CENTRAL MURRAY QUALIFYING FINAL
SWAN HILL
Coaches: Kelsey McCoy, Madeleine Nalder and Mollie Quin
KEY PLAYER
Karli McIntyre
ONE of the Swans’ key link players through the midcourt, McIntyre’s finals experience and game smarts will be invaluable.
Will go head-to-head with Bonnie Jolliffe, who herself is a key player in Balranald’s ability to transition from defence to attack and move the ball with speed.
McIntyre is one of the best passers in Swan Hill’s line-up but is equally important to her team’s ability to defend through the midcourt with her ability to read the play and pressure the opposition.
BURNING QUESTION
Does Swan Hill’s final experience give them an advantage?
BREAKING a nine-year premiership drought last season, the Swans finally took the finals monkey off their back.
The big difference though is that there are only two of Swan Hill’s starting seven players left from last year’s side, with Zoe Morris and Karli McIntyre remaining.
Holly Rogers started on the bench in last year’s decider and has stepped into the Swans’ seven this season, but there’s no doubt that Swan Hill has a very different squad to their premiership winning team.
Although they have a very different side to last year, they have also been one of the most consistent this season, which will be more of an advantage than any perceived finals experience against the Roos.
BALRANALD
Coaches: Elli-Jane Pollard and Jess Parry
KEY PLAYER
Ella Mirtschin
THERE’S little doubt that Mirtschin has been one of the league’s most improved players this season, averaging just under 24 goals per game.
Having played mostly at goal shooter, the season-ending injury to Jess Parry forced Mirtschin to take over at goal attack, where she has flourished and become one the Roos’ most important players.
Will need to be at her best opposed to former teammate Stevie Bibby, who is a great interceptor of the ball.
Scored 21 of her team’s 35 goals in round 9 against Swan Hill at both GA and GS when paired with Elli-Jane Pollard and Brie Galvin in attack.
BURNING QUESTION
Can the Roos defence stop Zoe Morris and Casey Frame?
IT’S been a question on the lips of every team this season to be fair, with the two Swans goalers forming a formidable partnership.
Morris is one of the most dominant goal shooters in the league, averaging over 38 goals per game, including five matches of more than 40 goals.
After missing last year’s premiership with injury, Frame will be desperate for success, and her experience and passing ability makes her one of the most dangerous goal attacks in the Central Murray.
As good as the Swans attacking third is, Balranald are equally adept in defence, with Elli-Jane Pollard one of the best defenders under the ring in the competition and Grace Morton continuing to grow in confidence with every A Grade match.
Having conceded just 31, 30, 38 and 28 goals in their past four games, there’s no doubt that Pollard and Morton are a strong combination, but they will have to take their game to another level to stop the Swans.
KEY MATCH-UP
Zoe Morris v Elli-Jane Pollard
WILL be the one match-up that will go a long way towards deciding the outcome, with Morris such a strong and consistent scorer for the Swans.
Although Pollard has since settled in defence, she played predominately in the Roos’ attacking third against the Swans in round 9 when Balranald were still finding how best to replace injured star Jess Parry.
Morris dominated that afternoon, shooting 43 goals thanks to her strong positioning in the ring opposed to Grace Morton and Milan Forbes.
It will be a vastly different challenge that awaits Morris, however, with Pollard moving back to defence and the pair set to lock horns in a mouth-watering head-to-head battle.
