Benalla and Tatura will play a blinder at Benalla today; otherwise I’m totally off the mark. The Saints, undefeated, have firmed to favouritism for the flag, while I have been yapping up the Bulldogs all season and believe they could cause a boil over come September. Morrison medallist, Luke Morgan, has the Saints playing great team football while Bulldogs coach, Brendan van der Donk, in his first year as senior coach, is still developing his game plan and player approach to the game. If the Bulldogs click today as they have been for the past seven weeks, they will take the Saints to the wire. I’m not saying they’ll beat the Saints but it will be one hell of a game of footy because they have the manpower to match the boys from Benalla, who keep on keeping on in their matches. Home Central Player of the Round is Tatura winger, Tim Lanyon, who has given the Bulldogs consistent supply all season and again on Saturday hurt the Demons.
At Deakin Reserve, United (fifth) and Rochy (sixth) play a game crucial to both sides. The Tigers showed their best form for the season at Seymour last Saturday in a game which had danger written all over it. The Tigers were slow away but gather momentum and with Dylan Cuttriss and Grant Weeks finishing off their good work further afield the Tigers were able to prevail. Weeks now heads the league’s leading goal kick with 50 for the season equal with the magical Saad Saad, Seymour’s Mr True Boot, who has headed the league’s goal kicking on four occasions and is heading for his fifth. Barring injuries, Saad and Weeks should fight it out for the true boot award with both looking to kick a ton for the season. Co-coach, Tim Looby, has been the Demons major goal kicker, from a half back flank, mind you, along with Brodie Ross and they need others to put scoreboard pressure on the opposition if they are to beat the Tigers.
Echuca will be hoping to put their fourth win for the season on the board when they play Mooroopna. The Murray Bombers are ninth at 3-7 and the Cats eighth at 4-6 which would suggest a tight finish at the end of the day. Echuca had a red hot go at Euroa for three quarters but failed to finish and a fade out against the Cats will result in another loss but hopefully at home they will take it up to the visitors.
Euroa will be hoping to edge closer to the six when they take on Shepparton who will after their third win for the season. The Magpies finished will against Echuca at home last Saturday and another home game today will allow them the opportunity to get close to the six which they are a game out of at this stage. The Bears showed they can put four quarters together against Mansfield at The D on Saturday and they will need to have the same mind set against the Magpies who we all know are hard to beat at home.
Seymour will need to give it their best shot to get away with the Shepparton Swans at Kings Park. Paul Colbert and Saad kicked the majority of their goals against the Tigers and they will need help to kick more today because Swans have plenty of fire power. Justin Maddern could be doubtful with a leg injury and without him the Swans will be in trouble kicking a winning score because he has been their major goal kick for the season. Then again the Lions have been struggling to get all their good players on the park at the one time and if this was to occur, the could cause an upset, but I don’t think so.
Mansfield are home to Kyabram and while they have the home ground advantage, I doubt if they can get away with the reigning premiers. Jake Reeves continues to play well for the Bombers and he will be a thorn in the Eagles side again today. The Eagles are blooding youngsters while they try to get all players fit and that will bear fruit in the future but it won’t give them four points against the Bombers who are still among the favourites for consecutive flags.
Last Modified on 28/03/2015 18:38
