record of any team in the league.
Mitch Treacy, James Flack and Darren Rushton will all have a lot of responsibility in the middle of the ground; and if they can continue to get their hands on the ball first then the Bombers shouldn’t have too many problems in handling Ultima.
The Roo’s on the other hand will be hoping Mitch Seton-Stewart and Tom Bull can impact the game out of the center and try to get the ball going their way.
Despite their improvement over recent weeks, it’s hard to see Ultima causing an upset, even on their own patch.
Tip – Wandella by 30 points.
