ALL eyes will be focused on the outcome of Saturday’s encounter between Cohuna and the Mallee Eagles in what shapes as a likely qualifying final preview.
While both clubs remain in the running to finish on top of the ladder, they also require a mis-step from Woorinen, with the winner of this weekend’s match instead expected to take bragging rights into the first final of one of the most anticipated finals series in recent memory.
At present, bragging rights belong to the Eagles, who secured a 30-point win over Cohuna back in round 5 at Lalbert.
While the result of that game and Saturday’s will matter little when the pointy end of the season rolls around, the confidence a win over the other will generate could be just the tonic for when they inevitably meet again, according to Mallee Eagles co-coach Brent Macleod.
“It doesn’t really bother me the result this weekend, but in saying that, to have a win over Cohuna at Cohuna is a pretty good feather in your cap,” Macleod told The Guardian this week.
“I’d rather go into a finals series with that than not have that knowledge and confidence in your back pocket.
“Saturday is a big game for both clubs even though we both know we need Woorinen to drop a game to be a chance of top spot, but the most important thing for us is to look after our own backyard first.”
While the Eagles are the only team to beat the Tigers this season, Saturday’s outcome means even more for the Kangas, who are yet to claim a big scalp in 2025.
With games against Kerang and Lake Boga to come, Saturday is Cohuna’s last opportunity to do just that, with Jack Geary also acutely aware of the confidence a win would bring.
“Just having that little bit of a mental edge makes a big difference when you meet again I believe, even just for our own mindset,” Geary said.
“We’re under no illusions that we haven’t beaten a team above us yet this season, so we know it’s a pretty big game, even just for our own mentality and our own belief.
“It’s a bit of an advantage playing it at home, just like it was an advantage for them playing at Lalbert back earlier in the season.
“We’ll try to keep shifting them and use the width and size of our ground, which I think we play better than we play anywhere else.
“We just want to have the ball in our hands and then use it well by foot and by hand, that will be our focus.”
Although the big ground at Cohuna will be an advantage for the home side, it’s also an opportunity for the Eagles to work on the defensive side of their game, according to Macleod, who knows the importance of not allowing the Kangas midfield to run and spread from the contest.
“We won’t need to change too much on the bigger ground, but we might need to make some adjustments more so in the defensive side of the game,” Macleod said.
“Rather than have a press or a zone from kick ins, there’s no point in trying to cover that whole ground because it’s so big, so we just need to get back to playing man on man.
“I think our defence as a whole and our team defence is a weapon that we’re probably going to lean on a lot.
“That’s our one wood and that’s our attacking weapon, our ability to defend collectively as a team and then our depth across the board among our whole 22 runs deeper than any other teams in my opinion.
“If we can limit their influence in defence, then we’ll bank on our ability to compete across the board to get as close to goal as possible and then it’s about maintaining the footy in our half.”
The Eagles are expected to welcome Billy O’Meara and Wes Bennett back into the line-up for Saturday’s must-win match.
But the news isn’t as good for Cohuna, with Riley Hird’s hamstring strain last week seeing him miss the all-important clash.
Brenton Conforti and Jarrod Findlay will also need to pass overnight fitness tests in order to take their place in the Kangas line-up, while Jack Geary’s ankle injury is expected to keep him on the side lines for at least another week.
Much of Cohuna’s dominance stems from their damaging midfield, with Joel Helman, Tom Toma and Ricky Monti not only strong around stoppages and at the contest, but also in hitting the scoreboard.
The Eagles are no slouches at the contest themselves and are one of the best clearance teams in the Central Murray, with the battle to get first hands on the ball likely to go a long way towards deciding the outcome.
Although the Eagles strength is at the stoppages, their ability to intercept and run from half back is where they are able to hurt opposition teams, with Zac O’Meara, Isaiah Bull, Harry McGregor and Clinton Cummins all expected to enjoy the wide open spaces of the Cohuna Rec. Reserve.
While a tight contest is almost guaranteed and Cohuna’s home ground advantage means they should start favourites, the Eagles capacity to have close to their best team on the park might just be the difference.
Tip – Mallee Eagles to win by three points.
KEY MATCH-UP
Darcy Hourigan v William Lee
WITH 53 goals from 11 matches, including seven last weekend, Darcy Hourigan has troubled most teams in the Central Murray this season.
His presence in the Eagles forward line makes him not only a player to watch for spectators, but one of the key cogs in Mallee’s front half with his ability to find the ball both in the air and at ground level.
While Hourigan has dominated most teams since his arrival at Lalbert, one team he hasn’t managed to get the wood over is Cohuna, with full-back William Lee a key factor in the Kangas nullifying Hourigan.
Lee kept Hourigan to just two goals back in round 5 this year, but it was his ability to keep him goalless back in round 14 last season that stands out, with the Kangas defender the only player to achieve that feat in Hourigan’s 29 games in the blue and gold stripes.
THE BURNING QUESTION
Is Chris Anderson the most important player on the ground?
ALTHOUGH Cohuna’s midfield consists of Joel Helman, Ricky Monti, Tom Toma and Jackson Williams, it’s hard to argue that Anderson isn’t the most important player for the Kangas with their structure and set-up.
Anderson has played just two games since breaking his hand mid-season, but is in the midst of one of his best ever campaigns and is in the conversation, along with Connor Mcdonald and Lachlan Gardner, as the Central Murray’s premier ruckman.
Is as dominant around the ground with his ability to impact in the air as he is in putting his talented midfield on the end of the ball around the stoppages, which is impressive in itself.
