ULTIMA will be determined to bounce back from last Saturday’s loss to Moulamein when they host unbeaten ladder leaders Hay tomorrow afternoon.
After falling eight points short against the Swans and on the back of a 41-point defeat to the Lions in round 3, the Roos will be out to make a statement, according to co-coach Mitch Seton-Stewart and keep the fight for the minor premiership alive.
“Last week was disappointing for us, but you can learn a lot from a loss and I think we have learnt plenty from last week,” Seton-Stewart told The Guardian this week.
“Hopefully the boys are ready to fight back although it obviously doesn’t get any easier against Hay, but regardless we’ll definitely be looking to redeem ourselves after last Saturday.
“I think we got a good understanding of what their game plan is back in round 3 as we’ve tweaked a few things from last year and it was good to see just how those changes stacked up.”
Ruckman Jye Purtill is expected to return for the Roos, as is key forward Josh Dwyer, with the pair adding much needed depth to Ultima’s key positions stocks.
Purtill’s battle with Hay’s ruckman and co-coach James Moran is set to be a key individual battle given the strength of both midfields, with the Roos needing to give a much better account of themselves at the contest than they did five weeks ago against the Lions.
Hay will also be forced into making a change with midfielder Jacob Watson to miss the all-important clash.
Watson will be a big loss given his ability to not only win the contested ball but use it well on the outside, but despite his absence, Moran is hopeful for another strong showing from his team tomorrow, provided they bring the same level of effort as they did in round 3.
“I think our endeavour was really good (in round 3) and we need to make sure we’re turn up ready to play the same way again this week,” Moran said.
“We want to be first of the footy and we also want to make sure we’re not being too reactive, we feel like we understand how they want to play the game so we can plan around that.
“We want to play our way and stick to our strategy, but we also know Ultima are a very good team too.
“They use the ball well, they zone off well, they’re very well coached, so we’ll have to make sure that we stop their switch and stop their run, and that hopefully is the key to winning for us.”
Jack Headon proved to be a thorn in Ultima’s side last time our, with the hybrid forward booting a game high six goals.
Key forward Declan Watson was well held on the other hand in what was his first match of the season, although he has since caught fire with 18 goals from his past three games.
Together, Headon and Watson have proven to be a dynamic one-two punch for the Lions, with Headon also leading the way as the Golden Rivers leading goalkicker with 33 majors.
If Ultima are to get the job done, they simply have to get their hands on the ball first and deny Hay’s forward line the opportunities it often gets, according to Seton-Stewart.
“I think our forward line can be really dangerous and I feel we could possibly get on top in that regard and potentially exploit them down back,” Seton-Stewart said.
“But to get it down there, first you have to get through their midfield and that’s the hardest part.
“It’s going to take a lot of grit and determination from our onballers this weekend to work hard and produce a solid four quarter effort at the contest.
“Their midfield is first class and that’s where the game is normally won or lost with most teams, but especially against Hay, we just need to get first use of the ball and win it at the contest, it’s as simple as that.”
Also in action tomorrow will be Wandella and Murrabit, with third place on the ladder set to be the prize for the winner.
The Blues have been the Golden Rivers big improvers this season despite falling 15 points short of the Bombers in round 3, should go in with confidence of reversing that result based on recent performances.
A strong third quarter was enough to get Wandella over the line against Macorna last weekend and although their first half left a bit to be desired, their ability to fight back to get the job done was commendable.
With the match to be played at Wandella, expect a hotly contested contest between two evenly matched teams, with the loser set to come under serious pressure from fifth placed Moulamein, who host Macorna tomorrow.
The Swans upset win over Ultima last weekend breathed life into their season and despite sitting a game and percentage outside the four, look set to make a big push for finals in the second half of the season.
If they can bring the same level of effort and intensity around the contest as they did last week, combined with another dominant display in the ruck from Heath Moloney, the Swans should close that gap to fourth spot even further by 5pm tomorrow.
