CENTRAL MURRAY PRELIMINARY FINAL

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 – NYAH RECREATION RESERVE at 2.40pm

SWAN HILL v MALLEE EAGLES

SWAN HILL

Coaches: Kelsey McCoy, Madeleine Nalder and Mollie Quin

KEY PLAYER

Karli McIntyre

AN experienced finals campaigner who knows what’s required at this point of the season, McIntyre is a strong passer and provides plenty of drive through the midcourt, but is equally important to the Swans defensively with her ability to pressure her opponent’s passing on transition.

She will have a big job in nullifying the impact of Mallee Eagles co-coach Alicia Harvey, who has been in strong form this finals series.

McIntyre herself has also been among Swan Hill’s better players in both their qualifying final win over Balranald and last Saturday’s semi-final loss to Lake Boga and will need to be at her best once again if the Swans are to make it through to their fourth straight grand final.

BURNING QUESTION

Can Swan Hill combat the Mallee Eagles speed through the midcourt?

ALTHOUGH Swan Hill may have the height advantage at both ends of the court, the Eagles will counter that with speed on transition through the midcourt.

Alicia Harvey, Jess Jobling and Leah McKenzie can all run and move the ball at speed and although Swan Hill’s Holly Rogers is equally fast, the Eagles trio are quicker.

The Eagles’ speed was a key factor in them getting within six goals of the Swans in round 3, however Swan Hill had clearly done their homework when they last met in round 16, having structured up well behind the ball and limiting the Eagles’ ability to move the ball quickly into Megan Thorneycroft and Gemma Miller.

If the blue-and-gold army are to have any chance, they will need to throw caution to the wind and play with speed to limit the ability of Stevie Bibby and Tess Meney setting up behind the ball.

MALLEE EAGLES

Coaches: Alicia Harvey and Jess Jobling

KEY PLAYER

Leah McKenzie

ONE of the most underrated players in the Central Murray, McKenzie goes about her work with a minimum of fuss – but always gets the job done.

She is an important member of the Mallee Eagles defence and will have the important job of quelling Holly Rogers, who provides Swan Hill with plenty of speed through the midcourt and is a strong passer into the ring.

McKenzie missed the Eagles’ round 16 loss to Swan Hill, with Rogers playing a starring role in her team’s 10-goal win that afternoon as a result.

She has been one of the most consistently performed wing defences in the Central Murray this season and will need to be at her best if the Eagles are to cause an upset.

BURNING QUESTION

Do the Eagles have the height to go stop Zoe Morris?

THERE’S little doubt that Morris is one of the most impactful goal shooters in the competition, with her height and strength making her one of the toughest match-ups in the Central Murray.

Although the Eagles have a very strong defensive structure, both Nevaeh Roberts and Laura Sheahan aren’t among the taller defenders in the league.

Sheahan missed their round 16 game last month while Morris missed the two teams’ first encounter in round 3, so exactly how both teams structure up in Swan Hill’s attacking third will be a mystery until 2.40pm tomorrow, but the Eagles will have to pressure the Swans through the midcourt if they are to be any chance of limiting Morris’s impact.

KEY MATCH-UP

Stevie Bibby v Megan Thorneycroft

BOTH Bibby and Thorneycroft are hugely important to their teams’ structures and will both be keen to impact the contest when they hit the court.

Bibby’s ability to read the play, intercept and create turnovers is second to none, with the goal defence becoming a key reason in Swan Hill’s continued success this season.

Thorneycroft is equally important to the Eagles’ attacking third as she can play either shooter position and has the flexibility to play under the post or outside the ring.

The pair last faced off in round 16, with Bibby restricting Thorneycroft to 17 goals for the game and claiming best-on-court honours.