WITH the race for the top three heating up, tomorrow’s encounter between Balranald and the Cohuna Kangas has quickly turned into a must-win match for both sides.
After a slow start to the season, the Kangas have found form, registering four straight wins.
But while fourth-placed Cohuna might be starting to resemble the side that made it to last year’s grand final, they will also face their biggest test since their 38-point loss to Kerang.
Balranald, second on the ladder, have lost just one game for the season and are widely held as the most likely challenger to the Blues’ throne.
With wet conditions likely to greet the Kangas, senior coach Tyson Findlay was more concerned with his team getting away to a fast start when talking with The Guardian earlier this week.
“We haven’t played a lot of wet weather footy this season, but at the end of the day it’s the same for both teams,” Findlay said.
“We’ll just have to get control of the footy if it does rain, surge it forward and put that scoreboard pressure on, especially early in the game.
“We will have a big emphasis on getting off to a good start.
“(Balranald) are a really strong first-quarter side, so if we can get off to a good start, that’ll help us put a bit of pressure on.
“We know that they’re a side you have to play four quarters against in order to beat them, which is something we’ve been working towards over the last month of football.”
Jarrod Findlay and Anthony Fagan are expected to return to help bolster Cohuna’s midfield, however Dylan Johnstone was expected to be at least one more week away.
Balranald will also be forced into a couple of changes, with Nathan Ablett and Colin Andrews expected to return after missing Balranald’s 37-point win over NNW United a fortnight ago.
Ablett’s welcome inclusion will be offset by the loss of fellow key defender Josh Hodgson, ruled out with a knee injury.
Balranald coach Jydon Neagle said the underrated full-back was in career-best form this season and was one of his team’s leaders.
“Losing ‘Hoddo’ (Hodgson) will be a bit of a loss for us, no doubt,” Neagle said.
“It would have been good to have both him and Nathan (Ablett) back there against their key forwards, but we’ll deal with it the best we can and come up with a plan to negate them.
“We’ve said all year that there’s no easy games this season and this one’s another one that’s a must-win game for us – we want to stay in the top three and we know that they’re not far off it.”
With the home side down a key defender, and the weather having the potential to not favour marking forwards, the Kangas’ attacking half will become an area of intrigue for both clubs, as to who will be best suited to exploit that area of the game.
With Rhys Free already at their disposal, and Jake Hammond proving a success up forward in the second half of their 31-point win over Tyntynder last round, the Kangas have plenty of options to stretch Balranald’s defence.
The real battle is likely to take place through the middle of the ground, with both teams deriving much of their attacking flair off half-back and through the centre, and with both teams liking to play a fast-moving style of game.
Neagle said getting first hands on the ball will be at a premium.
“I think both teams play a very similar style, with players who are in-and-under types that will be so important in the wet,” Neagle said.
“They have (Joel) Helman, but we have Colin Andrews and ‘Ganty’ (Ethan Gant) who doesn’t mind winning the contested ball, so it’ll be a pretty even contest in the middle I feel.
“We won’t be too defensive. The reason why we are where we are is by playing our game, so we’ll stick to that.
“(Joel) Helman’s obviously a dangerous player for them, he cut us open both games last year, so we’ll have someone to watch him around the stoppages, but our boys are expected to play defence-first footy no matter who it’s against, so whoever gets him will just have to play their role.”
While Helman is undoubtedly one of the players who hold the keys for the Kangas, Balranald have their own midfield weapons that will take stopping, including Neagle, his brother Matthew and Kobe Lloyd.
Add in-form ruckman Jordan Wilkins and forwards Ben Fuller and Drew Lloyd, and with the conditions likely to suit the home side, the Roos should claim win No.9 for the season.
Tip – Balranald to win by eight points.
KEY MATCH-UP
Jydon Neagle v Joel Helman
WHETHER this exact match-up eventuates remains to be seen, but I think everyone would love to see the two Jack Betts Medallists go head-to-head.
Neagle has spent considerable time forward this season, but his best value for the Roos will be around the contest, where he can use his class to get the ball going forward.
Similarly, Helman can – and will – play the exact same role for the Kangas, with the gun Cohuna onballer built for the finals-type atmosphere that is expected.
The midfield battle will be crucial in deciding who wins and expect these two attacking weapons to have a big say in the result.
THE BURNING QUESTION
Do the Kangas try to exploit Balranald’s lack of key defenders by playing Jake Hammond forward?
WHILE the temptation will certainly be there to try and stretch Balranald’s defence and their sudden lack of big defenders, the weather may not be conducive to the ploy if the rain eventuates.
The other area of concern could well be that because Hammond is so adept at reading the ball in flight behind the ball, and picking off countless opposition forward entries, do Cohuna also lose that defensive rebound that they are well renowned for – and which will be so important in the conditions?
I think we can expect to see Hammond move forward at some stage, but perhaps if the Kangas are chasing the game in the second half.
