by Jim Gordon
MFL Rd 7 Preview
SEA LAKE NANDALY TIGERS V JEPARIT RAINBOW
The clash between Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers and Jeparit Rainbow at Berriwillock is a must win game for the Tigers as they sit on the bottom of the ladder and are in danger of losing touch with the four. The Tigers have been hard hit by injuries this season and it is taking their new recruits time to settle in and play to the Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers game plan.
Last week Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers stuck with Hopetoun until half time before the Devils ran away in the second half. This week they are coming up against a side in very good form. In defeating Woomelang Lascelles, Jeparit Rainbow played as well as they have in any game so far this season.
Ben Zanker kicked five goals, Heath and Ashley Clugston dominated and Daniel Greig was an outstanding contributor. Playing forward Greig kicked two goals before swapping with Simon Clugston and playing in defence where his strong marking and spoiling from behind repelled many Cat attacks.
With Justin Chilver in fine form in the ruck, the Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers onballers are going to have to work to keep the ball away from the Laker onballers. Week after week Col Durie is named best for the Tigers and he will be looking for others to step up this week and relieve some of the pressure.
Andrew Jackson is another Laker that the Tigers will have to watch. He was brilliant on his wing last week with his pace and ball skills and Jackson ran the ball into the Laker forward line time after time.
Daniel Carmichael, Luke Martin and Taylor Hannig were best for Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers last week. They are going to have to perform again this week and hope that other Tigers have big games or Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers could be blown away by a confident Jeparit Rainbow.
OUYEN UNITED V HOPETOUN
Winning against Ouyen United at Blackburn Park is going to be a big challenge for the Devils this week. The challenges don‘t get much bigger. The Demons have been in a ruthless mood lately. They boast a blend of youth and experience, they are a wonderfully skilled side and they have had very good wins against Woomelang Lascelles and Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers in recent weeks.
The Devils are faced with the difficulty of shutting out both Sonny Lindsay and Bradley Vallance in the United forward line. Steve Hallam will probably get the job on Lindsey, but that leaves Vallance who kicked eight against the Tigers two weeks ago, and then there is Dom Leach. Leach plays out of a forward pocket or from half forward and he has been providing Ouyen United with yet another avenue to goal. A solid mark, an accurate kick and the consummate team player, Leach has been a bonus for the Demons since his debut against the Cats in Round four.
Ouyen United boasts a very strong midfield and they work well together. Brett Knowles’ return will strengthen it even more this week. They will come up against the likes of the talented Zac Taggert, Luke Milroy, and Ruben Vesikuru has been a good acquisition. The Devils can also use Tom Pridgeon on ball or around the centre.
Hopetoun’s forwards did well in their win last week. Kain Robins is a class act. He was hard across half forward and tries to draw others into the play. The consistent Bryce Wellington kicked four against Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers.
Unfortunately they come up against an Ouyen United backline that has played well all year. The Demon backs are a tight unit. Andrew Jardine has stood out, but he is ably supported by Kieran O’Shannessy and Jarrod Munro. Adam O’Callaghan plays close when he is in the backline and Adam Moore has held down the full back post for several seasons now and was one of United’s best in their only loss for the year against Beulah.
Hopetoun has found it difficult to deal with Ouyen United in recent years. They have some very good in-form players, they did well to win against the Tigers last week and against the Lakers in Round 2, but they look to be no match for a United side bristling with talented players who know how to deliver the ball into their forward line.
WOOMELANG LASCELLES V BEULAH
The Cats face the daunting task of trying to shut down a Beulah midfield and forward line that is bursting with talent. It starts in the ruck with Stephen Saunders providing Blues’ midfield with plenty of the ball. Dale Shannon is having a great season and the Cats will need to nominate someone to try and negate his influence by playing tight and close.
Having Tony Mudge back after missing a week with the flu will help the Cat cause as will the return of the brilliant young Trent Donnan who is available because Bendigo Pioneers have the bye. These two returning will boost the Woomelang Lascelles midfield and they should be able to limit the opportunities coming out of the centre and into the Beulah forward line.
Woomelang Lascelles could win the game if they can contain Beulah's forwards. Unfortunately for the Cats this is not likely to happen as they do not have the number of classy defenders to keep a check all day on forwards such as David King and Peter Lehmann.
The Cats would have been very disappointed in losing to Jeparit Rainbow last week and they will be out to redeem themselves. They looked good in patches against the Lakers, especially when they carried the ball and took on the opposition. This week is a different proposition. Just as the Cats fell away against Ouyen United when they were looking good, Beulah should be far too big and strong for a Woomelang Lascelles side that has nevertheless won over many friends in the MFL so far this season.
Last Modified on 18/05/2011 12:38
