NNW UNITED v COHUNA
NYAH-Nyah West United will be close to full strength as they aim to stretch their unbeaten start to six straight wins on Saturday.
Former coach Corey Daniels will be the only player missing from the ladder leaders’ best 22 for the clash with Cohuna.
Brady Davidson is set to play his first match since injuring a quad in round 1.
Meanwhile, the Kangas will be without injured forward Ryan Semmel, who joins a growing injury list that already includes Jackson Williams, Chris Anderson, Cooper Mcloughlin, Riley Hird and Angus Donat.
Absent stars have been one of the key reasons for an inconsistent start for the Kangas, who registered their second win against Swan Hill last Saturday to prevent their finals hopes from fading.
Any team that contains Joel Helman, the former Jack Betts Medallist still among the best midfielders in the league, will always be a danger.
He will need to be at his absolute best against NNW United’s midfield however, with the Demons’ run-and-gun game plan hard to stop when they are allowed to get the ball on the outside of the contest.
Cohuna can ill-afford too many more missteps if they want to return to the finals, although an upset win against the Demons would go a long way towards rebuilding their season, as unlikely as that may seem.
Tip – NNW United to win by 20 points.
WOORINEN v TYNTYNDER
WOORINEN will hope to celebrate club legend Matt Iannucci’s 300th club game with a win when they host Tyntynder.
The Tigers will be confident following last Saturday’s come-from-behind win over Balranald, further proof a new attacking game style should have them finishing at the pointy end of the ladder.
In a further boost, after missing the past two games with a calf injury, Josh Stone will line up against the club he coached for the first time since his departure. That will be sure to add feeling to the game.
Just half a game outside the top five, Tyntynder will be aiming to prove they belong among the Central Murray’s top teams.
Roy George and Marcus Wattie have starred in the midfield for the Dogs, while Jayden Magro is also finding his feet with the red, white and blue, with the game-breaker beginning to show the form that had him enter the league as one of the recruits to watch this season.
While Tyntynder are slowly building into the season, the Tigers have too much to play for and should extend their winning streak to three.
Tip – Woorinen to win by 15 points.
MALLEE EAGLES v LAKE BOGA
AN unchanged Mallee Eagles line-up from the one that drew with reigning premiers Kerang last Saturday will take on Lake Boga.
The Eagles had their opportunities to cause the upset of the season but were unable to hold on to a seven-point lead in the dying minutes.
With just two-and-a-half wins from their first five games, the Eagles can ill afford another late lapse in a possible danger game.
The Magpies’ best form proves they are more than capable of matching it with the Central Murray’s best teams.
Their problem is their ability to show that form consistently, which is often the problem with young teams.
If they can get the ball into the hands of Brodie Tonkin, Josh Wills and Zac Warne often, an upset could be on the cards.
The return of young ruckman Kai Everett will help boost those chances further, although the Magpies will need to find cover for David Gourdis – and find a way to stop key forwards Darcy Hourigan and Jayden Post.
Tip – Mallee Eagles to win by 25 points.
SWAN HILL v KERANG
SWAN Hill look set to be the unlucky team Kerang will take out their frustrations on following last week’s disappointing draw.
While the reigning premiers were lucky to get any points against the Mallee Eagles having trailed late, they also have only themselves to blame after registering 5.13 for the match, including a wasteful 1.7 in the second quarter.
It’s the one area of the game coach Troy Coates will be hoping to clean up, with the Blues kicking more behinds than goals in four of their five games so far this season.
Skipper Josh Nitschke is set to return from his hamstring strain, while Nightcliff midfielder-forward Brett Kennedy is expected to play his first game in navy blue.
However, star onballer Adam Baird is set for an extended stint on the sidelines after fracturing his ankle last Saturday.
Swan Hill will also have several changes to the team that fell to Cohuna by 25 points, with Jose Miliado and Will Burns both confirmed outs due to hamstring injuries.
While the returns of Jimmy Toumpas, Lachie Joyce and Lachlan Vrolijks should give the Swans a boost, this game still looks a bridge too far, especially without line-breaker Miliado.
Tip – Kerang to win by 40 points.
