IT will be all-or-nothing when Nyah-Nyah West United hosts the Cohuna Kangas on Saturday afternoon.
The form lines of both are eerily similar, each having hard-fought wins over Tooleybuc-Manangatang and the Mallee Eagles in their last two outings, preceded by disappointing losses to Swan Hill and Kerang.
But while NNW United will be well rested, having had the bye last Saturday, coach Corey Daniels doesn’t need to be reminded of the magnitude of Saturday’s match – and the ramifications a loss would have on his team’s season.
“Saturday is a pretty big game obviously, but our last month have all been pretty big games and I think they’ll continue to be with how even the competition is,” Daniels said.
“(Cohuna have) got quite a strong midfield, along with Rhys Free and Dylan Johnstone up forward, who are two key pillars for them, so our onballers and defenders will need to be up for the challenge.
“We’ll go in with the mindset of just defending the ground and to try and structure up really well and hope that holds up.”
Matt Duffy will return for his first match since the Demons’ round 4 loss to Swan Hill, while the Kangas will lose Anthony Fagan, but hope to see Nathan Hammond return, providing he survived an overnight fitness test at training.
This would change the dynamic of the Kangas’ back six, after brother Jake returned in last week’s 18-point win over the Mallee Eagles.
One of the best intercept marks in the competition, Nathan Hammond would likely force the Demons into adjusting how they enter their forward 50, especially with a smaller forward line led by Charlie Boulton.
Cohuna coach Tyson Findlay hoped that was exactly how it plays out, although he was well aware of the danger of NNW United’s outside speed.
“We’ll be aiming to close down (NNW United’s) run and carry game and put pressure on the ball carrier,” Findlay said.
“They’re always looking for a handball to link up through the chain, so our pressure from both in front and behind has to be there, we can’t allow them to run off and win free footy all over the ground.
“We want to pressure them and force them to kick longer, if we can do that, it will play into our hands a little bit with us being one of the taller sides in the competition.”
Despite the Demons’ speed and ability to break the lines, the Kangas midfield has its own weapons that will pose a threat, with Joel Helman, Jarrod Findlay, Will Thrum and Daniel Paterson all in great touch.
But Cohuna’s disposal going into their attacking half of the ground has at times let them down in recent weeks, with Findlay putting his team on notice that improvement would be needed.
“We’re getting plenty of opportunities to go forward, but our efficiency when we do and our ability to hit our targets at times can let us down,” Findlay said.
“I’ve been happy with our run off half back and if we can get enough footy inside our forward half, then that will go a long way to us kicking a winning score.
“But our efficiency forward of the footy and hitting targets inside 50 will be a clear focus for us and must improve.”
NNW United on the other hand will be hoping to continue that trend for the visitors, with Daniels confident his team was up to the challenge of nullifying the dominant Cohuna forwards.
“Our pressure’s been really good the last two or three weeks, which has been a real positive and it’s probably seen a bit of a flow-on effect with how we’re using the footy and the way we’re setting up around the ground,” Daniels said.
“We’ll need to be wary of Free and Johnstone, but we’re going to back in our young boys and give them first crack, along with Joel Campbell and Joel Walsh, who have been leading our back six really well this season.
“We’ll just back those boys in, there’s no need to panic and go away from what we’ve been doing.”
With the winner to sit inside the top five ahead of a week off, expect both teams to leave nothing on the field in their pursuit of the four points.
Tip – NNW United to win by four points.
KEY MATCH-UP
Joel Walsh v Dylan Johnstone
WHILE Walsh and Johnstone may not line up on each directly, they will both have a big say on their teams’ performance in the Kangas’ attacking half of the ground.
Walsh has been a revelation for NNW United across half-back this season, with his intercept marking adding an extra string to the Demons’ defensive bow.
Cohuna must make Walsh accountable and not allow him to peel off in support of his teammates. With that in mind, Johnstone could well be the perfect match-up for the Kangas, with the key forward commanding plenty of attention in his own right when he’s on.
THE BURNING QUESTION
Do the Demons have the forward line to kick a winning score?
WHILE there maybe no household names among NNW United’s forward line – yet – they do have the talent to at least trouble the star-studded Cohuna back six.
Alex Erlandson returning from injury will certainly help with their structure, but the key will be in how the Demons’ midfielders move the ball into their attacking 50 to ensure they’re putting to the advantage of Charlie Boulton, Liam White and Hassan Ahmat-Watkins.
With Jake Hammond, Brenton Conforti and Tom Metherell in defence, the Demons can ill-afford to bomb the ball into their forwards – but if they’re smart, their small and dangerous forward line could pose a threat.
