The two best performed teams in recent years Cora Lynn and Bunyip will meet in the EDFL 2016 grand final this Saturday at Garfield. The Cobras will aim to win the premiership for a third consecutive year and the Bulldogs will enter its fourth grand final in five years. Bunyip will be out to put the ghosts of last year’s grand final defeat against the Cobras behind them.
The teams have met twice this season:
Round 6 – Bunyip 16.15.111 defeated Cora Lynn 7.16.58
Second semi-final – Cora Lynn 12.14.86 defeated Bunyip 8.8.56
While Cora Lynn lost quite a few of their 2015 premiership team over summer it has kept balance with the arrival of Chris McKay, Nathan Usher, Jason Toan, Matt Runnalls and Jai Rout and all to impress this season. Bunyip have fielded a side similar team to last year but was disappointed to lose Yarragon recruit Scott Wood and defender Brad Wolfe at the start of the year to season ending injuries.
Cora Lynn will enter favourite on the back of its solid victory over Bunyip a fortnight ago. The Bulldogs can take heart that it led by three points at half time in their most recent encounter but in the second half the Cobras prised open its defence with five unanswered goals to take a stranglehold on proceedings. Bunyip will need to move the ball more rapidly and fluently if it is to turn the tables today.
Cora Lynn boast the more potent attacking options. Ryan Gillis has notched 69 goals while Anthony Giuliano (51), Nathan Langley (20), Ricky Clark (29), Nathan Gillis (22), Nick Helsby (22) and Jackson Dalton (20) are all other formidable targets. This is not to say Bunyip is completely overshadowed in this department. Kris Bedford (44 goals) heads their goal kicking table with support from Matt Ross (42), Jack Blakey (29), Mark Johnson (26), Brent Heus (22) and Michael Laszczyk (20).
In the second semi-final the Bunyip forwards were shackled by good defence from Justin McCleary, Tim Payne, Chris McKay and Nathan Muratore. After half time Nathan Langley took a number of strong marks and kicked three goals as a lead up forward to alter the shape of the game. Bunyip will need to put their thinking caps on to address this potential problem again.
Where Bunyip may have an advantage is with its ability to re-organise its team structure as coach Brad Walker, Lachlan Petch, Rob Hughes, Mitch Davies, Nathan Lieshout and Adam Rakip can all be swung around from one end of the field to another.
All things being equal the star midfielders of both teams, Ricky Clark, Brady White, Nathan Gillis and young gun Jai Rout for Cora Lynn and Michael Whyte, Matt Ross, Jack Blakey and Jeb McLeod for Bunyip will likely neutralise each other but the superior firepower of the Cobras swings the verdict the way of Cora Lynn who have left little room for criticism over the last month.
A big day of football will commence with Cora Lynn and Koo Wee Rup to clash in the U/16s. The Demons will be out to make it back to back flags in the fourths but look to have a difficult task after it lost by 28 points to the Cobras in the second semi. Expect Mitchell Cammarano, Mitchell Davey, Jason Cox, Matthew Voss and Brody Sungalis to figure prominently for Koo Wee Rup while forward Matt Ryan, ruckman Levi Munns, Chase Blackwood and Patrick Briffa are players to keep an eye on for the Cobras.
The U/18 game between Cora Lynn and Garfield promises plenty. Many of the players to take the field will be household names at local level if not at a higher level in upcoming years. For the Cobras Heath Briggs, Lochie Peluso and Brayden Weller all look to have a bright future while for Garfield Daniel Helmore, Rhys Murphy, Lachlan Schreurs and strong bodied ruckman Sam Whibley who have all had plenty of senior experience this season will make their presence felt.
In the reserves Bunyip will meet last season’s premiers the Warragul Industrials. Expect 2016 Gerard Heenan medallist Daniel Wright and fellow midfielders Steve Berryman, Leigh Carmody and Darren Blaney to get plenty of the ball for Bunyip while for the Dusties rover Damien Mullen, who hobbled off the ground late last week, Rhett O’Hara, Scott Lindsay and league leading goal kicker Shane Ingham will pose nuisance value for the Bulldog defence.
SELECTIONS
U/16s – CORA LYNN v Koo Wee Rup
U/18s – Cora Lynn v GARFIELD
Reserves – BUNYIP v Warragul Industrials
Seniors – CORA LYNN v Bunyip
Last Modified on 15/09/2016 11:30