NNW UNITED v TOOLEYBUC-MANANGATANG
NYAH-Nyah West United will be bolstered by the return of several key players this Saturday for their match against Tooleybuc-Manangatang, which shapes as must-win for the Demons’ top-three hopes.
Jaydyn Stirling, Charlie Boulton, Corey Daniels, Jordan Iudica and Ethan Curran are all confirmed starters, with Joel Walsh also considered a strong chance to return pending an overnight fitness test on his troublesome hamstring.
Their inclusions look set to give NNW United a vastly different appearance to last week’s team that succumbed to the Mallee Eagles by 13 points, and they are slowly starting to resemble the team that peeled off six consecutive wins at the start of the season.
The Saints, on the other hand, continue to be plagued by injuries, although Gareth Grant is expected to return from his one-week suspension.
It has been a tough month of footy for the Saints, with four straight losses tumbling them from finals calculations combined with having suffered the embarrassment of not once, but twice, going through an entire match without registering a goal.
Tooleybuc-Manangatang have enough top-end talent to trouble the Demons, with Connor McDonald, Connor Nutting, Josh Williams and Johnathan Marsden all capable of winning a game off their own boot, the problem lies with their depth and their ability to match NNW United through the middle.
With Ethan Saville, Dom Gallo and Brayden Bigham, combined with the inclusions of Jordan Iudica and Ethan Curran, the Demons have plenty of speed through the middle which should see them home against their rivals.
Tip – NNW United to win by 33 points.
LAKE BOGA v TYNTYNDER
TYNTYNDER will be hoping to keep their finals hopes alive when they take on Lake Boga in what could be a season-defining contest this weekend.
Last Saturday’s upset win over Balranald has kept the Bulldogs’ faint finals hopes alive, although they are still needing to win their final three matches, which includes games against the Raiders and Tigers, along with hoping other results also fall their way.
Tyntynder will go in as favourites to secure their seventh win of the season, with Roy George and Patrick Blake both expected to return.
George’s class will be a welcome addition for the Bulldogs around the ball and combined with Marcus Wattie and Isaiah Bull, should form a dangerous combination around the ball.
Also set to have an impact will be key forward Jason Eagle, who returned to Tyntynder’s side in form last weekend kicking six goals to help lead his team to an 11-point victory.
While the Bulldogs will go into Saturday’s match nearing full strength, the same can’t be said for Lake Boga, who will be without Rory Colville and Josh Wills.
The Magpies are sure to miss Wills’ run and carry off half-back, but the absence of Rory Colville, who will miss the remainder of the season with an ankle injury, will hurt the most amid the outside midfielder having a breakout season.
Despite Lake Boga being more than competitive last time these teams met in round 3, if the Bulldogs can produce the sort of form that got them the result last Saturday, they should get the job done again.
Tip – Tyntynder to win by 28 points.
KERANG v KOONDROOK-BARHAM
A COMPETITIVE performance against the Central Murray’s No.1 team will be the optimum outcome for Koondrook-Barham against Kerang.
In another season to forget, Koondrook-Barham have now lost their past 31 matches and face the unenviable task of trying to topple a team who haven’t lost since round 1.
In fact, during the Raiders’ losing streak, the Blues have lost just three games and won an astonishing 33, including two premierships.
On that basis, it’s hard to see any result other than a strong Kerang victory, with the Blues possessing winners all over the ground.
While the Raiders have some good top-end talent, with Billy Driscoll, Jack Shannon and Kye Attwell all in form, the Blues have both class and depth, which will be difficult to counter.
Brett Kennedy will be replaced in the Kerang side by Jarryd Pertzel in a like-for-like swap, with the Blues red hot favourites to take another big step towards securing their third consecutive minor premiership.
Tip – Kerang to win by 70 points.
