Game 1 - Tamworth Swans v Tamworth Kangaroos
These two old rivals were robbed of two clashes last year due to wet weather, so will be busting down the gates on Number One Oval this weekend to get a crack at each other. The Drum has read plenty about the Kangaroos off-field progress, and with Tim Cotter taking over from Tony Bishop it will be business as usual in 2011. Reports are that the Rooboys have found a special one to spearhead their forward line so goals will flow if their midfield can get on top. The Swans have been quietly going about their business as they start a year for the first time without Lachlan Rowling. They are said to have some handy recruits but filling that gap will not be easy, and the Roos have had the wood over their cross-town rivals in recent meetings. I would expect that trend to continue here.
The Drum: Kangaroos by three goals.
Game 2 - Inverell Saints v New England Nomads
This match looks like a crackerjack, with the yardstick of the League meeting the improving Nomads. Alas though, the Drum is that the Saints have conceded the match, being unable to field a team as their Club supports stalwart Jono Elphick as he signs up for the eternal contested possession. The Drum will just wait patiently for what he suspects might be the grand final pairing and wish Jono all the best, reminding him that in that match you NEVER argue with the umpire.
Game 3 - Gunnedah Bulldogs v Narrabri Eagles
In what could be billed as rivalry round, the last match and the battle of the west looks a keen contest as well. Narrabri were a surprise packet in 2011, finishing the year in good style and developing nicely as the season went on. Like a son of Encosta De Lago, they looked like they would fill out with a spell and come back a genuine contender, and the Drum has heard nothing to refute that view. The Bulldogs, with match cancellations in wet weather, were a bit stiff last season not to have a real crack at fourth place. They have promised plenty in recent years and with Pete Chapman taking over the coaching role from the legenday Yowie will be looking to cash some of those cheques in 2011. Scott Hardy will leave a hole in the midfield, and the Drum suspects the Dogs will take a while to find an alternative and click into top gear. Meeting an eager Eagles unit in this one will test where they are at the start of the season, and I think the visitors can launch into the new season with a bit of an upset.
The Drum: Eagles by two goals.
So what will 2011 hold? The webmaster for the Essential Energy Tamworth AFL thinks the Saints are the obvious choice, and they will be the team from which all others judge themselves from early. Nick Baird is a coach with some verve, but The Drum wonders if they are as strong as last season. The Drum expects big things from the Nomads this season. Hamish Pearce was close to unstoppable in the preliminary final last year, and a midfield with Pearce to the power of two, feeding a Whitby squared forward line, is a tantalising proposition. The Kangaroos have been right on the pace in recent years and the Drum can see no reason they won't compete again. Tim Cotter will be energetic as a coach and, despite having big shoes to fill, if his energy rubs off the Roos will fancy themselves again. The Swans and the Bulldogs have been competitive, but the Drum wonders if they will have made up enough ground to mount a sustained challenge. Bryce O'Connor is a canny footballer, and his return will boost the Cats, who are bound to convert their off-field success sometime soon. The Eagles will be better again as well, and the Drum suspects those four will provide some cheek to the top picks. Even with a compression in the League ladder, the Drum thinks the Saints, Nomads and Kangaroos will emerge as the real deal and with a vigorous assault on the crystal ball will come up with:
The Drum: Nomads premiers, with a three goal victory over the Saints.
Winter is on the way, but the footy is here already! See you at the game.
Last Modified on 07/04/2011 13:10