The two-time reigning premiers will go into the qualifying final as underdogs, with a number of key players missing – including Robbie Miller, Mitchel Taylor and Zac Cattlin, just to name a few. While it’s expected Taylor and potentially Cattlin will return next weekend, Miller is done for the season after suffering a broken leg last week. His absence will leave a massive hole in the Woorinen midfield – and although Mitch Uhlhorn starred against the Demons last Saturday out of the centre, the Kangas’ onball division presents another challenge altogether.
Taylor’s loss should also prove problematic against the tall timber of the Cohuna forward line and will mean Matthew Gardner will again have to step up and stand either Rhys Free or Dylan Johnstone, as he did a fortnight ago.
It isn’t all bad news for Woorinen, with Patrick Veszpremi to return following his injury enforced layoff. Just where Marcus Demaria and the Woorinen brains trust decide to deploy their key playmaker will depend on where they feel he can do the most damage – with a combination of midfield minutes in the absence of Miller and time up forward likely to be the preferred mixture.
After suffering their own spate of injuries throughout the season, Cohuna will enter the match relatively injury free, with only small forward Riley Hird likely to miss with his collarbone injury. Tom Toma returned against Woorinen a fortnight ago and, although he played predominately off a half-back flank, he still had a major say on the contest.
While at his best, Toma is certainly part of the Kangas’ best midfield combination. But it may be that Neil Bradley opts to continue with Joel Helman, Jarrod and Tyson Findlay, along with Sam McGlone, Josh Bird, Daniel Coates and Jack Donat for support.
Like most country football games, the midfield battle will be where this match is decided. The biggest challenge for both sides will be in their differing game styles, with Woorinen at their best playing a high-pressure, heavily contested brand of football. Cohuna prefer to play a kick-mark, high-possession style, where they use the angles and pick their way through an opposition’s defence.
Clearly the Kangas deployed that method to great effect two weeks ago against the Tigers, when they were able to move the ball forward with ease on the bigger ground.
Saturday is set to be a slightly tougher affair however, with the Tigers’ pressure game on the smaller Woorinen oval likely to give them more chances to create those turnovers and apply the screws as they like to do.
The other area of the game where Woorinen will need to clean up is around the stoppages – with Cohuna absolutely smashing – 42 to 17 – the Tigers when they last met. It’s an area of the game that is usually a strength of Woorinen’s, but was especially absent on that occasion. At worst, Woorinen will be hoping to at least break even in clearances, with a lot of the load to fall on the shoulders of Arnold Kirby in that regard.
While they managed just six goals in round 17, the Tigers can expect a far greater return with Veszpremi back in the line-up and the Woorinen forward combination work much better when he plays in attack. Lachlan Wright and Lachie Gardner are both capable of kicking a bag on their day and, together with Veszpremi and crumbing forward Adam Saunders, have the perfect attacking mix inside 50.
Cohuna will back in their defence to nullify any threat as they did a fortnight ago, and have no shortage of options to play on the Tigers’ big weapons. Mason Fehring usually plays deep and should likely get the job on Gardner, with Jake Hammond’s size and athleticism the perfect foil to run alongside Wright when he pushes up the ground.
The only caveat to that could be whether using Hammond in a lockdown role takes away his ability to intercept, which has been a highlight of his game since coming into the Kangas line-up against the Saints in round 13. If the Kangas end up preferring to leave Hammond to float, then it could be left to Brenton Conforti to run with Wright. That leaves Tom Metherell the job of keeping the dangerous Veszpremi quiet, in what could be the match-up of the game.
With a spot in next week’s second semi-final against Kerang on the line – and a shot at being first through to the grand final – expect both teams to throw everything at victory. In a game that should go down to the wire, it’s hard to go past a full-strength Kangas outfit – even on the Tigers’ home patch.
Tip – Cohuna Kangas to win by 13 points.
QUALIFYING FINAL
WOORINEN RECREATION RESERVE
2.30PM SATURDAY
COHUNA KANGAS
KEY PLAYER
Joel Helman – Has come into his own in the second half of the season, having been named among Cohuna’s best players in their past 10 matches. At his best, he is impossible to stop and will be a vital cog in the Kangas’ engine room over the next month of football.
THE BURNING QUESTION
Can the Kangas handle the heat of finals?
There’s no doubt that Woorinen play their best football when their pressure game is high – which is the perfect style to employ in the intensity of finals. Cohuna prefer to maintain possession by foot, switching the angles and methodically picking their way through their opponents’ zone. That game plan may work well on the wide-open space at Cohuna, but will it stand up to the heat Woorinen will undoubtedly bring? Time will tell.
WOORINEN
KEY PLAYER
Arnold Kirby – The Woorinen ruckman will need to be at his absolute best, with the Kangas likely to tag-team him with Ben Archard and Christopher Anderson as they did a fortnight ago. Kirby is the Tigers’ barometer, in that when he fires, so does his team.
THE BURNING QUESTION
How do Woorinen negate the Kangas tall forwards?
With Mitchel Taylor set to miss the game, it’s hard to see the Tigers’ defence stopping both Rhys Free and Dylan Johnstone. It was a major problem for them two weeks ago, with the Kangas taking 13 marks inside 50, with both Free and Johnstone getting off the chain at times. Ben Booth did a solid job on Johnstone that day, while Matthew Gardner was serviceable opposed to Free, but both will need more help from their fellow defenders if they are to restrict Cohuna to a reasonable total.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Kangas and Tigers have met twice this season, with Cohuna getting the points on both occasions – an eight-point win on Good Friday at Woorinen, followed up with a 48-point victory a fortnight ago at Cohuna.
KEY MATCH-UP
Patrick Veszpremi v Tom Metherell
Veszpremi will return for Woorinen after missing their past three games with injury. The Tigers sorely missed both his marking and his ability to get dangerous inside 50 when they last played the Kangas in round 17. With Miller out of the midfield, Veszpremi will also be expected to spend time in the centre – but when he’s forward, expect Tom Metherell, Jake Hammond or even Daniel Paterson to take him.
