Ellinbank DFL Round 17 preview

MATCH PREVIEW – CATANI V WARRAGUL INDUSTRIALS

The Blues will chart a plan to beat the Dusties in a game that is tantamount to a final. With both teams on 42 points the vital third position on the table is up for grabs in this contest. Catani appear to rely heavily on ball magnets Paul Pattison and Nick Visser and similarly the Dusties guns Tyson Bale, Tye Holland and Shane Brewster are equally dominant in their team. Both teams drew 54 points apiece in round nine which gives little insight into which team will win other than it should be another tight affair that could go either way.

MATCH PREVIEW – LONGWARRY V LANG LANG

The Crows square off against the Tigers. Fair to say the visitors will enter the game as long shots. After a round 15 reality check against Nyora, Longwarry bounced back with a 60-point win over Buln Buln and perhaps the most pleasing aspect for coach Daniel Fry was the fact it had nine individual goal kickers in a true team effort. Lang Lang always start with intent. The records show it has won at least one quarter in the first half of a match eight times this season but coach Clint Evans must be disappointed with the drop off in intensity in in the second halves this season.

MATCH PREVIEW – NILMA-DARNUM V NEERIM-NEERIM SOUTH

The Bombers take the field against the Cats. Nilma has shown a lack of goal scoring power all season having only scored more than 10 goals three times. Last week this problem was partially addressed with coach Matt Shorey kicking five majors in his first senior game for the season. If Shorey had played more games alongside the well performed Mitchell Dance who has kicked 31 goals one thinks the Bombers record would now read something like six wins rather than three. In round 9 Neerim South opened their winning account against Nilma Darnum and will fancy their chances again. The Bombers were plucky against Nyora last week and if they can reproduce that form can scrape home.

MATCH PREVIEW – NYORA V ELLINBANK

Ellinbank must win to stay in contention to play in the finals. It has been well documented that the ladder leaders Nyora have made huge strides this year. In contrast Ellinbank have disappointed. Saint coach Fia Too Too returned last week for his first game since round 12 and interestingly played forward. Maybe he auditioned to replace star recruit Ben Schultz who suffered a compound fracture of his thumb the previous week. Mind you the inside word is Schultz will appear again and perhaps before the finals. While the Saints have plenty of headline grabbers it is the likes of some of its more unheralded brigade namely Sam Dixon, Adam Jamieson, Anthony Galley and the return of Nick Fairbank who have contributed well in defence to make the Saints such a good all-round team.

The duel between in form rucks Nick Carrigy and Frank D’Agostino and the likely match up between Fairbank and Banker key forward Adam Cook will have a big say in the outcome.

MATCH PREVIEW – POOWONG V BULN BULN

The Magpies butter up against the Lyrebirds. Poowong loomed ominously as a final prospect all season and now it has established a spot in the five. It has plenty of quality players but its improvement after the half way part of the season must surely be due to the step up in its second-tier players led by Matt Cozzio, Michael Harris and Tim Francis to name just a few. Buln Buln have worked their socks off all year but over the last fortnight it appears to have had enough. The drop off not surprising for such a young side. Bryce Monahan after six majors last week and 22 for the season now leads the Lyrebird goal kicking from Hayden Baker with 15.