Grand Final: Inverell Saints v New England Nomads at Varley Oval on Saturday
After 17 home and away rounds and 2 weeks of finals we are down to the last game of 2012. It will be an historic occasion, as it marks the first time in TAFL history that two non-Tamworth sides will compete on the big day. For the Saints, it is a sixth consecutive trip to the big one, with their Grand Final record currently sitting on 2 wins and 3 losses. The Nomads will play in their first Grand Final since 2006 and are looking to add their fourth premiership and the first since 2004.
These teams were the measuring stick for much of the season. They were the only two teams to sit on top of the ladder, with the Nomads finishing as Minor Premiers on the back of consecutive wins to end the season over the Saints and Roos. They relinquished that home field advantage with a loss in the Major Semi, but stormed back into form last start to knock off the reigning premiers. The Saints were the early front-runners in this season and looked to be taking all before them before being derailed by the Nomads in Round 5. They suffered something of a late season form slump, but controlled much of the contest in that Major Semi to earn the right to host their fourth Grand Final. They will come into this battle with some confidence off the back of that result, and with the knowledge that they have lost just twice at home over the past two seasons.
The Saints will look to take a largely settled side into this clash. They will welcome back Nick Reid from a 3 week suspension and he will strengthen what is an already tight backline. Sam Kimmince has been the general down back this season for the Saints, and with the support of veterans Matt Harrison and Corey Borthwick there are not many easy kicks to be had in the Nomad forward line. They will look for David Richards to again be the spark for their offense, and whoever lines up there for the Saints will have their hands full. The Nomads have an abundance of small forwards who love to get to the bottom of the pack, with Ash Cruikshank and Caleb Dobos showing good form in the last month. Big Shaun Cusack will be there to crash the packs and has the ability to turn the match on the back of his accurate left foot.
The midfield of both teams go about plying their trade with workmanlike efficiency. Both teams have seen their number one ruck choices go down with injury this season, and both have shown flexibility in their replacements. The Saints may go down the line of youngster Toby Tollis, or a more experienced head of a Justin Pay or Joe Kimmince. Any of those three can run through the ruck, and Jason Gobbert may well keep them moving through to get them fresh. For the Nomads, Simon Stubbs started in the ruck and performed strongly last week, with Grant Elson also moving in when needed. It will be an understated match up in this clash, but one that will have a huge bearing on the result. Tom Williams and KJ Te Velde will take on much of the roving roles for the Saints, with Hamish Bird and Peter Dunlop left to roam the wings looking for the crumbs. For the Nomads, Weston Whitby was electric last start and almost singlehandedly carried his team over the line. The Saints will need to curb his influence is they want to stay in the contest. However, one cannot overlook Dave Graan and Riley Connor around the packs, as they love to pick up the loose ball and use their turn of foot to burn any would be defenders.
The result of the match could well hinge in the Saints forward line. This is where the league’s best attack meets the league’s most miserly defence. The Saints have been led by Griffiths Medallist Mike Gould across half forward, with the tall targets of Jason Gobbert and Joe Kimmince providing headaches in the past month. Then there’s the pace down low of Alex Walker and Chris Whitton to mop up any loose crumbs and the Saints have many options to goal. However, the Nomads have built their game around defence this season. Coach Tom Granleese is a disciplined as they come down back, with veterans Adrian Walsh and John Frost always hard to beat. They have an injury worry in captain Clinton Ballagh, who traditionally takes the opposition captain in Whitton, after he missed last week’s win. If they can get him up for this clash, the backline will look much more settled.
It is very difficult to put a finger on where one team has an advantage over the other in this clash. The ledger stands at two wins each this season, however significantly, the Saints won the last clash a fortnight ago and also the only clash in Inverell this season by 100 points back in Round 10. The teams that take the field this weekend will be very different to that occasion, but the memory of that trip north could still be in the back of the Nomads minds. The Saints love playing at home, and have won by an average margin of near 100 points at Varley Oval this season. There was that one loss however, to the Roos in Round 13.
The way in which the Nomad players respond to their bruising clash last weekend could well be the deciding factor here. If they can produce a healthy line up, and catch the Saints napping after a week off, they will be hard to catch. However, if the Saints drag them into the slog-it-out affair that they love, they may just strangle the Nomads until the final siren. At the risk of sounding a lot like last week’s preview, the balance of this match could well be decided in the first quarter.
TAFL Tipster – With a big home crowd in support, and week off to rest some bumps and bruises, the Saints should collect their third flag. Saints by 3 points.
Last Modified on 29/08/2012 18:37