BALRANALD will travel to Alan Garden Reserve tomorrow knowing that an upset win over Tyntynder may well claim fifth spot – provided Lake Boga falter at the final hurdle.
While the Roos will be hoping Tooleybuc-Manangatang are able to do them a favour, their focus will be on the job at hand and making sure they win the four points against a Bulldogs outfit that will be already preparing for next Sunday’s elimination final.
It was Tyntynder’s outside speed that caused Balranald the most headaches in round 1, when the Dogs kick started their season with a 22-point win. The other key factor in that encounter was the absence of Ben Fuller, who injured his hamstring in the warm-up and was a late omission.
The Roos’ full forward will most likely have a major say in the outcome. He has kicked 19 goals from his past four matches and the home side set to be without their preferred match-up, Jackson Morris.
With Morris out, the problem facing the Dogs is who to send to Balranald’s leading goalkicker – with either Tate Hulland, who has the size, or Patrick Crowe, who is more experienced.
It’s a similar story at the other end of the ground, however, with Jason Eagle having missed in round 1. Eagle is proving to be equally damaging for Tyntynder this season, with 66 goals from just 11 games.
Also missing from the Bulldogs’ side from last Saturday’s loss to Kerang will be Solomon McKay, with the young midfielder set to return to the Bendigo Pioneers. While McKay’s run and carry will be missed, they will regain the services of Zac Denham and Kyle Brasser to add size around the contests.
Their inclusion will be a big boost for the home side in an area of the ground that will likely decide the winner, especially against a team that prides themselves on winning the contested ball. Jydon Neagle is a class act, but Balranald have also been getting great service out of Ryan Middlebrook, Colin Andrews and Jack Salau off half-back in recent weeks. The quartet are set to have a big say in proceedings.
While the Roos still have everything to play for, one suspects that the home side’s outside run could again trouble Balranald.
Tip – Tyntynder to win by 8 points.
LAKE BOGA v TOOLEYBUC-MANANGATANG
THE equation facing Lake Boga tomorrow is simple – win, and play in the finals for the first time since 2010 – lose, and it’s likely the end of their season.
To say the Magpies were disappointing last Saturday in their loss to the Mallee Eagles would be an understatement, especially when they had the majority of their big names all back on the park, with Angus Monfries, Matthew Filo, Brady Hogan, Daniel Dzufer and John Harvey returning to the side.
Simply put, Lake Boga were beaten up around the contest and outworked by the Eagles in the wet conditions, while often overusing the ball and turning it over at crucial moments. While the inclement conditions wouldn’t have helped their cause, it’s possible they’ll be facing similar weather at the weekend and will need to be prepared to get their hands dirtier than last Saturday.
One player wearing the black and white who continues to impress is Jacob Simpson, with the Magpies ruckman surely the red-hot favourite to take out his club’s best-and-fairest award this season. Simpson was Lake Boga’s best by far last week and will be a key player again.
The big question is who will be standing opposite him in the centre circle, with some doubt over the fitness of Alex Powell, who has been a revelation for the Saints playing as a ruckman and extra midfielder in the second half of the season.
If Powell doesn’t play, that could spell danger for the Saints. His absence would likely give Simpson first use to his stoppage-dominant midfield of Matthew Filo, Josh Cruse-Filo and Nathaniel Holmes-Brown.
Making Tooleybuc-Manangatang’s task even harder will be to loss of both Sam Grant and Ryan Regan to injury.
While the Saints have enough weapons to worry the home side, with Shylo Smith, Tom Carland, Brayden Pitcher and the intercepting dominance of defender John Wardle at their disposal, Lake Boga have too much to play for and should secure the all-important eighth win of the season.
Tip – Lake Boga to win by 20 points.
MALLEE EAGLES v KOONDROOK-BARHAM
ALTHOUGH sitting seventh on the ladder, the Mallee Eagles are remarkably still in the hunt to break into the top five by 5pm on Saturday – but they need a lot to go right for that to happen.
Not only do the Eagles need to beat Koondrook-Barham this weekend, they need both Lake Boga and Balranald to drop their respective games.
The Raiders would love nothing more than to ruin the finals dreams of the Eagles and will come into the match with fresh legs on the back of the bye last weekend – and full of confidence following their seven-point win over Tooleybuc-Manangatang at their last start.
While the Eagles will go in as favourites, it’s also a danger game for them, with Jake Foster, Darcy McGregor and Callum Dickinson set to miss with injury.
Also unavailable – for the next four matches – is full forward Sam Dunstan, who was suspended on Wednesday evening for umpire dissent during his side’s 27-point win last Saturday. Dunstan’s absence will leave a massive hole to fill, especially following his five-goal performance last weekend, which proved to be the difference on a difficult day for forwards across the league.
While putting a winning score on the board will be the big challenge for Brent Sheahan’s men, stopping Harry Allen having his usual impact on the game will be the test for the Raiders. The visitors certainly have the midfield depth to worry the Eagles, but whether they have the class to go with the home side’s onballers is an entirely different ask.
With that in mind – and the fact that the Raiders are looking for the finish line to this disappointing season – it’s hard to see them upsetting the Eagles.
Tip – Mallee Eagles to win by 22 points.
KERANG v SWAN HILL
SWAN Hill will be hoping to end one of their clubs most frustrating seasons in recent memory with the most unlikely of victories when they face Kerang.
The Swans had high hopes of playing finals at the beginning of the year, however it all went pear shaped quickly on the back of a difficult draw and a spate of injuries at the start of the season. They have, however, found form over the past fortnight, with wins over Balranald and Tooleybuc-Manangatang helping to put a positive end to 2022.
Kerang will present a massive step-up in class, however, even after suffering another flurry of injuries during their 71-point win over Tyntynder last weekend.
Brad Pay is now in doubt for not only Saturday but the remainder of the season after suffering an Achilles tendon injury last Saturday, while midfielder-forward Sam Heavyside will miss with a hamstring strain, along with speedster Rylee Smith.
It’s not all bad news for the Blues, however, with Bryce Curnow, Troy Davis and Brandon Hayes set to return to face the Swans. Swan Hill will also hope for a couple of big inclusions for their last match of the season, with Brendan Blackmore and Mitch Makepeace set to undergo fitness tests at training in an attempt to play.
While a win would seem to be a remote possibility for the Swans, the real test should be trying to improve on the 93-point loss they suffered to Kerang in round 1. The final margin will be an indicator of just how far they have improved from the start of the season.
Tip – Kerang to win by 60 points.
WOORINEN v NNW UNITED
NNW United will travel to the Tigers den for their last game of 2022, with Corey Daniels men looking to end their season on a high against the finals bound Woorinen.
The undermanned Tigers were found wanting last weekend against the Cohuna Kangas and would have been disappointed in their performance, even with a number of key players out of their line-up. Woorinen were hammered by the Kangas both in contested ball and around the stoppages.
But perhaps one of their biggest concerns would have been their inability to find a marking target inside their attacking 50 in the absence of Patrick Veszpremi – with just two marks inside 50 for the entire game.
It’s expected that Veszpremi will miss the game against the Demons, however the Tigers’ forward line will be presented with a far easier task than last week against NNW United’s back six.
The Woorinen back line will also receive a boost, with Mitch Taylor and Taylor Cameron set to return to the line-up, along with creative runner Nyawi Moore.
United will be hoping to welcome back playmaker Jaydyn Stirling, who missed last Saturday’s loss to Balranald with injury. The Demons will have to find a way to match the Tigers through the midfield and nullify the influence of Woorinen’s key onballers Jye Barry, Josh Domaille and Robbie Miller.
One tactic they have used throughout the season is to send Brady Davidson to one of their opposition’s main midfielders. Davidson is able to not only lock down on his assignment, but also work off and counter-attack to great affect.
While this game is effectively a dead rubber for both sides, the Tigers will be desperate to return to the winners’ list and rebuild their confidence ahead of next Saturday’s return bout with the Kangas – and should do exactly that.
Tip – Woorinen to win by 45 points.
