AFTER two straight losses, Swan Hill will be aiming to return to the winners’ list when they host arch-rivals Tyntynder in this weekend’s standalone King’s Birthday game.
Consecutive losses to Woorinen (three goals) and Koondrook-Barham (10 goals) has seen the Swans fall to sixth on the Central Murray ladder, with the perennial finalists at risk of seeing the run of finals appearances end if they are unable to turn their form around.
The Bulldogs are travelling no better however, with just one win and a draw coming from their first seven matches and consecutive losses of their own.
Those defeats have come at the hands of unbeaten teams Kerang and the Mallee Eagles, with Tyntynder co-coach Bridget Dedini confident.
“Against the Eagles we were just completely beaten from the outset, so we had a lot to learn from that game,” Dedini told The Guardian this week.
“Against Kerang I felt we played three really good quarters and then we just had one lapse, which was quite dramatic in the end with the score line, but other than that we were pretty happy with how last Saturday’s game went.
“We gelled really well as a team but we’re not under any illusions that we’re going to beat the top of the ladder teams at this stage in our development as a group.
“Having said that, we’ll take plenty from that game against Kerang despite the end result.”
Both Tyntynder and Swan Hill will have key inclusions for tomorrow’s match, with dangerous midcourter Issy Corrie returning for the Bulldogs and experienced shooter Kelly Bonney coming into the Swans line-up.
Bonney’s return could force a reshuffle for the Swans, with Casey Frame and Ava Seymour both combining well to post 50 goals against the Tigers last weekend in a strong attacking display.
Although the Swans attacking game saw big improvement, it was off the back of the Swans defensive pressure across the court according to Frame, who is hoping to see more of the same tomorrow afternoon.
“I think the difference last Saturday was with the amount of pressure we applied defensively,” the Swan Hill coach said.
“I know that we’ve said previously that we have been focusing on playing well defensively, but last week we really upped the ante in the middle of the court.
“We really want to make sure that becomes our trademark, we want that pressure on opposition teams because it relieves a lot of work on our goal defenders.
“If we can make sure that they have pressure on that ball coming into their goalies, hopefully we can pick off a few balls.
“I hope we maintain that pressure from last week because then in attack, I felt like we were much better against Woorinen than we had been previously because of it.”
With Swans looking to apply pressure and the Bulldogs ability to move the ball at speed through the likes of Tamara Weiss, Taylah Woodward, Elvie Kelly-Britten and Issy Corrie, the midcourt looms as being a key battle ground for both teams.
The match up between Swan Hill goal keeper Jaya Jenkins-Jaiswal and Tyntynder goal shooter Violet Corrie also promises to be a key contest for both sides, with the two young guns set to go head-to-head in the Bulldogs goal ring.
While Violet Corrie will take a lot of the attention, Dedini is hoping her team is able to utilise in-form goal attack Demi Hallam to greater affect, with their new-look attacking combination beginning to take shape.
“Demi (Hallam) has been really good at stepping up and taking a bit of the focus when needed,” Dedini said.
“We just need to utilise her a bit more when we’re becoming a little too predictable and just change it up and have a bit more of a moving game.
“I think it’s about not being too predictable down in the goal ring and sharing it around equally.
“A lot of teams have a dominant shooter and Violet (Corrie) definitely is for us as well, but she’s also 14-years-old and we want to make sure we’re not putting all of that pressure on her.”
Tip – Swan Hill to win by three goals.
