Both the Northern Blues and Frankston will be looking to rebound from disappointing defeats when they meet this Saturday at Preston City Oval in the ABC TV Match of the Day.
The Dolphins shot away to a flyer last week before running out of legs against a resurgent Werribee outfit, while the Blues were never in the hunt as the Cats recorded a 10-goal win.
The Blues are in danger of slipping out of the eight, while Frankston’s finals fancies are fast fading – and with the halfway point of the season approaching, both sides will be desperate for a win.
Nick Duxson previews this match.
Conditions
It keeps raining and raining – and there’s no sign of it letting up until Saturday. With some grounds already muddy and covered in puddles, Preston City Oval could turn into a bog by Saturday afternoon. Spectators should be able to look forward to an old-fashioned scrap in challenging conditions.
The Last Three
Northern Blues – WLL – The Blues form has been mixed over the past three games. They copped an unexpected belting last week at the hands of premiership favourites Geelong, while a narrow loss to Collingwood and a big win over finals contenders North Ballarat preceded that.
Frankston – LLL – Frankston are no doubt heading in the right direction, but still struggling to string together four quality quarters of football. The Dolphins dominated the opening term against the Tigers last weekend before falling away, and have shown glimpses in defeats to finals contenders Box Hill and Williamstown.
Last Meeting
Round 22, 2012 – Visy Park – Northern Blues 15.12.102 def Frankston 9.5.59
In the last home-and-away match of last year, the Blues were far too good for Frankston, recording a 43-point victory. Dylan Buckley kicked three goals, while Rhys O’Keeffe and former Blue Jordan Russell starred. Lachy Delahunty led the way for the Dolphins, with Magpies recruit Kyle Martin also impressive.
The Key Match Ups
Chris Yarran returns for the Blues, and with his blistering pace and elite foot skills, Frankston will need to be careful. It could depend on where Yarran plays, but Tom Purcell could be the man for the job after a successful tagging role last weekend. Ziggy Alwan could match Yarran for pace, but the Dolphins would be reluctant to sacrifice his run-and-carry.
Key Frankston forward Michael Lourey is someone the Blues will have to stop this week, the job could fall to Matthew Watson. With the ability to reign in big marks, compete at ground level and kick accurately, the Dolphins’ full forward and VFL representative is in scintillating touch, averaging close to four goals a game this year.
The ruck duel will also be an interesting one, with Shaun Hampson and Robbie Warnock set to share the duties. Russ Gabriel has been in great form this year, but the undersized Frankston warrior will have his work cut out against the two Carlton-listed giants.
Team Selections
Chris Yarran is the big name returning for the Northern Blues, while Simon White also comes back from the Carlton line-up.
For Frankston they will benefit from Khan Haretuku having an couple of senior games now under his belt, as Simon Goosey starts to get his strongest side out on the field.
Prediction – Northern Blues by 8 points.
Last Modified on 14/06/2013 13:07