NNW UNITED v WOORINEN
REIGNING premiers Nyah-Nyah West United will be under pressure to bounce back from last round’s loss to Koondrook-Barham when they host arch-rivals Woorinen under lights tonight.
The Demons were poor against the Raiders at their last outing, with their back line out-muscled and out-played by Koondrook-Barham’s key forwards, while their midfield were quite simply obliterated at the contest.
The worrying thing for the red and blue army is that tonight won’t be any easier, with the Tigers coming into the match as one of the form teams of the competition with 67 and 61-point wins over Balranald and Tyntynder.
Matt Perry (11 goals) and Hugh Thompson (10 goals) are among the league’s leading goal scorers and should pose further headaches for NNW United’s back six.
The one positive for the Demons will be the returns of premiership stars Jaydyn Stirling, Ethan Curran and Max Thompson, with key forward Alex Birch also a chance to pull on the red and blue jumper for the first time.
For the Tigers, Josh Stone is expected to return for his first game of the season, while Xavia Elford is also expected to line-up after missing last round.
With wet weather expected, the inclement conditions could well play into the hands of the Tigers, especially with NNW United’s preference to move the ball with speed and link up by hand.
Tip – Woorinen to win by four points.
TYNTYNDER v COHUNA
TYNTYNDER will be hoping to present a much sterner test for the Cohuna Kangas when the two clubs clash at the Alan Garden Reserve Saturday afternoon.
The Kangas conceded just two behinds against Balranald in their opening match of the season, after also registering 50 scoring shots of their own in the one-sided affair two weeks ago.
While the Bulldogs are yet to notch a win on their belt this season, they have at least been relatively competitive against form teams Koondrook-Barham and Woorinen, withSaturday’s contest expected to give fans a truer reflection of exactly where the Kangas sit in the 2025 pecking order.
Callan Jager will come back into the home side’s line-up for Reily Menhenett in what is expected to be Tyntynder’s only change, while Cooper Mcloughlin will miss for Cohuna, with Noah Hore expected to make his senior debut.
Although Tyntynder’s big strength is their back six, led by Elliott Broad, Elia Ware and Mick Dedini, their biggest issue may well be countering the Kangas depth and class through the midfield, with Tom Toma, Joel Helman, Ricky Monti, Sam McGlone and Jackson Williams all dominating out of the middle against the Roos.
Tip – Cohuna to win by 36 points.
KERANG v SWAN HILL
BOTH Kerang and Swan Hill will be looking for win number one when they meet at Riverside Park Saturday afternoon.
After falling short against Lake Boga in round 1, the Blues bounced back and were unlucky not to beat Tooleybuc-Manangatang last round, with positive signs coming from young players Archer Dibsdale, Rylee Gitsham and Bohden McKnight in the loss.
The Blues have turned to youth this season to regenerate in much the same way as Swan Hill did last season, but it will be the two clubs senior players who are expected to be the difference between winning and losing Saturday.
Bradlee Pay has returned in form for the Blues this season and will be relied upon to find plenty of the ball through the middle Saturday afternoon.
The Swans on the other hand have a bit more experience across the ground, with Michael Herlihy, Luke Phelan, Kallen Heslop and Tom Holdstock all expected to play key roles for the visitors.
The big question is which team is likely to handle the possible wet conditions better, with a slight edge favouring the bigger bodies of the home side around the contest.
Tip – Kerang to win by six points.
LAKE BOGA v TOOLEYBUC-MANANGATANG
AN early season injury crisis will see Tooleybuc-Manangatang go into Saturday’s must-win match against Lake Boga as a team under pressure.
Conor Wilson, Gareth Grant, Sebastian Rogers, Ben Arentz and both John and Richard Wardle will all miss Saturday’s game after suffering injuries during the Saints 15-point win over Kerang a fortnight ago, with Lake Boga fully refreshed after having two weeks off following their round 2 bye.
The loss of John Wardle will leave a big hole for Tooleybuc-Manangatang to fill, with the reliable defender able to play on either tall or small opposition forwards, especially with Rex Hickman, Jayden Lonergan and Koben Ryan all capable of turning a game up forward for the Magpies.
Braden Padmore also looms as a key player for Lake Boga, with his four-goal performance from the midfield back in round 1 a clear highlight for the Magpie army, who will be hoping their new recruit can replicate his form Saturday.
As impressive as Padmore’s haul was, he has nothing on Connor Nutting’s 10-goal haul last round, with the Saints midfielder/forward looming as a key player for the visitors with the expected wet conditions Saturday.
Tip – Tooleybuc-Manangatang to win by five points.
