This week’s Match of the Round is the match between The Whitsunday Sea Eagles who are just out of the final four on 7 wins, and who have kindly swapped their home ground advantage and switched this game to Stevenson`s Sports park at Moranbah, hosting the Moranbah Bulldogs who are fairly safe in third spot with 9 wins, however The North Mackay Saints, who are in fourth spot and on 7 wins are playing the Northern Beaches Magpies, and without being disrespectful to the Maggies, the Saints should win, and go to 8 wins and 44 points, and a fairly healthy percentage, however, with the Saints playing Moranbah next week in the last home and away fixture, the expectation will be on the Dogs to get the points in this clash, but as has been proven this season, anything can happen, and should the Dogs lose against the Sea Eagles this weekend, and the Saints win, well it makes  your head spin, but to be honest, percentage should ensure our final four remains as it is, and after next week, three teams will be booking their end of season trip a bit sooner than they had hoped for.
But it does make next week’s games very interesting, especially the Moranbah V Nth Mackay game.
Still as they say, it is one week at a time and retired Ex Captain of the Sea Eagles John Ryan, who has been in charge of the team for the last couple of weeks in the absence of the coach, who is on holidays, said that while the game is now being played at Moranbah, by way of the Eagles offering the swap due to a mid-season forfeit, he has a big list to select from, and with the inclusion of a couple of very handy players, who have largely been unavailable this season due to work commitments, the selection committee, for one of the first times this season do not have a dozen or so players having to double up for a reserves game and a seniors berth, and so John said all his boys will be fresh.
While John says he is expecting a hard game, his side are very positive and with a mathematical chance of getting into the finals, his side are primed and ready to give it a full tilt.
This should be a great game !
Out at the kennel Moranbah Coach Sebastian Curtis told me his side have trained very well this week, and he has a big squad to choose from as is normal when there is the sniff of finals in the air, he did say however that he felt his team had not been playing to their full potential for the last couple of games, and he is looking at this game as a good test to prepare his lads for finals footy.
Sebastian said that while the Sea Eagles are always a tough competitive outfit, he was expecting a win, if for no other reason than the home ground advantage, and with four games being played out there this Saturday (a juniors game, a women’s game and a reserves game) Seb is expecting a big crowd and a carnival type atmosphere which always spurs his boys on.
The Dogs are expecting a hard game, they have trained hard, and  Seb knows his team will chase the points very hard.
Other games this weekend are the match between the Bakers Creek Tigers hoping to finish the year with a roar at home at Etwell Park, hosting the Juggernaut that is the Mackay City Hawks, and as stated above, the North Mackay Saints are expecting to triumph over the Northern Beaches Magpies at Zeolla Park.
Finals are just around the corner so get along to a game and cheer your favourite team in the penultimate round of AFL footy, right here in Mackay.
Last Modified on 16/08/2013 10:30