Balranald v Koondrook-Barham
WHILE a win against Woorinen last week gave Balranald the confidence boost they desperately needed heading into the back-end of the season, they realistically need to win the rest of their home-and-away games now, starting with Koondrook-Barham tomorrow.
While the Raiders shooters in Emily Fasham and Tatum Boyd have the ability to be accurate in the ring, the challenge for the wooden-spooners will be getting it to their goalies to have an opportunity to score, especially over the Roos defensive trio in Elli Brougham, Hannah Morton and Bree Hodgson.
The Roos shooting duo in coach Jess Parry and Ella Mirtschin will also play a key role, looking to get a lot of balls through the ring in order to have a percentage-boosting win to better their chances of playing finals.
It will be hard for the Raiders to overcome a firing Roos side, and they may only be able to focus on reducing the 40-goal deficit they encountered when they last met in round 4.
Tyntynder v Lake Boga
LAKE Boga will be looking to remain undefeated coming off a bye as they take on Tyntynder at Alan Garden Reserve.
While the Dogs haven’t been able to get enough wins on the board this season to be in contention for finals, they have been a competitive A Grade team, giving top sides such as Balranald and Woorinen a run for their money, and having a big win against Koondrook-Barham last week.
The Dogs’ shooting duo of Kimberley Calvert and Kelsey Rowe has been in particularly good form, and will be really put to the test tomorrow against Jemma Meehan and Sophie Peacock, who have also both had standout seasons.
While on paper the ladder leaders should take home the four points, the Dogs will certainly not make it an easy task.
Nyah-Nyah West United v Swan Hill
NYAH-Nyah West United will be keen to keep up their recent good form against league heavyweights Swan Hill at home tomorrow.
The Demons put on an extremely good performance last week against Kerang, earning themselves an upset five-goal win. That was also without the assistance of coach Laura Anderson and assistant coach Madi Jones on the court, who have both been sidelined with knee injuries.
Demons defenders Aleesha Flanagan and Taylen Blachford have stepped up in the on-court absence of their coaches, both becoming the leaders for their team and executing great performances, which the Swans will need to be wary of.
A key match-up that spectators will be keen to see will be the head-to-head against young Demons goalie Bridie Curran and seasoned Swans goal keeper Madeleine Nalder.
Midcourter Kelly Bonney has also recently returned to the court for the Swans after injury, and added another layer of depth to their attack end.
Mallee Eagles v Tooleybuc-Manangatang
AFTER narrowly losing to the Swans last round, the Mallee Eagles will be keen to have a convincing win against Tooleybuc-Manangatang to help cement their position in the top five come finals.
Currently sitting in fifth position, and only just in front of Kerang by a small percentage, this is a must-win game for the Eagles.
The Eagles have shown what damage they can do against a bottom-placed team, beating Koondrook-Barham in round 11 by a massive 87 goals, with shooter Kellie Walker scoring 75 of those goals herself – more than one per minute.
But since the two sides last met, the Saints have added Katelyn Hazlett and Eden Hoare to their side, giving them a bit of a lift across the midcourt. Summer Blachford has also been a constant reliable in the Saints goal ring throughout the season.
While the Saints should be competitive, the Eagles will be out for a percentage-boosting win just four weeks out from finals.
