Preliminary Final: New England Nomads v Tamworth Kangaroos at Bellevue Oval on Saturday
We have just two weekends of footy left in 2012, and this week’s combatants are playing off for the last spot in the TAFL Grand Final. The stakes couldn’t be higher as there is no tomorrow for the loser, and the promise of a chance to battle it out for the title in Inverell for the victor.
The Nomads came back to earth with a thud last weekend. They headed into this finals series on the back of a 5 game winning sequence, with victories over the Saints and Roos in the final two rounds of the year. They had the chance to secure the first Grand Final in Armidale since 2006, but couldn’t repeat their Round 16 result. They were never out of the clash on the weekend, but didn’t lead that game at any time after the 10-minute mark of the first quarter. They seemed to lose their way during the second quarter, getting away from their game plan, and could never quite recover despite getting close in the last quarter. They have the chance to redeem themselves this weekend, but the threat of being the first Minor Premiers to not make a Grand Final in sometime will be hanging over them like an Armidale raincloud.
The Roos heads into this clash off the back of a confidence building win over the Dogs last weekend. Many pundits, including this scribe, had them down as the form team heading into Round 17, but they fell to the Nomads in Armidale with a chance to earn a spot in the Major Semi. That left them having to win the title the hard way, but one senses that’s exactly the way Tim Cotter loves it. If they are to go back to back, they will need to win away twice in a row, including at Inverell. However, they have not won in Armidale this season, and suffered their only loss of 2011 on the wide expanse of Bellevue. The dimensions are very different to Number One, and the Roos will need to come up with a way of combating the wide Nomad runners while still doing justice to their own hard nosed attack on the footy.
The line ups in this match will be crucial. The Nomads have a potent forward line that has the ability to explode at any moment. Last week, they put 5 quick goals on the Saints and came charging back into the contest on the back of their combination of dynamic crumbers and tall marks. Dave Richards has enjoyed another stellar season and together with Ash Cruikshank the pair are lively at the bottom of the pack. Simon Stubbs and Shaun Cusack have also enjoyed consistent years and can be hard to stop on their day. Throw in Weston Whitby when he goes forward, and that side has the strike power to kick a big score. The Roos will match up well in defence. Dan Johnson is their unofficial leader down back, and does the job week in, week out often on much bigger opponents. Col Daye is as stingy as they come, not allowing his man an easy kick all day, and Cotter has also spent some time across half back this season, reading the game and rebounding his side out of trouble.
The battle for midfield supremacy will go a long way to determining who wins this. The Nomads have unearthed arguably the find of the season in Dave Graan, who can win the hard ball as well as wrap around the back of the pack to clear. Grant Elson has had some big shoes to fill this season in the ruck and has done so very well, and with whippets like Riley Connor on the wings, the Nomads love to spread and run in support. On the other hand, the Roos have probably the best midfield in the league at their disposal. Matthew Hodge, Cam Douglas, Lachlan Maloney and Gillies Medallist Alex Hudson headline a hard-working machine that seems to have no end of options. When allowed some freedom, they have the ability to tear a team to shreds. And then for a blow, they head forward and kick a couple of goals just for good measure. Slowing these boys down is a big challenge for the Nomads, but doing so is half the battle won.
Up front for the Roos sees a couple of veterans in Dan Overeem and Geordie Akeroyd. Overeem has once again been in supreme form this season, while Akers never fails to create a contest and is rarely beaten. Throw in the Douglas boys and you have yourself a winning combination. The Nomads defence is not an easy one to crack however, with coach Tom Granleese leading the charge. With the support of Nomad veteran Clinton Ballagh and John Frost, they do not give up any easy goals. It’s also where they love to switch play and attack from, so the Roos forwards need to be on their game to slow them down from the back 50.
Conventional wisdom tells you that a result from two weeks ago between these two clubs at the same ground is a good form line to run through. However, the Saints bucked that trend 7 days ago. It’s very difficult to see the Nomads losing two on the trot at home to be bundled out of this finals series, but if any team cannot be underestimated it’s the Roos. Something tells me that the result of this one will depend largely on the first quarter. If it’s tight, the Roos may just wear the Nomads down. But if the boys from Armidale get the jump, they are awful hard to peg back. I know I made this statement a fortnight ago, but it’s just too hard to see the Roos lose with all their experience at this time of the season.
TAFL Tipster – Roos by 2 points
Last Modified on 21/08/2012 15:08