BALRANALD v MALLEE EAGLES
Balranald will be aiming to keep themselves entrenched in the top two when they host the Mallee Eagles at Greenham Park tomorrow afternoon.
The Roos will go in heavy favourites, having won six of their opening seven matches of the season, on top of being widely regarded as a three goal better side on their own patch of turf.
Added to the positives for the home side is the likely return of forward Ben Fuller, with Balranald having missed their key marking target in recent weeks in hard-fought wins over Tooleybuc-Manangatang and Swan Hill.
Fuller’s return will ease the pressure on Jydon Neagle and Drew Lloyd up forward, along with Seth Connell, with the pair expected to return to their hybrid forward/midfielder roles against the Eagles.
The news isn’t all good for the home side, with Jack Jones missing through suspension, while Kobe Lloyd and Tom Salau will both need to have passed fitness tests overnight to take their place in the side.
It will be a similar story for the Mallee Eagles, with Harry Allen also needing to get through training overnight to return, along with Matthew Despott, while Joe Halloran and Brandon Gardiner are both confirmed outs for the visitors.
If the Eagles are to cause an upset, they will need to win the ball out of the middle and help nullify the Roos creative midfielders Ethan Gant, Matthew Neagle and Harrison Soraggi – but that will be a lot easier said than done.
Tip – Balranald to win by 45 points.
TYNTYNDER v NNW UNITED
Tomorrow’s match against Tyntynder is the definition of ‘must-win’ for NNW United, who are a game outside the top five and with a tough month ahead.
If the Demons are to be any chance of seeing September action, they must turn every half chance into four points, starting tomorrow against a Bulldogs outfit whose finals dreams have already been extinguished.
They kicked a wasteful 4.12 in last Saturday’s 16-point loss to crosstown rivals Swan Hill – a match they dominated in most key statistics, except the scoreboard.
While their inaccuracy hurt the Bulldogs last Saturday, it wasn’t an isolated incident, with Tyntynder having kicked more behinds than goals in five of their eight matches in 2023, and it’s a trend coach Josh Stone will be desperate to amend.
Their forward line will be given a boost tomorrow with the return of Jason Eagle and Justin Ellis from injury, while Pat Blake and Tate Hulland will also pull on the red, white and blue having missed against the Swans.
The biggest issue for the Bulldogs may well be dealing with NNW United’s speed and outside run, with the Demons playing their best football when allowed to spread from the contest.
Jarrod Stokes and Kayne Davidson will be players to watch in that regard, while intercept defender Joel Walsh will need to be at his best for the Demons if they are to keep their season alive.
Tip – NNW United to win by 10 points.
KOONDROOK-BARHAM v SWAN HILL
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Koondrook-Barham will be out to secure their first points of season 2023 when they play host to Swan Hill tomorrow afternoon.
While it’s been a tough start to the season for the Raiders, having gone winless through their opening seven games, they have also started to show signs of improvement in recent weeks.
Although suffering an 85-point loss to Kerang at their last start, Koondrook-Barham were more than competitive for three quarters against the reigning premiers – and if they can bring that sort of form to the table again then they are half a chance of causing an upset against the improving Swans tomorrow.
Scott Wood has been a revelation in defence for the Raiders this season, while Pat Goble, Colin McVeigh and Mitchell Christensen have been reliable ball winners through the middle and half back, but it’s been their inability to hit the scoreboard that has been their achilles heel in 2023.
Swan Hill have also struggled to hit the scoreboard in recent weeks, averaging just 42 points in their past three games.
Although the Swans will likely be without injured forward Zach Mihocek for another week, his absence will hopefully be offset by the inclusion of Wilhem Bennett from Vic. Country under 16 duties.
While the Raiders might be improving, they still have plenty of work to do – and with finals now well and truly on the agenda for the Swans, along with players of the quality of Matthew Wade, Toby Thoolen and Jose Miliado, expect the visitors to get the job done.
Tip – Swan Hill to win by 27 points.
WOORINEN v TOOLEYBUC-MANANGATANG
After comfortably accounting for Swan Hill at their last start, Woorinen will be hoping for a similar, dominant display when they host Tooleybuc-Manangatang at Tigerland tomorrow afternoon.
While the Swans were no match for the Tigers’ pressure and speed, the same may not be said for the Saints, who have pushed quality sides Balranald and Cohuna all the way to the dying minutes in recent weeks.
Those form lines stack up well, and while Woorinen on their home ground is always a tough proposition, tomorrow could easily turn into a danger game.
Woorinen will have a couple of forced changes, with Mitch Taylor (unavailable) and Danko Bzenic (hamstring) both out, while Taylor Cameron will return to the line-up, along with talented youngster Charlie King, who will make his senior debut in the yellow and black.
The battle between Josh Williams and Ben Booth promises to be a game-changer, although the real test for the Saints will be in winning the contested ball and getting it into the hands of Blake Grant, Jack Mazzarella and Johnathan Marsden – and out of the hands of Jye Barry, Robbie Miller and Josh Domaille.
Tip – Woorinen to win by 40 points.
