THE Mallee Eagles will be out to claim their first big scalp of the season when they face off against reigning premiers Swan Hill tomorrow.
Although the Swans’ finals future looks relatively secured, with the home side almost locked into second place, the same cannot be said for the Eagles, who face a tough run home over the final three rounds as Balranald side snap at their heels in the race for the double chance.
With third spot well and truly up for grabs, this weekend’s potential qualifying final preview takes on even greater importance, according to Eagles co-coach Alicia Harvey.
“I think if we keep playing the way we’ve been playing over the last couple of weeks then we’ll be right in the contest,” Harvey said.
“We’ve had a great season so far, but our last two weeks against Cohuna and NNW United have been our two best games in terms of our consistency and our ability to not let up on opponents all game.
“If we can keep playing like that, and our accuracy and goals keep dropping, and our defenders keep working as hard as they have been, then I think we will give Swan Hill a massive run for their money.
“It’s a huge game and while Swan Hill and (Lake) Boga are cemented in the top two, it’s make or break for us in terms of finishing third and getting that double chance.
“Third spot is so important, and we’ll be doing everything we can. We’ve got a difficult run home but we’re ready to take it on.”
Both teams were expected to go in with similar line-ups to their most recent games, with Kasey Torr (knee) expected to miss at least one more week.
Swan Hill will not only be close to full strength, but also have fresh legs following a bye, which can sometimes bring about its own set of challenges, according to Swans co-coach Madeleine Nalder.
“Whenever you’re coming off the bye it’s always a little bit dangerous, it’s always harder to come back from the week off I find,” Nalder said.
“We just need to make sure we give ourselves a good chance to perform through our preparation and just minimise having that slow start.
“(Mallee Eagles) are up and about and have been one of the stronger teams all year, but it feels like a long time since we’ve played them, and both teams have changed a lot since that day.
“We were both relatively new teams at that point of the season and we both had players out, so we’re expecting a much different game and tighter tussle.
“Considering we’re coming off the bye, we’ll be just focusing on what we can control.
“We’ll be focusing on making sure we’re pressuring the ball, maintaining possession and if we have possession making sure we convert that into goals – it’s all about the basics for us and making sure we do them well.”
While the midcourt battle will be one to watch, it will be at either end of the court where the result will be decided, with both the Eagles and Swans possessing dangerous goalers who can change the course of a game with their accuracy.
Megan Thorneycroft has been in sensational form for the Eagles, having scored 94 goals from her past three matches, and will need to be at her best again opposed to Stevie Bibby and Tess Meney.
Harvey’s attention will be at the opposite end of the court, with the Eagles co-coach identifying the Swans’ attacking third as the key battleground.
“Their shooters are dominant players, they are very strong in attack and that will be a key focus for us,” Harvey said.
“They’ve scored the most goals of any for the season and that shows how dominant their goalers are.
“We are strong in defence as well though and I feel that’s probably where the game will be decided.
“We’ll need to shut down their goalies and get on top of them nice and early in the game.
“We’re going to need our goals to drop as well, but stopping their goalies from scoring will be the key for us on Saturday.”
Tip – Swan Hill to win by two goals.
