CENTRAL MURRAY FOOTBALL NETBALL LEAGUE
ROUND 1 PREVIEWBALRANALD v TYNTYNDER
BOTH Balranald and Tyntynder will have a very different look about them when they open season 2022 at Greenham Park tomorrow afternoon.
Not only have both teams recruited heavily, but they’ll also be under new leadership, with former Woorinen premiership midfielder Josh Stone taking the reins at the Dogs – and Jydon Neagle, who is the son of club legend Merv, joining Ben Mahon in leading the Roos in 2022.
Neagle will make a huge difference to Balranald both off and on field, with the prolific ball winner set to compliment an already classy midfield group of Cam Barrett, Harrison Soraggi and reigning Best and Fairest winner Colin Andrews.
It’s not only the addition of Neagle that will make a significant difference to the Roos this season. Balranald is welcoming back former players Ryan Middlebrook, Jordan Weekly, Ned Lay and Nash Fitzgerald to add to their senior depth.
One of Tyntynder’s Achilles heels in previous seasons has been their lack of firepower up forward. For Doggies fans, it’s hoped the acquisition of former Irymple key forward Jason Eagle will go some way to easing that burden – and covering the loss of former coach Justin Ellis.
Tyntynder’s biggest strength this season will be in the midfield, with the recruitment of Kyle Brasser, Tom Bull and the Bennett brothers, Andrew and Brodie, set to add depth to an on-ball division that already includes Marcus Wattie, Isaiah Bull and the Sala brothers.
While the Doggies will have options aplenty in the middle, it will be getting first use of the ball where they may struggle, especially after the departure of ruckman Dylan Smillie.
Making Round 1 even more of a challenge, new coach Stone will also have to contend with Balranald’s dominant big man Jordan Wilkins, who is fresh off a dominant season up north for the Waratahs in the NTFL.
With Wilkins in form, it could well be the ruck battle – as well as the Roos’ home ground advantage – that ends up deciding this game.
Tip – Balranald by 4 points.
TOOLEYBUC-MANANGATANG v LAKE BOGA
A NEW season always brings with it fresh hope – and that will be precisely the case when Tooleybuc-Manangatang and Lake Boga clash at Tooleybuc this weekend.
Both clubs finished on the bottom of the ladder last season, with Boga winning just two matches (against Tooleybuc-Manangatang and Balranald) and the Saints going winless for the first time in the amalgamated club’s history.
After such a disastrous season, Tooleybuc-Manangatang undertook some major changes – replacing Damien Lock as head coach with former Mallee Eagles leader Dean Helmers, as well as bringing in a number of impactful players to help bring some competitiveness back to their senior team.
Brayden Pitcher is one of those inclusions, with the midfielder from Launceston also taking on the role of Assistant Coach. Another player to watch will be former Doutta Stars premiership midfielder and EDFL Division 1 League medallist Shylo Smith, who is set to bring some speed and class to the Saints’ engine room this season – while Ryan Connellan, Ryan Kliemt and returning local Alex Powell will also play big roles for the home side.
Although Tooleybuc-Manangatang may have recruited well, they have also lost a number of last year’s squad – which will see them start the new year as an unknown quantity. What is known, though, is that their opponents tomorrow will almost certainly improve on last year.
Lake Boga have also recruited well and will welcome new players to the club who will strengthen their spine. Jacob Simpson will assume the mantle of No.1 ruckman, while Daniel Dzufer and Tyle Williams will fill the roles of centre half back and centre half forward respectively.
The recruit who may well have the biggest impact for the Magpies will be Josh Filo, who will line up alongside brother Matt in a beefed-up Boga midfield. With the Magpies’ new recruits joining Angus Monfries, John Harvey and Nathaniel Holmes-Brown, one could expect Lake Boga to kick off their season with a round one win victory – which would be their first since 2008.
Tip – Lake Boga by 18 points.
KOONDROOK-BARHAM v MALLEE EAGLES
THE Mallee Eagles will travel to Barham tomorrow afternoon intent on once again being one the Central Murray’s leading teams in 2022.
Brent Sheahan takes over as coach of the Eagles following the departure of Dean Helmers – and will also welcome back Brady Fordham and Angus McKenzie to his on-ball division. While both former Eagles will give their club an immediate boost, it’s the recruitment of Hepburn super boot Sam Dunstan that will really have the Lalbert faithful salivating.
Dunstan arrives at the Eagles’ nest with an astonishing record. He kicked 190 goals in his previous 31 games (average 6.1 goals per games) for Hepburn in the Central Highlands Football League. If he can replicate that sort of form in the Central Murray, the mighty blue and gold will quickly become the team to watch this season.
The key for the Mallee Eagles will be with their midfield giving Dunstan enough opportunities to hit the scoreboard. Harry Allen, Toby Sheahan and Fordham are all capable of winning plenty of the footy – and all three will need to do so tomorrow and get it to the likes of Darcy McGregor and Beau Bennett, who can then use their pace on the wide-open spaces of the Barham Rec. Reserve.
For the home side – much like Tooleybuc-Manangatang – they will be an unknown quantity throughout the early rounds of the season, with a number of changes taking place over the off-season.
Aaron Collins takes the reins at the River Raiders and will bring with him a number of players, including key defender Josh Hale, forward Robbie Mullen and midfield brothers Jordan and Lucas Iudica.
But it isn’t who will run out for Koondrook-Barham that will be the concern, but who won’t. Kal Huntly, Phil Smith, Cam Arnold, Matt O’Dwyer, Jay Reynolds and Tom Guerra have all left the club. With significant losses such as these, it’s almost impossible to back them in – even on their home groun, which they play so well.
Tip – Mallee Eagles by 30 points.
SWAN HILL v KERANG
KERANG will be out to reaffirm their premiership credentials when they play Swan Hill at the Swan Hill Rec. Reserve tomorrow afternoon.
Both teams will enter their first encounter of the season with similar squads as last season. Each club has maintained the bulk of their playing list over the off-season, while also adding a couple of handy players to their respective line-ups.
Kal Heslop will return for the Swans and will fill the key forward role that they’ve been crying out for since he left. Kerang, on the other hand, have bolstered their midfield and backline, adding Nick Stagg (Sandhurst) and Rylee Smith (Nullawil) to their midfield and Lachlan Ross (Sandhurst) and Rylee Gitsham (Wandella) to their back six.
Both teams possess class all over the ground, but it’s in the midfield where Kerang dominate teams – firstly by winning the contested ball, then slicing teams open with their precision by foot. While the Blues possess some of the best on-ballers in the competition – with Marty Kelly, Ryan Gillingham, Brad Pay and Sam Heavyside all ball-winning beasts – you can expect to see the next generation of Kerang midfielders spend more time in there throughout the season.
Although not being able to match the Blues’ midfield depth, Swan Hill also has an engine room that can tear any opposition to pieces if given the chance. Matt Wade, Xavier Moloney and Luke Phelan can all turn a game on their own, while Tyler Makepeace may well be on the verge of having a breakout season.
For the Swans, the path to victory for them could well rest with big men Toby Thoolen and Xavier Mertz. In fact, the match-up between Thoolen and an injury-free Troy Davis in the ruck could well be worth the price of admission alone.
Tip – Kerang by 22 points.
NYAH-NYAH WEST UNITED v WOORINEN
NYAH-NYAN WEST United will host Woorinen in the final game of the opening round, with all eyes likely to be firmly fixed on how the new-look Tiger line-up takes shape.
Woorinen have undergone significant changes during the off-season. Eight players from their 2019 premiership team have departed the club, including Nick O’Neill, Jamie Nicholas, Josh Stone and Todd Heynan.
While their departures list is long, it’s not all bad news for the Tigers. Key defender Angus Butterfield, full-forward Tom Eltringham and midfielder/forwards Clayton McCartney and Xavia Elford are all set to make an impact with their new club.
Despite the exodus, Woorinen will still go into the game as heavy favourites. Arnold Kirby, Jye Barry, Doug Palmer, Doug Beames and Corey Kelly are all match winners in their own right and will once again don the yellow and black, ensuring that the Tigers will remain a premiership threat this season.
For the Demons, season 2022 shapes as being another year of rebuilding. There were some positive signs that their investment in youth was beginning to pay dividends late last season, with two wins from their last four games, as well as a strong performance against the Cohuna Kangas to finish the season.
Brady Davidson will once again lead United’s on-ball brigade, with Cael Price, Ethan Saville and both Zac and Nic Threadgold set to offer support around the stoppages and add to their midfield rotations.
The key for the Demons will lie with full-forward Brent Arho, especially with Alex Erlandson likely to shift back to defence to helping strengthen NNW United’s backline – because when Arho fires, the Demons usually kick a competitive score.
While it’s expected that Woorinen won’t be the dominant force of recent seasons, they should still be too strong for the developing Demons.
Tip – Woorinen by 20 points.
