THE Mallee Eagles have set up a mouth-watering clash with Woorinen this Saturday by defeating a resolute Koondrook-Barham by 22 points at the weekend.
The 17.10 (112) to 13.12 (90) win, combined with the Tigers’ 46-point loss to Tooleybuc-Manangatang, sees the Eagles climb to third on the Central Murray ladder and sit two points clear of Woorinen in fifth.
With Saturday’s result giving them their fourth straight win, the Eagles will go into their upcoming match full of confidence for what promises to be a massive weekend in the history of the club, according to co-coach Harry Allen.
“We feel like we’re starting to get on a bit of a roll now,” Allen said.
“We’re looking forward to hitting this next block of games and it starts with Woorinen this week.
“It’s an eight-point game for both sides, and for us we can really solidify ourselves in that top three and keep pressing hard, so this weekend is going to be hugely important.
“We had a handful of players come back into the team yesterday but we still have guys like Beau Bennett, Zac O’Meara, (Matthew) Despott to return as well, which will create problems, if we can stay injury-free, at selection.
“It’s a great problem to have and despite a bit of a shaky start with injuries earlier in the year, if we can keep this form up and our health we certainly feel like we’re in a good spot.”
The Mallee Eagles won’t be the only team facing a must-win battle this weekend, with Koondrook-Barham set to play Swan Hill in a game that could well decide this year’s wooden spooner.
Although the Raiders are on a 26-game losing streak they are certainly not playing like it, according to Allen, who said he was impressed by the home team’s outside run and attack on the ball.
“We knew they (Koondrook-Barham) would come out hard,” Allen said.
“Even though they haven’t won a game they have been playing some really good footy and have matched it with some of the best sides, and they certainly lived up to that form.
“They were always within reach in the first half but the second half was played more on our terms.
“They kicked three late ones in the final quarter which dragged the scoreboard back and it would have been nice for our boys to finish the game off, but they (Koondrook-Barham) held in there all day and credit to them.
“They aren’t a side you would think are winless still.
“Full credit to them – they were super, and if they continue to play that way then they will break through for a win very soon.
“It was a bit of an ugly win for us.
“We were certainly tested but, to our credit, as good sides do we had to respond to get the four points and that’s what we did.”
Koondrook-Barham were able to match it with the Eagles in most areas of the game but it was inside the contest where the visitors managed to hold the advantage, with co-coaches Brent Macleod and Allen finding plenty of the ball around the contest throughout the afternoon.
The Eagles also had the advantage up forward, with Darcy Hourigan (four goals), Andrew Mead-Harding (two) and the returning Shaun Harrison (five), who played his first game for the season, giving the visitors plenty of forward options.
Also instrumental in the Eagles’ win was Joe Halloran, with the key defender keeping his fine season going by not only marking Kye Attwell but intercepting and finding plenty of the ball himself.
Halloran was moved onto Attwell following Jacob O’Meara leaving the field with a neck complaint, with the young key defender’s availability for Saturday’s clash with Woorinen now in doubt.
Harry McGregor was another key player for the Eagles, along with Kieren Bourke, Clem Miller and Darcy McGregor, while Mitchell Christensen dominated in the ruck for the Raiders.
Christensen was comfortably Koondrook-Barham’s best player, with the athletic big man create several passages of play that resulted in scores for the home side, while Cambell Davison, Jack Thrum and Reagan Hamilton were also influential for the Raiders.
SCORES
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final Score |
| KOONDROOK BARHAM | 2.2 | 6.5 | 8.9 | 13.12 | 90 |
| MALLEE EAGLES | 4.3 | 7.5 | 12.8 | 17.10 | 112 |
VOTES
3 – Brent Macleod (Mallee Eagles)
2 – Joe Halloran (Mallee Eagles)
1 – Mitchell Christensen (Koondrook-Barham)
