NULLAWIL v QUAMBATOOK
Quambatook will be looking to make amends for last Saturday’s shock loss to Wandella when they face off against the all-conquering Nullawil Saturday afternoon.
In reality, a competitive loss will be seen as a win for the Saints against the almost unbeatable Maroons – especially after being beaten by 110 points against them back in round one.
There is some glimmer of hope for Quamby, with Nullawil likely to be missing both Mitch Farmer and Andrew Oberdorfer.
Farmer’s missed the last three matches with a hamstring strain and will more than likely be rested until after next weekend’s bye.
Oberdorfer injured his groin last Saturday against Moulamein and will also be missing from tomorrow’s game.
Their absence will at least take away some of Nullawil’s scoring potency – however it also just provides more opportunity for Angus Forrester, Josh Bamford and the bevy of goalkicking midfielders that rotate forward to get on the scoreboard.
Still, they will also have to contend with one of the better defences in the Golden Rivers, with the Saints’ back six showing they are more than capable of shutting down some of the league’s best forwards across the first half of the season. Unfortunately, they will have to do it without Ash Davis, with the key defender set to miss with injury. It’s not all bad news for Quambatook though, as they will have their strongest team in weeks, with Brad Organ, Michael Bradbury, Brady Tillig, Ash Murray and Pras Sayakhot all set to return from injury and illness.
If Quambatook are to record the upset of the season, though, they have to match it with Nullawil out of the middle.
They cannot afford to let Daniel Watts, Matt Quigley, Jonathan Casey, Grant Ford and the returning Andrew Casey run wild through the middle, otherwise it’s game over.
With Dean Putt still out injured, the Saints will need Michael Bradbury to get on top of Brad Slater in the ruck and give their midfielders first use around the contest – especially their better ball users like Ricky Wild and Jordan Lampi.
The problem is, this all sounds easy on paper, when the reality is likely to be yet another comfortable victory for Nullawil – no matter what Quamby throw at them. Tip – Nullawil to win by 50 points.
HAY v WANDELLA
Hay will host a Wandella side full of confidence following their 17-point win over finals contenders Quambatook last Saturday.
The Bombers dominated the first quarter and were never headed last weekend, leading from start to finish against the team most feel is the most likely challenger to Nullawil.
Saturday’s encounter is a danger game for Logan Keighran’s men, though, with the Lions having improved markedly since their 26-point loss to the Bombers back in round one.
Hay jumped out of the blocks last weekend with a five goal to none opening term – but unlike their opponents tomorrow, were unable to maintain the rage and succumbed to a fast-finishing Macorna by 13 points.
Wandella will also have a couple of changes to their line-up from last week, with Matthew Wilkinson and Darren Rushton both set to miss tomorrow.
Their absence will certainly have a bearing on their midfield depth – although the return of Dillon Treacy should ease some of that pain.
It does open the door for Hay, especially with the Lions’ improving starting on-ball team of Hugh Crighton, Tim Zambon, Daniel Gash and Liam Whitbourne all in good form and winning plenty of footy in recent weeks.
The Lions also possess a very solid spine that could potentially cause the Bombers some headaches, especially if their midfield can get first use of it out of the middle. The battles between Wandella key defenders Ryan Lancaster and Tim Robinson and their Hay counterparts Kenneth Jubb and Brad Pocock shapes as game defining match-ups.
At the other end of the ground, Wandella have multiple goal scoring options, with Logan Keighran, Shannon Burton and Corey Walters all sharing the spoils at various times across the first seven rounds of the season.
While Hay is a two to three goal better side at home, it’s still hard to see them getting the job done tomorrow – especially if the Bombers turn up with the same level of commitment and intent they showed last Saturday. Tip – Wandella to win by 24 points.
MOULAMEIN v ULTIMA
Fresh off their first win of 2022, an unchanged Ultima will take on finals aspirant Moulamein in a game that should give a good guide as to how far the Roos have improved across the opening seven rounds.
The teams met back in round one, with Moulamein getting the job done by 32 points that day, after jumping out of the blocks with a thirteen goal to six first half.
Ultima fought back after the main break and had pegged the margin back to 19 points by three-quarter-time, before the Swans regained their composure and ran away with the win.
Since that encouraging performance, things have gone somewhat awry for Ultima, who went on a six-game losing streak before breaking their run of outs last Saturday with a dominant 49-point win over Murrabit.
The Swans will be a much tougher opponent than they were faced with last Saturday – and anything less than Ultima’s best effort will most likely see the game become a blowout.
Their on-ball division was where they got the job done last week, with Mitch Seton-Stewart, Darcy Farrell, Jacob Schaper and ruckman Jye Purtill all strong contributors in the victory.
It will need to be more of the same if they are to challenge Moulamein, as they simply cannot allow the Swans to dominate around the stoppages like they did in the opening round. Luke Shannon has been in fantastic form so far this season and is the one the Roos will need to put some time into, as his ball use can tear you apart if allowed to run unchecked.
Despite losing by 93 points lo Nullawil last weekend, Moulamein are also the first team to restrict the Maroons to a sub 100-point margin – which shows they should very well have more than enough in the tank to take care of lowly Ultima tomorrow. Tip – Moulamein to win by 30 points.
MURRABIT v MACORNA
The final game of the round will see Murrabit host Macorna – with the Tigers in desperate need of the four points in order to keep the pressure on the top four.
Fifth-placed Macorna find themselves two games and percentage behind fourth placed Moulamein on the ladder – and if they want to have any hope of playing finals this season then they must not only win games like tomorrow’s, they need to fill their boots and boost their percentage.
Murrabit on the other hand are struggling – highlighted by their 49-point loss to the previously winless Ultima last Saturday. The Blues seem devoid of confidence and save for the ever-reliable Marc O’Neill, are struggling to get their hands on the ball through the midfield.
The biggest concern for Murrabit would have to be their ability to impact the scoreboard, with last week’s 11-goal haul their largest for the season – and the first time they’ve kicked more than ten goals since round one. While modern football is a defence first game, you’re still not going to win many matches with scores like those and the Blues simply must find other avenues to goal.
Macorna too haven’t been impacting on the scoreboard as they would have liked in recent weeks, but with Jaydon Stiles up forward they at least have a consistent and dominant presence in their front half of the ground – which should give them the upper hand Saturday afternoon. Tip – Macorna to win by 27 points.
