Football:
Seniors
The contrast between Lindenow and Lucknow couldn’t be further apart heading into tomorrow’s East Gippsland Football Netball League senior grand final at Bairnsdale City Oval.
The Cats will play in their third consecutive decider with hopes of claiming back-to-back flags after accounting for Wy Yung in last season’s final dance.
On the opposite side of the ledger, the Magpies haven’t seen grand final action since 2001, and haven’t won a premiership in 15 years, last tasting success in 1997 when the Pies thumped Lindenow by 88 points.
Since that taste of premiership glory, Lucknow has barely even played finals football.
Lindenow 2011 premiership player, Brad Paris had the drive to coach at senior level and to do so he moved from the Cattery to the Magpies’ nest.
He has taken a young group of teenagers and men in their early 20s, mixed it with a handful of experienced players and added a couple of Bairnsdale-listed boys and now he has the formula that could take Lucknow to a drought-breaking premiership.
Lindenow also found new blood, handing the reins to John Dick, who, having lost nine premiership players, had to rebuild the Cats’ list, working tirelessly to get Lindenow into the grand final.
He has injected youth from round one and it has slowly paid off with the Cats ready to peak.
It’s a grand final not many expected early on in the season, however you could not have hoped for a better contest between two fierce sides and it will live up to expectations.
Just which team is going to win is anyone’s guess, but the Bairnsdale Advertiser has broken down the three areas of the ground to help you make your decision.
LUCKNOW’S ATTACKING HALF
Lucknow’s forward line is full of star quality, enough so that it will be too hot to handle for the Lindenow defenders.
Some of the names include Brenton Martin, Will Hamilton, Aidan Fitzgerald, Peter Hopkins, coach Brad Paris and the in form Shaun Ryan. All can play different roles and all can play in all parts of the attacking 50.
Hamilton is the lead-up, link-up centre half forward who has a long penetrating kick and can find targets when he has the ball 70m out from goal.
Hopkins is likely to be the stay at home forward, playing deep and using his strength in one-on-one contests, while Paris, Ryan and Martin will all present up the ground and double back to gather the ball at ground level.
The wildcard is Fitzgerald. The big man will get first hands to anything in the air, however it is his burst of speed that will cause Lindenow problems. He will spend time in the ruck, but when he’s up forward, the Cats don’t have a suitable match-up.
No Cat is tall enough or quick enough to keep up with Fitzgerald, who will use his pace to burn off opposition and run towards goal.
Lindenow coach Dick has been a keen observer of Lucknow over the past two weeks, but even he would be scratching his head as for who to play on him. Most would expect Matt Whelan to go to Ryan, while Lachlan Dumaresq could take Paris or Hopkins.
Dan Wyatt may be the most like-for-like suitor to go head-to-head with Fitzgerald.
Wyatt is an underrated defender who quite often gets the big jobs and holds his own. Fitzgerald may be a different kettle of fish and his shear height advantage will be too much to handle for the young Cat.
Lindenow will try and free up Morgan Davies as he plays the loose man role extremely well. He reads the play better than most and knows when to go and when to hold his ground.
The Magpies will try and make him accountable, but won’t be willing to sacrifice any of their forwards’ games. Lucknow won’t take any of its potency out of the attacking 50 to stop a Lindenow defender, rather just trying to hurt them on the scoreboard and force them to tighten up.
One man who is primed for a big grand final outing is Martin. Arguably the most talented Lucknow player, with grand final success to boot.
Martin was a key to Sale’s 2008 West Gippsland Latrobe Football League premiership win over Morwell, bagging four goals to lead his side to victory.
He plays on the ball at stages, but when he is up forward, the Cats can’t allow him space because he is lethal around goal. He’s agile, quick, and smart and he too may not have a suitable match-up. Davies may have to go to him but will have to pay more attention than he usually does.
Martin has been hampered by a leg injury towards the end of the season, but appears to be over it ready to roll.
Hopkins appeared to be struggling with a leg injury last week as well, but he will play and play well.
The bonus that Lucknow can add to this mix is youngster Damian Hodder and Tim Saunders. The latter can play almost anywhere, however does have great goal sense and can get in damaging positions.
But it’s Hodder who could be a real match-winner. Having already tasted under 15.5 premiership success, the speedy small forward, who thrives in pressure situations, will do whatever it takes to get his side over the line.
His tackling pressure inside the attacking 50 is first class, and although his kicking may not be perfect, he does have the ability to hit the scoreboard.
Lucknow gets the nod in its attacking half. It simply has too much firepower for the Lindenow defence. The Cats have held firm in big games, but the Magpies have depth that can’t be matched and won’t be tomorrow.
LINDENOW’S ATTACKING HALF
The Cats have a good blend of talls, smalls, speed and strength in their forward half, meaning it can hurt the Magpies through a number of different avenues.
Mick Preston will hold the key. The Bairnsdale-listed premiership player, who has delivered on the big stage on a number of occasions, will assert himself early and if he’s not making an impact on the scoreboard, he will make his presence felt through the midfield.
Arguably the best full back in the competition, Pete Jenner will get the job on Preston when he plays forward and has the tenacity and determination to beat the big game player.
Lindenow will play through Matt Busch, who was the Cats’ leading goalkicker this season. He will play high half forward and pick up possessions just out of scoring range, but it is on transition when Lindenow moves the ball with pace and precision, that he can be found on the lead or free close to home.
Lucknow best and fairest Pat St John is the Magpies most likely to get the job in quelling his influence and he can make the Cats pay on the rebound if he is given space.
Cameron McPhan will play a similar role to Busch, but will spend more time up the ground and out of scoring range. He is a good user so the Magpies must not give the youngster free reign.
The Cat that could cause the most problems is Kobi Cook. He didn’t have his best outing in the semi final win over Wy Yung, but has pace to burn and skill to match. He will be too quick for the Lucknow defence and is a noted goalkicker.
Lucknow will be wary of his pace and try and limit the space he has to weave his magic, and the Pies are good at shutting those types of players down.
In the first semi final, Rhys Robinson played on speedy Paynesville runner-up league best and fairest Ryan Holland, and although it wasn’t a tag, Holland didn’t find any space and was unable to make an impact. Lucknow could implement a similar plan on Cook.
Kaine Bulmer is another key target for the Cats and when he is on, he cannot be stopped. Bulmer is another who has played well in finals and will not change the way he plays. He loves taking screamers and kicking long goals and if given the opportunity to do this early, the Magpies best watch out.
But having said that, one thing in Lucknow’s favour is that it’s had the same back six for the majority of the season and it has stood up in times of need.
Jenner, Pat St John, Jake St John, Richard Hood, Daniel Evans and Josh Ingram, although not household names, do what’s required and whether that be scrappy or flashy, the Magpies know how to get it done.
Lindenow needs to find the right match ups early, and will be somewhat restricted given Bairnsdale-listed forward Nathan Storer won’t play after suffering a semi final knee injury. The Cats must hit the scoreboard with a bang, otherwise Lucknow will lock down and take control in the back half.
MIDFIELD
This is where the match will be won, where all finals are won and it’s hard to split the sides.
In the ruck, Lindenow’s Rod Harrison and Lynden Kennedy, and Lucknow’s Stephan Zappelli and Aidan Fitzgerald can all win hit outs in different situations and feed their onballers.
Harrison and Fitzgerald also play more than a ruck role, being dynamic ball getters around the ground. The rucks can’t be split.
As for rovers and ruck rovers, you wouldn’t find a tougher set of footballers.
Lucknow, led by captain and runner-up league best and fairest Ash Smith (under an injury cloud), James Sanford, David Donchi, Joel Kelly and Rhys Robinson, will face Lindenow captain Mark Baylis, Daniel Cox, Justin Blair (likely to return from a lengthy time out through injury), Paul Gould and a number of young charges who will rotate from the bench.
Both onball groups are hard-nosed, fierce, no- frills footballers. All want to win the ball at any cost and will do what is required to get first hands on it.
Don’t expect to see any side place a tag on anyone, rather just letting players go head-to-head, and that’s the way it should be.
It’s a toss of the coin to see which side will win in the midfield. The team that gets its hands on it first at the centre bounces and stoppages and gets forward will win the game.
RESULT
It’s been some years since East Gippsland football followers have been treated to a grand final thriller. The last close decider was nine years ago when Lakes Entrance came from behind to beat Wy Yung by four points at Lucknow.
This may just be the closest grand final since then and expect the match to go down to the dying minutes.
Overall, Lucknow looks to have all bases covered and then some. It’s tight in defence, its on-ballers have the hardness and skill to win the ball and use it and the forwards are as classy as they get. Add to that depth on the bench and the Magpies are hard to stop.
Lindenow, on the other hand, may be troubled up forward with the loss of Storer and might not be able to hold Lucknow’s key forwards.
The Magpies may have finished fourth after the home and away season (after losing three games for playing an ineligible player), however to win grand finals you have to beat the best sides and Lindenow is the only one left in Lucknow’s way.
It’s going to be one hell of a fight, and the Magpies will taste premiership success for the first time in 15 years.
ADVERTISER SELECTIONS
Jake Le Maitre: Lucknow 37 points.
Luke Robinson: Lucknow 42 points.
Ryan Hooper: Lucknow 16 points.
BEST ON GROUND
Jake Le Maitre: Aidan Fitzgerald.
Luke Robinson: Richard Hood.
Ryan Hooper: Joel Kelly.
Netball:
C Reserve
Wy Yung will go into a fierce feline “C” Reserve fight as a clear underdog with Lindenow.
However, Tigers’ coach Bronwyn Mitchell is relatively confident as nothing has separated the two sides all season.
”I wouldn’t say we’re going to win, but it’s going to be a tough fight. It’s always been a close game this year,” she said.
“It’s going to be a good challenge for us.”
From three outings in the home-and-away season, the Cats have taken the cream on each occasion by a total of seven goals, while in the second semi final the Tigers fell three short.
Form hasn’t been an issue for the Tigers despite falling short against the Cats two Saturdays in a row, in the round 19 and the semi.
Before then, the underdogs have easily accounted for Lakes Entrance, Paynesville and Lucknow.
“It’s been really good (our form) and our finals campaign has been quite good. Everyone’s stepped up and done the job that was asked – we’re in the grand final,” Mitchell said.
The Wy Yung shooters need to work hard in the ring and up the court to cut down Lindenow defender and league best and fairest Natasha Walker’s influence on the game. She could tear the Tigers to shreds and single-handily win it for the Cats, setting up gun Cats goalies Amy Pollard and Danni Reed.
The Tigers however play a strong defensive game and can shut down their opposition with ease, all things working to a tee.
Cats coach Jess Bulmer believes it will be another close match, as they have been all year.
“They’ve been close games. They play a good defensive game, so it should be a close one I think,” Bulmer said.
Last Modified on 25/10/2012 20:07