Match One: Tamworth Kangaroos v New England Nomads at Number One Oval
Round 9 gets off to a belter with quite possibly the match of the season in Tamworth on Saturday afternoon. The Nomads currently top the TAFL ladder and the Roos are of course the reigning premier and hitting some great form after a slow start. In recent weeks both these teams have beaten the early season favourites, and that could be the form line here. The Nomads got their long road stay off to a winning start by taking an understrength outfit to Muswellbrook and coming away with an impressive win. Meanwhile, the Roos won a hard fought local derby last start and Tim Cotter seems to have his men firing right now. Their midfield is getting back to full strength, and their defense is as rock solid as any in the league. Dan Overeem, has done a wonderful job of leading up front for them in what appears to be their only area of weakness. However the names of Hodge, Douglas and Cotter often appear on the goal kickers list as they are rotated forward and those small men could be the key to this clash. The Nomads have an enigmatic forward line led by Simon Stubbs, Weston Whitby and Dave Richards. All three can kick a bag on any day and the Tamworth boys need to be wary. However, the Nomads strength this season appears to be down back. Their defense has conceded the least points of any team this season, with Tom Granleese marshalling his troops from down back with great poise. It’s hard to find where one team has the advantage over the other here, and it will come down to the side that wants it more. Are the Nomads desperate to hold onto to top spot? Are the Roos still stinging from the early season defeat? They are the biggest questions here!
TAFL Tipster – If the Nomads travel light again this week, they won’t get away with it. Roos by 15 points.
Match Two: Inverell Saints v Muswellbrook Cats at Varley Oval
The boys from Muswellbrook will make the longest road trip in football this weekend to the Sapphire City to face a Saints side currently sitting second on the ladder. The Saints rallied last week after a couple of losses away from home and celebrated being back home with an emphatic win over the Bulldogs. The Cats have stalled in recent weeks, after a promising start to the season they have derailed in the last 3 with some horrific losses. They need to get back on track this week, as a spot in the top 4 is still up for grabs come seasons end. They have a strong core of talented youngsters who will enjoy the open expanse of Varley Oval and are not without a chance of a big upset. Jason Gobbert will be reminding his troops to stay focussed this week and not take this match up lightly and will be praying he can welcome back some of his veterans for this clash from injury. Mike Gould returned last start and duly slotted 5 majors to maintain his lead atop the TAFL goalkickers list. His supply has come from a dominant midfield this season, and big Leigh Turner has been instrumental so far this year. The Saints will need big games again this week to get the points.
TAFL Tipster – It’s very hard to win a game of footy after 5 hours travel, and it will be too much for the Cats here. Saints by 89 points.
Match Three: Gunnedah Bulldogs v Tamworth Swans at Wolseley Oval
Another match this weekend that has huge ramifications to the make up of the TAFL top 4. These two teams supplied the match of the year so far when they met in Round 3, with the Swans just getting the points by a single point on that occasion. A win by either club here can significantly boost their chances of a finals visit this season and the loser will find it difficult to do so. The Dogs headed to Inverell last start and were soundly beaten, but put in a big fight for a half of footy. The Swans fell to a tough loss to their cross town rivals after leading for much of the clash and will surely feel it was 4 points lost. This clash is an interesting one as both clubs have similar game styles. Their strengths both lie in the midfield, with Andrew George and Paul Brown being rejoined by Scott Hardy to form a formidable centre line up. However, the Swans have Gavin Knee, Damien Wendt and Andrew Donohue still playing great footy. Both clubs also have strong defences, with the tall timbers of John Woolaston and Dan Hughes tough to crack for the Dogs, and Josh McKenzie and Ross Fraser near unbeatable for the Swans. It could come down to the team that makes the most of their opportunities here, something the Swans failed to do a fortnight ago. Rick Watt will have spent two weeks reminding his players of this and could be enough.
TAFL Tipster – The Swans need this and will just get there by 5 points.
Last Modified on 12/06/2012 21:35