MOULAMEIN will be hoping to continue their recent good form when they face off against Ultima in another top of the ladder clash between the two clubs at Ultima tomorrow.
The Swans come into the encounter having won their last three matches, with their 29-point win over Hay confirming that they are the team most likely to challenge the Roos in the upcoming finals series later this month.
Despite top spot being all but safe in Ultima’s keeping, and second spot locked away for Moulamein, the Swans will be desperate to secure the four points and the extra belief that they can match it with the Golden Rivers ladder leaders.
The two clubs have met twice already, with a 62-point win in round 5 followed by a 33-point win in round 9 by Ultima – a record that Moulamein coach Heath Moloney is desperate to change heading into the business end of the season.
“It would be nice to get a win over them (Ultima) leading into the finals, we haven’t shown up to play the last two times we’ve played them, but third time’s a charm, hopefully,” Moloney said.
“I’m hoping we can get out there and start a bit better than we have the last couple of times we’ve played them.
“Our starts have been a massive focus for us all year to be honest, we’ve been slowly chipping away at it and getting better every week but we’re still not converting enough.
“There are still a few games to go before finals to get that sorted.”
The Swans will be without key players Josh Flight (suspension) and Lochie Phillips (knee), but will welcome back Zac Cockayne from a knee injury.
Cockayne will return for his first game since round 4 and slot straight back into Moulamein’s back six, with the extra depth and support in defence adding another dimension to their defensive half of the ground, according to Moloney.
“Even with Zac (Cockayne) in this week, there’s still a couple more to come into the side over the next couple of weeks, so our back six will only get stronger,” Moloney said.
“Our back six have been working well together, we’ve made some adjustments and found where everyone best fits.
“We just need to try and get our run going from defence – defend hard and squeeze them, but at the same time take the game on and run.
Ultima will also have several key inclusions to their line-up, with Tom Bull, Darcy Farrell and Ryan Devereux all expected to come in.
Bull and Farrell will make a significant difference, with Ultima coach Kyle Symons telling The Guardian their absence left his side slightly exposed during their 21-point win over Macorna a fortnight ago.
“It will be great to have them (Bull and Farrell) back, they both add a bit of extra pace and give us a bit more run through the middle,” Symons said.
“We lacked that against Macorna before the bye and they were able to lock us down a bit.
“We need that outside run to play our best footy, so to have both back will help enormously.
Symons said his midfield would need to be on their game, with Mitch Seton-Stewart, Tyler Makepeace, Jake Foster and Bull holding the key to stopping Moulamein’s outside run.
“We need to put the pressure on them, if we let them get the ball on the outside with a lack of pressure, they will run all over us,” Symons said.
“If we can get on top of them around the contest and slow them up a bit, it’ll go a long way towards us getting the job done.”
The other game of significant interest tomorrow will be at Macorna, where the Tigers can potentially lock away the top four with a win over Murrabit.
Macorna are a game and percentage clear of Wandella inside the top four, and with the Bombers needing to upset the much-improved Hay to stay in the hunt for finals, the Tigers could move two games clear with just two games remaining in the home-and-away season.
